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00:00The man who defended his West Division 250 title, that is Hayden Deegan.
00:05Let's listen to some interesting words from Hayden at yesterday's official press conference
00:09about achieving his goals in this class.
00:13Yeah, I think this year I just had a few things I had to clean up
00:15and where I just kind of took over the class.
00:18That's what I wanted to do before I left.
00:19It was like, no one can beat this guy.
00:21And that's kind of what I wanted to stamp before I left.
00:24And I feel like this season, that's kind of what I've done.
00:27And besides losing the first round, I haven't lost yet, like straight up.
00:31So that's really the last, you know, thing I wanted to check off before going to the 450 glass.
00:37Yeah, I love those comments because a lot of people might hear that kind of turn the other cheek.
00:41But I think what he's saying is like he knows that he's ready.
00:44And to know that is when you're dominating the class.
00:47And he really has stepped his game up this year.
00:50He's ready to go.
00:51This is the last one for him.
00:52And let's embrace the moment.
00:54And that is, Ricky.
00:55This is the last time, this race and then the main events, the last time we'll see him on a
01:00250.
01:00Yeah, and you look at the big picture and just what that means.
01:03You know, this is the last time we'll see him on a 250 at this level.
01:07And I just go back to his journey and what it was like watching him for the first time he
01:13lined up
01:13at a professional Supercross race to where he is now and the growth and how his riding has changed.
01:20And it's been cool to see the progression.
01:22While the title is beyond reach, it's already been handed out to Hayden Deegan.
01:27And it's still very close between Levi Kitchen, Max Anstey and Ryder DeFrancisco for second and third and fourth.
01:35So there's a lot to look for.
01:37There's a lot still to race for.
01:38And it gets even more complex and challenging and difficult because of this being an East-West showdown.
01:44But first of all, you've got to make that East-West showdown main event.
01:48And this West Division race will show us and who is going to do it.
01:55That red X there, it's the race that got taken away from Hayden Deegan for short-cutting the track.
02:00But not in his mind.
02:02He's still won almost all of the races this season.
02:06Here we go.
02:07Deegan right on the inside.
02:09Levi Kitchen.
02:10Oh, that was back.
02:11It was back.
02:12It was back in about me, yeah.
02:14Great start by Hayden Deegan on there.
02:16He got a good jump.
02:17He started slowing down.
02:18And then look at that gap that he's able to get through those whoops.
02:21And I mean, the last few weeks, this is what this guy's been doing pretty much all year.
02:25Number one, back out front with the green light.
02:27Caden Meneer is in second place.
02:30That is his young teammate from Monster Energy Star Racing, who made his pro debut just last weekend.
02:36And he got a top five from it.
02:38It's really good going.
02:39Yeah, from the last chance, it was absolutely an incredible ride.
02:42And it was a lot of fun to watch and a lot on the line for this young guy right
02:47here.
02:47Working hard to get a position at this race team next year.
02:51And what a great showing that is, giving the bosses at Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha some opportunity here.
03:01I'd love to see it.
03:02It's Cameron McAdoo ahead of his Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki teammate in Levi Kitchen.
03:08So a good start from McAdoo.
03:10And keep your eyes on that graphic on the left.
03:13You've got to be in the top nine if you want to automatically go through to the last East-West
03:17Showdown main event of the year.
03:20Yeah, you can tell this track's dry.
03:21Now that those guys are starting to lose a little bit of traction, then it's only going to get worse.
03:25But at some point, that loose stuff would get off, and then it'd just be more of a hard base.
03:29It's kind of been the story of Levi's, you know, year.
03:32It's been fast, but he doesn't get that start.
03:34You see that number one pulling away in the distance, a long distance.
03:39Yeah, and it's tough, too, with these heat races.
03:41And again, now this is like a main event.
03:43Normally, these heat races, you know, you have half of the fast guys in the first one, the other half
03:48in the second heat race.
03:50Well, now they're all in one heat race.
03:51So this is basically a main event.
03:53So it's going to be much harder for guys to move up the pack here if you get a bad
03:58start in these heat races.
04:00Now, you often hear us talk about how important the start is.
04:03James was just mentioning it as Cameron McAdoo's starting to zero in on Caden Maneer.
04:08Well, guess what?
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04:23Good luck.
04:24I feel like in this 250 class, since we're at elevation, the bike's going to be down on power.
04:29So a lot of the passing opportunities you normally would have at sea level might not be here as much.
04:34When you try to go up the inside of a guy, try to get out that rhythm section or into
04:38the whoop section,
04:39you're going to pay attention to just keep that bike rolling forward.
04:41Otherwise, you will lose a lot of time here.
04:43That's right.
04:44They don't have the torque, obviously, like the 450s use, especially the low RPM torque,
04:48and have that front getting out of the corners.
04:52So, as far as Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna is concerned,
04:57Daxton Benick has been forced to go to the last chance qualifier.
05:00Ryder DeFrancisco, who is racing tonight to try and finish top three in the championship,
05:06is way down in 15th place.
05:09It's crazy.
05:10Rough night for these guys, for sure.
05:12And, say, Ryder De, he is 14th on the first lap.
05:16And he's lost a position as well, a lot like his teammate, Dax Benick.
05:22Yeah, you've got to probably assume as he goes up the inside up here,
05:26you've got to assume that at some point he probably went down again.
05:29You know, obviously, he's making passes, closing in.
05:31I know the track's difficult to pass on, but I feel like they should be able to rise up.
05:36He's got a long ways to get to number 9th, which is Max Anstey.
05:39And you may have seen the news, and if you haven't, it was quite shocking, actually, this week to learn
05:47of Factory Husqvarna's exit.
05:52And that hits close to home for you, James, because that's going to have an impact on your little brother,
05:55Malcolm.
05:56Yeah, I mean, I think it's, you know, you look at all these guys, you know, just having that opportunity
06:00and just the way it happened.
06:01So, I'm not really sure of the details as the camera goes up the inside of Cade.
06:06Yeah, it's a shock in all of them, but I'm sure they'll find their feet somewhere.
06:10End of the season, a departure from the sport.
06:14Big, hey, Ricky, big week, massive week for Caden Munea.
06:17Just a teenager, convinces his boss to give him a shot and go pro last week.
06:21Has to go via, he gets caught up in a controversial rule situation where he was, he should have finished
06:28in the top three in his seat.
06:29He gets forced to go to the last chance qualifier.
06:31He crashes and then comes back, finishes fifth in the main event.
06:36And then now he's going to go on his first East-West showdown against the best 250 riders in the
06:41world.
06:41That's quite a week.
06:42Yeah, that call was tough.
06:43I understand what the rulebook said.
06:48Ryan Villopoto and I talked about it on Title 24.
06:51That rule might need to be revised.
06:53He really came out on the short end of the stick for sure.
06:56And I'll tell you what, in his resilience, just to go into that last chance, make it happen, and then
07:02put in a fantastic ride, says a lot.
07:04And I think his future's bright.
07:06Yeah, I agree with you.
07:08And some mechanics should just let Levi by, but he'd be pretty good.
07:11JT.
07:13Yeah, just to add to what you guys were saying, Ricky, this is no less than an audition for a
07:18job in 2027 and beyond.
07:20He needs rides like this.
07:22The SMX Next program didn't go the way he planned in 2026.
07:25He made the most fit last week.
07:27He gets a top five.
07:28This type of ride, though, he's battling guys that are going to be winning races in 2027.
07:34They're trying to replace the likes of a guy like Caden Deegan.
07:37This is a big moment in the story of Caden Manier.
07:40JT, obviously, it's an audition on the track, but there's more to it than that, guys, as we know.
07:46And Caden Manier, for his age, he said he's just a kid there, Lee, but he's incredibly level-headed.
07:51We've had the opportunity to sit down and speak to him when he was riding the SMX Next races, and
07:57he knows exactly.
07:58He said, I know what the job is.
07:59I know what I am hired to do.
08:01And really, his maturity on and off the track is above his age.
08:07I think that, you know, what he's doing, like you talked about, Will, and then, of course, JT.
08:12I mean, exactly right.
08:14Just think this has given reassurance to the Monster Star Energy Yamaha team that they want to re-sign him.
08:21But also what it's doing for other teams.
08:23I mean, the stock option is going through the roof right here.
08:26And I tell you what, it's been impressive to watch.
08:30Final lap coming up for Hayden Deegan, who has an incredible eight wins from eight heat races this year.
08:39Look at the teammates going at it here.
08:41Good stuff from Cameron McAdoo, Levi Kitchen.
08:44Anyway, further back, Hunter Yoder holds the ninth and final transfer position.
08:50Ryder DeFrancisco is still back in 12th position, never gone to a last-chance qualifier.
08:55He'll join his teammate in that LCQ if things don't change on this last lap dramatically.
08:59I'm actually shocked about that, especially as well as Ryder DeFrancisco has been riding.
09:04But that just shows you how good the other riders, Parker Ross, Hunter Yoder, Anstey, Bolin,
09:10all these young guns have a breakout year is what they're able to do.
09:14Testament to their hard work.
09:17Whoa!
09:17McAdoo getting buck wild.
09:19Yeah, that's been a couple times his peak came off.
09:21I think now he gets passed by his teammate.
09:23Hey, Deegan throws a little knack-knack over there.
09:26Nice move by those bucks.
09:28Good save on this Cameron.
09:29So Deegan, Kitchen, McAdoo, the top three from the West Division.
09:34Hey, we'll see them again in the main event.
09:37Meanwhile, check this out on the inside.
09:39Sixter of Hunter, Yoda.
09:42That was okay, though.
09:44He didn't need to do that because he's in the...
09:45Oh!
09:46Wow!
09:47What is happening here?
09:49That was Josh Fariz.
09:50Yeah.
09:51Wow.
09:53What happened?
09:53I just saw the bike flying through the air.
09:58Hopefully, he's all right.
10:00Yeah, glad to see him.
10:01Yeah, he's...
10:01Get up.
10:02Let's have a look at this again.
10:04Watch the Kawasaki, third bike in shot.
10:06Oh, the bike...
10:07Oh, oh!
10:08Oh, did you see his bike smoking as it was taken off?
10:10Yeah, that bike shut down.
10:12Yeah.
10:13Oh, oh!
10:16Oh, oh!
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