Race Report: Chase Sexton and Levi Kitchen Win at Budds Creek, Deegan Claims 250MX Title

Round 10 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship and Round 27 of the SuperMotocross World Championship, held at Budds Creek in Mechanicsville, MD, was hot and humid on Saturday. A rain shower early in the morning made for thick and slick conditions throughout the second qualifying sessions. When the rain let up, and we were ready to drop the gate for the first motos, the track came around for good conditions throughout the rest of the day.

The track was challenging, with limited passing opportunities around the scenic Budds Creek track, but that didn’t stop the great racing action as the day went on.

Let’s see how the motos unfolded at Budds Creek and check the results:

250MX Moto 1

In the first 250MX moto at Budds Creek, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings’ and Championship points leader Haiden Deegan took control by nailing the inside line and grabbing the holeshot. This decisive move allowed him to avoid the chaos behind, where a major crash took down several riders, including Deegan’s teammate Max Anstie and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Ty Masterpool. Anstie was forced out due to injury for the remainder of the day.

Running in second was Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s rookie Julien Beaumer held third place for some time. Still, they were eventually overtaken by Team Honda HRC’s Chance Hymas, who looked strong in the early laps. However, as the race unfolded, Hymas sliced to the inside and overtook the second place position away from Kitchen. Then, Levi capitalized on a mistake by Hymas, who went down and moved into second place. Hymas dropped back to eighth and gave the final podium position to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle.

Deegan’s dominant performance in this moto secured the win and clinched the 250MX Class Championship. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racings’ RJ Hampshire, in his return and debut back to Pro Motocross, managed to recover from an early fall to salvage a ninth-place finish.

250MX Moto 2

The second moto proved more challenging for Haiden Deegan, who didn’t get the start he wanted and was forced to fight through the pack. Levi Kitchen quickly took the early lead, grabbing the MotoSport.com holeshot, and looked poised for victory. Meanwhile, Tom Vialle moved into third place, and Chance Hymas in second.

Deegan was mired in a battle for 10th place from the bad start. RJ Hampshire made steady progress, overtaking Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings’ Nick Romano and eventually Deegan.

Eventually, and late in the race, Vialle was on a mission and moved into the 2nd place around Hymas. Despite Vialle’s and Hymas’ efforts, Kitchen held firm and secured the moto win, earning him the overall victory with a 3-1 finish. Vialle would finish in the 3rd place, granting him 2nd overall on the day.

Levi Kitchen, who also mentioned he was sick throughout the day, has been two for two on overall wins since the two-weekend break after his home race in Washougal.

Deegan's tenth-place result, though his worst of the season, was enough to ensure third overall for the day and maintain his focus on securing the championship title from the first moto victory.

Levi Kitchen, 1st place: "Last two weeks have been really good, and yeah, I think it was just nice to have that break for a few weeks for me and reset. The goal was just to at least be in the conversation, obviously Haiden pretty much smoked me, but you know going in next year I want him to know I'm here to play. I think the biggest thing is just we're all pretty good right now and fast and I think my starts are back to being pretty good like they were in Supercross, so that's everything."

Tom Vialle, 2nd place: "My start wasn't that good today. I think I started both Motos outside of the top 10, and like Levi said, the start is really important; it's pretty tough to pass on this track. I think late second Moto I was, I think, the fastest. I tried to catch the leader, but I was really too far. No, I mean both are important: keeping the momentum for the SMX, of course, and like I said, I have one more chance to win a race next weekend, so that's going to be the goal."

Haiden Deegan, 3rd place: "I just wanted to make a statement in that first Moto, that's all I cared about. I wanted to see how far I could get a lead, and I got it up to like 25 seconds at one point. Honestly, I just wanted to hold the title up on the podium, that's all I was looking forward to, so I wasn't really risking it that Moto. I was just out there having fun. As of now, my goal is just to try and get that 250 title so I can move up to the 450 because I'm not going to move up to the 450 without a Supercross title."

450MX Moto 1

In the first 450MX moto at Budds Creek, Team Honda HRC’s Hunter Lawrence once again showcased his ability to dominate the starts, quickly taking the lead with the Motosport.com holeshot. A dramatic moment unfolded as Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Justin Cooper over-jumped the step-up right after the start and collided with Lawrence, leading to a scary crash. Although Cooper was able to remount and finish in 20th place, the incident severely impacted his chances to close the points gap to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger for third in the championship.

Meanwhile, championship leader and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton was on a mission, steadily working through the pack. He made an impressive pass on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Christian Craig to move into third and then set his sights on the leaders. Plessinger led a few laps before being overtaken by Lawrence, who found his rhythm and took control of the race.

Sexton closed in on Lawrence in the final laps but made a small mistake, losing the front end and tipping over. This error allowed Lawrence to secure the moto win. Sexton finished second after recovering from his fall, and Plessinger finished third.

Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, on his return and 2024 Pro Motocross debut, would take an impressive 4th place finish.

450MX Moto 2

Hunter Lawrence continued his excellent starting form in the second moto, grabbing the holeshot and leading early on. Chase Sexton, determined to make up for his mistake in Moto 1, quickly moved into second place after passing his teammate, Aaron Plessinger. Sexton was the only rider consistently hitting a tricky double, which helped him close the gap on Lawrence.

However, like in the first moto, Sexton made another mistake, losing the front end and going down. He had enough time to recover this time, and a few laps later, he made a decisive pass on Lawrence with a powerful outside move. Once in the lead, Sexton pulled away, continuing his dominance in the second motos with his fifth consecutive second-moto win. Lawrence finished second, still seeking his first overall win, and Plessinger would round out the podium on the day with 3rd overall.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Malcolm Stewart delivered a standout performance, finishing fourth overall, marking his best result since 2013 at this very track.

Sexton still holds a 28 point advantage in the championship over Hunter Lawrence with one round left.

Chase Sexton, 1st place: "I felt good... I knew I had the speed to win the first moto... I was pretty bummed out and honestly kind of pissed me off. I just dropped the hammer after that. I think the whole year I feel like I ride almost smoother when I'm more aggressive... the bike likes when you're aggressive and push it. Budds Creek has not been that good to me... I was able to win, so I was stoked on that."

Hunter Lawrence, 2nd place: "It was tough out there today, especially with the track conditions. I was just trying to stay consistent and not make any big mistakes. I knew I had to stay focused and keep pushing, especially with how slick the track was in some sections. It was all about finding that balance between speed and control."

Aaron Plessinger, 3rd place: "The first Moto, they passed me and they left me and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I just wanted to come out and battle with them in the second moto. The fans, they scream for you. It's so awesome to see from east to west. They light it up for me, and it's so awesome to see. I like Ironman. The last two years I've podiumed there, and maybe I can get a good start and try and run with these boys as long as I can."