Haiden Deegan’s run through the professional ranks thus far, had been amazing. But the Yamaha rider was a true competitor, and aspired for more as he stormed onto the raceway of the Red Bud National on Saturday. To the excitement of the American fans, they would cheer as the number 238 swept around the course for qualification, gathering an eventual residency of sixth prior to embarking on the first moto of the afternoon. And as he shifted into gear to begin the initial quest, his reaction time (coupled with a pristine clutch release) would carry him to a trajectory that was nearly equated with hole-shot honors! Though narrowly beaten by that of Hunter Lawrence, Deegan would contend with the Honda rider for the entirety of the first lap — putting him into second as he took the green flag. For the circuits that followed, the California native was spectacular as he positioned his chassis into various ruts on the raceway; toggling between a free-flowing style that accompanied substantial engine revving, and a calculated process of line-choice that exemplified technicality. With both, Deegan would thrive; managing to keep the likes of RJ Hampshire at bay, as he was seemingly all alone in second-place. Bouncing through the rollers as laps continued to transpire, Deegan would feed off the cheering crowd that was only dozen’s of feet from him; feeling inspiration, as he was the leading American rider in the class! And as the sixteen-lap contest eventually came to a close, it was Haiden who claimed a phenomenal second-place standing as he exited the raceway...ready to do much the same, for the following round of action as well. The starting sequence to moto number-two was disastrous for championship rival Hunter Lawrence, as the Honda rider crashed to the ground while Deegan avoided trouble and gathered a hole-shot designation! This would place him at the front of the field, though teammate Levi Kitchen would quickly work his way around. Deegan wasn’t going down without a fight though, and proceeded to combat the speed of his elder teammate with momentum of his own; leading to the two athletes generating an admirable gap over the rest of the field. However, KTM’s Tom Vialle couldn’t be ignored, and as the halfway point came to pass, it seemed as though the French rider was advancing to a furthered pace; which Deegan acknowledged. Despite Haiden defending the second-place position from Vialle for an unbelievable run of fourteen laps, it would be Tom who made the move amid the pro section on lap fifteen; pushing Haiden to third, with little time remaining. However the consistency of the number 238 was paramount above all other scores, and as he eventually crossed the flying of the checkered flag with a third-place score (for this moto), Deegan’s overall accumulation of points would list him as the winner! Claiming the first overall victory of his career!