2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship
Round Four – High Point
Images by Stephen Hopkins
The 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship wrapped up its opening month with the UFO Plast High Point National, a beloved Father’s Day weekend tradition at the legendary High Point Raceway.
Race 4 of the summer campaign — and Round 21 of the SMX World Championship — unfolded under mostly overcast skies through the day’s first three motos. However, a downpour ahead of the final race set the stage for a dramatic 450 Class showdown.
When the mud settled, Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence emerged victorious, extending his perfect start to the season with a fourth consecutive round win.
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan reaffirmed his grip on the championship with a dominant 1-1 moto sweep — his third such performance of the season — further solidifying his status as the rider to beat in the division.
450 Moto One
The opening 450 Class moto kicked off with Jett Lawrence grabbing the Pro Motocross Holeshot for Team Honda HRC Progressive, followed closely by Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) and Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Hunter Lawrence, also aboard a Honda, slotted into fourth and helped the lead quartet break away from the rest of the field.
Jett Lawrence established a modest early lead while Plessinger moved past Cooper for second and began closing in. Soon after, Hunter Lawrence also worked his way around Cooper to move into third.
The front trio settled in until the 10-minute mark, when a stall from Jett Lawrence dramatically shuffled the order — Plessinger and Hunter both capitalised, with Jett rejoining in third.
Plessinger took full advantage of the opportunity, quickly building a four-second lead as the Lawrence brothers began battling for second.
Jett eventually regained the upper hand over Hunter and began chipping away at Plessinger’s advantage. His first attempt at a pass saw a few mistakes, allowing Plessinger to briefly extend the gap, but Jett regrouped and mounted a successful second charge to retake the lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
With the clock winding down, the fight for second heated up. Hunter Lawrence found a way past Plessinger in the final three minutes to secure the runner-up spot.
The last lap brought a three-way scrap for third, with Plessinger, Cooper, and Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) all in contention. Cooper briefly got by, but Plessinger fought back and held off both Cooper and a charging Tomac by mere bike lengths.
At the front, Jett Lawrence collected his sixth moto win of the season, crossing the line 1.8 seconds ahead of his brother Hunter, with Plessinger rounding out the podium in a gritty ride to third.
450 Moto One Results
450 Moto Two
Heavy rain began to fall just as the gate dropped for the final 450 Class moto at the UFO Plast High Point National, creating treacherous conditions and an unpredictable showdown. Hunter Lawrence grabbed the Pro Motocross Holeshot, but it was Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) who quickly seized the lead.
Meanwhile, Jett Lawrence faced an uphill battle after a poor start left him buried deep inside the top ten, initially running ninth.
With a clear track ahead, Tomac capitalised on the visibility advantage, sprinting out to an early lead as Hunter Lawrence settled into second. Behind them, Justin Cooper and Aaron Plessinger scrapped for third.
As the rain intensified and the track deteriorated, Tomac’s lead stabilised at around five seconds. A brief surge from Hunter Lawrence cut the margin to just over two seconds, but Tomac responded to reassert control.
While the front two managed the conditions, Jett Lawrence was on the move. The championship leader carved his way through the field with precision, eventually passing Cooper for fourth and then Plessinger — who had removed his goggles — to move into third.
With just over seven minutes remaining, the red flag was waved due to lightning within the designated safety radius. As per series regulations, with the race past the 20-minute mark, the results were deemed official.
That awarded the moto win to Eli Tomac, with Hunter Lawrence securing second and Jett Lawrence completing the podium in third.
450 Moto Two Results
450 Round
Jett Lawrence’s resilient comeback in the final moto was enough to secure the overall victory at the UFO Plast High Point National, thanks to 1-3 moto finishes. The result marked the 19th Pro Motocross win of his career and edged out his brother, Hunter Lawrence (2-2), by a single point in the final classification.
Eli Tomac’s commanding win in the rain-shortened second moto earned him third overall (5-1), notching the 75th podium result of his 450 Class career.
With the victory, Jett Lawrence extended his lead in the championship standings to 28 points over Tomac, while Aaron Plessinger, who finished fourth overall (3-4), now trails the lead by 34 points.
Jett Lawrence 1-3
“I needed to make sure I didn’t make a mistake any bigger than the one I made on the start [of Moto 2]. Eli [Tomac] and Hunter [Lawrence] were gone, and I saw AP [Aaron Plessinger] and knew I had to do the best I could, which was third place. I didn’t know how much time was left when they flew the red flag, but thankfully I was third [to secure the overall].”
Hunter Lawrence 2-2
“I know my capabilities on the bike, so after the first moto I knew I needed to improve on my start and a few other small things. But that all went out the window when the rain came and then I knew that the first lap could likely determine how the race would play out.”
Eli Tomac 5-1
“It was like I had two different days [Moto 1 to Moto 2]. It’s such a different experience racing out front versus being in the chaos, so it was good to make things easier on myself in Moto 2. It was a breath of fresh air.”
Aaron Plessinger 3-4
“High Point was a good day. First moto, I got a good start, then Jett [Lawrence] stalled it and I led for a little bit, but I got a bit tight for a while there and I finished P3 in that one. Second moto, I didn’t know it was going to rain and I picked the wrong goggles. [My] tear-offs were gone, had to pull in, and then pretty much straight after that, we got red-flagged. Overall, still P4, so I can’t be too mad! We’ll have a weekend off and get ready for Southwick.”
RJ Hampshire 6-8
“All in all, it was a really solid weekend. Came out with another P6 in Moto 1 and felt like I rode well, then the skies opened in Moto 2, and it became all about survival. Another weekend in the six-to-eight range, so we’ll make use of the weekend off and go to work, get stronger, and aim for that top-five at Southwick.”
450 Round Points
450 AMA MX Championship Points
450 SMX Championship Points
250 Moto One
The opening 250 Class moto at the UFO Plast High Point National saw a fast launch from Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, with a trio of blue bikes out front. Nate Thrasher grabbed the Pro Motocross Holeshot ahead of teammate Haiden Deegan and top amateur prospect Kayden Minear.
Thrasher led the field through most of the opening lap, but Deegan quickly found his rhythm, making a decisive pass to take over the lead. Behind them, Minear went down, which promoted Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) into third.
Once in control, Deegan wasted no time pulling away, opening up a multi-second gap while Thrasher settled into second. The battle for third intensified as Hammaker’s teammate, Levi Kitchen, made his way forward, first passing Hammaker and then slipping past Thrasher for second just over 10 minutes into the moto. A few minutes later, Hammaker got around Thrasher to reclaim third.
Out front, Deegan continued to stretch his advantage, eventually building a 10-second lead. The Yamaha rider remained untouchable through the closing laps, cruising to his fifth moto win of the season by seven seconds.
Levi Kitchen took a solid second-place finish, while Seth Hammaker claimed a career-best third. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crossed the line fourth, with Chance Hymas (Team Honda HRC Progressive) rounding out the top five.
250 Moto One Results
250 Moto Two
The second and deciding 250 Class moto saw Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) lead the field to the Pro Motocross Holeshot, but it didn’t take long for Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) to make his move. The points leader surged past the Frenchman early and assumed control before the opening lap was complete.
Chance Hymas (Team Honda HRC Progressive) slotted into third off the start but wasted no time moving into second with a clean pass on Vialle. From there, Deegan used the clear track to his advantage, steadily building a gap while Hymas opened a cushion over Vialle in third.
The battle for the final podium spot intensified as Jo Shimoda (Team Honda HRC Progressive) closed in on Vialle, but the Japanese rider crashed while attempting a pass, taking him out of contention.
As in Moto 1, Deegan was in a class of his own. The Yamaha rider stretched his lead to double digits and cruised to his sixth moto win of the season by a commanding 17.5 seconds.
Vialle capitalised on a last-lap miscue from Hymas to reclaim second, while Hymas recovered to finish third.
250 Moto Two Results
250 Round
Haiden Deegan continued his dominant 2025 campaign with a commanding 1-1 sweep at the UFO Plast High Point National, earning his third overall win of the season—each achieved with perfect moto scores. The performance also marked the 10th career Pro Motocross win for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider and made him the 11th different High Point winner in the past 11 years.
A dramatic last-lap incident for Chance Hymas (Team Honda HRC Progressive) in Moto 2 reshuffled the overall classification. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) capitalized on the mistake to secure second overall with 4-2 finishes, while Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) claimed his third straight third-place result (2-6). Hymas, who had been on track for second overall, slipped to fourth, and looked to perhaps be nursing a knee injury sustained in the second moto (5-3).
In the championship standings, Deegan’s lead continues to widen. He now holds a 42-point advantage over Jo Shimoda, who finished sixth overall (6-5), with Hymas and Garrett Marchbanks tied for third, both 62 points behind.
Haiden Deegan 1-1
“Last weekend was a little depressing [finishing second] but that’s racing. We backed it up this weekend and are back where we want to be. I’m stoked.”
Tom Vialle 4-2
“My last two results haven’t been where I wanted them to be, so coming in here the plan was for sure to be on the box, and we accomplished that. Looking forward after the weekend off, I feel comfortable at Southwick, and we’ve done a lot of work these last couple of weeks, so I am looking at turning things around and hopefully getting another good result.”
Levi Kitchen 2-6
“I felt like I made some real progress today. My starts were better. I almost went down in Moto 2, but managed to recover. Overall, I’m definitely improving and feeling stronger out there. Finishing on the podium feels great, even if it wasn’t exactly the result I was aiming for. I’ve always had a tough time here at High Point, with my best finish before today being 10th, so it’s awesome to see improvement here. I’m looking forward to the weekend off to recharge and then hitting the next round fired up.”
Garrett Marchbanks 7-4
“It was a solid day overall. Qualifying was probably one of my worst in a while—18th overall. I felt fast, but the clock didn’t agree. In Moto 1, I got shuffled off the start and had to work from the back again. I charged all the way up to sixth, but Jo [Shimoda] got me with two turns to go, so I finished seventh. Frustrating after putting in that much effort. In Moto 2, I got a better jump but still got pushed back early. I followed Levi [Kitchen] for a bit, got around him, and found some solid lines. I worked up to fourth and tried to close in on the top three, but they were just a bit too far. Overall, happy with the speed, I just need to keep working on my starts over the break.”
Seth Hammaker 3-14
“High Point was a solid day. I went P7 in the first qualifier and P3 in the second—felt good heading into the motos. In Moto 1, I got a decent start, around third or fourth. Levi [Kitchen] got by me early, but I found my flow and moved back into third about halfway. Pumped to grab my first moto podium—been working toward that for a while. Moto 2 wasn’t as strong. I started around 10th, made a few passes, but just didn’t have the stamina to keep the pace. I faded and had to ride it in—ended up 14th. Still, a lot of positives to take away. We’ll reset over the break and come into Southwick ready to go.”
Casey Cochran 11-9
“Back to the East Coast for High Point, and overall it was a decent day. My starts were good again and the early moto pace was good, I just need to work on keeping that going, and hopefully I can be up there with the guys and battling for podiums. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, keep building, and be ready to come out firing at Southwick!”
Ty Masterpool 9-17
“Riding felt pretty solid all day. I’m still working through being sick, but I just switched nutritionists, so things are heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, I threw up again after Moto 1, but with all the new food today, it’s going to take some time for my body to adjust. The speed is there, the fitness is there—I just haven’t been able to keep food down, which makes things tough. We’ve got a little break now, so I’ll get everything dialed and come back ready to go.”
Ryder DiFrancesco 21-11
“My second moto was much better than the first at High Point. It was a step in the right direction before the weekend off, and I’m excited to go down to Florida to get to work with the team, so we’ll come out swinging for the next one.”
Julien Beaumer 15-40
“It was a tough day in High Point for me. Moto 1 was going good, and then I crashed with three laps to go. Moto 2, better start, and I made some good passes on lap one, but then I had a good crash at the mechanic’s area. We’ll rest up now and get ready for Southwick.”
Drew Adams 16-35
“The day started off strong. I qualified fifth in both sessions, so I was feeling good heading into the motos. In Moto 1, I just didn’t get the start I needed and honestly didn’t ride like myself. Ended up 16th. In Moto 2, I got off to a decent start and was moving forward, but had a little tip-over. Got going again, made up a few spots, and then unfortunately went down a second time and broke my left index finger. I’ll get it checked out, start some therapy, and do everything I can to be ready for Southwick.”
