Final Race of 2025 Campaign to Crown 250 Class Champion and Conclude SMX World Championship Regular Season

MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., is eager to bring attention to the continuation of its longstanding partnership with Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA, in support of the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The storied and highly decorated manufacturer is in the midst of a multi-year commitment with the world’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series, which will once again be highlighted by the brand’s third season of title support of the Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Finals, which will commence this Saturday, August 23, with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan in position to capture a second straight 250 Class title. The action from Southern Maryland will serve as the 28th and final round of the SMX World Championship regular season and will lock in the field of racers set to contest the SMX Playoffs.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Yamaha back as title sponsor of the Budds Creek National for a third consecutive season. They have been a great partner and have provided exceptional support of the event, which carries even more significance this year as the final race of the championship,” said Ezra Beasley, Budds Creek National Event Organizer. “It’s poised to be a memorable weekend not just for Pro Motocross, but Yamaha as well with Haiden Deegan on the verge of another title. We look forward to crowning another champion and hosting the well-deserved celebration of the sport’s most storied accomplishment.”

Yamaha’s legacy as a competitor in the Pro Motocross Championship is among the most decorated in the series’ five decades of existence. The Japanese manufacturer was a standard bearer during the early years of the championship, which began with the first-ever 250cc title in 1972, won by Gary Jones, the namesake of the trophy awarded to the 250 Class Champion. From there, Yamaha captured a combined nine championships across the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc divisions between the 1976 and 1985 seasons. This foundational era for Yamaha saw the emergence of the sport’s earliest superstars like Broc Glover and Bob Hannah and set a precedent for the caliber of racers who would go on to ride for the brand. In the 40 years since, the manufacturer has been home to a large contingent of the sport’s most celebrated athletes, with championship triumphs from Rick Johnson (1984), Grant Langston (2007), Dylan Ferrandis (2021), and Eli Tomac (2022) in the 450 Class and Jeff Emig (1992), Jeremy Martin (2014-2015), Cooper Webb (2016), Aaron Plessinger (2018), Ferrandis (2020), and Deegan in the 250 Class.
 
Yamaha has enjoyed a resurgence over the past decade, kickstarted by a reign of dominance from the Star Racing organization in the 250 Class that has also carried over into the 450 Class. Since 2015, no manufacturer has captured more Pro Motocross titles than Yamaha, which has a combined seven championships and is in line for an eighth this weekend as Deegan carries a 43-point lead into Budds Creek.
 
"We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work in partnership with the Pro Motocross Championship for many years. Supporting the most prestigious series in the sport is a natural fit for Yamaha as our own legacy began with a championship during the first season in 1972,” said Steve Nessl, Marketing Manager, Yamaha Motorsport Group. “The opportunity to expand our partnership to include a title role at Budds Creek has provided an even larger platform to celebrate that legacy and we're excited to hopefully crown another BLU CRU champion to close out the 2025 season."

Deegan’s class leading six victories this summer have been complemented by overall podium finishes at all but one race and 12 moto wins. His unparalleled consistency has allowed him to build a healthy margin over Honda HRC Progressive’s Jo Shimoda, and Deegan will need to earn just seven points at Budds Creek to complete his successful title defense, which could come from a 15th-place finish in Saturday’s opening moto. Deegan’s worst moto result this summer is 14th, which stands as his lone finish outside the top 10. The second-generation racer’s title defense has already exceeded each of the championship statistics he amassed one year ago.
 
While his title hopes face an uphill challenge, Shimoda has been on an undeniable upswing over the second half of the season. He has yet to finish off the overall podium during this stretch, which dates to the sixth race of the summer at RedBud, highlighted by a trio of victories. Perhaps no win was more impressive than his most recent outing at Unadilla, which was arguably the single-best race of Shimoda’s entire career with a dominant 1-1 effort. The Japanese rider has outscored Deegan by 15 points since RedBud and looks to have a wave of momentum heading into the postseason, where he and Deegan will continue their rivalry in the SMX Playoffs.

In the 450 Class, Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence clinched his second career title and will have an opportunity to take a victory lap of sorts at Budds Creek. The Australian has eight overall wins this summer and if not for a fouled gate penalty at Ironman, Lawrence would have a top three finish in every single moto. He comes into the finale with 23 wins in 26 career 450 Class starts, a winning percentage of 88%, and 41 moto wins in 50 tries for a moto win percentage of 82%, both of which have Lawrence skyrocketing up the all-time statistical categories just three years into his premier class career.
 
While the championship has been decided, there is still a fight for the runner-up spot to be determined between Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac. A total of 45 points separate the duo, which leans heavily into Lawrence’s favor, but nothing is finished until the races are run. It’s been another impressive season for Lawrence in his sophomore campaign, as he is poised to begin his 450 Class career with back-to-back championship runner-ups. For Tomac, a strong showing last weekend at the one track he remains winless could open the door for a shot at victory at Budds Creek, where he holds a pair of wins. He’ll bring a string of three straight third place finishes into the finale and will seek a milestone 80th career podium.

The Yamaha Racing Budds Creek National Finals will get underway this Saturday, August 23, with practice and qualifying starting at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET, followed by opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET. Wall-to-wall live broadcast coverage can be seen on Peacock, beginning at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by uninterrupted coverage of the motos at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.