Indy East/West 250SX Showdown shakes up points chase
By Team TMX on 10th Mar 25
News Supercross AMA Supercross
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, hosted Round 9 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship which was the first of three East/West Showdowns for the 250SX competitors. A slightly different format sees the top 20 from each region compete in a heat race to qualify for the mixed Main Event so there’s a fairly even split – the LCQ takes the top four finishers regardless of which region they’re signed up for. As it turned out, 11 riders from each series qualified for the Main Event.
Star Racing Yamaha’s series leaders Haiden Deegan (250SX West) and Max Anstie (250SX East) each won their heat races setting up an intriguing Main Event. However, East Coast ace Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) had other plans and after nailing the holeshot ahead of Red Bull KTM teammates Tom Vialle (250SX East) and Julien Beaumer (250SX West), ran away from the pack to take a well-deserved victory.
Vialle hung on to finish second, which combined with a seventh-place finish for Anstie, saw the defending champion take the series lead. Deegan survived an off-track excursion to secure third place, and extend his lead in the 250SX West series, as championship contenders Cole Davies (Star Racing Yamaha) and Jo Shimoda (HRC Honda) placed fifth and sixth respectively.
“Man, what an unreal feeling. The second win of my career and it’s been a while since I stood on the top of the podium, so that feels amazing,” said Hammaker after. “Got myself off to an excellent start. Tried to sprint away those first couple of laps. … When you’re out there in the lead and (have) a little bit of a gap, it was a little challenging to stay focused but I’m proud of myself, proud of the team, the group of people I have around me, my whole family.”
The series takes one week off before heading to Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama on March 22. This will be the second Triple Crown race of the series for 450SX and 25SX East competitors.
