The question has come up a couple of times about Haiden Deegan's rookie Supercross season, and how he compares to other rookies, so I decided to look into it.
The 125/250 class was introduced to Supercross in 1985, so rookies pre-1985 were racing the 250/450 class.
Below is a list of rookies who finished Top 3 in the standings.
Rookies Who Won the Title
1977: Bob Hannah
250SX / 450SX
8 podiums
6 wins
2nd - 1x
3rd - 1x
1985: Todd Cambell
125SX West (Inaugural season for 125 class)
1 podium
1 win
1989: Damon Bradshaw
125SX East
9 podiums
6 wins
2nd - 1x
3rd - 2x
1991: Brian Swink
125SX East
8 podiums
5 wins
2nd - 2x
3rd - 1x
1995: Mickael Pichon
125SX East
7 podiums
3 wins
2nd - 2x
3rd - 2x
Note: He did 3 races in 1993 in the 125SX class (7-2-1) and moved to the US full-time in 1995.
1999: Ernesto Fonseca
125SX East
7 podiums
6 wins
2nd - 1x
2002: Chad Reed
125SX East
8 podiums
6 wins
2nd - 2x
Note: He did 1 race in 1999 in the 125SX class (17th) before moving to the US full-time in 2002. He also did 4 races in the 250SX class in 2002 (6-5-8-18).
2007: Ben Townley
SX Lites East
5 podiums
3 wins
2nd - 2x
2008: Trey Canard
SX Lites East
5 podiums
4 wins
3rd - 1x
2009: Christophe Pourcel
SX Lites West
7 podiums
6 wins
2nd - 1x
Note: He did 3 races in 2007 in the Lites class (2-1-21) and moved to the US full-time in 2009.
Rookies Who Finished Second In the Standings
1977: Jim Pomeroy
250SX / 450SX
6 podiums
2nd - 5x
3rd - 1x
1985: Bobby Moore
125SX West (Inaugural season for 125 class)
2 podiums
1 win
2nd - 1x
1986: Donny Schmit
125SX West
5 podiums
2 wins
2nd - 2x
3rd - 1x
1986: Willie Surratt
125SX West
5 podiums
4 wins
2nd - 1x
Note: He did 1 race in 1985 in the 125SX class (7th).
1986: Ron Tichenor
125SX East
4 podiums
1 win
2nd - 2x
3rd - 1x
1988: Mike Kiedrowski
125SX West
3 podiums
2nd - 2x
3rd - 1x
Note: He did 1 race in 1987 in the 125SX class (18th).
1997: Stephane Roncada
125SX East
4 podiums
2 wins
2nd - 1x
3rd - 1x
Note: He did 3 races in the West region in the same year in the 125SX class (6-2-19).
2002: James Stewart
125SX West
6 podiums
4 wins
2nd - 2x
2010: Justin Barcia
SX Lites East
5 podiums
2 wins
3rd - 3x
2011: Eli Tomac
SX Lites West
6 podiums
2 wins
2nd - 3x
3rd - 1x
2023: Haiden Deegan
250SX East
3 podiums
3rd - 3x
Rookies Who Finished Third In the Standings
1977: Gaylon Mosier
250SX / 450 SX
1 podium
3rd - 1x
1985: Mike Healey
125SX West (Inaugural season for 125 class)
3 podiums
2 wins
2nd - 1x
1986: Tyson Vohland
125SX West
5 podiums
1 win
2nd - 1x
3rd - 4x
Note: He did 3 races in 1985 in the 125SX class (2-10-20).
1986: Mark Melton
125SX East
1 podium
2nd - 1x
1987: Todd DeHoop
125SX East
3 podiums
2nd - 1x
3rd - 2x
Note: He did 1 race in 1986 in the 125SX class (5th).
1988: Mike LaRocco
125SX East
3 podiums
2 wins
3rd - 1x
1990: Buddy Antunez
125SX West
6 podiums
3 wins
2nd - 1x
3rd - 2x
Note: He did 1 race in 1989 in the 125SX class (11th).
1990: Jeromy Buehl
125SX East
4 podiums
2nd - 4x
1994: Craig Decker
125SX West
3 podiums
2nd - 1x
3rd - 2x
Note: He did 2 races in 1993 in the 125SX class (5-21).
1996: Kim Ashkenazi
125SX West
2 podiums
2nd - 2x
Note: He did 1 race in 1994 in the 250SX class (14th).
1997: Ricky Carmichael
125SX East
4 podiums
3 wins
3rd - 1x
Note: He did 1 race in the West region in the same year in the 125SX class (11th).
2000: Travis Pastrana
125SX East
6 podiums
3 wins
2nd - 1x
3rd - 2x
2004: Broc Hepler
125SX East
2 podiums
2nd - 2x
2006: Ryan Villopoto
SX Lites West
3 podiums
1 win
2nd - 2x
2007: Josh Hill
SX Lites West
2 podiums
3rd - 2x
2008: Austin Stroupe
SX Lites West
3 podiums
1 win
2nd - 1x
3rd - 1x
2008: Nico Izzi
SX Lites East
1 podium
3rd - 1x
2012: Marvin Musquin
SX Lites West
4 podiums
2nd - 3x
3rd - 1x
Note: He did 1 race in 2007 in the Lites class (21st) and he also did four 450SX races in 2012 (9-4-7-6).
2020: Jo Shimoda
250SX East
No podiums
Best Result: 5th twice
So, looks like he measures up closest to Marvin Musquin as a rookie. No where near as good as Eli, Trey, JS7, or RV as rookies.
He’s good just way overhyped. Look at the class he’s in. Chris Blose is rounding out the top 5 and we all know Smith is a choke artist.
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
It's difficult to say. How much SX experience did Musquin have before lining up in the US? If he didn't have much experience or practically none like Vialle, I would say Musquin's rookie season is more impressive.
I don't think it's a secret that the East region is lacking depth this year with Shimoda, McAdoo, and Mosiman being out for most of the series. That's not a knock on Deegan. It's just how it ended up this year. Staying healthy is part of the game.
2012 250SX West Region
Eli Tomac 159pts.
Dean Wilson 132pts. -27
Marvin Musquin 127pts. -32
Cole Seely 119pts. -40
Jason Anderon 95pts. -64
2012 250SX East Region
Justin Barcia 185pts.
Darryn Durham 143pts. -42
Ken Roczen 143pts. -42
Blake Wharton 142pts. -43
Blake Baggett 128pts. -57
2023 250SX East Region
Hunter Lawrence 224pts.
Haiden Deegan 168pts. -56
Max Anstie 166pts. -58
Jordon Smith 141pts. -83
Chris Blose 132pts. -92
2023 250SX West Region
Jett Lawrence 176pts.
RJ Hampshire 137pts. -39
Enzo Lopes 118pts. -58
Levi Kitchen 112pts. -64
Max Vohland 104pts. -72
They chose a great time to get their feet wet in sx as the east was depleted.. how do we think he’ll stack up outdoors?
Historically of course it's not an all-timer rookie season, but in comparison to recent prospect rookie reasons it's far above average. Including Jett's rookie season
Musquin won the 2009 F.I.M. MX2-GP World Championship and, successfully defended his title in 2010
SX Rookie but hardly a rookie !
Very consistent .
But never looked like he had he speed to win a race this year.
Again, it's just impossible to compare Deegan and Jett's rookie seasons in my opinion. Jett started training SX for the first time a couple months before his rookie debut and Deegan had the opportunity to ride SX as a young kid and then train regularly at the star facility with several pro riders long before his debut.
I think what made Jett's debut so impressive is that he came in with zero SX experience and almost had winning speed, obviously he needed some time to adjust and get rid of all the mistakes/crashes.
Deegan on the other hand looks really consistent already and he doesn't give a fuck who he's racing against. Second in the championship is impressive, doesn't matter how the field looks, 2nd in his rookie year is what people will remember. He obviously puts in the work and if he finds just a little more speed next year he could already get one of these. For me the biggest surprise was how he looked at the futures race early in the year and how his season went after that.
Nice stats btw Mav!
He's Lusk to Jett's RC. Stamp it.
Awesome post Mav and interesting to compare all the stats. Fir me though what counts the most is what each rider has achieved at retirement.
When Robbie Raynard first surfaced I thought...geezuz, this dude is going to be unstoppable. Sadly for him and his followers it turned out to be a respectable career but far short of my expectations.
Another dude who I am proud to say is a good friend is Ben Riddle. He owned the amatuer scene in 99 and 2000. To this day I think Roger D make a mistake sticking him on a 125 his first year. He simply was to big for the machine and it was like bringing a knife to a gun fight in his first year as a Pro. Hence all the injuries that followed.
Deegan is on a good team and is on track for a decent career.
Man, I'm starting to enjoy Kevin Moranz and I hope someone throws him a bone.
top 5's, podiums and maybe an overall
Greats stats MAV !
So that could be a top 21 starts all time if he finishes 2nd, or top 40 if 3rd. If he finishes 2nd, it has no been made since Tomac in 2011.
I disagree on the depleted or weak field. Depleted ? It happens every year, you have to be in it. But at the beginning of the season, only Shimoda and Hammaker were not there. Deegan still made his way with consistency to a 3rd in the standings from early on. I also think the east is particularly strong this year as the big hitters didn't want to race Jett, they wanted a shot at the title. In the end, Deegan could also have done a top 10ish rookie season with this line up:
1. Hunter (runner up in the nationals 2022, mxdn category winner)
2. Mosiman (was crazy fast last year)
3. Shimoda (3rd national 2022, sx runner up etc)
4. Vialle (2 times mx2 champ, mxdn category winner?)
5. Anstie (multiple MX2 and GP wins, mxdn 450 winner)
6. Thrasher (multiple wins)
7. Smith (multiple wins and runner up)
8. A Mart (national champ)
9. Hammaker (multiple wins)
10. Hymas (hottest rookie, hrc!)
11. Shock (very solid 2021 outdoor season in 450)
A lot of riders have been called future unstoppable but at the end of the day there are a lot of things to consider to be the guy. We will see how smart he is and also, his entourage. We will see how his body will react to a few hits that he will logically take. Right now, he is second in the series, what do you expect from him ? to be the new James Stewart ? Dominate like Jett Lawrence ? Rookie Haiden did the same vs Hunter than Rookie Jett vs Ferrandis. Not worse not better so all good for now.
Hunter probably would have won even if the missing riders were there.
Deegs was the beneficiary of the missing Mosiman,Thrasher, Hammaker and Shimoda, and it boosted, and elevated him from 4th or 5th to a distant second.
Credit to Deegan for staying upright, but as of now he doesn't quite have the top end or the fitness.
9 races.
3 3rd place results
And he is the 2nd best rider. Kinda shows this east field is funky.
Last season hunter got 2nd. He had 4 wins, 3 2nds, and 2 3rds. Getting 9 podiums out of 10 races. Deegs has 3 3rds.
But he has consistency which is something he can build off. Unlike guys like Smith and thrasher who cannot put 2 rides in a row together.
Pit Row
That tells the story; with Deegan currently in 2nd in points and you compare his finishes with those in the stats Mav posted, he’s not at the same level.
Mosiman was there and surprisingly slower. Trasher was there, faster but less consistent so we don't know if he would have finished ahead of Deegan. Same with Hammaker, we don't know, is Hammaker faster than Anstie, A Mart, Mosiman or Vialle ? I only really agree with Shimoda who finished already on the podium several times in sx and mx championships but this is part of racing, every year a contender if not a few ones are missing.
I am not saying we can consider this year's performance as great as some in this all time list, but there is no reason to discredit any rider's performance either, he didn't steal any of his results and will deserve his rookie of the year title. He has been fast, consistent, the fastest rider on the track at some point during the last 2 races, he also improved in speed every rounds, and I really disagree on the fitness comment as I think he is one of the fittest out there.
I just posted the following in the other Deegan thread in the feed which is relevant to this thread. I think he is a future multi-time champ and his rookie season has been a success but it does not stack up close to many that have come before him. My other post:
I just went and checked results from the 9 East Rounds run thus far and Deegan has 3 podium finishes all of them 3rd places Vs 6 off the podium finishes which makes his 2nd place in the standings an interesting one as he has spent 2/3rds of the series off of the podium. Definitely a successful rookie season by anyones standards but 2nd place in the standings definitely a little inflated.
Houston 4th place.
Tampa 4th place.
Arlington 8th place.
Daytona 3rd place.
Indy 7th place.
Detroit 3rd place.
Atlanta 3rd place.
East Rutherford 6th place.
Nashville 4th place.
2 times you have said Amart...
Oups, yup, sorry, Jmart of course.
Credit to racerx here :
2-time AMA Pro Motocross Championships 250 Champion (2015, 2014)
2-time AMA Pro Motocross Championships 250 Runner-Up (2020, 2017)
3-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championships 250SX East 3rd place (2018, 2016, 2015)
20 career AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250 Wins
5 career Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship 250SX East Wins
45 career AMA Pro Motocross Championship 250 Podiums
2013 Pro Motocross 250 Class Rookie of the Year
Well at least you spelled, choke, correctly.
You nailed it.
I agree, he's only 2 pts ahead of ansti who didn't finish a race, and he's racing a choke artist and blose. He good but hunter is good and he's nowhere near his level.
The whole weird/depleted field thing is supported by absolutely 0 statistics. It’s the more stacked field this year, and one of the more stacked fields in recent years going off former winners, amount of wins and podiums.
Haiden is the real deal. Probably the best prepared rookie ever, he seems to have learned the lessons from his coaching and he’s performing great. Personally, I’m not a fan of the family “brand” but I doubt he gives a shit about what I think.
It’ll be interesting to watch how he does outdoors, running against a full class.
The best prepared rookie ever 😂🤣🤣🙈 Geez I guess the best prepared rookie ever doesn’t equal to many podium finishes 🤣🤪🤪🤪
Outdoors will show if he stacks up against the greats. Significant competition and everyone together, so a true National Championship. I wouldn't be surprised if he was consistently on the podium or consistently 9th. We will see!