It was a storybook ending to the Spring Creek National for the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 team. Haiden Deegan strengthened his 250MX title defense with a clutch 1-2 moto score for the overall win, while Jeremy Martin delivered an emotional farewell by winning the second moto and securing second overall (3-1) at his home track in Millville, Minnesota.

Haiden Deegan: Qualifying went well — I went 1-1, so that was perfect. Then Moto 1 was solid. It was a pretty gnarly battle. Being off the bike all week was kind of rough. I was pretty much couch-ridden, so to come out with the win in the first moto, I was pretty pumped about that. Then in the second moto, I ended up second and JMart won, so that was pretty sick. I got the overall and gained some good points, so it was a good day. I’m going to keep getting healed up. On to Washougal."

Jeremy Martin: “I was in a tough place at Pala and Hangtown. I was a mid-pack guy and wasn’t even in the top 10. I hadn’t been riding or doing anything, but we found some good settings when I came back, after I got better from my crash. I had a really good five days on the motorcycle when I was down there with the Star Racing Yamaha crew. On my last day, I said, 'If I can ride like that at Millville, I can win.’ The stars aligned. I got two amazing starts on that beast of a machine — the Yamaha — and here we are. I didn’t think I had it anymore. It’s been a really rough two to three years with a lot of injuries. I don’t think I could’ve scripted a better ending.”

Still working his way back to 100% after a crash in qualifying at the previous round, Deegan showed strength, topping both sessions of qualifying and heading a Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 1-2-3 in the combined times.

In fourth after the start of Moto 1, he quickly went to work to claim third and then closed the gap to his teammate. On Lap 7, he made the pass for second, and then took over the lead after the race leader crashed on the following lap.

Deegan was challenged late in the moto but reclaimed the lead and held strong for his seventh moto victory of the season. In Moto 2, the defending champ found himself eighth after the start and charged forward with fast, consistent laps, moving into third at the halfway mark and then into second, where he would finish to secure his fifth overall win of the season.

His efforts expanded his 250MX points lead to 45 and his 250SMX combined points lead to 103, with four rounds remaining in the championship.

Back to full fitness after his crash at Round 2, it was one last ride for Jeremy Martin with the team he won back-to-back 250MX titles with in 2014 and 2015. Qualifying third, the hometown hero grabbed the holeshot in Moto 1 and ran up front, maintaining second until being passed by his teammate. When the leader crashed, Martin moved back into second and ultimately crossed the line in third.

In Moto 2, he grabbed another holeshot and led the first three laps. Although he dropped back to second, he reclaimed the lead after the frontrunner went off track and continued to ride a strong pace to ultimately distance himself from his teammate and earn his final moto win by an impressive 7-second margin. It was an emotional final victory for Martin’s decorated career, which, in addition to his two 250MX titles, included 51 moto wins and 20 overall victories.

Next weekend, the team heads to the Pacific Northwest for the Washougal National, Round 8 of Pro Motocross and Round 25 of the SuperMotocross World Championship, on July 19 at the scenic Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington.