2024 Ironman Motocross Photo Gallery

2024 Ironman Motocross Recap

With one title decided, all eyes turned to the 450 class finale in the last round of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship season on Saturday at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, IN.

Chase Sexton held a 28 point lead over Hunter Lawrence so his options included the safe route or his route to secure his first premier class Outdoor title. Sexton chose his route. It worked.

An early fourth-place start in Moto 1 evaporated after 10 minutes as Sexton merely needed second-place with Lawrence winning to capture the Championship "early" i.e. after Moto 1. The two battled each other much of the year often trading wins and runner-up spots but don't all riders dream of putting a stamp on the Championship with an emphatic win?

While Lawrence battled Aaron Plessinger up front Sexton worked his way into position not needing the win if Plessinger held on. About two and half minutes in, Sexton dropped Lawrence to third. Stalking Plessinger, he could have hung back and enjoyed the ride, instead a swift cross track pass with just under 20 minutes on the clock and he pulled ahead of Plessinger, waved the checkers and celebrated the win and 450 class Championship.

"I felt the safest out front, just trying to get by Aaron, they were all riding really good," Sexton said. "High pace for the first Moto, and that was a dream ride, no mistakes, solid in front of a home town crowd. This means a lot. Championship is what we came for and we accomplished that."

But he had one more Moto.

Sexton came out to race. And win.

No MotoSport.com Holeshot as he started sixth but what did it matter. Some of the finest passing you will ever see. Sexton (1-1) passed Lawrence (3-6) and Justin Cooper (6-4) at the same time with a wide slingshot around a corner and a few dirt clods later slipped past Plessinger (2-2) like slippery butter for the lead. Even a stalled engine with about 17 minutes left which allowed Plessinger to catch up had no ill effect on the outcome. Sexton used the remaining time to annihilate the field and won by 26 seconds.

"Last summer was tough for me obviously not being 100%, this Supercross season building up, getting cut down, building back up then coming out here to Outdoors, having a really awesome season," he said "This is my best riding I've had to this date. It means a lot. Every title you get just makes you want to win more.'

The sweep was his fifth of the season marking his sixth straight win. Since the second Moto at Southwick, he won 11 of 13 races. Arguably, it all started with a historic race at Hangtown when he came from last to win the second Moto. An injured and sidelined Jett Lawrence helped and no doubt historians will wonder what could have been with a healthy Lawrence and...Eli Tomac (4-3) who returned from a Supercross thumb injury just a week earlier at Budds Creek and was already on the podium in third at Ironman. Who doesn't remember the epic 2022 season between Tomac and Sexton?

But, the phrase I coined years ago rings true, "You have to be in it to win it." All that to say, Chase Sexton is your 450 class Motocross Champion.

Haiden Deegan wrapped up the 250 class title at Budds Creek but second and third remained on the line between Levi Kitchen and Tom Vialle.

Kitchen held a six-point lead over Vialle for second place on the season heading into the round and a rough beginning to Moto 1 gave Vialle the momentum as he grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot and checked out. Deegan got pinched at the first turn, crashed later and resumed in 35th. He was a non-factor. Ken Roczen rode the 250 class for the first time in 11 years and hung out in the Top 5 for a while but ultimately faded. Jordon Smith and Chase Hymas duked it out for second until Smith pulled away with 12 minutes left. Hymas slowly dropped out of podium contention then Ty Masterpool, crashed while holding on to third. Kitchen quietly leap-frogged all these riders until he caught and passed Smith for second in the final laps. Kitchen's lead dropped to three points over Vialle. Deegan worked his way to 11th.

In Moto 2, Vialle again grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot, Hymas in second and Deegan fifth who needed eight minutes to get into second then caught Vialle with about 12 minute left. The two put on a show for a bit with quick lead changes until Vialle finally got out front and held his line until under 10 minutes when Deegan (11-1) moved past and headed for the checkers.

Wait. Where did Kitchen go?

Early on he twisted his leg under his dirt bike and bowed out of contention. Thus, Vialle (1-4) didn't need a win, second or third to capture second for the season. With Kitchen sidelined, who knows if Vialle powered down, hit exhaustion on this hot day, or was overmatched, but he settled for fourth, enough for the overall, his first of the season. Hymas (6-2) took second on the tie-breaker over RJ Hampshire (4-3), who like Tomac hit the Outdoors for the first time this season at Budds Creek and managed third overall for Round 11.

By the way, I didn't coin that oft-said phrase. Hopefully you read this far.

The three-round SuperMotocross Championship playoff begins on Sep. 7 at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC with scores reset based on total points gained in Supercross and Motocross so even the lackluster privateer who manages to qualify can become your 2025 SuperMotocross Champion and pad his bank account by $500,000 in the 250 class or $1 million in the 450 class. Highly doubtful, but stranger things have happened.

Expect Deegan and Jett Lawrence to vigorously defend their 2024 crowns.