A major momentum shift in the second moto of 250 B put KTM Orange Brigade’s Deacon Denno in control of his own destiny entering Friday’s finale. The third moto was poised to be a showdown between Denno, Altus Motorsports BLU CRU Yamaha’s Owen Covell, and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Vincent Wey. With a pair of rivals to contend with, Denno seized the moment.
Arguably the defining moment of the race came when Denno piloted his KTM into the early lead, taking charge from the outset of the moto. Covell slotted into third, while Wey looked to move forward from sixth, only to suffer a costly crash that dropped him outside the top 30.
While Wey’s heartbreak effectively ended his title hopes, Covell moved up to second and attempted to track down Denno. However, the KTM rider never put a wheel wrong and continued to build on his advantage over the course of the moto, never giving Covell a chance. Denno took his second straight moto win by 13.1 seconds over Covill, followed by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Carson Wood in third. Future MX GASGAS’ William Canaguier was fourth, with EBR Performance/Altus Motorsports BLU CRU Yamaha’s Chace Lawton in fifth.
Denno’s exceptionally consistent 2-1-1 finishes for four points vaulted him to the AMA National Championship, with Covell’s six points from 1-3-2 results landing him in the runner-up spot. Lawton rounded out the overall podium with 5-4-5 finishes for 14 points.
