Triumph Factory Racing and Triumph Motorcycles is celebrating Deacon Denno’s success aboard the TF 250-X in this season’s AMA SMX Next races, which run alongside the prestigious AMA Supercross Championship. With a final round victory in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, which saw the American amateur crowned the SMX Next Supercross AMA National Champion, Denno concluded the series with three podiums including two wins across the five SMX Next events.
Words | Press release
Denno, who joined Triumph’s amateur programme this season, has been working hard behind the scenes at the Triumph Factory Racing US facility in Georgia. The 18-year-old rising star kicked off his SMX Next season in Anaheim 2, California in January with a strong fifth place aboard his TF 250-X.
Putting in solid work before he headed out to Houston, Texas, Denno arrived with valuable experience under his belt following his first outing in a large stadium environment. The Triumph racer powered to a strong start in his main event and went on to capture his, and the team’s, maiden SMX Next podium with a second-place finish. Denno led the race for several laps and took further steps towards the professional ranks, with the SMX Next series giving important learning opportunities for amateur racers.
On his steep trajectory, the event held at the iconic Daytona International Speedway, Florida in March marked another huge step for a determined Denno. The Triumph-ace dominated the SMX Next main event aboard his TF 250-X with a career-first victory – taking the win with a four second advantage and cementing his status as a star of the future.
A tough race in Birmingham, Alabama followed for Denno, with the Triumph racer, who sustained a leg injury during the opening sessions of the day, gating outside of the top 10. Gaining useful experience in coming through the pack, an undeterred Denno was quick to make passes during the nine-minute stint and was able to race through to a solid fifth position, despite the injury.
At the fifth and final event of the season for the SMX Next riders, Denno was untouchable in the challenging Philadelphia conditions following torrential rain. The rising Triumph star powered to an incredible holeshot aboard his TF 250-X, and from there he built an impressive lead in the six-lap race, demonstrating his skill and versatility as a rider.
Finding his form around the slick track, Denno posted the fastest lap time, more than a second quicker than anyone else. With the Texas-native’s victory in the final race of the SMX Next National series, Denno won the SMX Next Supercross AMA National Championship – a testament to his potential and the Triumph Factory Racing amateur programme. The number one plate and championship medal was awarded to Deacon on Peacock’s live broadcast by Harv Whipple, the SMX Next Race Manager.
“It’s been a great end to the series and a dream come true to come away with the SMX Next Supercross AMA National Championship title. My goal when I came into these events was to win races, so I’m pretty pumped to walk away with two wins and a second place. It is exciting and rewarding to have had all of the hard work pay off. The SMX Next season has brought so much experience for me and I’m definitely grateful for it; there’s been some highs and lows, but I was able to power through mentally and physically, and I learnt a lot. The highlight for me has to be Daytona – it’s such an iconic place. To win there was very special and for it to be my first SX win, and to win for the team, is definitely something I won’t forget. The bike has been great right the way through; right from the start when I joined the programme, I adapted to the TF 250-X really well, and I felt comfy on the bike straight away. The more we test and dial in the bike for me, the better it has gotten, so a big thanks to Triumph and the team for that. Having a team like Triumph Factory Racing behind me has been awesome. There’s so much knowledge and everyone has been in the industry for a long time – I’m grateful to have them behind me. I want to thank everyone in my corner; my mechanic Dillon, he puts in a lot of work for me, Jeremy, Scuba, Brownie, Ivan and Stilez have been helping me out week in, week out too. I’m grateful to the whole team for all of the hard work they do for me to compete at this level. Following Philadelphia, I’m looking forward to heading back and shifting the focus to motocross to get ready for the outdoor season.”
