Cole Davies signed off the 2026 AMA Supercross 250SX season in style with a memorable victory in the final East-West Showdown, beating Haiden Deegan in an intense battle that had the crowd on its feet all night.
With Deegan contesting his final 250SX race before moving up to the premier class full-time, the showdown between the two young stars delivered exactly what fans hoped for — aggressive racing, tactics and plenty of drama. Davies, who had already shown impressive speed throughout the season, rode with freedom and confidence once the championship pressure was gone and admitted afterwards that it allowed him to fully enjoy the fight.
“I mean, it was a bit of everything, honestly. You know, the other East-West races, I kind of was focusing more on the championship. I didn’t want to get into that stuff but the pressure is off now. I gave it everything I had and it was good. It was good fun. You know, it was cat and mouse, back and forth. It was fun and I enjoyed it. I think he (Haiden) did too. I actually feel like I ride better under pressure. But today was more just about going out there and having fun”.
Davies explained that without title implications hanging over him, he was finally able to fully engage in the wheel-to-wheel fight with Deegan instead of riding conservatively.
“That cat and mouse stuff, I was actually able to do that because if I was in a championship situation, like say St. Louis, I didn’t want to get into that. But, today the pressure is off, so I just had some fun”.
The Star Yamaha rider also revealed the tactical thinking that went into defending from Deegan especially after learning lessons from previous races.
“Well, I actually, through the rhythm, I heard him because you can hear him when he’s behind you. He’s wide open. But he was just lemme bashing and I could hear him. I knew he was going to come out to the inside there so I came across. I would make sure I came across as much as I could because otherwise he would be teeing me up. I came across as much as I could and, I mean, it worked out”.
The atmosphere inside the stadium only added to the intensity, with fans reacting loudly to every exchange between the two riders. Davies admitted the energy from the crowd made the race even more memorable.
“Yeah, it was crazy tonight. The fans were loud. You could definitely hear when something was going on. You know, especially when I’m leading, I don’t really know what’s going on behind me but when something goes on, the crowds, they’re loud. But, it was a fun one and I enjoyed it”.
Davies once again credited lessons learned earlier in the season for helping him hold off Deegan during the final laps.
“Honestly, I don’t really know. I was going out and having fun. Yeah, I just – what I learned from Denver is just don’t leave your insides open. So that’s what I did. And, I came across and blocked that inside and it worked out. I mean, it was a good one. The crowd was yelling the whole time. You could hear them. I could barely hear my dirt bike but it was a fun one”.
Despite the fierce on-track rivalry, Davies also spoke positively about the mutual respect between himself and Deegan after the race, especially with Deegan now expected to move on from the 250SX class.
“You know, he (Haiden) came over, congratulated me so it was a fun one and a good race. I mean, a little bit. It was, you know, it’s probably going to be a little bit until I race him again now so to kind of wrap it up like that. It’s pretty cool”.
Attention now turns to the upcoming Pro Motocross season, where Davies is eager to continue building experience after injury limited his outdoor campaign last year. While he knows there is still plenty to learn, the New Zealander believes he has the tools around him to be competitive straight away.
“Obviously, I got hurt last year and missed out on most of the Pro Motocross series so I missed out on gaining a lot of experience. I know I haven’t been to most of the tracks also so I have got a lot of learning to do, but I feel like I’m – you know, I can be competitive. I feel good on my bike. You know, Jake and Andrew have got my suspension dialled. I’m happy and we’ve been busting out the 35 minute moto’s. I feel really good and I’m excited for it. I just think I’m just going to have to let my results do the talking”.
After ending the Supercross season with one of the biggest wins of his career against Deegan, Davies now heads into the outdoor season with momentum, confidence and the belief that even bigger results could be on the horizon.
