Haiden Deegan admits he already has a lot of confidence but now, after his first win last week on the 450, that confidence level has got even higher! However the 450 rookie admits the adapting to the bigger bike has been a work in progress.
Deegan said: “It was nice getting back to winning, it has been a little while. I was stoked to finally get it done. I was close a couple times outdoors but not really, so to get it done in that fashion, two dominant races in the hardest conditions possible, it was a huge confidence day, I already have a lot of confidence but that just really exploded it.”
“It is work in progress, moving up to a faster, heavier bike. I am in a pretty good spot, I have been to every race so far, haven’t missed anything, just ticking off the days, be consistent and it will come around at some point like it has, finally got that win. I am definitely not where I can be at and that is something we are going to work in this off-season but you can only do so much toward the end of the season.
On his new trainer Deegan said: “We are changing the programme getting it better, there are always ways you can advance and that’s what I am doing right now, I guess there is no need to throw exactly who I am working with out there (Deegan said last weekend they were from UFC) because it doesn’t benefit me but yeah, we are trying to upgrade the program every season. As of now, I want to get better and click off more wins, to do that you have to spend some money and find some good guys.”
Deegan then indicated that he is working on his strength to handle the 450: “I feel like the mud race I could show my strength a little, manhandle the ruts. It was really technical track, I feel like you can always get stronger and better and that’s what I am working on now. I feel like going from a 250 to a 450 it’s not that much more weight on paper, but when you ride the bike you notice. It just takes time, that stuff doesn’t happen overnight so that’s why we have been working on it.”
He also feels the 450 Yamaha is better suited to Supercross: “I’d say this Yamaha is really good Supercross bike and I’m a guy that can rip some turns and this thing corners really well. It was too bad I couldn’t do it last weekend on a dry track, as much as I love riding in the mud, I was kinda bummed, I want to show them I could do it on a dry track, I guess we get to do that tomorrow. This bike is a good Supercross bike, I’m stoked.”
