HAIDEN DEEGAN FINED FOR YELLING AT HAMMAKER, GOING TO KAWASAKI PIT AFTER HEAT RACE

In addition to Haiden Deegan’s two-position penalty for cutting the track, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) released its post-race penalty report today. Additionally, Deegan was found to have violated the code of conduct during the heat race. After his unsportsmanlike behavior during the heat race and when he approached the Kawasaki team truck afterwards, Racer X has been informed that he will be fined $1,000.

The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider and Seth Hammaker collided in the first turn of the heat, sending Hammaker flying down hard and slamming his #43 Kawasaki into the back half of Deegan’s Yamaha. Deegan managed to stay upright, but he was forced to jump off and free the two bikes since his rival’s bike was stuck in his back wheel. Hammaker stood up and walked over to the tangled bikes where Deegan continued to yell at him and point fingers.

After Deegan untangled the two bikes, he pushed Hammaker’s Kawasaki to the ground, got back on his own bike, and rode off. A few seconds later, Hammaker resumed his ride, but the damage had already been done as both riders would need to go to the LCQ after finishing outside the top 15 and far outside of a transfer spot.

Following the heat race, Deegan was seen on TV wearing a helmet as he approached the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team, yelling in part and pointing the finger at Hammaker once more. Before it got to the point of yelling, a few Kawasaki team members (as well as Hammaker’s mother!) intervened and told Deegan to leave their pit area.

When the main event rolled around, Deegan lost control of the track in the second turn of the first lap, missing a large double and half of the turn after that for which he was given a two-position penalty. The #38 then experienced one more on-track incident during the race’s last lap when he blocked Coty Schock off the track in the last turn. The final turn incident broke Schock’s collarbone, forcing him to miss the rest of the season while he recovers from surgery this week.

Deegan released the following statement through Yamaha’s press release this week:

Birmingham did not go according to plan. I’ll ride from the heart, always. I apologize for letting my feelings run wild tonight. We’ll resume our work.

It should be noted that the #38 has appeared on the AMA’s penalty report earlier this year. The second generation rider was warned after giving Tom Vialle the finger during the opening round following the dramatic first turn crash. He was then given a code of conduct violation for his bike launch ghost ride following his first-ever 250SX main event victory in Arlington, Texas. Neither of those incidents resulted in a fine for him.

This is Deegan’s second infraction of the code of conduct, following the incident with Hammaker in Alabama. The AMA has the authority to place riders on probation; in the past, repeat offenders have been placed on six-month probation that has lasted until the conclusion of the supercross season. For Deegan, that does not seem to be the case thus far.