Key Highlights:

• Deja Vu: Chase Sexton was in a league of his own at Ironman. In Moto 1, he was already half a second quicker per lap, but in Moto 2, he turned it up with an average lap time 1.7 seconds faster!
  
  
• Out of Gas: Hunter Lawrence struggled in Moto 2 with a LITPro consistency score of just 64.1 and a 7-second gap between his fastest and average lap times.

• Bouncing Back: Haiden Deegan rebounded from a tough Moto 1 to dominate Moto 2. He posted the fastest lap, 0.6 seconds quicker than anyone else, and topped the consistency charts with a score of 92.7.
  
  
• An Unhappy Reunion: Ken Roczen's return to the 250s after 11 years didn’t go as planned. He averaged a consistency score of 79, the lowest among the top 10 by 3 points.
  
  
• Topping the Charts: Jordan Smith and Ryder DiFrancesco made their first lap chart appearances this year in Moto 1, while Julien Beaumer cracked the charts for the first time in Moto 2.

While Ironman has been hosting GNCC Off-Road racing for nearly 30 years, Ironman MX is still a newcomer on the professional motocross scene. The track hosted its first pro race in 2014, and for the past two years, it’s been the grand finale of the pro motocross season. Just an hour’s drive from Indianapolis, this track has quickly won over both riders and fans. There's even rumors that it could host the Motocross des Nations in 2025!

450 Analysis:

Heading into the weekend, eyes should have been focused on Chase Sexton and Hunter Lawrence, the two riders fighting for the 450 championship. And while they definitely drew a lot of attention, Eli Tomac and Aaron Plessinger stole the spotlight. Both riders were vying for the second 450 spot on the American team for the Motocross des Nations, with Tomac making a comeback from an injury and Plessinger eager to prove why he's earned it all year long. 

In Moto 1, Plessinger made an early statement, quickly moving from fourth to first in the opening corners of lap 1. But Chase Sexton was on a mission. He soon passed both Lawrence and Plessinger, taking the lead and cruising to victory, while also securing his first-ever Pro Motocross Championship. Tomac had an impressive ride as well, finishing fourth and keeping pressure on Lawrence throughout the race.

Moto 2 played out similarly. This time, Sexton grabbed the lead early and never looked back, leading every lap. Lawrence tried to keep up but faded quickly, eventually dropping to sixth as he looked visibly exhausted. Plessinger and Tomac rode consistently, finishing second and third respectively. Overall, Sexton took the win with a 1-1 score, Plessinger came in second with 2-2, and Tomac rounded out the podium with 4-3 finishes.

Track Breakdown:

 

The track map above shows which rider was the fastest in each of the five segments of the track per moto. Unsurprisingly, Chase Sexton dominated the track, leading three out of five in Moto 1 and an impressive four out of five in Moto 2. Surprisingly, Eli Tomac held onto the fastest time in Segment 1 during both motos, while Plessinger, despite his solid 2-2 finish, only led in Segment 3 of Moto 1.

Unfortunately, Hunter Lawrence’s amazing rookie season ended on a low note. For only the second time this season, and the first time since Washougal, Lawrence didn’t record the fastest time in any track segment. Looking back at Washougal, we remember how his fitness became a concern. Although he managed to bounce back after a two-week break following Washougal, the last three rounds took their toll. It was evident that his energy was running out by the time he reached the midpoint of Moto 2.

SEG	Rider	Average Time	Fastest Time	Consistency Score
1	E. Tomac	21.093	20.698	84.4
2	C. Sexton	50.948	49.870	87.9
3	A. Plessinger	31.869	31.086	85.7
4	C. Sexton	8.005	7.837	86.3
5	C. Sexton	22.613	21.639	75.1

 Moto 2:

SEG	Rider	Average Time	Fastest Time	Consistency Score
1	E. Tomac	21.157	20.358	84.4
2	C. Sexton	50.639	49.174	87.9
3	C. Sexton	31.690	30.770	82.9
4	C. Sexton	7.959	7.710	86.3
5	C. Sexton	23.000	22.015	75.1

 

 

Lap Time Breakdown:

The histogram above highlights the lap time distribution for both Moto 1 and Moto 2. Interestingly, the track actually got a bit faster in Moto 2 for the top lap times. However, that was for only the opening laps. Most riders dropped their average time by almost a full second or more in the second moto.

• Ironman Raceway became more challenging. Deep ruts marred the track, large braking bumps formed, and the intense humidity took a toll on the riders. All of this led to a drop in consistency scores, with the average score decreased by 3.5 points between Moto 1 and 2.
• Chase Sexton set the pace early, clocking the fastest qualifying time of the day at 2:10.843—the only rider to hit the 2:10 mark. He continued to dominate during the races, posting the fastest lap times in both motos with a 2:13.065 in Moto 1 and an even quicker 2:11.169 in Moto 2.
• Each moto consisted of 16 timed laps. Sexton led the way with 8 fastest laps during Moto 1 and an impressive 11 in Moto 2. The only other riders who managed to snag a fastest lap were Tomac, Lawrence, and Plessinger.

450 Moto 1 Top 5 Average Lap Times 

RIDER	MOTO	Average Time	Fastest Time	LAP 99	Consistency
C. Sexton	M1	2:14.943	2:13.065	2:11.48	91.8
A. Plessinger	M1	2:15.376	2:13.828	2:12.30	94.7
H. Lawrence	M1	2:15.564	2:13.207	2:12.34	89.2
E. Tomac	M1	2:15.669	2:13.893	2:12.83	89.5
J. Anderson	M1	2:18.930	2:15.942	2:14.36	90.4

450 Moto 2 Top 5 Average Lap Times 

RIDER	MOTO	Average Time	Fastest Time	LAP 99	Consistency
C. Sexton	M2	2:14.903	2:11.169	2:10.24	87.0
A. Plessinger	M2	2:16.626	2:11.600	2:10.87	85.0
E. Tomac	M2	2:16.937	2:11.883	2:10.97	79.5
J. Cooper	M2	2:18.348	2:14.763	2:13.86	87.4
J. Anderson	M2	2:19.170	2:15.273	2:13.25	85.5

 

Overall Performance:

• Chase Sexton was on another level at Ironman. In Moto 1, he was already an impressive half a second faster per lap than his competitors. But in Moto 2, he really turned it up, extending that lead to a staggering 1.7 seconds per lap.
• Aaron Plessinger also deserves praise for his performance. Not only did he dominate the consistency scores in Moto 1, but he also held the second-fastest average lap time in both motos.

LITPro 10-Lap Consistency Scores:

• While not shown in the tables above, Hunter Lawrence had a tough Moto 2. His LITPro consistency score for that moto was just 64.1, with a 7-second gap between his fastest and average lap time.
• On the flip side, Freddie Noren was the only rider in the top 10 to score above 90 in consistency during Moto 2, clocking in at an impressive 94.7.

Lap 99 Analysis:

*Lap 99 takes each riders' best segment time regardless of lap and combines them as a theoretical best lap time.

• Chase Sexton didn’t just dominate the actual lap times—he also topped the theoretical ones. Combining his best sections from Moto 1, his Lap 99 time was a full second faster than anyone else.
• Even though Hunter Lawrence looked quick early in Moto 2, his Lap 99 time was still 2 seconds slower than Sexton’s, demonstrating he never had the speed in the moto. 

Lap Time Distribution for Top 10 

The box-and-whisker plot above breaks down the lap time distributions for the top 10 riders in each moto. A wider box usually indicates a larger range of lap times, meaning the rider was less consistent. This plot clearly shows how much Hunter Lawrence struggled in Moto 2, but he wasn’t the only one. Most of the top riders, including Chase Sexton, Aaron Plessinger, and Eli Tomac, also became more inconsistent in Moto 2.

Power Rankings:

Bringing it all together, we can rank the riders based on their performance. The table below highlights the key metrics used to determine the weekend's top riders, which play a big role in shaping the weekly power rankings.

  *Coloring from red-to-green only highlights disparity between top 10 and not representative of the entire field. All of these riders are near the top compared to the rest of the riders. 

 

It’s no surprise that Chase Sexton’s dominant performance at Ironman earned him the top spot in the final rankings with an impressive 99.9 points. The only place Sexton lost any points was his Moto 1 start; he ranked first in every other category. Aaron Plessinger followed with 93.6 points, and Eli Tomac rounded out the top three with 91.0 points.

Usually, I base the cumulative power rankings on the last 8 motos. But since Ironman was the final round before the SMX playoffs, I decided to focus on the last 4 motos to highlight who’s in the best form heading into SMX. This approach gives us a clearer picture of where Tomac stands and shakes up the bottom half of the top 10 quite a bit. Sexton, however, seems poised to carry his momentum into the playoffs.

Cumulative Power Rankings:

Rank	Rider	Power Ranking	Change
1	Chase Sexton	98.1	NC
2	Hunter Lawrence	93.5	NC
3	Aaron Plessinger	92.2	NC
4	Eli Tomac	85.0	NR
5	Jason Anderson	83.8	-1
6	Malcom Stewart	80.4	+1
7	Justin Cooper	78.6	-2
8	Christian Craig	77.4	NC
9	Phill Nicoletti	74.8	+1
10	Freddie Noren	70.8	-1

 

250 Analysis:

Even though Haiden Deegan clinched the 250 Championship a week earlier at Budds Creek, the racing was far from over. The 250 class delivered some of the best action all weekend. Tom Vialle looked desperate to clinch his first overall of the season, blasting out of the gate in Moto 1, grabbing the holeshot, leading every lap, and taking a decisive win. Levi Kitchen initially struggled, dropping back in the pack, but quickly regrouped and charged forward to secure second place. Jordan Smith, who isn’t typically known for his outdoor speed, impressed everyone by finishing third. And what about Deegan? The reigning champ had a rough go in Moto 1, hitting the ground early and later on as well, eventually finishing in 11th.

Moto 2 at Ironman was a spectacle. We witnessed a thrilling three-way battle for the lead between Vialle, Hymas, and, of course, Deegan. Unfortunately, Kitchen had to bow out early after twisting his knee in a crash—wishing him a speedy recovery. Up front, Deegan charged hard to catch Vialle, who once again nailed the start. After some close racing, Deegan muscled his way into the lead and cruised to an easy victory. Hymas also managed to pass Vialle, who slipped back to fourth behind Hampshire.

With the mixed results across the motos, Vialle still secured the overall win with a 1-4 score, followed by Hymas’s 6-2 and Hampshire’s 4-3.

 

The track maps above highlight just how different the two motos were. Not a single rider managed to have a fastest section in both motos, which really shows the depth of talent in the 250 class. Even the overall winner, Tom Vialle, struggled in the latter half of Moto 2, getting outpaced by Hymas, Deegan, and eventually Hampshire.

Ironman also saw some standout performances from riders who usually don’t top the charts. Shoutout to Jordan Smith and Ryder DiFrancesco, who both made their first appearance on the lap charts this year in Moto 1. Julien Beaumer also cracked the charts for the first time this year in Moto 2.

Moto 1:

SEG	Rider	Average Time	Fastest Time	Consistency Score
1	L. Kitchen	21.729	21.417	83.5
2	T. Vialle	51.468	49.745	74.4
3	T. Vialle	32.528	31.87	87.2
4	J. Smith	8.159	8.021	77.8
5	R. DiFrancesco	22.679	22.019	82.6

 Moto 2:

SEG	Rider	Average Time	Fastest Time	Consistency Score
1	J. Beaumer	21.264	20.795	81.7
2	C. Hymas	51.608	49.602	77.2
3	C. Hymas	32.499	31.741	84.5
4	T. Masterpool	8.266	7.985	73.3
5	H. Deegan	22.722	21.934	80.2

Lap Time Breakdown:

 

While the histogram above might suggest similar lap times between the two motos, the reality is that riders slowed down by about 2 seconds per lap in Moto 2. Despite that, Moto 2 produced the fastest lap of the day, with Deegan clocking a 2:13.924—the only rider to break into the 2:13s during the 250 races. Consistency scores were generally low for the class, but unlike the 450s, most riders actually improved by 6 points in Moto 2.

It’s also interesting to see who set the fastest lap times. Even though Tom Vialle led every lap of Moto 1, he only had 2 of the fastest laps out of 16. Levi Kitchen took the lead with 5 fastest laps, while Hampshire and Masterpool each snagged 3. In Moto 2, Deegan dominated, posting 8 of the 16 fastest laps. Hampshire once again showed up with 3 fastest laps. If it weren’t for his injury, Hampshire could have been a serious contender all season.

250 Moto 1 Top 5 Average Lap Times 

RIDER	MOTO	Average Time	Fastest Time	LAP 99	Consistency
T. Vialle	M1	2:17.377	2:14.280	2:13.58	83.9
L. Kitchen	M1	2:17.445	2:14.650	2:13.65	86.4
J. Smith	M1	2:17.709	2:14.521	2:14.10	84.0
R. Hampshire	M1	2:17.837	2:15.663	2:13.70	88.5
R. DiFrancesco	M1	2:18.035	2:15.019	2:13.63	79.6

250 Moto 2 Top 5 Average Lap Times 

RIDER	MOTO	Average Time	Fastest Time	LAP 99	Consistency
H. Deegan	M2	2:16.861	2:13.924	2:12.98	92.7
C. Hymas	M2	2:17.480	2:15.041	2:12.71	90.1
R. Hampshire	M2	2:18.234	2:14.948	2:13.77	92.0
T. Vialle	M2	2:18.827	2:14.575	2:12.86	82.5
R. DiFrancesco	M2	2:19.206	2:15.665	2:14.56	91.3

Overall Performance:

• Even though Tom Vialle only posted 2 of the 16 fastest laps in Moto 1, he still managed to grab the fastest lap of the moto and the best average lap time.
• Haiden Deegan showed why he's the 250 champ in Moto 2, clocking a fastest lap that was 0.6 seconds quicker than anyone else’s while averaging 0.6 seconds per lap faster.

LITPro 10-Lap Consistency Scores:

• Haiden Deegan wasn’t just the fastest rider on the track in Moto 2—he was also incredibly consistent, leading the class with a score of 92.7.
• Tom Vialle, on the other hand, struggled in Moto 2 after losing the lead to Deegan. He dropped back to fourth, and his consistency score reflected his difficulties. While every other top 5 rider scored in the 90s for consistency, Vialle’s score was 82.5.

Lap 99 Analysis:

*Lap 99 takes each riders' best segment time regardless of lap and combines them as a theoretical best lap time.

• Chance Hymas continues to wrestle with harnessing his speed. His theoretical best lap time in Moto 2 was the fastest, even beating Deegan’s, yet his recorded fastest lap time was over a second slower than Deegan’s best.
• Ryder DiFrancesco had a breakout ride at Ironman, recording the second-fastest Lap 99 time in Moto 1.

Lap Time Distribution for Top 10

Power Rankings:

*Coloring from red-to-green only highlights disparity between top 10 and not representative of the entire field. All of these riders are near the top compared to the rest of the riders. 

Although he struggled in Moto 2, Tom Vialle still had an incredible day topping the rankings with 97.7 points. Hymas followed with 91.5 points with Hampshire close behind at 90.3.