We’ve been saying it’s critical for the title contenders to start gaining points on the class leaders for a while now, but at this point in the season, especially with the leads Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen have built up, you could almost say we’re past the point of no return. Sure, the titles haven’t been clinched yet, but simply beating Webb and Roczen isn’t going to get it done—the guys are going to need the leaders to experience some bad luck of epic proportions. So was there a shakeup today? Nope. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of interesting things that happened at the Peterson Cat Washougal National. Let’s get into it in this week’s Saturday Night Live.
Let’s tackle the elephant on the track first. That’s right, talking about the big pileup in the second 250 moto. Cooper Webb nailed the holeshot with Joey Savatgy close behind, and less than half a lap in Savatgy threw a block pass on Webb, which allowed Forkner to pass them both. Webb retaliated several turns later, and depending whose side you believe, Webb either made a mistake and got run into or he brake checked Savatgy. Either way, they both went down and caused a big pileup. Webb was able to charge back to sixth, but Savatgy could only muster eleventh. You obviously know how Savatgy feels about it, and he and Webb exchanged words afterward. Things got heated, and they both ended up in the AMA truck. Later Webb said they were just trying to get everyone calmed down, and as of now no penalties have been handed down. This probably isn’t over, so stay tuned.
The big loser in this situation was Jeremy Martin, who got collected in the crash and remounted dead last. You may have noticed he wasn’t quick to bounce up, and later we heard a rumor that it was due to some broken ribs. We checked with Martin’s agent, Lucas Mirtl, and he said they weren’t sure if they were bruised, cracked, or broken, but did confirm there was an injury to Martin’s ribs. Tough break in a season that hasn’t gone how Martin would like, and a bad finish to a day that was going wrong from the very beginning. Martin told us he entered the weekend feeling drained, “Like I felt going into Hangtown,” and said he was just hoping to hold on for a podium.
The big winner in the situation was Austin Forkner, who used the confusion to sprint away and take the first moto win of his career. Afterward he was incredibly happy, and rightfully so, and even said he was so happy he was screaming in his helmet and wanted to throw fist pumps before even crossing the finish line. He kept it in check though and saved the celebration until the win was in hand. “My mechanic told me I could blow up my bike if I won the second moto, so I just held it wide open after I won,” a jubilant Forkner told us. And no, he didn’t actually blow up the engine. His 10-2 scores garnered second overall for the best result of his career.
Forkner may have won the second moto, but it was Alex Martin who won the overall. He won the first moto under immense pressure from Savatgy, and avoided trouble in the second and worked his way into second. Afterward he said the crowd was absolutely nuts, and he couldn’t believe how loud they were. “Dirt bikes are loud, so if you can hear them you know they’re being loud,” Martin said. “When I crossed the finish line they were so loud I had to look over and sneak a peek! It was great, and it was awesome to cross the finish line in first for the first time this season.” Martin now sits just two points back of Savatgy in third, and four points behind his brother Jeremy in second.
Superb day for the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull KTM team, which has been slammed with injuries this year. Well, Jessy Nelson and Justin Hill were back in action today, and they both killed it. Nelson took third in the second moto, and Hill was fifth overall via 8-4 scores. And to top it all off, Mitchell Oldenburg was tenth overall. That’s three TLD riders in the top ten! Nice rebound for a team that needed it badly.
Could have been a great day for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna, instead it was about the worst the team has had in quite some time. Christophe Pourcel was battling for second with Eli Tomac in the first 450 moto until he caught a peg on the takeoff of a jump and went flying—Superman style—and crashed hard. He suffered a stinger in his back and it looked unlikely that he would return for moto two. Then, while waiting inside the team truck between races, the truck caught on fire! Literally. A few other teams ran over to extinguish it, and luckily no one was injured and nothing was seriously damaged. Pourcel did feel good enough to eventually return for the second 450 moto and take sixth.
Then there’s the Rockstar Husky 250 team. Zach Osborne was in position for an overall podium until his bike let go due to an apparent electrical problem. Martin Davalos was up front in moto two logging his best outdoor moto in years, stalking the leader, Austin Forkner. But with three laps to go, Davalos high sided badly in the turn after the mechanics’ area and went flying—literally. Davalos landed on the fence that surrounds the podium. Luckily he escaped with apparently no major injuries, just a sore shoulder. But he and Osborne both took DNFs for the moto. “I think this may be the best our guys have ever ridden and the worst results we’ve ever had, all in the same day,” said Team Manager Bobby Hewitt.
Justin Brayton also suffered a big crash late in the second 450 moto while running eighth. His foot came off the peg in the famous Washougal whoops and he crashed hard. We saw Brayton after the race, banged up with a headache, but otherwise seemingly okay.
Fantastic day for Eli Tomac, who attributes his improvements lately to being farther along in the building/gelling process with the team. It also helps that he’s never been beaten by Roczen here at Washougal, and he acknowledged that he always seems to find success at Washougal. He was also quick to point out that it was a "normal track." “It wasn’t a fluke, this wasn’t a sand track!” Tomac joked when discussing his win.
As for Roczen, you know he wanted to win, and you were probably ready to hand him the win after he trounced everyone in the first moto and moved into the lead in the second. But he didn’t win, citing a track that had changed a lot and settings that didn’t quite match, as well as Tomac’s incredible pace, as the reasons. Still, he didn’t seem upset, saying second is a good result, and that he was happy he didn’t lose any points on the day. It’s amazing how quickly we get used to someone winning, and that we think there’s something wrong when they finish second, which is still a mind blowing result at this level.
Marvin Musquin was great today, which should come as no surprise. He’s always good at Washougal, and he’s just plain fast, period! You’d expect him to be happy with his 3-3 for third overall, but he wasn’t overjoyed. He wasn’t excited about a little tip over in the first moto, and he wasn’t pleased with how much Roczen and Tomac beat him by in the second moto. Cheer up Marvin, getting on the podium is fantastic!
