Championship Hit

Shane McElrath’s championship hopes took a huge hit last weekend in Oakland, as a mistake-filled 15th-place finish left him 19 points behind leader Aaron Plessinger. “I’m not real sure how everything is, but even afterwards, I felt good on the bike. Just one of those nights where you get as much as you can and you move on,” he told Racer X following the race. He’ll need some help in the championship chase, but a win would go a long way this weekend. —Stallo  

Around the Diamond

Like Oakland, San Diego will take place in a baseball stadium. Feld moved the event downtown a few years ago to Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Last year, Jason Anderson averaged a 54.674 time en route to the win. At the first San Diego in 2016, Ryan Dungey averaged a 49.797 on his way to the victory. A tough track in Oakland made the short lap irrelevant; hopefully we’ll see the same this weekend. —Stallo 

Back on Track

The last two weekends have seen a much-improved Cooper Webb. Sure, 8-7 finishes are not the ultimate goal, but he’s been riding much, much better. “I felt like I showed that I had confidence. I was riding like myself and was comfortable and had a great day,” he told Racer X after Oakland. “Like I said, it’s a process. I was pumped. I think going on to the next, however many we have, I think this is only the fifth one, so it’s good that I’m getting the momentum building now.” Will his move up the ladder continue this weekend? —Stallo  

Musquin vs. Anderson

Last week Jason Anderson put a move on Marvin Musquin that left him on the ground, which you can see in the video below. You could make as many arguments as you like that Anderson’s move was or wasn’t dirty, and most of them probably wouldn’t be entirely right or wrong. But one thing’s certain—Musquin didn’t like it much and said so afterward, casually saying, “Next time it’ll be my turn.” It’s unlikely something that was said shortly after the race will continue an entire week later, but even so, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens in San Diego if Anderson and Musquin find each other on the track. —Aaron Hansel

Rebound Ride

Well, it ain’t over, but it ain’t looking good for Eli Tomac and his title hopes, either. At fifty-two points behind Anderson, who’s riding crazy good right now, things appear downright bleak. Even winning every single race from here on out wouldn’t guarantee a title for Tomac, and that’s saying something because there are twelve races left! But just because things are looking drearier than a rainy February doesn’t Tomac, or anyone at Monster Energy Kawasaki, is thinking of throwing in the championship towel. Look for Tomac to come out swinging in San Diego after his disastrous thirteenth in Oakland. —Hansel

Return of the Champ?

Defending 250SX West Champ Justin Hill hasn’t been the same so far this year, but he sure looked like he was back on point last week in Oakland. The Autotrader/Yoshimura Suzuki rider rode the best he’s ridden this season by far, coming from about eighth to nearly challenging for the lead late in the race. Afterward, Hill didn’t seem to be able to point to any bike changes or any gains made during the week to could explain his turnaround, simply saying finally getting a better start was what made all the difference. Can he get his first win of the season if he gets a good start in San Diego? —Hansel 

Major Gains

Blake Baggett had a great night in Oakland, ending up on the podium and running extremely close to first place at times. That’s a pretty big step, considering he’d gone 12, 7, 7, and 9 at the first four rounds. The positive steps likely gave the always-determined Baggett an additional shot of confidence, something he’s pretty dangerous with when he’s got a full tank of it. Keep an eye on Baggett in San Diego—if he has another outstanding ride, this could mark the beginning of a string of excellent results. —Hansel