Westward we go, as the motocross industry will descend on the greater Portland, Oregon area for round eight of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Washougal, Washington. Easily the most picturesque round of the series, the track is a mixed bag for the riders. Qualifying practice is the most agreeable time of the day as the dirt has some give and the base hasn’t fully hardened yet. As the sun rises over Mt. Hood, though, the track turns hard and slippery. The predictability is sucked out of the venue, and everyone has to change their riding style a bit. Aggression is not rewarded at Washougal and the deceiving dirt can bite you viciously if not respected.
Dirty Little Secrets
Another one of Washougal’s notable characteristics are the infamous afternoon shadows. Many parts of the track, especially the western side, are covered by a tree canopy. That drastic change in light wreaks havoc on riders’ ability to see ruts and bumps. Riders are literally flying blind for a second or two each time they enter these sections as their eyes adjust to the low light conditions. As some of those sections are fast descents into rutty braking bumps, saying that riders dislike this aspect would be putting it mildly. Many riders will try to use various goggle lenses (colored, darker, lighter) to lessen this impact but there is no absolute fix. Knowing that you’re about to lose vision and depth perception for a brief period is really the only way to prepare. Praying also helps.
Tire choice for Washougal will be interesting as the norm these days is for riders to choose the most aggressive tire possible. The reasoning there is simply for the start. First lap positioning is so critical these days and especially on a track as difficult to pass upon as Washougal. Everyone will be keying in on that start and how to best manage the risk/reward of an overly aggressive rear tire choice versus a bad start. The scoop tire will be out of the equation this weekend, in my opinion, but there are varying degrees of aggression from there.
Who’s Hot
Eli Tomac has won seven motos in a row. My fingers are burning even typing his name.
Chase Sexton might be a weird name to land here on the Who's Hot list since he just lost the red plate. Still, his riding has been excellent and deserves a lot of praise.
Jason Anderson got back to his podium ways in Spring Creek. This is the best season of his career regardless of titles.
Benny Bloss has quietly put in a string of solid finishes.
Jett Lawrence is just walloping this series sans that RedBud DNF.
Jo Shimoda just keeps racking up podiums. Color me super impressed with his improvements.
Christian Craig has been on the podium in 50 percent of the last four motos (I am good at math). He’s also a favorite for the 250 spot on Team USA for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
Who’s Not
Ken Roczen had a day to forget in Minnesota.
Nate Thrasher did not have a fun second moto last weekend.
Hunter Lawrence was debatable here but losing the red plate last week and now falling to a 27-point deficit forced my hand.
Michael Mosiman has had a rough go to say the least. An early season title contender, he has had a bit of unfortunate luck at almost each round since.
Bold Predictions
Eli Tomac uses a studded tire at Washougal.
The third pick for Team USA is sent to Congress for approval.
World Supercross announces that Guy “Airtime” Cooper and Team Surf’s Jeff Glass have joined the series for one last go-round.
My Picks
250
Jettson
Joseph Shimoda
Hunta
450
Book of Eli
CS23
JA21
