Are there any bike set-up changes that you are going to make to maybe alleviate that?
For sure, I raced on the same set of suspension every round so far, we are still getting used to the 450. Still on a completely stock motor, so hopefully get a mod motor soon to get some more power and get some starts. Maybe get a holeshot, do a little ‘point up’ again. Just constantly changing, looking forward to the break to get some big improvement on myself and the bike, so that is going to be good. Yeah, keep on improving.

Is it rewarding making as many changes as you are doing to every week be as close and as in the fight as you have still been?
Yeah, definitely. Just need to work on some small things still to get closer. I’ve got a podium in me, just minus the small mistakes and stuff.

What did you think of the track today? Big uphill triple, a few changes to the track from what we have seen in the past, what did you think?
It was pretty hard packed base, and not as deep as I like it. The deeper, the gnarlier. And pretty one lined but overall, this track is pretty sweet, and it’s a fun track. It's been mixed vibes here, first year I was in a first turn pile-up, second year I was super sick, shaking on the line. Last year I shattered my kneecap here. So, this year I was just like “smart, savvy, get through it.” But overall, I like the track, cool track, and sandy.

With it being a little harder did you still go scoop [tire] both motos, or did you change it up at all?
Actually I ran 34 both motos.

Did you feel like your starts were okay with that, or did you feel like you got jumped by the guys that did go with the scoop?
I don’t think it was super deep, enough to make a difference. I think the 34 still tracks pretty good. I normally lean toward the scoop, but the track was really hard pack based. But to me I feel like it was just more the motor, I mean, I am on a fully stock motor. I was coming out of the gate good, but kind of getting out powered.

You are now top twenty in SMX standings as of last week, you moved up a little bit again this week. Is that something you are keeping an eye on?
Yeah, for sure. That was the main interest in why I decided to make the decision last minute to go 450, is to qualify for that and show people my supercross skills.  A lot of people doubt me in supercross, so I am looking forward to that. I really like supercross, so it's just a big misunderstanding. So yeah, I am looking forward to that.

What about Washougal, do you like Washougal?
Yeah, I have only been there once, but yeah, I think it's good.

Garrett Marchbanks | 6-8 for 7th overall

Racer X: Garrett Marchbanks, overall consistent day again, but maybe not exactly what you were looking for in that second moto, right?
Garrett Marchbanks: No definitely not. Definitely struggling from being sick all week. I didn’t really have the energy in me this week. I definitely could tell by Thursday when I was doing some gym session that it was going to be a tough week. But I just tried my best, rode my butt off first moto, and it felt like the second moto had a really gnarly track so it was like, “This is going to be a long second moto.”

So did you know then that trying like you did in the first moto, that the second moto was going to be tougher for sure?
Yeah, I definitely did. I just tried to maintain a good speed. I got another good start, top seven start, and I didn’t have the intensity for that top group. I thought maybe I could sit behind some of the factory guys and get in a groove and the last ten minutes I struggled and didn’t have it in me.

What did you think of the track today, particularly the uphill triple into the uphill rollers, what did you think of that?
It was really fun, I enjoyed it. Even though the second one it got really sketchy with a lot of kickers, that was probably my least favorite one. The first one was cool, it was challenging, it reminded me a little of supercross, like you’ve got to be patient around the turn and skip some of the bumps to make the triple. So, I liked it.

I hear a lot from you guys that a full send triple like that is better than one you have to gauge a little bit, is that true? To know that out of the corner you have to be wide open to actually get it?
Yeah, I would say that I agree with that, but also, I don’t like going wide open on a 450. Because I definitely cased it one lap and jacked my wrist up.

Did it hold you back then?
No. No, we’re good.

And now top 20 in SMX points, I am not even sure if that was the goal coming in but how satisfying is it to break into that now?
Yeah, I didn’t even know I broke top 20, I just found out a couple of minutes ago and I was like, “Ahh, all right cool. Now I am happy with the day.” But it's cool we got in, I know that’s what they really wanted.

So then moving into the last four do your goals change, just trying to put it into the top five every moto, or what?
Yeah, hopefully this week we can just relax, get a lot of sleep and recover, and then come back to Washougal and get back to where I have been with my speed. But I would definitely like to crack some top fives, and then hopefully really get the speed going, and the fitness, and get in the top three again.

Grant Harlan | 9-7 for 8th overall

Racer X: All right Grant Harlan, eighth overall on the day, a strong day—obviously better than last weekend—what did you think of it?
Grant Harlan: Pretty good, my starts were better than last week. Speed was better than last week, bike was better than last week. My fitness was still good, so I am pretty happy with it.

What did you change on the bike, was there anything specific that you worked on?
Well the change I made from moto one to two at Southwick, I just stuck with it, and it's been pretty beneficial. Honestly just sliding the forks to flush, it's all we changed. Forks from 2 mm to flush and it went from me crashing four times in the first moto to ninth and then 9-7 today. This new bike—when it's good, it’s really good, and sometimes when it's a little off, it's a struggle. So, we’re still trying to figure that out too. I think we are in a good place.

So then was that change when you came back from WSX, did you go back to the same setting you had at the first four and this was more of a sandy base change?
So, I am kind of on two different suspensions, I’ve got Enzo for the Worlds with the CDR Yamaha team, and then I’ve got Merge, which is local to me. I have been working with him for quite a while and have been using that for the American supercross and outdoors, so it's two different styles of suspension. Along with supercross and motocross, I think we’ve stuck with the same thing since Thunder Valley. We tried a shock change at High Point that I didn’t like. We just stuck with the same thing, just messing with, I guess, the balance of the bike more than anything.

So, second moto today—was it more just the start, were you able to get up there more and battle with those guys, did you just feel better? What was it?
Yeah pretty much, my starts weren’t stellar, I was getting beat down on the straight-away, but I was on the inside so I kind of just snuck around and stuck with it through the rollers and came out around tenth for both of them and kind of just stayed there for most of it.

What did you think about the track today? I heard you talking about the uphill triple, did you like it, did you not like it? What did you think?
Before Mt. Martin they changed that a little bit, that’s like a wide-open, triple step-up that’s like, flat. And then you go into the steep Mt. Martin into a gnarly—what is almost like a LaRocco’s Leap, but slower, triple step-up. I think it's cool, it's pretty difficult. Which when you don’t get it, it sucks, when you get it it's nice. But I like it.