The Streaker

Whether you chalk it up to Chase Sexton finally getting more comfortable on his KTM, or a increased confidence due to the absence of Jett Lawrence, the result is the same—Chase Sexton has leveled up. The Red Bull KTM rider is on a 5-moto win streak and leads Hunter Lawrence by thirteen points. Plus, Washougal is one of his best tracks. If he finds the same level at Washougal he’s had lately, it’s going to be a rough day for the competition. -Aaron Hansel

The Competition

Speaking of Sexton’s competition, Hunter Lawrence is staring down the barrel of a crucial weekend. As mentioned above, he trails Sexton by 13 points, which by no means is a colossal mountain to climb. But what he can’t afford to do is let Sexton pad that lead even more. To keep his bid for the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship healthy, Lawrence needs to fight back at Washougal and get some of those points back. -Hansel

Dirty Hand

Sometimes a 4-4 will get you on the podium, but sometimes you get dealt a dirty hand of cards with the way the points shake out, and a 4-4 gets you is a fifth overall. That’s what happened to Jason Anderson at Spring Creek. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has been pretty solid this summer, yet somehow hasn’t landed on the podium yet. He’s been on the box at Washougal the last two years though, so if he’s going to get it done in 2024, this weekend seems like a great opportunity. -Hansel

The Safety Zone

Haiden Deegan hasn’t won since the first moto at Southwick. Since then, five motos have elapsed, a winless span that seemed unlikely for Deegan earlier in the season. A lot of this is due to crashes and even some issues outside of his control. Fortunately for Deegan his championship is still in the safety zone—he now has a 51-point lead over Levi Kitchen, which is even higher than the 42-point lead he held over Chance Hymas following RedBud. However, you know he’d like to get back to his winning ways. Will that happen in Washougal, where he has insanely fast in 2023? -Hansel 

Front of the Line Chef

If Spring Creek was the fist National you watched all season, you’d never suspect Levi Kitchen had been struggling a bit in the prior races. The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider was absolutely amazing, holding off a hard-charging Jo Shimoda in the first moto and winning the second moto by over twenty seconds. Now, with Pro Motocross coming into Kitchen’s home round in Washougal, the stage is set for another epic round for The Chef. -Hansel

Opportunity Knocks

Casey Cochran was given a big opportunity in the second moto last week at Spring Creek, and he seized it with gusto. After avoiding the carnage of the first turn that bit so many of his competitors, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider found himself up front with clean hands and clear vision. Instead of tightening up, Cochran rode to an extremely solid second place to earn third overall, the first podium of his pro career. Yes, he was helped by the misfortune that befell so many of his fellow racers, but he's been getting better every week, and this was just a chance to finally show it from the front. We’ll see if the confidence gained at Spring Creek propels Cochran to another great result at Washougal. -Hansel