At the Washougal National, Austin Forkner had one of his best rides in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in a while. The Missouri native had a strong day at the Spring Creek National—9-11 for eighth overall—and came into Washougal MX Park with confidence. Then, he put together two good starts and rode strong to finish fifth in both motos, landing fifth overall. It was his first top-five finish since the 2023 Budds Creek National, when he finished 8-4 for fourth overall. This was Forkner's first top five finish in his first season aboard the Triumph TF 250-X.
For the multi-time SX and MX race winner (14 total: 13 in SX, one in MX), a fifth is not his standard by any means, but when you consider his last handful of years and the injuries, surgeries, a team/bike/program change, and everything else he has gone through, this was a huge day.
Forkner was interviewed on the SMX Insider Post-Race Show, which you can watch below (with the interview starting around the 5:23 mark).
Forkner’s post-race quote in the Triumph press release read as follows:
"Millville was a step in the right direction and I had confidence coming here, because of that. I was fourth off the start in the first moto and around ninth in the second moto. I went 5-5 for fifth overall – it is crazy what a couple of starts will do! I am really happy with my riding and day. My speed was not blazing fast, but I put clean and consistent laps together. We will go back to work now."
Austin Forkner 2025 Pro Motocross Results Through 8 Rounds
| Position | Race | Class | Date | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Motocross Budds Creek | 250 | August 23, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 16 | Motocross Unadilla | 250 | August 16, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 9 | Motocross Ironman | 250 | August 9, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 5 | Motocross Washougal | 250 | July 19, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 8 | Motocross Spring Creek | 250 | July 12, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 20 | Motocross RedBud | 250 | July 5, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 16 | Motocross Southwick | 250 | June 28, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 22 | Motocross High Point | 250 | June 14, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 18 | Motocross Thunder Valley | 250 | June 7, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 16 | Motocross Hangtown Motocross Classic | 250 | May 31, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
| 31 | Motocross Fox Raceway | 250 | May 24, 2025 | Triumph TF 250-X |
Then, Forkner called into the PulpMX Show on Monday night to talk about his Washougal National ride, his season so far, the switch to Triumph, and more. Obviously Forkner’s goal this year is to get to and through the entire SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) season. He told Matthes that he's worked very hard to stay positive all season. There have been struggles, but there isn't one singular reason he can point to for those, which he thinks is a good thing. While his results have been subpar compared to his standard of podiums and wins, he noted his riding has mostly been good this year but going from 25th or so to about 12th goes unnoticed. For the most part though, he has been happy with his season so far, all things considered.
As for his Washougal ride, he said: “I just was pretty content doing my laps and fortunately as Washougal, doing my speed, my laps, was pretty good.”
As cliché as it is, Forkner is trusting the process.
The Missouri native has become one of the best interviews in the pits as he shares his feelings honestly and his full interview is a must watch. Forkner calls in at the 31:30 mark below.
