Rebuilding

Another rider who’s really good at Washougal is Eli Tomac, who made his return to racing at Spring Creek after injuring his neck at the season opener. Tomac didn’t exactly set the world on fire last week, he went 9-12 for eleventh overall, but lining up at Spring Creek was likely more about inching back into things than it was about being competitive. Now that he’s got a feel for the current pace, will he be more competitive at one of his strongest tracks? -Hansel 

Season High

We’ve seen podiums and wins in Pro Motocross from Justin Barcia in the past, so a fifth overall at Spring Creek for him isn’t really a surprising result. But let’s face it, it’s been a rough season for the TLD Red Bull Ducati rider. He’s endured multiple injuries and is also trying to develop a brand-new machine. But judging from what we saw from him at Spring Creek, he’s on the upswing. Can he keep it going at Washougal? -Hansel

Favorable Weather

Although it can be hot sometimes, Washougal usually offers a bit of a respite from some of the blazing temperatures of the summer. And this year it’s looking like that will really be a factor, as highs are forecasted to be in the low seventies! With temperatures this nice, riders should be able to push harder and longer. Who will benefit? -Hansel

Clawing Back

What a day it was for Julien Beaumer at Spring Creek! The Red Bull KTM rider won his first moto and got his first Pro Motocross overall victory. He made good progress in the points too. Before Spring Creek, he sat third, 33 points back of Cole Davies, but now he’s in second and 24 points behind series leader Levi Kitchen. That’s still a sizable gap to overcome, but if Beaumer keeps riding like he has been he could find himself right back in the thick of the championship fight. -Hansel  

The Upper Hand

Carnage and chaos were not in short supply during the opening lap of the first 250 moto last week, and Kitchen and Davies were two of the many riders who found themselves on the deck early. Kitchen was able to charge back up to eighth, but Davies DNF’d due to a hole in his fuel tank. Davies had another rough second moto and ended up sixteenth overall, while Kitchen took third overall and now leads Davies by 25 points. If he pads that lead more at Washougal, which is literally his hometown race, he’s really going to have the upper hand heading into the final three rounds. -Hansel  

Upper Hand, Really?

Keeping the upper hand is going to be a hard ask for Levi Kitchen this weekend. Even though it is his home race, he has never performed well there, going 5-6-11 in the three times he has raced there. That sixth place in 2024 came right in the middle of a win streak where he went 1-6-1-1, making it seem even more unusual. Home races can be nice, but they can also come with added stress (everyone wants your attention) and added pressure. Will Levi be able to handle that pressure this weekend? -Sarah Whitmore