The scenic Washougal Motocross Park is the site for Round 9 of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series and after Saturday riders get their second two-week break before hitting the home stretch of the season.
Last week, three MotoSport sponsor riders finished in the Top 10 for the first time this year which did more for confidence building rather than shake-up the standings. In the 450 class, four riders battle it out week after week for spots on the podium and continue to add to nearly insurmountable Championship point totals. The 250 class shows a bit more flexibility but a champion is quickly emerging.
MotoSport rider Weston Peick took his seventh Top 10 overall at Spring Creek and only strong finishes for the rest of the year give him a chance to land in the Top 5 at the end of the season. Peick is enjoying his first year on a factory ride but is still waiting for his first podium. He's taken fifth overall twice but has serious competition from Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard and Eli Tomac.
Weston Peick
Jimmy Albertson posted his best results of the season after switching to the KTM however he's still trying to nail down some consistency. He's taken 13th twice, a season best 16th overall at Budds Creek and last week, he seemed destined for the Top 10 but walked away with two DNFs.
On Thursday, Albertson got some extra racing time in preparation of Washougal when he competed in the 48th Anniversary Pro Unlimited at Thursday Night Motocross in Portland, OR. Though he crashed in his heat and possibly broke his nose, he won the LCQ and took second in the Main. He's expected to be ready on Saturday.
Jimmy Albertson
It's also worth mentioning that MotoSport employee Brett Cue, best known for competing in whip contests, is racing at Washougal in the 450 class.
Rounding out the rest of the 450s, Roczen has yet to take an overall lower than third-place and his Championship leading 367 points are nearly a lock for a spot on the final podium. Dungey is a close second with 343 points and has been off the podium just once this year. Notably, Dungey won five of the last six races at Washougal and the first in history to win three straight at the park. Canard is a bit farther back in third with 302 points and ever since Eli Tomac returned from injury in Round 5, he's taken fourth-place overalls.
Tomac has little, if any, chance of competing for the Championship after missing the first four rounds, so instead he's proving to be the spoiler. Last week, he swept and has yet to land off the podium since returning. He's already cracked the Top 10 in points and his stellar racing is certainly making things interesting for the other riders.
Jason Anderson
In the 250 class, Jason Anderson, who rides for the MotoSport sponsored Rockstar Energy KTM team, took sixth overall last week including a third-place Moto 2 finish. Anderson's middle season surge has him close to the Top 5 and competing for a spot on the Championship podium. His 236 points is just 10 behind the fourth-place Christophe Pourcel and 49 points from third-place. Anderson needs the points that come with winning Motos to make an impact in the standings.
Joey Savatgy, Anderson's teammate, cracked the Top 10 for the first time last week finishing seventh overall. Savatgy missed Round 1 because of injury but has raced pretty consistent ever since Hangtown.
Joey Savatgy
The rest of the 250s is a bit more fluid than the 450 class. Jeremy Martin is taking off in points and leads Cooper Webb by 43. However, Webb swapped spots with Blake Baggett twice in the last two rounds and the fourth through seventh place riders are all separated by just 10 points.
Moto 1 for Motocross Round 9 starts at 1 p.m. (PST) on Saturday. Buy tickets online or at the park, 40205 NE Borin Road in Washougal, WA.
2014 Motocross Season Standings
450 Class Season Standings
- Ken Roczen (367)
- Ryan Dungey (343)
- Trey Canard (302)
- James Stewart (226)
- Brett Metcalfe (222)
- Josh Grant (218)
- Weston Peick (188)- MotoSport rider
- Andrew Short (187)
- Eli Tomac (168)
- Chad Reed (146)
250 Class Season Standings
- Jeremy Martin (341)
- Cooper Webb (298)
- Blake Baggett (285)
- Christophe Pourcel (246)
- Marvin Musquin (241)
- Justin Bogle (240)
- Jason Anderson (236) - MotoSport rider
- Cole Seely (188)
- Jessy Nelson (164)
- Justin Hill (150)
