This Week in Powersports Racing – the week of July 26, 2026

This week in US Powersports racing.

LEVI KITCHEN SECURES TOP 5 FINISH AT HOMETOWN NATIONAL

Ryder DiFrancesco back on the 250MX podium at Washougal National in second overall

Convincing 2-2 results a career-best for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider

With the team featuring a Military Appreciation Race livery for the weekend, DiFrancesco qualified third in the 250MX division on board his Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition after posting a 2:12.571 lap-time, continuing his impressive form outdoors.

Up-front from the outset in Moto 1, the 21-year-old held second position from start to finish, securing a convincing runner-up result. A holeshot in Moto 2 was converted into another P2 result, as his combined scores earned him second overall for the weekend.

With the Pro Motocross series – part of the wider SMX World Championship season – now entering a two-week break before returning at Unadilla on August 15, Ryder D moves into fourth in the 250MX standings.

“It was a great weekend,”recalled DiFrancesco.“Coming this way to the west coast, it’s close to home and has a special place in my heart. The Washougal fans were great today, and to put a whole day together was my goal coming into the round. To take 2-2 on the day for second overall, I’m stoked with the results!”

Also equipped with the Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition, Casey Cochran finished 13th in Moto 1, while a strong launch in Moto 2 led to a solid seventh-place score in Moto 2 for 10th overall. He’s now ranked ninth in the 250MX standings.

“It was good to finish the day strong in Moto 2, which put us into the top-10 overall this weekend and in the points,” commented Cochran. “We are heading in the right direction and my speed has been solid, so we just have to consistently put it together and the results will come. We will keep working over these next couple of weeks and look forward to the final three rounds.”

250MX teammate Daxton Bennick also showed encouraging speed at Washougal, completing the opening lap of Moto 1 in third before recording a measured fourth-place finish. After starting outside the top-15 in Moto 2, Bennick salvaged 18th, securing 11th overall.

“My day at Washougal had its highs and lows,” reflected Bennick. “That first moto was obviously really good with a strong start and finish, and then the second race I struggled off the start a little bit, and ended up ripping off all my tear-offs on Lap 1. Unfortunately, from there I kind of got stuck, but it doesn’t feel acceptable – I’m pretty mad at the result. But, I think there were positives to take from the day with running at the front the whole first moto, so I’m just going to keep building, stay positive, and do work between now and Unadilla.”

Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition-mounted Hampshire qualified sixth in 450MX at Washougal after adapting well to the highly-technical circuit, although a sequence of crashes on the opening lap of Moto 1 immediately put him on the back-foot.

The 30-year-old mounted an impressive charge through the pack to claim seventh, and then backed that up with sixth in Moto 2 despite a heavy crash for sixth overall. Following his Washougal result, Hampshire is fifth in the 450MX standings with three rounds remaining.

“Washougal was an eventful day!” said Hampshire. “I felt good on the bike – I just had some issues on the opening lap of Moto 1 and had to come through the pack back to seventh. Second moto, better start, but I caught an edge on the side of the track and landed in a soft spot, and had a pretty big one… I was still able to manage sixth in the moto and sixth overall on the day, so we’ll enjoy these next couple of weekends off, and then give it a good push to finish out the final three rounds.”

Next Race: August 15 – Unadilla, New York

Results 450MX Class – Washougal National1. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)2. Jett Lawrence (Honda)3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)4. Jorge Prado (KTM)6. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)14. Eli Tomac (KTM)

Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 8 of 11 rounds1. Hunter Lawrence, 367 points2. Jett Lawrence, 3553. Haiden Deegan, 2984. Jorge Prado, 2695. RJ Hampshire, 25212. Aaron Plessinger, 10221. Lucas Coenen, 4424. Eli Tomac, 3939. Malcolm Stewart, 10

Results 250MX Class – Washougal National1. Cole Davies (Yamaha)2. Ryder DiFrancesco (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)3. Chance Hymas (Honda)6. Julien Beaumer (KTM)10. Casey Cochran (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)11. Daxton Bennick (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing)

Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 8 of 11 rounds1. Levi Kitchen, 293 points2. Cole Davies, 2863. Julien Beaumer, 2684. Ryder DiFrancesco, 2389. Casey Cochran, 14618. Daxton Bennick, 9419. Sacha Coenen, 83

RED BULL KTM’S JORGE PRADO IN PODIUM CONTENTION AT WASHOUGAL NATIONAL

Round 8 – AMA Pro Motocross Championship

The four-time world champion qualified fifth aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION – featuring a special Military Appreciation Race livery this weekend – after posting a 2:09.928 lap-time, before converting a strong start into a third-place finish in Moto 1.

Fourth position in Moto 2 saw Prado secure fourth overall for the weekend, while maintaining P4 in the championship standings as the series enters a two-week break ahead of its return at Unadilla on August 15.

Jorge Prado:”Fourth overall in Washougal, it was an okay day – nothing great, but not too bad. In Moto 1, I was in a good position to fight for the win, but I just didn’t have the speed. Then in the second moto I was again in a pretty decent spot, but had a tip-over on Lap 1, which had me lose so many positions. I got back to fourth, but by that time the riders at the front were already gone. We’ll step it up and keep working!”

Four-time 450MX champion Eli Tomac made his third Pro Motocross appearance of 2026 at Washougal, qualifying seventh on the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. He recorded 14th in Moto 1 before adding another 14th-place result in the second race, with the 33-year-old continuing to build valuable race mileage ahead of the final three rounds.

Eli Tomac:”It was a tough day at Washougal with a couple of tough motos, but we made it through the weekend healthy, which was important. Now, we will do what we can to keep improving with these next two weeks off and try to be better at the next race.”

Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Julien Beaumer qualified second in the 250MX division at Washougal after posting a 2:12.562 lap around the technical, hard-pack circuit, before charging from a second turn pile-up in Moto 1 to finish eighth.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider was in the mix during Moto 2, climbing from ninth on the opening lap to fifth by the checkered flag. His 8-5 moto scorecard secured sixth overall for the round, while consolidating third in the 250MX standings.

Julien Beaumer:I finished up 8-5 for sixth overall at Washougal, which wasn’t my best day. Moto 1, I was caught up in a second-turn crash, which had me come from the back, and in Moto 2 I just didn’t feel great and was able to salvage a fifth. Although it’s not ideal, it’s still points scored, and we’ll get back to work and come out swinging for the final three rounds.”

Next Race: August 15 – Unadilla, New York

Results 450MX Class – Washougal National

Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
Jett Lawrence (Honda)
Haiden Deegan (Yamaha)
Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)

Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 8 of 11 rounds

Hunter Lawrence, 367 points
Jett Lawrence, 355
Haiden Deegan, 298
Jorge Prado, 269
RJ Hampshire, 252
Aaron Plessinger, 102
Lucas Coenen, 44
Eli Tomac, 39
Malcolm Stewart, 10

Results 250MX Class – Washougal National

Cole Davies (Yamaha)
Ryder DiFrancesco (Husqvarna)
Chance Hymas (Honda)
Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Casey Cochran (Husqvarna)
Daxton Bennick (Husqvarna)

Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 8 of 11 rounds

Levi Kitchen, 293 points
Cole Davies, 286
Julien Beaumer, 268
Ryder DiFrancesco, 238
Casey Cochran, 146
Daxton Bennick, 94
Sacha Coenen, 83

Honda HRC Progressive Rules the PNW With 450 1-2 Overall Finish

As AMA Pro Motocross visited the West Coast for the third time this season, the Washougal MX National delivered yet another dominant performance for Honda HRC Progressive, in near-ideal weather conditions. Hunter Lawrence captured his fifth premier-class overall victory of the season, while Jett Lawrence secured a solid runner-up finish with 1-2 moto scores. In the 250 class, Chance Hymas continued his positive trend, earning his second podium overall finish in a row.

The opening 450 moto saw Jett emerge from the first couple of corners in first place, while Hunter advanced from fourth to second during the opening lap. Jorge Prado settled into third, and the trio pulled away from the field in the early stages, before the Australian duo established a gap. The Honda HRC Progressive riders maintained their positions until the checkered flag, with Jett earning his seventh moto win of the season, and Hunter following in second.

Jett grabbed the moto 2 holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE, but Hunter took over the lead on the first lap. A brief off-circuit excursion resulted in Jett receiving a one-position penalty for accelerating as he reentered the track. He later had a small crash on the face of a jump but was able to remount before being overtaken. The defending champ mounted a late charge and closed the gap on his older brother before finishing just 1.7 seconds behind at the checkered flag. Hunter secured his fifth overall win of the season and extended his championship lead over Jett.

Meanwhile, Hymas delivered another impressive performance in the 250 class. After starting outside the top five in moto 1, the Idaho native navigated the opening turns well to emerge fourth. He quickly advanced to third, where he remained through the finish. He started inside the top three in moto 2 and battled near the front, briefly moving into second before Cole Davies reclaimed the position. Despite pressure from Carson Mumford, Hymas stayed focused and maintained his pace to secure another podium result, giving him a 3-3 finish (his first dual-moto-podium weekend of the season) and third overall.

NOTES

Honda HRC Progressive riders Hunter Lawrence, Jett Lawrence and Chance Hymas all participated in press day activities on Friday before the race, including answering questions from the media and riding the track for a single 20-minute session.
Motosport Hillsboro, a Honda dealership located East of Portland, staffed a pop-up booth in the Honda HRC Progressive pits at Washougal, engaging with fans while showcasing a 2026 CRF450R and CRF125F.
The Washougal National served as the 2026 Military Appreciation round for AMA Pro Motocross, and SKDA created special graphics for the Honda HRC Progressive race bikes, featuring a TrueTimber Atera Camo pattern. In addition, TrueTimber prepared special one-off team apparel for the weekend.
Between qualifying sessions, Honda HRC Progressive once again hosted a fan autograph session featuring all three active riders.
Jett and Hunter finished third and fourth, respectively, in 450 combined qualifying. SLR Honda rider Justin Rodbell was 18th, and McGinley Clinic’s Zack Williams was 29th. Limited Decal’s Sage Powers qualified 36th, Clinton Racing’s KC Clinton 43th, Bloxom Racing’s Ashton Bloxom 46th, Feine Tune Racing’s Gavin Tilford 50th, Spangle Racing’s Grady Spangle 62nd, Jones Racing’s Nick Jones 63rd, Strode Racing’s Kaiser Strode 66th, Factory Moto Kids’ Jeffrey Gorman 67th and Matt Wilson 69th.
Hymas finished fifth in 250 combined qualifying—his best qualifying result of the season. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Gavin Towers and Aden Keefer were 23rd and 29th, respectively, while the McGinley Clinic’s Ty Freehill and Kyle Czworkowski were 42nd and 53rd.
Jett recorded the fastest lap times in both 450 motos, while Hunter was second-fastest both times.
With his Washougal performance, Hunter joins other Red Riders to have scored premier-class overall wins at the venue, including Johnny O’Mara, Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael (twice), Kevin Windham, Chase Sexton (twice) and Jett Lawrence.
AMA Pro Motocross now enters its second and final two-week break of the summer before heading east to New York for round 9 at Unadilla MX. Hunter’s lead over Jett in the championship is now a season-high 12 points, while Jett’s advantage over the third-place rider has grown to 57 points. Meanwhile, Hymas’ Washougal result moves him up two spots to fifth in the 250 standings.

Hunter Lawrence
“This weekend was actually sick compared to how Washougal has been every other year for me! That was the talk of the week, right? How this isn’t our best track? So it was unreal to go 2-1. The bike’s in a good spot, and we made one change between the first and second moto that really helped me out. We tested a few things this week, and we knew we could lean into a stiffer bike that doesn’t normally work on East Coast tracks, and it paid off today. I think riding each other’s bikes with Jett is a benefit to both of us and the team. He had a different setup yesterday from what I did, and that’s our theory—let’s put it to the test and see which one we like better; there’s no secrets, and it’s a level playing field. I’m happy to get the win, but it’s such a tough championship, going up against the best guy in the sport; I’m already thinking about what I want to work on and where I can be better in the weeks to come.”

Jett Lawrence
“I feel like I found a good setting; this is the best my bike has handled in the past year, so I was super happy. I think riding each other’s bikes with Hunter on press day is a benefit to both of us and the team, because we’re able to see what works better and figure out what we like. In the second moto, I just kept pushing. I felt good, and I was hoping maybe I could catch him off guard, but obviously he had a little bit of an idea where I was at. I’d rather be right there in case something happens than be back, so I tried and just fell a little short. It is what it is, and we’ll take it. I do really want it badly. I want to win—that’s what I like doing and that’s why I like racing. I think sometimes that can hurt me a little bit, because I want to make those points up, but it’s just things I have to get better at. The word of the year has been ‘getting closer,’ so we’re getting closer to feeling like myself. Hopefully, bit by bit, I can get back to where I was.”

Chance Hymas
“It’s been a slow build, which was really frustrating because every time I’d come back from an injury before, I was pretty much right back up front. This time it took me a while, mentally. Southwick was the first weekend I felt like I was getting over it, and now I’m just focused on the race instead of all the ‘what ifs.’ Each weekend, my confidence keeps building, and I’ve really been enjoying the race weekends, and the process of trying to be a better version of myself. With Wim [Van Hoof, new Engine/Fuel Injection R&D technician] coming over, we’ve been making really good progress with the bike the last few rounds, and today it really showed. He’s brought a lot of knowledge from Europe, and it’s been really good working with him.”

Lars Lindstrom – Team Manager
“In the 250 class, we’ve had big improvements with Chance over the last couple of weeks. He had good starts, especially in the second moto, and that’s really positive. In the 450 class, it was fun watching those guys send it. Watching them get close in that second moto, I had a little bit of a heart attack for a second; they looked like they were going to nail each other, but they obviously know what they’re doing. It was exciting. It’s always difficult to go to the podium when one guy is super mad and another guy is happy but trying not to be too happy, because his brother just threw it away. It’s difficult, but those guys are so good at having short-term memory and moving forward.”

Cole Davies Answers Back with a Perfect Day at Washougal

After losing the red plate and leaving the Spring Creek National with a double-digit deficit in the 250 Pro Motocross Championship, Cole Davies needed to bounce back with some “W’s” in Washougal. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider not only swept both motos to close that gap to seven points, but did so with authority.

Washougal MX Park, in Washougal, Washington, was another new track for the New Zealander. Although it’s considered one of the more challenging tracks on the schedule, Davies showed strength from the start and set the tone for the day aboard his YZ250F. He was the fastest 250MX qualifier and then grabbed the holeshot to Moto 1 en route to a dominant wire-to-wire victory.

It was another great start from the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad as a whole, with Landen Gordon, Michael Mosiman and Nate Thrasher slotted in behind him to lock out the top four. Then chaos ensued with Gordon going down in the slick conditions, collecting multiple riders, including three of his teammates.

Clear of the chaos, Davies continued to set the pace up front, clocking the fastest lap on Lap 3 and building a comfortable lead. He remained unchallenged from there, taking his fifth moto victory of the season by 17 seconds. In Moto 2, he was back in seventh after the start but wasted little time moving forward, claiming the lead on Lap 2 and once again setting the fastest lap of the race. From there, he went unchallenged to another commanding victory, extending his moto win tally to six and earning his third overall victory of the season.

“It was a good day today – qualified first and won both motos,” said Davies. “I really feel like I kind of needed this to get back into the championship hunt. I’m not going to back down. We’re ready to fight till the end, and hopefully we’re going to be in a good spot coming down to the last race and last round. It was honestly pretty slick and sketchy out there, but I had fun. It was a good day, and we’re ready to keep this going.”

Thrasher also had a good weekend in Washougal, despite it traditionally being one of his more challenging tracks. After qualifying 15th, he got a great start with his teammates in fourth, then managed to keep it on two wheels in the midst of the second turn pile-up. Shuffled back to sixth on that opening lap, he regained fifth on the next one, and continued to fight for a top-five result, ultimately finishing seventh. In Moto 2, he was 10th on the opening lap and continued to push forward, finishing eighth to secure seventh overall and match his best result of the season.

“The day was okay,” said Thrasher. “I got off to a good start in the first moto and put myself in a good situation, but didn’t ride my best, to be honest. I struggled a bit with the bike setup. This track has never been my favorite. It is probably my worst track on the calendar. So coming out today in the second moto, we changed the bike completely, and it was way better. It was a worse start, but I actually had some fight in me, and I felt good. I’m just trying to build, and a seventh on the day here – I’ll take it. We’ll keep going and keep getting better. Next time out is Unadilla. I love the last three, so let’s do it.”

Coming off two consecutive fourth-place overall finishes, it was a tough first outing at Washougal MX Park for Kayden Minear, but the rookie still managed to finish in the top 10. After qualifying 16th, he was 12th after the start of Moto 1 but quickly moved into ninth on the opening lap. The young Australian battled for a top-10 result throughout the moto, running as high as seventh before dropping to 10th in the latter stages. He fought back to eighth before ultimately crossing the line ninth. In Moto 2, Minear found himself 15th, but quickly charged forward again, breaking into the top 10 in the opening laps and finishing 10th for ninth overall.

“Washougal was an average day for me, but I know I can go home and good tonight because I tried my hardest, and there’s not much more you can ask for,” said Minear. “I just struggled on starts and put myself in a bad position, but that’s part of the learning process. We’ll go back, have our break, and get back to it, and be back better next time.”

Rookie Landen Gordon returned to action at Washougal and had a strong start to the day, qualifying 10th and getting two good starts in the motos. In Moto 1, he slotted into second behind Davies after the start but unfortunately lost the front in Turn 2. He rejoined and made his way to 22nd by the end of the opening lap, but another crash made for a tougher climb back, and he ultimately finished 16th. In Moto 2, Gordon was third after the start, but he struggled to find his flow on the tricky track and was shuffled back to seventh on the opening lap. He dropped back to 15th before the halfway mark, where he would finish to score 15th overall.

“I finally got my starts dialed again, thanks to the team,” said Gordon. “I just couldn’t stay off the ground in the first moto. In the second moto, I struggled to find a flow. We’re going to get the bike dialed in during the break and come out swinging for the last three rounds.”

It was a tough day in Washington for fellow Californian Michael Mosiman. He, too, had a strong qualifying effort in eighth and got a good start to the first moto in third, but was front-row center for the pile-up after the start and was collected. Mosiman rejoined at the back of the field and made his way back to 17th at the finish. Moto 2 brought more of the same for Mosiman, as he got caught up in another crash after the start and had to come from the back to finish 16th, ending the day 17th overall.

“Tough day in the office,” said Mosiman about the Washougal National. “I got caught up in the second turn pile-up in both motos. It’s a really disappointing end to what seemed a very promising day. But looking at the positives, I’m mostly healthy and still fighting. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

Although the results of his first race back were not what he was looking for, Pierce Brown was happy to be back in action at the Washougal National. It started off well, with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider qualifying sixth. He then had a solid start in seventh, but was also caught up in the turn-two pile-up. Brown rejoined and was working his way forward, but with damage to the bike, he was forced to withdraw from the moto. In Moto 2, he was 18th after the start and quickly made his way through to eighth on the first lap. Brown was shuffled back to 12th early in the moto and battled for a top 10 result. With around five laps to go, Brown went down, dropping back to 16th. He ultimately finished 17th to end the day 19th overall.

“It was my first outdoor back in a minute,” said Brown. “So, yeah, I felt like a fish out of water there for a little bit. I had a good qualifying, though. I ended up P6 overall, and then had a really good start to Moto 1, but ended up getting tangled up with Landen and some of the other guys that fell on the start. Then somebody ran over my bike and clipped my radiator hose, so I lost all the coolant, and the team pulled me off as a precaution. So that was unfortunate.

“In Moto 2, I had the last gate pick. So I didn’t know what to expect, but I came out decent, and I was right in the top 10 area for about 30 minutes and then had a fall late, and ended up 17th. On paper, I’m not stoked with it, but we rode alright. I mean, we definitely have something to work on. So that’s something to look forward to, but I’m just glad to be back.”

Caden Dudney showed speed from the start of the day, but unfortunately had a crash in qualifying. As a precaution, the decision was made that it was best for Dudney to shift his focus to Unadilla and sit out the Washougal National.

“It was a great day for us, with Cole sweeping the motos and getting back to single-digit points from the championship lead,” said Wil Hahn, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 250 Team General Manager. “It’s a shame we had some ups and downs for the others, but we will use the break wisely and come back stronger at Unadilla.”

With Davies back within seven points of the red plate and three rounds remaining, the battle for the 250MX crown resumes August 15 at the Unadilla National – Round 9 of Pro Motocross and Round 26 of the SuperMotocross World Championship – at Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York.

Haiden Deegan Extends Podium Streak at Washougal

Haiden Deegan continues to check boxes in his rookie 450MX season. First fastest qualifier? Check. First holeshot? Check. Another overall podium? Check. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider added all three to the list at Washougal MX Park, overcoming an early crash in Moto 1 to finish fourth and scoring second in Moto 2 to earn third overall, his third consecutive overall podium. His teammate Cooper Webb also battled through a challenging day to finish ninth overall with a pair of ninth-place finishes at Pro Motocross Round 8 in Washougal, Washington.

Deegan’s focus this season has been on laying the foundation for success in the premier class. Although it wasn’t the win the six-time 250 class champion has been chasing, the rookie added a couple more building blocks at Washougal, earning his first fastest qualifier honors and grabbing his first 450MX holeshot aboard the YZ450F.

Unfortunately, shortly after that holeshot to Moto 1, Deegan found himself on the ground in the second corner, putting the 20-year-old at the back of the field. Undeterred, he mounted an impressive comeback, breaking into the top 10 by Lap 3. Deegan continued his charge through the field and was through to fourth a couple of laps before the halfway mark, where he would ultimately finish.

In Moto 2, Deegan got another good start in third and kept the Lawrence brothers in sight through the opening laps before losing some ground to the frontrunners. When Jett Lawrence went down with around nine minutes remaining, Deegan once again had his rival in sight and continued to push all the way to the checkered flag. He crossed the line third to secure third overall, and was later credited with second in the Moto 2 results after Jett was assessed a one-position penalty. Deegan’s third consecutive overall podium also marked his fifth of the season, and he heads into the break maintaining third in the championship.

“Today was good,” said Deegan. “I got my first-ever P1 in qualifying, so I was happy about that. And then I pulled a holeshot, my first ever in the 450 class, but then I went down. So it wasn’t too great of a first moto, but I just dug my way back up to fourth and put myself in a position where I could get on the podium.

“In the second moto, I rode a good race, fought all the way till the end, and had some good battles. I ended up getting second in that moto due to Jett (Lawrence) getting docked for going off the track or whatever, so I was stoked. Third overall and another podium – these are good. We’ll just continue to get some podiums, and eventually, it’d be nice to get that win.”

Although he wasn’t gelling with the track, Webb made improvements with a much better second qualifying session and was 12th in the combined times. In Moto 1, he got a great start and slotted in behind his teammate. In the chaos of the first lap, he was shuffled back to fourth, where he rode for the first six laps before being passed by his hard-charging teammate, Deegan. As the race wore on, he dropped further back to ninth, scoring another top-10 result. In Moto 2, Webb didn’t get off the gate as he had hoped and found himself 16th, but quickly made his way to ninth on the opening lap. He then closed in on Mikkel Haarup and Jordan Smith and continued to fight the whole moto, ultimately crossing the line once again in ninth and ending the day ninth overall.

“It was a bit of a struggle,” said Webb. “It was up and down in qualifying. The first qualifier wasn’t very good, but the second one was pretty good, and I ended up seventh. In the first moto, I got a really good start, but I kind of struggled with the flow. My riding was not very good at all, and I ended up ninth. So that was a bummer.

“Then in the second one, we regrouped. I was feeling pretty good, ready for redemption. Then the guy next to me on the start kind of flinched, and I flinched too, almost hit the gate, and just had a terrible start. I made some passes and got into that group that I’ve been in and had a gnarly battle the whole moto with (Mikkel) Haarup and Jordan (Smith), for basically that eighth place spot, and ended up ninth. My riding was better, but overall, it was just kind of one of those weekends where I wasn’t really gelling with the track, and my riding just wasn’t quite there. We will regroup, use this break to kind of recharge the batteries, and come back swinging for the last three.”

“Starting with Haiden, it was a really good qualifying day for him,” said Rich Simmons, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s 450 Team Manager. “He was P1 in the first qualifier and first overall. Then he executed a great start, but unfortunately went down going into the second turn. He’s gone down after the start in three of the last four races, so it’s not ideal, but a good ride from him to come back. He passed into fourth around halfway, which is pretty impressive, and salvaged an overall podium. The second moto was pretty good. We wanted to get a moto win here today, or have an opportunity at an overall, but unfortunately, we weren’t in the position to do that. So we’ll keep working on that, but I feel like we made some gains there.

“For Webb, it was another solid weekend. I don’t think he really gelled with the track that much. We will just keep building with him, but I think it was a decent day overall. It’s getting towards the end of the season, but we’ll just keep working at getting the results we’re looking for.”

With three rounds remaining of the outdoor season, both Deegan and Webb are in a good position for the postseason, with Webb sitting in the runner-up spot in the SMX 450 Combined Points. Despite racing in the 250 class during Supercross, Deegan’s strong rookie 450MX campaign has propelled him up the SMX 450 standings, leaving Washougal in a tie for 10th.

In three weeks’ time, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing squad returns to action for Round 9 of Pro Motocross and Round 26 of the SuperMotocross World Championship, at Unadilla MX in New Berlin, New York, on August 15.

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