2024 Washougal Motocross Photo Gallery

2024 Washougal Motocross Recap

Forget Hotlanta. How about Hotshougal?

A balmy forecast of 95 or so didn't exactly fully transpire for Round 8 of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship series on Saturday at Washougal MX in Washougal, WA but the heat arrived and thankfully the Motos were pushed back an hour.

You see, unlike SoCal, in the Pacific Northwest the heat of the day transpires after 3 p.m. and hits its high at about 5 p.m. But the pushback was more for a nationally televised broadcast 450 class Moto 1 at 12 p.m. (PST) on NBC. Grow the sport! No attempted assassinations of former presidents running for president interrupted the broadcast but imagine the outcome a day later!

It was still hot when the gates dropped and the MotoSport.com crew got its walking papers to watch the race instead of selling our wares. The flyover was the lowest I've seen. Two F-15s. My colleague Noy, who makes all the videos you may or may not watch, said he looked for the American flag, just in case. Yep, that low. Like a war torn third world country! Red Dawn coming soon to a theater or neighborhood near you.

Not as robust a crowd as last year, we did not sell out of the exclusive MotoSport Washougal National T-shirt that people craved in 2023. Inflation finally hitting MX? Well, stay tuned because if you didn't get yours, I bet we sell it online. Maybe. Who knows. No one tells the blogger / SEO guy / Affiliate Program Manager. I carry lots of hats yet remain at the bottom of the totem pole especially in salary. No complaints here. That's all for YOU the customer. Keeping prices at rock bottom prices so your next ride is your best ride. And me struggling to make ends meet. Totally kidding. Thank you, Lord, for my wife.

Well, all that to say. Fun day. But I baled after 250 class Moto 1. OK now. Listen. The traffic backup to get in started at 7 a.m. Thankfully, I pulled out a special pass that gets me an early turnoff to parking. But for those who stuck around after all Motos? Expect HOURS to get home. HOURS. Thanks but no thanks. I gotta get home and write this thing that a mere few dozen people read. As Geddy Lee would say at the end of Rush concerts "Thank YOU, very much." I won't say goodnight because we have a race recap that most who encounter this article likely gloss over.

Chase Sexton has the 450 class Championship dialed. A sweep, again, and a continuation of his Moto win streak now at seven. George Costanza's favorite number. In Moto 1, he let Aaron Plessinger mistake it out with a stall late in the race to take the lead and from where I watched, the guy waving the flags at the finish line, pulled out the last lap white flag late and I wondered if Sexton even saw it. According to the announcers, he missed the checkered flag (Hmmm, not sure about that, it was the white flag, but I could be wrong) thus his supposed hot lap (i.e. he kept racing) after he already won did come into play, something I wondered would happen after the white flag. Did he even know he was on the last lap or that he won the Moto? None of that probably makes much sense, so move on, please.

In Moto 2, Jason Anderson was on the gas and did an outstanding cross track pass on Lap 1 to take the lead and he held on to it... for a time. Was hoping this veteran would take the Moto win but alas Sexton grabbed the lead on a stellar pass around the outside in a corner with about nine minutes left. Anderson held on to second though, with Aaron Plessinger (2-3) taking third which got him second overall. Anderson (4-2) took third overall, his first podium this year.

"I wanted to get another win before this break and go in with momentum," Sexton said. Indeed, a two-week break greets the riders. "Go back and rest. Haven't been feeling the greatest the last few days so it's about time for some rest. Looking forward to that."

As for the 250 class, Tom Vialle led wire-to-wire in Moto 1 holding off Championship points leader Haiden Deegan who was riding a five Moto winless streak of his own, had a tip over and never mounted a charge. Thus, Vialle extended Deegan's Moto winless streak to six but Moto 2 was a whole different story.

Vialle grabbed the MotoSport.com Holeshot (Hey, we also title sponsored the Washougal National. That costs $$$. So, buy some gear and parts, would ya?!) and just like Moto 1, Deegan tailed in second but he only needed about 12 minutes to take the lead and then completely pulled away. Deegan won by 14 seconds and his (2-1) day gave him the overall on the tiebreaker over Vialle's (1-2) day. Vialle pulls into second in the Championship ahead of Levi Kitchen but resides 54 points back. Deegan has six Motos left in this Championship with a two Moto lead.

Was hoping to write about local riding hero Kitchen who swept the week before at Millville but he had a rough day on his home track. He started 17th in Moto 1 and finished 12th but a better start in Moto 1 got him in fourth and a sixth overall which he "won" on the tiebreaker over Joey Savatgy (9-7) and Jalek Swoll (7-9). Of note, Chance Hymas finished ninth overall with an eighth in Moto 1 and riding from last after a crash just after the MotoSport.com Holeshot to 12th in Moto 2. If you recall, his leg got quite the bruise a week earlier after a dab in the first turn of Moto 2 at Spring Creek which caused Deegan to crash. Deegan accused Hymas, who rides without an ACL in one of his knees, of purposely causing the crash. Hymas was iffy on riding at Washougal because his leg was swollen like a balloon. One would think using a limb to purposely cause a crash involving heavy machinery might not be the best way towards a Championship run.

At any rate, Deegan showed them in Moto 2, well at least he stopped the Moto winless streak and for all intents and purposes, he's got the 250 class Championship in the bag. Fun fact: Deegan had some issues getting to Washougal, likely that worldwide Microsoft Windows blackout. Flights were cancelled and he ended up flying on a private jet with the GOAT of a previous generation.

"Made a little different bike set-up and it made a world of difference." Deegan said. "Super good. Broke a good gap. I'm happy to keep the Washougal streak going and back up on top of the boards."

But remember last year...

Finally, a break. Two weekends off. The 2024 Motocross season resumes August 10 at Unadilla.