Ryan Dungey was the top qualifier at Washougal. Photography by Steve Cox
Round nine of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship is well underway at Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington, where heavy rain a few days earlier left the track fairly wet and muddy. But things are shaping up nicely after practice.
The racers were slipping and sliding in the early practice sessions, but as the track started to dry out a bit and with the lines forming, lap times dropped dramatically, anywhere from two to four seconds among the top riders.
Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey is the quickest on the scenic track that features many uphill and downhill sections, plenty of shadows and tricky soil that often times looks tacky but can be deceivingly slick. Dungey clicked off a 2:13:401, which is nearly a full second quicker than the next-best rider, Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard (2:14.144).
Last week’s winner Eli Tomac (2:14.448) on the GEICO Honda is third quickest, followed by series leader Ken Roczen (2:14.574) on the Red Bull KTM. Rounding out the top five is Toyota/JGRMX Yamaha’s Josh Grant, followed by KTM rider Ryan Sipes and local favorite Tommy Weeck, who is returning following an early-season injury.
Brett Metcalfe, Ben Lamay and Justin Brayton round out the top-10 qualifiers in the 450 class.
Marvin Musquin topped the qualifying charts in the 250 class. Photography by Steve Cox
In the 250 class, Red Bull KTM’s is the rider to beat right now. The former MX2 World Champion, who has been gaining momentum in the second half of the outdoor series, laid down the quickest lap time with a 2:14.082. The Frenchman’s time is more than a second-and-a-half quicker than GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle’s time of 2:15.587. Rockstar Energy’s Joey Savatgy is also finding his groove late in the series and is third quickest with a 2:16.166. Right behind him is 250-class points leader Jeremy Martin (2:16.174) on the Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha. Rockstar Energy’s Jason Anderson is fifth quickest with a 2:16.496.
Christophe Pourcel, Blake Baggett, Cole Seely, Dean Wilson and Zach Bell round out the top-10 250 qualifiers, respectively.
Absent from today’s races include Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart who announced yesterday that he is going to skip the Washougal round due to “health issues.” Also skipping today’s race is Stewart’s brother, Malcolm (TLD/Lucas Oil/Honda), who is recovering from dehydration issues. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer is also on the mend with a back injury. Kyle Cunningham is also sitting this one out with a thumb injury.
