2024 AMA West Hare Scrambles Round 5 Results

Mark Kariya | October 1, 2024

Having broken his collarbone at the AMA Pro Motocross National at Washougal after a run-in with another rider, one might think FMF KTM Factory Off-Road Team star Dante Oliveira would consider Washougal Motocross Park somewhat bad luck.

Dante Oliveira at 2024 Washougal West Hare Scrambles — **Having missed round four due to injury, Dante Oliveira picked up where he left off and claimed the win at Washougal West Hare Scrambles.**

Photos: Mark Kariya

Instead, the defending champ in the AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) Regional Championship Series, presented by MojoMotoSport, looked at the Mt. Scott Motorcycle Club’s Dick Jagow Memorial Hare Scramble as a chance for redemption. In his first race back from that injury—having missed round four of the series three weeks ago—Oliveira returned to his winning ways aboard his Red Bull/ Motorex/ Alpinestars-backed 350 XC-F, besting round-four winner Giacomo Redondi by 17 seconds after nearly three hours. Mateo Oliveira took third.

Having started the race tied in series points with Redondi, Dante Oliveira now has a five-point cushion over the 3Bros/Hatch Racing GasGas-mounted Italian, 120-115, though Pro/AA points show a slim one-point advantage, 120-119.

Though Redondi got the holeshot, Dante Oliveira got a better drive up Horsepower Hill and led until he had to pit. Redondi then led for a couple of laps, but Dante Oliveira got him back.

“That was a little close with one lap to go, or whatever it was,” Dante Oliveira said. “But I put the hammer down, and I was just able to maintain to the end. I didn’t even notice the collarbone out there at all. I felt good, but I tell you what, the hands are going to be destroyed after tomorrow!”

Oliveira and his brother, Mateo, along with Redondi and Pro Women winner Ava Silvestri all caught flights to Southern California to race the next day’s AMA National Grand Prix Championship round.

Redondi said, “From lap two, lappers were playing a big part. I know the lappers were a problem for everybody, but it’s where you catch the lapper.”

In fact, on the final lap while making a final push to catch Dante, a run-in with a lapper left Redondi on the ground, banged up and with a gaping hole in his bike’s swingarm! But he rejoined the race in time to hold off Mateo and salvage second.

Though third place matched his result at Glen Helen’s brutally hot round four, Mateo Oliveira said he was happy with his ride on his Dunlop/Renthal/Scott 350 XC-F.

Layton Smail at 2024 Washougal West Hare Scrambles — **Layton Smail claimed his third Pro 250 victory of the season over fellow Pacific Northwest resident Jaden Dahners.**

“I feel a lot better than after Glen Helen, that’s for sure!” he said. “We got spoiled with good conditions here, and I was just a little bit off the mark the first two laps to stay close, but I charged hard and finished within, like, eight seconds of ‘Giac.’ I’m not too bummed—I rode hard, and two hours and 45 minutes is a long time, but I felt fresh the whole time, so I’m pumped!”

An impressive fourth overall saw Sherco FactoryOne’s Layton Smail claim the Pro 250 victory over FMF RPM Racing KTM’s Jaden Dahners for the third time this season. That puts the GPR Stabilizers/SxS/ FXR 250 SEF rider five points further ahead of Dahners and his Americool/ Acerbis/ Moose Racing 250 XC-F, the standings now 140-126. Dahners was fifth overall followed by Liqui Moly Beta’s Zane Roberts, FMF/DDC/ Fly Racing FC 250-mounted Ryder Thomaselli, Hunt and Sons GasGas rider Lane Lorenzo (the overall A and 250cc A winner), Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda support rider Nolan Cate (fourth in Pro 250) and Fly Racing Husky FX 250-mounted Ethan Pacak (fifth Pro 250).

Pro Women got the weekend started. The race order switched to accommodate the Pros, who needed to do double duty with the NGPC Pro race taking place on Sunday in Ridgecrest, California.

As she’d done in every previous round, GasGas-backed Ava Silvestri took the win on her FMF/Dunlop/Troy Lee Designs EX 250F, her dominating ride carrying her almost two minutes clear of runner-up InnTeck KTM rider Rachel Stout with Let’s Ride KTM-mounted Ashlee Gage third.

Ava Silvestri at 2024 Washougal West Hare Scrambles — **Ava Silvestri took her fifth Women’s Pro win of the season.**

“If I didn’t win today, I wouldn’t have been mad about it, so I wanted to control [the race] as best as possible,” Silvestri said. Knowing she had another important race the next day as well as getting promoted to the U.S. Women’s World Trophy in Spain after Korie Steede had to withdraw due to injury, Silvestri had a lot on her mind. “Yeah, there’s a lot going on in my brain, but I kind of had to push it to the back of my head.”