The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series made its long-haul journey north to Washington state for round five, landing at one of the most legendary venues in all of American dirt racing: Washougal MX Park. Under uncharacteristically sunny Pacific Northwest skies, Dare DeMartile set the pace from start to finish, taking the Pro 450 win, while Sam Pretscherer claimed first in Pro 250.
Story & Photos by Connor Moore
With a track layout that blended the famous motocross terrain with deep, technical forest single-track, Washougal proved once again why it’s considered one of the most epic stops on the WORCS calendar.
Saturday kicked off the weekend with Open Pro action, and Kawasaki’s Giacomo Redondi came out swinging and immediately set the tone, putting in consistent laps while keeping things clean through the woods to secure the Open Pro win. Behind him, Layton Smail kept the pressure on throughout the race, holding a strong pace and staying within striking distance, but Redondi’s smooth and steady lap times made him tough to catch. Smail would bring it home in second, while David Fry completed the Open Pro podium with a solid ride to third.
The Women’s Pro class also brought plenty of action and was especially notable considering it was one of the strongest lineups of the season, with seven riders on the start line. Ava Silvestri (Husqvarna) once again proved why she remains the rider to beat, taking the win with a consistent performance across the moto. Honda’s Tarah Gieger held down second, while Kawasaki’s Ashlee Gage battled her way onto the podium in third on a course that demanded constant focus and endurance.
On Sunday, the Pro classes had their time to shine as they battled it out for the two-hour endurance race. As the main-event racers took on a course that many riders called one of the most fun—and most brutal—of the year. The track included a short but incredibly unique Pro section that stood out from anything else on the schedule. Rather than being cut into a typical race line, this section consisted of raw, untouched trail, giving riders the freedom to pick their own lines and improvise on the fly. It was one of those rare sections where creativity and instinct mattered as much as speed, and it was exactly the kind of terrain that had Beta’s DeMartile smiling.
DeMartile launched out of the motocross-style gate start and immediately established himself at the front. With the track still fresh and riders packed tightly behind him, he rode aggressively early and carved through the opening laps with confidence. Once he had clean air, he never looked back. DeMartile maintained a relentless pace from start to finish, leading for the entire moto to capture the Pro 450 win at Washougal.
The pressure behind DeMartile was very real. Honda’s Tyler Lynn charged hard all race long, pushing the pace and refusing to let the leader get comfortable. Lynn stayed in the hunt, keeping the gap manageable and looking for any opportunity to strike, but DeMartile simply didn’t give him one. In the end, Lynn settled for a strong second-place finish after another impressive ride.
Behind them, the fight for the final podium spot was anything but quiet. Layton Smail (Kawasaki) came out firing on a blistering early pace, keeping both DeMartile and Lynn within sight through the opening stages. Smail looked poised to make it a three-rider battle at the front, but as the race wore on, the intensity only increased. It was then that RPM FMF KTM rider Mason Semmens began closing in. Semmens methodically worked through the course, picking smart lines and capitalizing on the technical terrain where many others struggled.
Eventually, Semmens found a way around Smail and slid into third place—and once he got there, he locked it down. Semmens would go on to finish third, rounding out the podium behind DeMartile and Lynn, while Smail remained a major factor after an impressive start, eventually taking fifth.
In Pro 250, the drama continued as the rivalry between SLR and RPM added another chapter to what’s becoming one of the best class battles of the season. Early in the race, SLR Honda’s Sam Pretscherer came out with the advantage, putting together a strong opening run and looking ready to take command. He was riding with confidence and had the pace to stay out front, but a small bike issue forced him into the pits early. That brief stop was all it took to shake up the entire race. FMF RPM KTM’s Cole Zeller capitalized and took over the lead, putting his KTM up front as the race continued to unfold.
Adding even more excitement, KTM teammates and Pacific Northwesterners JJ Concannon and Jaden Dahners were right in the mix as well, creating a packed and aggressive group battling for the top positions. For a stretch of the moto, it looked as if the podium might turn into a full sea of orange, with KTM riders filling the top spots and Washougal fans loving every second of it.
But Pretscherer wasn’t done.
After returning from the pits, Pretscherer put his head down, and the Honda rider began charging through the field, closing the gap and hunting down the leaders with the kind of urgency only a championship contender can bring. Late in the race, Pretscherer managed to make the move and pass Zeller, reclaiming the top spot and taking the Pro 250 win in another intense battle.
Zeller held strong for second, while Noah Gordon also made a major statement by fighting his way into the podium mix and landing on the box as well, proving he had both the speed and composure to handle one of the most technical tracks of the year.
With Washougal now in the books, the WORCS series turns its attention to another legendary motocross facility next month, June 19-21: Glen Helen Raceway. If Washougal tested riders with technical woods and long lap times, Glen Helen is sure to bring its own unique brand of punishment with steep hills, high speeds and unforgiving terrain. One thing is clear: as the season continues to heat up, the championship battles are only getting tighter, and the racing is far from settled. CN
2026 WORCS Round 5 Results
Pro 450 (Top 5)
- Dare DeMartile (Bet) 02:02:32.688
- Tyler Lynn (Hon) 02:02:58.945
- Mason Semmens (KTM) 02:04:49.302
- Giacomo Redondi (Kaw) 02:08:48.469
- Layton Smail (Kaw) 02:11:24.000
Pro 250 (Top 5)
- Sam Pretscherer (Hon) 02:06:47.762
- Cole Zeller (KTM) 02:07:49.175
- Noah Gordon (KTM) 02:08:58.274
- Colton Aeck (Kaw) 02:11:35.198
- J.J. Concannon (KTM) 02:11:48.471
