2023 Washougal Motocross | Kickstart Recap & Gallery

As always, FLY Racing debuted its new collection in the Pacific Northwest with a sneak preview at Thursday Night Motocross in Portland and the full release on Saturday at Washougal. Updates include refined fit across each line, universal placement of the BOA ratchet on the left rear, and improved stretch and mesh materials. This blue-white look on the DST platform is one highlight in the catalog, which is up at flyracing.com/moto/

The featured product in FLY Racing's 2024 collection is the Formula S Carbon helmet, which features a 12k carbon fiber shell, dual-density EPS liner, REHON Impact Energy Cells, and an all-new integrated impact detection system that pairs with an app developed by Quin to alert you if a crash merits helmet replacement, can call emergency responders if you are in distress, and offer real-time ride analytics. Hit the homepage to hear a ten-minute explanation about new tech from JT.

There's no track like Washougal, as it's just up the hill from a state park and next to a Christmas tree farm. Going along the River Road to Alder if you're a fan/Hughes if you have a hard card, onto Borin, and then onto the property puts you about 600 feet higher than the town at the base of the hill. Keeping the 1.3-mile loop as "loamy" as it is must be a challenge, and the light red dust that hangs everywhere in the air shows us what the place would be like without the constant watering and tilling.

A big thanks to SKDA for contributing to Colt Nichols' appearance at Washougal, as the Australian graphic shop designed and printed a custom kit for CN45's KX450SR. Like the whiteout look? The COLT V1 pattern is now available for a wide range of Kawasaki models, including minis to full-size KXs and even KLX trail bikes, at skda.com.au.

Yamaha kicked off what's to be a yearlong celebration of its YZ line with a 93-inspired purple and white livery at Washougal and in Lommel. Star Racing's attention to detail was impressive: they laced up one-off purple rims, designed and produced special gear with THOR MX, had Alpinestars send the latest version of the SM10 helmets to be painted, switched to unfinished polished clamps, and printed new pit shirts for the entire crew. Yamaha Racing director Jim Roach told us that there will be more special events to watch for throughout 2024.

It was cool to see Duane Brown on the line in a BBR company shirt while his son, Carson, took on the Two-Stroke Challenge. Dirt Bike Magazine's Mark Tilley helped organize the YZ250's build, which included an engine tune-up by Pro Circuit, suspension service by enzo racing, and assorted hard parts from supporting brands. Be on the lookout for a thorough breakdown of the race bike on dirtbikemagazine.com and in an upcoming magazine issue.

Motosport.com made the most of its role as title sponsor and branded as much as possible around the track, from the usual elements like banners and arches to the classic catalog cartoon drawings on the back of the track worker T-shirts.

Matt Burkeen was one of the guys to watch going into the Two-Stroke Challenge, as he's the only one who's committed to doing the full tour on a pre-mix burner and has already made motos at a handful of Nationals this summer. Life on the road at the wheel of a pick-up has left Burkeen with little energy or time to train, and he told us on Thursday night that he was feeling a bit down going into the weekend, which explained the twelfth-place result in the LCQ.

That said, Burkeen's DNQs resulted in him getting excellent trackside footage at Spring Creek and Washougal, including clips of Jett's technique in the sand, Haiden's send-it style through the trees, and the complete 20-minute Main Event at PIR, which you can see on Instagram @mattburkeen and YouTube youtube.com/@mattburkeen820.

Otter on the radio.

Carson Brown's run to the money on a YZ250 was impressive to see, but the excitement of the weekend caught up with the local fan favorite, as he was too stressed to eat or drink much in the days leading up to the race, collapsed shortly after Moto Two, and was taken to a nearby hospital for multiple days of observation. 18-21 scores put the PNW native 21st overall and earned him 15K from the original payout, plus contingency, purse, and bonus prizes.

We've seen a lot of ways to keep kids busy at the track on race days, but the tacklebox and fishing poles are a new strategy.

Brandon Ray is big in the PDX region. We first noticed on Thursday at PIR, when the NorCal rider got big cheers for his charge through the pack and eventual third-place finish, then saw the same excitement from the masses during his complicated 39-34 finishes on a two-stroke at Washougal.

We'd put Washougal high on the "most painful roost list," as the loose pieces of hard pack getting fired off the back wheel of motorcycles feels similar to a paintball gun. Unadilla still gets the top spot for its rocks, but riders take just as many precautions to protect their chests/fingers/arms from the wrath of the Washington dirt.

Here's how tight fourth through eighth place were during Lap Eight of 250 Moto One. Dense packs of championship contenders, going at it for 18 to 13 points, have kept this summer interesting from the start and we expect to see more of this before the last checkered flag.

Haiden Deegan's holeshot and run to victory in 250 Moto One was one of the most impressive efforts we've seen by a rookie rider in years, as he was completely unchallenged from start to finish. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider was in control by the time the pack crested Horsepower Hill on the opening lap, stretched out a six-second lead in the first half of the race, and maintained with a series of 2:18 laps to the checkered flag.

Ouch. Austin Forkner got torn up in the first turn pile-up in 250 Moto One, and contact with either a spinning wheel, hot exhaust, or maybe a bit of both scorched the skin from the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider's torso. It took Forkner and the medics a few minutes to get him up and going after the crash, but once remounted, he fired off a set of fast laps to the cheers of the fans, caught up to the pack, and made it back to 21st place, one spot shy of points.

We've said it before, but will say it again because of this win: Teenagers are a part of Haiden Deegan's fan base, but the core really appears to be men aged 27-35, because those are the guys we see getting most excited when The General's son makes a pass, gets in front, or takes the win.

Recovery begins as soon as the checkered waves.

A handful of team members who posted up in the first turn had prybars on hand in case one of their bikes got twisted up in a crash and needed immediate, drastic repairs.

What do you enjoy more: The anticipation of the 30 Second card...

Or the chaos unleashed by a gate drop?

Powering out of the inside rut and hopping through the whoops was the preferred line early in 450 Moto One. How did the front-runners look as they transitioned from one section to the next? Keep scrolling.

Jett Lawrence demonstrated near-perfect form while leading.

Dylan Ferrandis was slightly more aggressive and leaned over enough for his right boot and peg to scrape the ground.

Chase Sexton loaded the rear suspension and twisted the grip as he lept into the rollers.

Loose, unorthodox flow from Jason Anderson.

Adam Cianciarulo, in the pocket of the KX and the rut.

Ty Masterpool, about to take off.

Loose is fast with Aaron Plessinger.

Fredrik Noren had his elbows up, his right foot hanging off as a counter-balance, and the rear end of the RM-Z squatted down as he initiated a seat bounce.

Derek Drake, over the hump and on the throttle.

Colt Nichols, ripping the lip with his peg.

Spanish style with Jose Butron.

Wide lines can help a two-stroke maintain momentum, but Carson Brown knows the shorter route around the track is tough to beat.

Grant Harlan tapped his toes and kept it low in his entry to the section...

While Hammish Harwood decided to go for big air on the first jump.

Textbook form by Scott Meshey.

Josh Hill can make everything from three-foot rockers to a 200+ gap look effortless.

We'll wrap up this technique check with Justin Rodbell on the 250 SX.

Speaking of Rodbell, Washougal was the privateer's first pro race back after a lengthy recovery from an Achilles' injury, and he decided to make the most of it by lining up at PIR on Thursday and going for the two-stroke bonus money on Saturday. Unfortunately, a pre-race rebuild of the engine knocked the power valve out of adjustment and Bellrod said it kept the bike from running right during the motos. This is selfish, but we'd love to see the Maryland native on the SX at Budds Creek.

Moto One saw another race-long battle between Adam Cianciarulo and Ty Masterpool. Adam passed Ty for fifth on the second lap, but the KX-mounted duo clicked off very close times (AC's average was 2:20.087 to Ty's 2:20.692) and were within sight of each other all the way to finish, with the factory rider crossing the line about seven seconds ahead of the privateer.

Into the darkness. A rider's first few laps at Washougal are always tricky, as they have to learn where all of the bumps and ruts are hidden while getting accustomed to the inconsistent lighting, and a clear goggle lens is key.

Wear and tear on Phil Nicoletti's Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX YZ450F.

Kevin Moranz had quite the weekend. The popular independent showed up at PIR expecting his KTM to be there, only to discover that the team transporting the bike was in Washougal, not Portland. Moranz convinced a Vet rider to let him do laps on his 450 SX-F during practice, then had Max Miller drive his personal motorcycle to the track in time for the night show, where he won the Heat Race, co-claimed the holeshot, did a massive Flying W off the first jump, and ended the night in fourth place. The National was just as nuts, as he was again with a borrowed bike, this time on a 250 SX two-stroke that KTM organized through a local dealer so he could compete for the bounty, and he went 28-26 for 26th overall. See it all in his vlog.

Jett Reynolds' absence in the last few weeks allowed Carson Mumford another shot with the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Although Mumford's decision to skip racing full-time for a chance at a fill-in ride seemed questionable to some, the team lent him a KX450 to do practice motos on through the summer, and he made good on their effort by going 9-9 for ninth overall in the 250 Class.

You can find Washougal's rowdiest and most passionate fans in the same section every year: up along the banners near the amateur starting line. This crew has cheered on every rider through every lap for years, and each racer gets a personalized chant or word of encouragement as they charge by.

Preston Boespflug made use of the Pro-Am rule at Washougal, which is the home race for the Battle Ground, Washington, racer. Boespflug (pronounced Base-flug) is part of KTM's Orange Brigade program and will line up in the A Class for what's to be his last trip to Loretta Lynn's in two week's time, take some time off immediately after, and come up with a plan to pursue professional racing in the coming months. The teenager was the fastest rider in the B Group sessions of Timed Qualifying and went 17-21 for 20th overall in the 250 Class.

We love to see what tracks come up with for their trophies. This year's awards at Washougal were pieces of wood cut to resemble iconic summits of the Cascade Range (Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, Mount Hood) and finished with hand-finished details like trees, Sasquatches, American flags, motorcycles, and personalized number plates of the podium finishers.

Haiden Deegan likes his clutch lever to be rotated down. On Friday we watched mechanic Brett Duffe arrange the controls on the ProTaper bars, then saw Deegan come over with a T-handle a moment later to put it where he wanted it. How long until every little ripper takes notes from the vlogs and does the same?

Justin Cooper knows what went wrong in Moto Two: he bonked while leading. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider told us that he'd had trouble eating or drinking during the day and that when it caught up with him late in the race, it "felt like a light switch went off" and that he had no energy to go after Haiden Deegan. This really does seem to be Cooper's last go on the 250, as he mentioned throughout the weekend that he's got a 450 deal lined up for 2024 (third man at Star Racing).

Washougal's start is always exciting to shoot, as riders barrel into a fast left-hand turn, crest a small mound, hang a right, and run up Horsepower Hill all in a matter of moments. A gate drop malfunction in 450 Moto Two meant we got two chances to see the action; here's the first one, with Dylan Ferrandis leading the change...

While Aaron Plessinger aced the second attempt. Look closely to see who did better or worse between the two.

Aaron Plessinger has spent most of the summer getting back up to speed after a back injury, and the three laps the Red Bull KTM rider spent at the front of the pack excited everyone, as fans leaned over the fences and cheered louder than they had all day. AP might be from the other side of the country, but the PNW support the Kentuckian like he's one of their own. "I know I can be there, at least for a couple of laps," said Plessinger of his time up front. "The dude's not superhuman; he just rides a dirt bike really, really well. I can too at some moments, but he can do it a little longer than I can right now."

We can talk about how painful the roost is over and over, but no one knows better than Chase Sexton. Here's a quote from his HWYW interview: "In the first moto, I got hit in the nuts so hard by Ferrandis. I had a stomach ache for at least two laps, and I still kind of do. I don't feel like I look too bad or got too beat up, but my fingers are kind of swollen because I don't run handguards. If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough." Sexton explained that the flying dirt can dictate a rider's strategy, saying, "When I got to someone, I sat back far enough not to get roosted, but knew I had to get close to make the pass." We didn't take him up on the offer to experience it ourselves by getting pelted by his CRF450R on Sunday.

We heard some hype about Ryan Martin going into the weekend and after seeing him run up front at PIR, can vouch for the Washington local's speed and style. The 926 earned himself a spot in the 450 Class with the 33rd fastest lap in Timed Qualifying, then finished 35-31 for 36th overall at his first-ever National. If you of some other up-and-comers we should watch for at Unadilla, Budds Creek, or Ironman, drop a line in the comments below.

Scoring SMX points and locking into the three-round mini-series at the end of the season was Josh Hill's main motivation for racing his first National in over a decade. Hill drove cross-country from North Carolina to Oregon ahead of the race and will spend the next few weeks with his family getting their property ready for the annual Big Hill Jam event on August 12-13. If you like mini bikes, big whips, hill climbs, and Sur-Rons, get your tickets now at www.bighilljam.com.

Our post-ride coolers are stocked with staples like Modelos to 805s in California or Buschs and Stags in Illinois, but we'd find room for a few cans of 10Barrel's Holeshot IPA or the TNMX Pale Ale special made by Migration Brewing that we tried in Portland. We'd gladly trade some Yuenglings for a case or two of either.

It's time to take a much-needed break before the last leg of the summer tour, three rounds of SMX, the MXON, Red Bull Imagination, possible trips to WSX, and the Paris Supercross. Thanks for reading Kickstart and we'll see you at Unadilla.