Washougal Sunday

Over 26,000 people gathered to watch round 8 in an overcast but comfortable day at Washougal.

The track got some re-design. New sections made the track better by uncovering some "new" dirt. The track is still slippery, but they took out some faster sections (like the downhill Pastrana wadded on a few years ago and had a concussion) and made a track the riders spoke well of.

Some notes:
-Stewart wasn't 100% from his injury at Unadilla.
-Villopoto was clearly the fan favorite, and his intensity on the track seemed to match the crowd's enthusiasm. When he was charging up from the back in moto 2, his lap times were like 3-4 seconds faster than the leader!
-Dungey got the starts in Lites - both holeshots.
-Langston is riding a 2008 YZ450, which he said steers much better for him.
-Gavin Gracyk made the trip afterall, with some help from MDK and his on-line supporters. Then he was in a moto 1 pileup right out of the gate. Byrne dropped him one spot in points so he is now 11th.
-Red Bull KTM was using the new Merge Adjustable Leak Jet on all the bikes. Last week Mike Alessi used it at Lakewood.
-Townley leads Villopoto by 2 points in Lites. Stewart leads Ferry by 7 points. The top two in each class are on Kawasakis.
-Mike Alessi's Suzuki deal should be wrapped up soon.
-Millsaps has some health issue that caused him to pull off in moto 2. (sinuses?)
-Tim Ferry, the overall MX winner, is 32 years old. He almost crashed just before the finish line.
-Langston's moto 2 win was his first in 450s.
-Windham said his mistaking the white flag for the checkered was a "bonehead" move.
-Darcy Lange was there watching. He started chemo for Hodgkins disease and won't worry about silly season stuff until that is done. He's confident he will get through it OK.
-"Blue Hair" Hepler crashed out of moto 2 while in third, about the time Villopoto caught him late in the race.
-Rides worth noting in Lites (besides the usual front-runners): Metcalf 5-5 for 5th, Davalos 7-6 for 6th, and Broc Tickle 8-11 for 7th. J-Law was 10-20 for 15th. Ouch.
-Rides worth noting in MX (besides the usual front-runners): Tedesco was more on the gas than his 10-5 indicates. Kyle Lewis, 9th. David Vuillemin 8-6 for 6th finshed ahead of a lot of money.
-WORCS star Ricky Dietrich finished 18-24 and scores points. Off-roader Destry Abbott broke ribs and bruised a lung Saturday and was still in the hospital Sunday.
-Stewart has been testing a Leatt Brace.
-Stewart's bike was smoking a little in moto 2.
-Kevin Rookstool, #745, has "My Parents" on his tank shrouds as a sponsor.

Watch Racerxill.com for updates on Stewart's knee early in the week. It hurt him a lot when he was pinned to the ground under his bike, but he al least was able to get up and stand.

Ferry Reacts to the News He Won!

The overall was so close at Washougal after Stewart crashed out that the rest of the top riders were not sure who had the overall.

With about a lap to go, Langston was in line for the overall with a 4th in moto 1 and the lead in moto 2. Ferry was second in moto 1, and was in 3rd behind Windham as the second moto was about over.

Windham got the laps wrong and wheelied through the whoops before the finish for the crowd, and let off past the finish, mistaking the white flag for a checkered. Ferry saw him rolling and wondered himself was the race over, but he kept going, then Windham took off again behind him.

That gave Ferry second, and the overall with a 2-2.

He wasn't sure if he won until he got to the podium and his team told him.

Stewart Update from Washougal

Monster Energy Kawasaki's James Stewart crashed out of moto 2 at Washougal when he hit a rock and tumbled in a slow turn. The bike fell on him and his left knee was painfully pinned under the bike until someone could help him get it off.

Stewart wasn't 100% from his whiplash injury from Unadilla, but visibly stronger compared to last weekend at Lakewood.

He won the first moto today, and was back in third as moto 2 started to wrap up. It didn't look like he was going to catch the leader Grant Langston or Kevin "One More Lap" Windham.

Stewart was going into a slow, easy left turn on the lowest part of the course (where the old start was) and he saw a rock rolling into his line. He looked at the rock, and then ended up tipping over with his left knee pinned and tweaked. It hurt a lot, but once they did get him up he was able to stand, and he rode back on the back of his bike instead of the Asterisk Mule.

Stewart wears CTi knee braces. Initial checks by the Asterisk crew at the track were positive.

He wasn't going to do the X Games next week, and has an extra week to get ready for Millville and his last chance to beat RC at a national.

He is going to get it checked out tomorrow. It is not for sure if he will be able to make Loretta's Tuesday for the MXoN team announcement.

Gracyk Gets Some Help...Just in Time

Privateer Gavin Gracyk has been turning heads this summer in 450s. His best finish was 6th overall at Southwick, and he's just outside the top ten in points.

He's been getting help from Cycra to get around to the races, along with Michael Willard, but his own travel money ran out - and just last night the word was out that he was skipping Washougal for the price of a plane ticket.

You read that right. Gracyk, 11th in points, was about to miss Washougal for the price of a plane ticket. His friend and series photohound Jeff Kardas posted something on line about it, and to make a story short, by the time practice was underway Sunday at Lakewood, MDK, (next year's KTM racing partner) offered him a ride for the rest of the summer in the MDK rig!

At least the message boards are worth it once in a while...

Saturday at Lakewood

Did ya hear the one about?

Silly Season and Qualifying Practice at Lakewood



Stewart is on hand and ready to see how practice goes tomorrow. Ferry was fastest in 450s and Alessi was again very on the gas. Whatever was in that shock KTM sent from Europe, they need to patent it.



Villopoto was fastest in Lites. Metcalf and Hahn are back.

Rumors that Alessi will join DV12 at Makita Suzuki are pretty firm at this point, but we have to say this is still "future news," meaning a lot of things still need to happen. If you had to make your list right now, plan on #800 riding yellow.

MDK is going to be doing the race teams for factory KTM in America:

1 semi for MDK KTM Factory Team, Wey on a 450, Davalos on a factory Lites 250F. Maybe one other 450 guy.
1 semi for MDK KTM Lites Team, Brayton, Sipes, Georke, and one more... KTM Factory motors.

That means KTM farms out it's SXMX racing, but stays very involved. Notice no one is mentioning Red Bull KTM. Red Bull is out of there.

J-Law stays at YOT for 2008. It's been reported that Morias does too but that's not 100%. At Star Racing, they are keeping Lemoine and Tickle, and will have two more.

Everyone keeps saying Byrne is going to Gibbs, but he says nothing is done!

Jessica Patterson is One Tough Lady

Jessica Patterson injured her finger in Sarah Whitmore's sprocket Saturday morning at the WMA national at Lakewood, Co. She had it bandaged up all day, and went out to ride the second moto to tough it out for points. Here she is after moto 2.

That's motocross.

Unadilla Post-Show Video is UP!

DC says the brave crew stayed up all night working on this for this morning:

Unadilla Post Show!