Torrance, CA: As the only stop in the Pacific Northwest, the Washougal National is known as one of the most scenic tracks in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series. With weather that complemented the beautiful facility, this past Saturday was a great day for racing. Just one week after scoring his first career 450 victory, Muscle Milk-backed GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac had another impressive showing, grabbing second overall with a pair of seconds. Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Trey Canard finished seventh overall, while teammate Fredrik Noren scored a career-best finish of eighth.

450 Race
Canard nabbed a top-five start in moto one and quickly moved into second on lap two. He was able to fight off the advances of another rider for multiple laps before surrendering the position and taking over third. Canard relinquished one more spot during the 30-minute plus two-lap race, taking the checkered flag in fourth. In moto two, he got off the line to a less-than-desirable start and then crashed. He remounted in 39th and swiftly began moving his way through the field, putting together a noteworthy come-from-behind performance to finish 11th, which landed him seventh overall.

Fredrik Noren had a stellar day aboard his Team Honda Muscle Milk CRF450R, recording a career-best eighth overall with 9-7 finishes. In moto one, Noren grabbed an 11th-place start and worked his way up to ninth by the completion of the 16-lap race. When the gate dropped for the second time, he launched into the first turn, grabbed a top-10 start and crossed the line in eighth on the opening lap. Noren then worked his way up to an impressive sixth before relinquishing one position on lap 12, taking the checkered in seventh.

It was another exciting day for 450-class rookie Eli Tomac, who landed on the podium for the fifth consecutive time this season in as many races with a solid 2-2 performance. In the day’s opening moto, Tomac was forced to battle from behind after starting outside the top 10. He methodically maneuvered through the competition and had second in his sights after taking over third on lap five. Tomac continued to lay down impressively fast lap times, steadily closing the gap and moving within striking distance on lap 10 to make a pass stick for the runner-up spot.

In moto two, Tomac wasted little time slicing through the pack, picking off multiple riders to secure second by lap two. The front runners quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field, but Tomac was never able to close the gap and challenge for the lead position. He set a quick pace, ultimately taking the checkered in second. “Dungey just had a little bit extra on me today,” said Tomac. “Good for him, but of course after going 1-1 last week in Millville we wanted to be on the top step again. I’m sure not complaining about another podium finish, especially here at Washougal because this track is a real test. To put this GEICO Honda on the podium in the five outdoor races I’ve run is really cool. I just wish I hadn’t missed the start of the season because I could be battling for the title.”

250 Race
Muscle Milk-supported GEICO Honda’s Justin Bogle rebounded after a tough race last weekend to finish fifth overall at the Washington track, highlighted by an impressive third-place result in moto two. Following a seventh in the first race, Bogle launched his CRF250R off the line to a second-place start in the day’s closing race. He took advantage of the strong start, passing for the lead on the opening lap to assume control of the moto. Bogle maintained a strong pace out front for nine laps before a mistake caused him to lose two positions.

“I came in here pretty wounded from a hard get-off last weekend and I wasn’t able to ride at all during the week, so to climb the podium at the end of the day is actually a pretty good result for me,” explained Bogle. “My back and side are still limiting what I can do, so I’m really happy we have a week off before the next race. Two motos, two get-offs; that can’t happen if I want to stay up front.”

Teammates Zach Bell and Matt Bisceglia finished 11th (10-11) and 13th (13-12) overall, respectively.