Washougal
Washougal, WA
“America’s Most Scenic Raceway” is a proper nickname for Washougal MX Park in southwestern Washington state. Opened to racing in 1971, the natural terrain course winds in and out of the giant fir trees that tower over the facility. The venue is 30 minutes from Portland, Oregon, and lies just north of the town of Washougal and a river of the same name.
Fast Facts
Venue
Washougal is the most scenic track on the Pro Motocross calendar and the only stop in the Pacific Northwest. The course is unique for its path through the fir trees, which create dark spots and shadows. On sunny days, riders battle the lighting as much as each other.
The facility has been owned and operated by the Huffman family since the early 1990s and has held a spot on the calendar since 1980, missing just two seasons since.
Accessed on one side only by a narrow country road, Washougal MX is just 42 miles (geographically) due south of the Mount St. Helens volcano and lies between the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Columbia River, the final stretch of waterway that took Lewis & Clark to the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1806.
The first Washougal National in 1980 was a showcase for Oregon’s Chuck Sun. A local legend, Sun positioned his Honda at the top of the standings during the year and increased his points lead with a great effort at Washougal. In the first moto, Sun battled Kawasaki’s Goat Breker as defending champion Danny LaPorte was forced to the sidelines, with a derailed chain.
Sun took the lead from Breker ten minutes into the race and never looked back. Sun then held off fellow Oregon native Rick Burgett to sweep the day and take a nearly 50 point lead.
In the 125 class, Suzuki’s Mark Barnett spoiled three time defending champion Broc Glover’s party, taking the overall with a 1-2 as Glover fought from a bad first moto start to take 4-1 scores. The result was a pivotal momentum swing, as Barnett closed the points lead to just seven and used the strong performance to eventually take the title from Glover.
Kawasaki’s James Stewart (1-35) should have easily ridden to the 2007 Washougal overall win (and the 450MX championship) but disaster struck late in the second moto.
Stewart won the first moto over his teammate Tim Ferry (2-2) and extended his points lead to 29 (over Ferry). In moto two, while cruising in third behind Grant Langston (4-1) and Kevin Windham (6-3), Stewart’s front wheel popped in the air when he hit a large rock in a sweeping left hander.
He stuck out his left leg and absorbed all the weight of his KX450, which tore his ACL. Stewart never returned to the series.
Langston won the second Washougal moto, and nearly the overall, but a last lap gaffe from Windham gave Ferry the overall victory with a 2-2 compared to Langston’s 4-1.
As the white flag flew, Windham slowed, believing that he had taken the checkered flag. This allowed Ferry past for second and the overall victory, which would be the last of his career.
Jason McCormick’s 5-1 performance at the 1999 Washougal Pro Motocross was one of those legendary moments in motocross history that makes fans never want to miss a race.
And it wasn’t only memorable because the Vancouver, Washington (30 minutes away) won a moto and landed on the 125MX podium; it was because of who he beat and how it unfolded.
McCormick led start to finish in moto two, while Ricky Carmichael (2-2) ended lap one in 23rd. While RC sliced through the pack, McCormick stretched his lead over Brock Sellards (1-3)
Carmichael believed Sellards was the leader and strategized the rest of his moto around it. When he passed him at the beginning of the final lap, thought he had secured the overall win. He even threw a #1 finger up in the air. He had no idea that McCormick was the leader. It was a rare defeat for RC, who gave credit to his competitors.
This interactive table details the all-time leaders at Washougal. Who has the most starts, wins, podiums and points. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.
All-Time Leaders
This interactive table details the Washougal winners history. Who won in what year and what round was this venue. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.