New Winners, Big Twists: What Went Down at Washougal
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The Pacific Northwest served up perfect skies, gnarly roost, and a round of racing no one saw coming. Round 8 of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship brought game-changing wins, comeback stories, and championship shifts — all at the legendary Washougal MX Park.
Let’s break it down 👇
🔥 450 Class
Chase Sexton is BACK. And not just back on the gate — back on top. Just three rounds into his return, Sexton snapped Jett Lawrence’s win streak with a statement performance that saw him go 1-2 for the overall.
In Moto 1, Sexton made quick work of Prado and held off relentless pressure from Jett — until a mistake sent the Honda rider down, giving Tomac second and leaving Jett to settle for third. Sexton’s pace was electric, his lines tight, and his strategy dialed.
Moto 2 opened with full chaos: Jett, Hunter, Sexton, and Tomac all bunched up, battling like it was the last lap of the season. A red flag restart reset the intensity, and while Jett took control for the win, Sexton played it smart — knowing the 2nd place finish was all he needed to take the overall. No unnecessary risks. Just precision and patience.
Top 5 Overall – 450 Class
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Chase Sexton (1-2)
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Jett Lawrence (3-1)
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Eli Tomac (2-3)
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Hunter Lawrence (5-4)
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RJ Hampshire (4-6)
Sexton’s win marks a huge momentum shift. Is this the turning point in the title chase? Don’t count him out just yet.
🏁 250 Class
The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider picked up his second overall win in three rounds, going 2-1 in the motos at Washougal and edging out Haiden Deegan via tiebreaker. That second moto charge? Clutch. After a shaky mid-season run, Shimoda’s bounce-back since RedBud is undeniable — and it couldn’t come at a better time with SMX on the horizon.
Deegan, still riding through pain from a RedBud qualifier crash, gutted out another gritty performance with a 1-2 finish — the same scoreline that earned him the Millville win, but not enough to hold off Shimoda this week.
The breakout of the weekend? Garrett Marchbanks.
With a 3-4 scoreline, he locked in his first career 250 Pro Motocross podium, finally translating flashes of speed into full-round success. With contract talks looming for 2026, he picked the perfect time to show up and show out.
Also making waves:
- Seth Hammaker secured his first top-five of the season, bouncing back from a brutal Spring Creek weekend that saw him finish outside the points entirely.
- Austin Forkner continued his comeback arc with a solid 5-5 for fifth overall, showing steady progress after a long recovery from injury.
Top 5 Overall – 250 Class
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Jo Shimoda (2-1)
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Haiden Deegan (1-2)
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Garrett Marchbanks (3-4)
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Seth Hammaker (4-6)
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Austin Forkner (5-5)
While Deegan still holds the red plate, Shimoda’s rolling momentum and Marchbanks’ late-season surge are giving this class the shakeup we’ve been waiting for. With a few rounds left, anything can happen.
🔮 What’s Next?
With Sexton back in the mix and every round tightening the points, the championship chase just got real. Round 9 is on deck, and if Washougal proved anything, it’s that anything can happen from here on out.
Who’s stepping up next race weekend? We’ll be watching. You should be too.