Hunter Lawrence wins Washougal as Cole Davies sweeps 250s

2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship

Round Eight – Washougal

The 45th running of the Washougal National delivered another consequential afternoon in both 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship battles as the series made its final visit to the West Coast before the late-summer break.

The tree-lined Washington circuit is one of the most picturesque venues on the calendar, but its deceptively hard and slick surface, high speeds and constantly changing light make it considerably more treacherous than the dark soil might suggest.

One week after Jett Lawrence appeared to have the measure of his brother in the second moto at Spring Creek before a costly mistake, Washougal produced an eerily similar sequence.

Jett won the opening moto and again passed Hunter during Moto Two, only to lose the front and hand the advantage back. He then charged onto Hunter’s rear wheel before a post-race penalty relegated him behind Haiden Deegan.

Hunter’s 2-1 scorecard secured his fifth overall victory of the season and his second in succession, extending his championship advantage over Jett from ten to 12 points.

Deegan took another significant step in his rookie 450 campaign. The Yamaha rider topped qualifying for the first time, recovered from an opening-corner fall in Moto One and completed a second consecutive podium weekend with 4-2 finishes.

The 250 contest produced an emphatic response from Cole Davies following his disastrous Spring Creek round. The young New Zealander led 31 of the 32 laps across the two motos to record a dominant 1-1 scorecard and slash Levi Kitchen’s championship lead from 25 points to seven.

Kitchen endured a first-turn pile-up and another difficult start in front of his home crowd, but two determined sixth-place finishes ensured the Kawasaki rider retained the red plate heading into the final three rounds.

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450MX

450 Moto One

Jett controls the opener as Deegan storms back through the field

Haiden Deegan converted his maiden 450 qualifying success into the holeshot, only to go down at the apex of turn three, which put him at the back of the field.

Jett Lawrence inherited the lead ahead of Hunter, with Jorge Prado emerging in third as the leading trio immediately began to separate themselves from the remainder of the pack.

While the Lawrence brothers established themselves at the front, Deegan launched an extraordinary recovery.

The Yamaha rider wasted no time picking his way through the traffic. Within approximately five minutes, he had already worked his way back inside the top ten, despite having restarted at the back of the 40-strong field.

Deegan then continued disposing of considerably more experienced riders in the 450 competition at an impressive rate. Cooper Webb, Justin Barcia, RJ Hampshire, Dylan Ferrandis and Eli Tomac were among the established names he overhauled during his charge.

By the halfway point, Deegan had reached fourth position, having recovered more than 20 places in little more than half a moto. He was around 20 seconds behind the leading trio by then, leaving the rookie with too much ground to bridge to Prado, but the speed of his recovery was nevertheless one of the standout performances of the race.

At the front, Hunter remained within two seconds of Jett through the opening half of the moto, but the defending champion gradually found another gear and began edging away.

Prado was unable to maintain the Lawrence pace and fell more than ten seconds behind the two Hondas, while Deegan continued to consolidate fourth after the enormous effort required to cut through the field.

Jett stretched his advantage beyond five seconds during the closing stages and completed a controlled victory 7.212 seconds ahead of Hunter.

Jett also set the fastest lap of the moto, his 2m14.679s effort 0.815 seconds quicker than Hunter’s best. Prado’s best lap was a 2m17.137 while Deegan’s best lap was a 2m17.610.

Prado secured third but crossed the line more than 50 seconds behind the winner, illustrating the sizeable performance gap the Lawrence brothers had opened over the rest of the field.

Deegan completed his remarkable comeback in fourth, officially improving 26 positions after the opening-corner fall. It was an exceptional salvage ride from a race that could easily have delivered little or nothing, and another indication that the rookie is rapidly becoming a genuine factor at the front of the 450 field.

Ferrandis climbed from deep in the pack to finish fifth for Ducati, followed by team-mate Barcia and Hampshire, who recovered to seventh after a sequence of opening-lap incidents.

Jordon Smith was eighth ahead of Webb and Benny Bloss, while Tomac recovered from another poor start to finish 14th.

450 Moto Two

Jett passes Hunter, crashes and is then penalised

The Lawrence brothers led the field through the opening turn, with Jett taking the holeshot before Hunter swept into the lead.

Deegan slotted into third and initially remained close enough to capitalise as the two Hondas began their private battle at the front.

Jett briefly left the circuit after losing his balance over a jump during the opening laps. He rejoined immediately ahead of Deegan and retained second, although that incident would return to haunt him after the chequered flag.

Hunter and Jett circulated within a couple of seconds of one another while steadily distancing Deegan. Jett then began increasing the pressure as the moto passed its halfway point.

The younger Lawrence erased Hunter’s advantage and made the pass for the lead with a little more than ten minutes remaining.

For the second weekend in succession, Jett appeared to have superior outright pace once he reached the front. He set the fastest lap of the race at 2m14.576s, more than half a second quicker than Hunter’s best, and almost three seconds quicker than Deegan.

The lead did not last.

Jett lost traction on the face of a jump and went down, allowing Hunter to retake first place. Jett remounted just ahead of Deegan, quickly disposed of the immediate threat from the Yamaha rider and began another charge after his brother.

Hunter appeared to have enough breathing space, but Jett took large chunks from the margin over the closing laps and arrived on the back of the number 96 Honda as they started the final lap.

Hunter held his nerve and crossed the line only 1.499 seconds ahead.

The finishing order then changed after race officials reviewed Jett’s earlier off-track excursion. Officials determined that he had accelerated while travelling along the side of the circuit, resulting in a one-position penalty.

Deegan was therefore promoted to second, 18.422 seconds behind Hunter, while Jett was officially classified third.

Prado recovered from a first-lap tip-over to claim fourth ahead of Ferrandis. Hampshire finished sixth despite a heavy crash, followed by Barcia, Smith, Webb and Bloss.

Tomac again finished 14th as he continued rebuilding race fitness during his third outdoor appearance of the season.

Hunter Lawrence – P1 (2-1)

“Today was much better than my previous experiences here at Washougal. What a day.

“That second moto was awesome battling with Jettson. Lawrence brothers 1-2, so a great way to send it off into the break.”

Jett Lawrence – P2 (1-3)

“I got a little cross-rutted before the crash and that caused me to lose traction. I felt good riding, the same as last weekend.

“I was able to get around Hunter but made a silly mistake. My riding is good, I just need to stop making silly mistakes. I’m looking forward to this break.”

Haiden Deegan – P3 (4-2)

“I’m in the battle with the Lawrences. It was good to follow Jett for a few laps.

“To get on the podium is awesome. I’m having fun out there, learning with the team and learning the bike. I can’t wait to keep battling.”

Jorge Prado – P4 (3-4)

“Fourth overall in Washougal. It was an okay day – nothing great, but not too bad.

“In Moto One I was in a good position to fight for the win, but I just didn’t have the speed. In the second moto I had a tip-over on lap one, which had me lose so many positions.

“I got back to fourth, but by that time the riders at the front were already gone. We’ll step it up and keep working.”

RJ Hampshire – P6 (7-6)

“Washougal was an eventful day. I felt good on the bike, but I had some issues on the opening lap of Moto One and had to come through the pack to seventh.

“Second moto, I had a better start, but caught an edge on the side of the track, landed in a soft spot and had a pretty big one.

“I was still able to manage sixth in the moto and sixth overall, so we’ll enjoy these next couple of weekends off and then give it a good push through the final three rounds.”

Eli Tomac – P14 (14-14)

“It was a tough day at Washougal with a couple of tough motos, but we made it through the weekend healthy, which was important.

“We’ll do what we can to keep improving over these next two weeks and try to be better at the next race.”

Hunter goes back-to-back and extends championship lead

Hunter’s 2-1 scorecard gave him 47 points and his fifth overall victory from the opening eight rounds.

It was his second consecutive win and his ninth moto victory of the season, two more than Jett. Hunter has now led 127 laps to Jett’s 121, underlining how closely matched the brothers remain after 16 motos.

Jett’s 1-3 finishes earned 45 points and second overall. He was the fastest rider in both motos, but for the second weekend in succession a fall while leading the final race proved costly.

The post-race penalty was particularly significant. Jett surrendered two points when he was moved from second to third, and Hunter’s championship advantage increased by precisely those same two points, from ten to 12.

Deegan’s 4-2 scorecard earned his fifth podium of the summer and his second in succession. While he remains 69 points behind Hunter, the rookie has now established a 29-point buffer over Prado in third.

Prado’s consistent 3-4 results secured fourth overall, while Ferrandis produced his strongest complete afternoon for some time with matching fifth-place finishes for Ducati.

Hampshire’s 7-6 results placed him sixth overall, one position ahead of Barcia after the pair tied on 31 points. Smith, Webb and Bloss completed the top ten with matching moto scores of 8-8, 9-9 and 10-10 respectively.

Hunter now leads the Pro Motocross standings with 367 points to Jett’s 355. Deegan is third on 298, followed by Prado on 269 and Hampshire on 252.

Hunter’s combined SuperMotocross regular-season tally has reached 713 points, 219 clear of Webb. Prado holds third in the combined classification ahead of Ferrandis, while Jett has climbed to fifth despite missing the Supercross portion of the season.

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250MX

250 Moto One

Davies disappears as Kitchen and Beaumer fight through the field

Cole Davies produced the perfect launch and swept into the lead, while a multi-rider incident just beyond the holeshot line collected several riders, including championship rivals Kitchen and Beaumer.

With his two closest title opponents buried in the field, Davies wasted no time capitalising. The New Zealander established a lead of more than three seconds within the opening laps and continued stretching the advantage.

DiFrancesco secured second during the opening exchanges, while Daxton Bennick and Hymas disputed the final podium position.

Hymas eventually moved into third, but neither he nor DiFrancesco had an answer for Davies, whose advantage had grown beyond ten seconds as the race entered its final stages.

Further back, Kitchen and Beaumer worked their way through the pack together. Kitchen eventually broke clear of the KTM rider and reached sixth, while Beaumer salvaged eighth.

Davies led all 16 laps and claimed his fifth moto victory of the season by 17.107 seconds.

DiFrancesco secured a convincing second, with Hymas completing the podium. Bennick finished fourth ahead of Carson Mumford, who produced an excellent recovery after beginning the moto deep in the field.

Kitchen’s charge carried him to sixth ahead of Nate Thrasher and Beaumer. Minear finished ninth, with Dilan Schwartz completing the top ten.

250 Moto Two

Davies completes near-perfect Washougal performance

Ryder DiFrancesco grabbed the holeshot in the second moto and led Hunter Yoder, Hymas and Davies through the opening turns.

Davies quickly moved past Hymas and closed onto the back of DiFrancesco. With more than 26 minutes still remaining, the Yamaha rider made his move and took control of the race.

Once in front, Davies immediately began edging away.

DiFrancesco remained composed in second, while Hymas consolidated third and Mumford moved into fourth.

Kitchen again had considerable work ahead of him after completing the opening stages outside the top ten. The hometown favourite steadily progressed through the field and eventually reached sixth.

Davies carried a lead of almost five seconds through the midpoint of the moto. DiFrancesco briefly began reducing the margin inside the final five minutes, but Davies responded immediately and re-established control.

The Kiwi completed the sweep 10.759 seconds ahead of DiFrancesco, having led 15 of the 16 laps.

Hymas finished third for the second time that afternoon, with Mumford securing fourth ahead of Beaumer and Kitchen.

Casey Cochran climbed to seventh, followed by Thrasher, Schwartz and Minear.

Bennick’s afternoon unravelled after he accidentally removed all his tear-offs during the opening lap. Unable to recover the same rhythm that carried him to fourth in Moto One, the Husqvarna rider finished 18th.

Cole Davies – P1 (1-1)

“After last weekend I knew I had to step up my game. I had a good day today and made up a lot of points.

“I’m stoked. I feel like we took a big step in the right direction. I had a fun day and it was good.”

Ryder DiFrancesco – P2 (2-2)

“It was a great weekend. Coming this way to the West Coast, it’s close to home and has a special place in my heart.

“The Washougal fans were great and putting a whole day together was my goal coming into the round. To take 2-2 for second overall, I’m stoked with the result.”

Chance Hymas – P3 (3-3)

“I just need to continue doing what I’m doing. I’ve really been enjoying these past few weekends and getting back to riding well.

“It has been a long road to get back here. Hopefully we can keep knocking off these races one by one.”

Levi Kitchen – P5 (6-6)

“The positive takeaway is just being here after everything that happened last weekend. Then to have another first-turn crash in Moto One made for a tough day.

“It’s hard when you’re fighting your way through the field, and in Moto Two I just felt a little flat.

“We’ve got a long break now, so I’ll take the time to recover, reset and get ready for the final three rounds. I really like those tracks.”

Julien Beaumer – P6 (8-5)

“I finished 8-5 for sixth overall, which wasn’t my best day.

“In Moto One I was caught in a second-turn crash and had to come from the back. In Moto Two I didn’t feel great and was able to salvage fifth.

“It’s not ideal, but we still scored points. We’ll get back to work and come out swinging for the final three rounds.”

Davies turns disaster into domination

Cole Davies’ second 1-1 scorecard of the summer delivered his third career Pro Motocross overall victory and the maximum 50 points.

It was an emphatic response to Spring Creek, where a punctured fuel tank, repeated falls and a 38-13 scorecard had cost him the championship lead.

Davies led 31 of the 32 laps at Washougal and has now spent 96 laps at the head of the field this season. He also has six moto victories, three times as many as championship leader Kitchen.

DiFrancesco completed the finest outdoor performance of his career with 2-2 finishes. His first holeshot of the season and 44-point haul elevated the Husqvarna rider to fourth in the championship.

Hymas’ 3-3 scorecard secured a second consecutive overall podium after his runner-up result at Spring Creek. It also moved the Honda rider into fifth in the standings.

Mumford continued his upward trajectory with 5-4 finishes and a career-best fourth overall, while Kitchen’s pair of sixth-place results gave him fifth for the round.

Kitchen may have been comprehensively outscored by Davies at Washougal, but his consistency across the season continues to serve him well. His 4.7 average moto finish remains the best in the class and allowed him to retain the red plate despite Davies’ greater number of victories.

Beaumer finished sixth with 8-5 results and remains third in the championship, 25 points from the lead. Thrasher, Schwartz, Minear and Cochran completed the round top ten.

Minear’s 9-10 scorecard earned ninth overall and leaves the Western Australian sixth in the championship, only six points behind Hymas.

Kitchen heads into the break with 293 points, just seven ahead of Davies on 286. Beaumer is third on 268, with DiFrancesco on 238, Hymas on 230 and Minear on 224.

Davies has also strengthened his lead in the combined SMX standings. His total now stands at 517 points, 47 clear of Kitchen, while DiFrancesco remains third on 402.

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450 Moto One Results

450 Moto Two Results

450 Round

450 Pro Motocross Points

450 SMX Points

250 Moto One Results

250 Moto Two Results

250 Round

250 Pro Motocross Points

250 SMX Points

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Next stop – Unadilla

The 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship now pauses for two weekends before returning at Unadilla in New York on August 15.

Only three rounds and six motos remain.

Hunter Lawrence will take a 12-point 450 lead into the break, but Washougal again demonstrated that Jett currently possesses the speed required to challenge. Eliminating the falls and penalties that have undermined his recent performances will be the defending champion’s immediate priority.

Deegan’s 4-2 scorecard earned his fifth podium of the summer and his second in succession. The final numbers alone do not fully reflect the quality of his afternoon, particularly the opening moto, where he recovered 26 positions after falling immediately after taking the holeshot.

His ability to cut through a 450 field containing riders of the calibre of Webb, Barcia, Hampshire, Ferrandis and Tomac was arguably as significant as the podium result itself. While he remains 69 points behind Hunter, the rookie has now established a 29-point buffer over Prado in third.

The 250 contest is even less settled. Kitchen retains the red plate by seven points, Davies has rebuilt his challenge with a dominant Washougal sweep, and Beaumer remains only 25 points from the lead.

DiFrancesco and Hymas are also carrying their best form of the season into the break, ensuring there is little room for error when the championship resumes.

Unadilla will also welcome the return of the Women’s Motocross Championship as the 2026 outdoor season begins its decisive final run.