The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series made its long haul journey north for Round 5, landing at one of the most legendary venues in all of American dirt racing: Washougal MX Park in Washington. Known worldwide for hosting National Motocross events and producing some of the sport’s most iconic moments, Washougal delivered a completely different kind of challenge for the WORCS regulars, and this year it did so under uncharacteristically sunny Pacific Northwest skies. Despite being the farthest round of the season for many teams and riders, the turnout stayed strong, and the home crowd didn’t disappoint either. Racers from all over the Pacific Northwest came out in full force, swelling the gates and adding even more intensity to what was already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated rounds of the year. With a track layout that blended the famous motocross terrain with deep, technical forest singletrack, Washougal proved once again why it’s considered one of the most epic stops on the WORCS calendar. After a brief stint on the iconic National motocross course, riders were sent directly into the woods, where the course tightened up dramatically. The layout weaved back and forth through trees and rugged terrain, forcing racers to stay sharp and calculated. While the course was technically shorter than some other venues, it produced some of the longest lap times of the season. The reason was simple: the speeds stayed relatively tame through much of the wooded section, where precision and patience mattered more than raw horsepower. It was a true thinking rider’s track, where the smallest mistake could cost seconds, and those seconds added up quickly.

Saturday kicked off the weekend with Open Pro action, and it didn’t take long for the intensity to show. Giacomo Redondi came out swinging and immediately set the tone, putting in consistent laps while keeping things clean through the woods to secure the overall win. Behind him, Layton Smail kept the pressure on throughout the race, holding a strong pace and staying within striking distance, but Redondi’s smooth and steady lap times made him tough to catch. Smail would bring it home in second, while David Fry completed the podium with a solid ride to third. The Women’s Pro class also brought plenty of action and was especially notable considering it was one of the strongest lineups of the season, with seven riders on the line. Ava Silvestri once again proved why she remains the rider to beat, taking the win with a consistent performance across the moto. Tarah Gieger held down second, while Ashlee Gage battled her way onto the podium in third on a course that demanded constant focus and endurance.

On Sunday, the Pro classes had their time to shine as they battled it out for the 2-hour Endurance race. As the main event racers took on a course that many riders called one of the most fun and most brutal of the year. The track included a short but incredibly unique Pro section that stood out from anything else on the schedule. Rather than being cut into a typical race line, this section consisted of raw, untouched trail, giving riders the freedom to pick their own lines and improvise on the fly. It was one of those rare sections where creativity and instincts mattered as much as speed, and it was exactly the kind of terrain that had Dare Demartile smiling. Demartile launched out of the motocross-style gate start and immediately established himself at the front. With the track still fresh and riders packed tightly behind him, he rode aggressively early and carved through the opening laps with confidence. Once he had clean air, he never looked back.

Demartile maintained a relentless pace from start to finish, showing no signs of slowing even as the woods began to break down and the ruts deepened. He stayed smooth through the technical sections, avoided costly mistakes, and kept his momentum rolling lap after lap. It was a dominant performance and one of his most complete rides of the season, as he held the lead for the entire moto and captured the Pro 450 win at Washougal. Even with Demartile in control, the pressure behind him was very real. Tyler Lynn charged hard all race long, pushing the pace and refusing to let the leader get comfortable. Lynn stayed in the hunt, keeping the gap manageable and looking for any opportunity to strike, but Demartile simply didn’t give him one. In the end, Lynn settled for a strong second-place finish after another impressive ride. Behind them, the fight for the final podium spot was anything but quiet. Layton Smail came out firing on a blistering early pace, keeping both Demartile and Lynn within sight through the opening stages.

Smail looked poised to make it a three-rider battle at the front, but as the race wore on, the intensity only increased. It was then that RPM FMF KTM rider Mason Semmens began closing in. Semmens methodically worked through the course, picking smart lines and capitalizing on the technical terrain where many others struggled. Eventually, Semmens found a way around Smail and slid into third place — and once he got there, he locked it down. Semmens would go on to finish third, rounding out the podium behind Demartile and Lynn, while Smail remained a major factor after an impressive start.

In 250 Pro, the drama continued as the rivalry between SLR and RPM added another chapter to what’s becoming one of the best class battles of the season. Early in the race, Sam Pretscherer came out with the advantage, putting together a strong opening run and looking ready to take command. He was riding with confidence and had the pace to stay out front, but a small bike issue forced him into the pits early. That brief stop was all it took to shake up the entire race. Cole Zeller capitalized and took over the lead, putting his KTM up front as the race continued to unfold. Adding even more excitement, two Pacific Northwest teammates — JJ Concannon and Jaden Dahners — were right in the mix as well, creating a packed and aggressive group battling for the top positions. For a stretch of the moto, it looked like the podium might turn into a full sea of orange, with KTM riders filling the top spots and Washougal fans loving every second of it. But Pretscherer wasn’t done. After returning from the pits, he put his head down and began charging through the field, closing the gap and hunting down the leaders with the kind of urgency only a championship contender can bring.

Late in the race, Pretscherer managed to make the move and pass Zeller, reclaiming the top spot and taking the win in another intense battle. Zeller held strong for second, while Noah Gordon also made a major statement by fighting his way into the podium mix and landing on the box as well, proving he had both the speed and composure to handle one of the most technical tracks of the year. With Washougal now in the books, the WORCS Series turns its attention to another infamous motocross facility next month: Glen Helen Raceway in June. If Washougal tested riders with technical woods and long lap times, Glen Helen is sure to bring its own unique brand of punishment with steep hills, high speeds, and unforgiving terrain. One thing is clear — as the season continues to heat up, the championship battles are only getting tighter, and the racing is far from settled.