2019 Washougal Motocross | GoPro Onboard & Analysis

2019 WASHOUGAL MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

INSTAGRAM | @adamcianciarulo
INSTAGRAM | @mcadoo_44
INSTAGRAM | @deanwilson15

Time to watch the onboard footage from the 2019 Washougal Motocross. The ninth round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship was one that will be remembered for years to come, thanks to the intense battles that took place for key positions around the scenic circuit in the Pacific Northwest. The dirt at Washougal is deceiving because the way it shapes up makes one think that lush loam is in every turn, but instead, the base is as hard as concrete and slick as ice. Mix in the shadows cast by the towering trees, some of which serve as track markers, and you have one of the trickier tracks to sort out at race-pace. Here’s what we saw in the footage from Adam Cianciarulo, Cameron McAdoo, and Dean Wilson from the day.

ADAM CIANCIARULO | 250 MOTO ONE

Cianciarulo was up against a wave of blue bikes from the moment the gate dropped, as Ferrandis, Cooper, and Masterpool held the front line for Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha. An attempt to get out of Masterpool’s roost during the climb up Horsepower Hill cost Cianciarulo a few feet, but he more than made up for it with passes on Masterpool and McAdoo in the very middle of the track on the opening lap. The raindrops on the camera lens indicate the steady drizzle that fell just before the race started and it made the already slick surface even more treacherous.

Washougal isn’t a track that’s known for an abundance of places to pass, so it’s easy to understand why Cianciarulo was often in opposite lines of those ahead of him. Key moments of the motos occurred less than a minute apart in the video, which was edited for action. The first happened at 3:30, when Cianciarulo took an inside line in an attempt to block Ferrandis’ exit, a move that didn’t exactly pan out because Ferrandis stayed on the throttle and jumped back by. The next moment was at 4:05, when Cianciarulo lost his balance in a turn and tipped over. By quickly grabbing the clutch lever and revving the engine, AC was able to keep the bike going, remounted, and finished the race a close third place.

ADAM CIANCIARULO | 250 MOTO TWO

It’s interesting to see how Cianciarulo’s bike practically followed the rut out of the gate, even the kink. Even with the imperfect line, he was again in the middle of Star Racing’s sweep through the first turn and was even a little better in the running order on the climb up Horsepower Hill. The track was much drier in the second race and the roost seemed to be a little more intense off of the rear tires than it was earlier in the day, but keep an eye on the way Ferrandis and Michael Mosiman reel in their bikes when they hit a slick spot. Not one to follow the field through the same line, Cianciarulo went all the way wide in the iconic S-turn that’s in the middle of the facility and then cut off the path that Colt Nichols planned to take. AC’s pass on Mosiman a few moments later was equally crafty and decisive, as he completely blocked the Husqvarna rider at the face of the first whoop and went after Ferrandis.

CAMERON MCADOO | 250 MOTO ONE

McAdoo’s race was a solid showing for the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider. He made good use of his outside gate pick to bank off of the tall berm in turn one, carried the momentum into the next section, and pulled into third place during the climb up the hill. It seemed like Mcadoo was a little caught out by Cianciarualo’s forceful pass in the middle of the track and he spent the next few sections trying to latch on to the lead group (play AC’s Moto One clip again to see the pass from another angle). McAdoo has an easy-going riding style, which makes getting over some of the Washougal jumps seem even easier than they really are. One thing we noticed was how McAdoo was somewhat slow to react when riders passed him, something that happened when Cianciarulo and Nichols got by. It’s sometimes hard to know what pace to go when you’re riding by yourself and suddenly have someone on your rear-wheel, especially when they are using lines you might not know about, so that could have been the case here.

DEAN WILSON | 450 MOTO TWO

Wilson’s race started off solid and he was part of the lead trio going into the scrub single at the base of the hill. It’s impressive to see how low he kept the bike, because the front tire of the Husqvarna looks to be inches away from the ground. Washougal was hammered by the final race of the day and many of the turns featured deep ruts that forced riders to practically stop, pivot, and go to get through. Not one to rev the bike too much, Wilson finessed the bike in a low rpm all the way around the course and took a few laps to settle into a groove. Still on the mend from an injury, Wilson had some issues matching the instant intensity that those around him were able to put out, and he lost ground as soon as they got by him. But in the little time he had riders in his sights, he managed to pick up cues from each and improved some of his pace and line selection.