After eight rounds of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, the top two title contenders in the 450 Class — Eli Tomac and Marvin Musquin — are separated by just seven points. With four rounds left to go, everything — every moto, every position, every pass — now takes on an increased level of importance.

The last time the 450 Class had a battle this close, this late in the season, was back in 2014: Ken Roczen had the same seven-point advantage on Ryan Dungey after tenrounds. Roczen went on to win the title that year by 14 points.

It’s a little surprising that this year’s battle is as close as it is, given that Tomac was so dominant early in the season. But one bad weekend at RedBud flipped the script and gave the points lead to Musquin. The Frenchman’s time with the red plate was short-lived though — Tomac returned to his early-season form last week at Spring Creek to earn the 1-1 sweep and retake the title lead. Tomac has now won 11 of the 16 motos run so far this season.

Once again it’s Tomac who has the momentum, but this battle remains too close to call. The action heads to the Pacific Northwest this Saturday for a race at Washougal, where Musquin won in 2017 and Tomac won in 2016, and all eyes will once again be on the two championship rivals.

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Best of the rest
The trio of Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen and Blake Baggett has combined for just one moto win this season, but those riders have all been fixtures inside the top five throughout the season. The only riders aside from Tomac, Musquin and the aforementioned trio to earn a moto podium this season are Jason Anderson and Benny Bloss (one podium each). Barcia, Roczen and Baggett are separated by just 26 points, so there’s a bit of a battle for third place going on there. Meanwhile the rest of the field will once again need to get through that group if they have their eyes on a podium finish.

Ken Roczen is the only 450 rider aside from Eli Tomac and Marvin Musquin to win a moto this season. (Photo: Rich Shepherd)

Back in action
Given the number of injuries to factory riders this season, any time someone returns from an extended absence, there’s reason for excitement. This weekend at Washougal will feature the return of Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Josh Grant, who has been sidelined since breaking his leg in February. Due to other injuries in recent years, this will actually be his first time racing Washougal since 2015.

Bogle’s conundrum
In six motos since returning from injury, Justin Bogle’s best finish is just 12th place. That might come as a surprise for anyone who has watched the start of the races, as the Autotrader/Yoshimura Suzuki rider has shown a consistent ability to rip off holeshots — he has four of them already! But, for whatever reasons, he’s been unable to keep himself near the front of the field. Last week’s results (14-12) were his best yet though, so perhaps Bogle, who won a pair of motos last season, can continue trending in the right direction over the final rounds of the summer.

Dropping the hammer
After another 1-1 sweep, Aaron Plessinger is opening it up in the 250 Class championship race. He now sits 49 points — essentially the equivalent of two full motos —ahead of Alex Martin. Plessinger’s cushion gives him some margin for error, but if the Star Yamaha rider can win yet another round this weekend — he has four wins so far, all in the form of 1-1 sweeps — we could be looking at title-clinching scenarios as soon as next week.

After some early-season inconsistency, Aaron Plessinger now has back-to-back victories. (Photo: Rich Shepherd)

Getting back on track
After an impressive start to the season, Justin Cooper hit a lull — five straight motos where he finished no better than seventh place. But after 4-3 results last weekend at Spring Creek, Cooper appears to be regaining that early-season form. The impressive rookie currently sits third in 250MX points and will again be a threat to make some noise over the final four rounds.

Forkner’s troubles continue
“If I didn’t have bad luck I wouldn’t have any at all,” Austin Forkner wrote on Instagram this week. Spring Creek marked the third straight round that Forkner was involved in a crash that kept him off the podium. A look at his moto finishes over those three rounds: 1-20, 35-2, 2-18. It seems like we could just as easily be talking about Forkner catching fire with six straight moto podiums, but reality has played out very differently. If he keeps it on two wheels this time around, he’s proven that he has the speed to win.

Heat index
Based on the current forecast, it’s going to be a hot one in Washougal. The temperature for Saturday is expected to hit the 90s with the potential for humidity. As we know, weather like that can play a big role in motocross where endurance is so crucial.

Austin Forkner is still looking for his first win since 2016. (Photo: Rich Shepherd)

THE INJURY LIST

A look at some of the notable riders who have picked up new injuries or are nearing a return to action.

Josh Grant (450MX): As mentioned earlier, Grant plans to return from a five-month absence this weekend at Washougal.

Adam Enticknap (450MX): The popular privateer broke his collarbone during the supercross season but is set to return to racing at Washougal. But it’s not just racing he’s returning to — the Seven Deuce Deuce also made a return to the rap game this week with the release of a new single, “My Bikes Too Lit.”

Garrett Marchbanks (250MX): The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rookie missed the last round after sustaining an ankle injury at RedBud. He ended up having surgery on that ankle this week, and Kawasaki says that he “will now take the necessary time to heal.”

(Story and photos from ProMotocross.com/Jeff Kardas)