Eli Tomac (94) may have won Washougal, but Ken Roczen (shown) is in the 2016 AMA 450 Championship driver’s seat.

Mitchell Oldenburg has been the most consistent rider on the Troy Lee Designs team. He is 10th in 250 points.

Ken Roczen showers the crowd in bubbly champagne.

Benny Bloss was BTO/KTM’s bright spot in what was a very bad weekend. The BTO trailer caught on fire the night before the race and the team bikes were destroyed.

Marvin Musquin finished second overall in the 450 class.

Martin Davalos has shown improvement throughout the 250 season.

Weston Peick finished seventh overall in the 450 class.

Everywhere there is a podium there are fans.

Your 450 weekend winners–Marvin Musquin, Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac.

Fredrik Noren finished 6-6 for sixth overall in the 450 class aboard a HRC factory Honda.

Eli Tomac finished third overall.

Justin Brayton finished 11th overall on his BTO/KTM machine.

Ken Roczen blazed to a 1-1 finish at Unadilla.

The 250 podium: Aaron Plessinger, Cooper Webb and Austin Forkner.

Justin Hill.

Cooper Webb looks to wrap up the 2016 AMA 250 National Championship this upcoming weekend at Budds Creek.

Gannon Audette.

Zach Osborne ran into trouble. 

A one-week break seems too short, but a two-week break feels like forever. Other than Tyler Bowers, most of the riders escaped the break unscathed. Washougal was an exciting race heading into the two-week break. Eli Tomac claimed his second win of the series. However, with three races to go, Ken Roczen will most likely be the 2016 450 National Champion. Eli Tomac will not make it easy on Roczen, but he is currently 55 points down. Other than Eli Tomac, there isn’t any rider in the 450 class that can challenge for the title. Marvin Musquin sits third in the championship, but he is 151 points adrift and out of contention. Justin Barcia has shown flashes of speed, but doesn’t have the fire we saw from him last season. Sadly, there are just too many 450 riders injured (or not fast enough) to make it a dynamic four-way battle until the end. Would you believe that 15 of the riders in the top 30 have missed at least one race due to injury?

2016 UNADILLA NATIONAL: 450 RESULTS
1. Ken Roczen (Suz) ……..1-1
2. Marvin Musquin (KTM)…3-2
3. Eli Tomac (Kaw)………….2-3
4. Benny Bloss (KTM)……..7-4
5. Justin Barcia (Yam)……..4-7
6. Fredrik Noren (Hon)…….6-6
7. Weston Peick (Yam……..5-9
8. Dean Wilson (KTM)…….11-5
9. Phillip Nicoletti (Yam)….. 8-8
10. Matt Bisceglia (Suz)…..9-10
11. Justin Brayton (KTM)….10-11
12. Anthony Rodriguez (Kaw)…14-12
13. Kyle Chisholm (Hon.)..13-14
14. Cole Martinez (Yam)…,12-15
15. Austin Howell (Suz)…..15-18

Austin Forkner may be the next big name that Kawasaki is looking for. Forkner has had a remarkably good rookie season. He finished third overall at Unadilla and led for most of the second moto.

Justin Barcia is up to fourth in 450 points, but he is not riding at the level we saw him at last year.

Cole Martinez tried to fend off Benny Bloss. Benny eventually got around.

The 450 start, with Ken Roczen (94), Marvin Musquin (25) and Eli Tomac (3). They finished in that order.

Alex Martin was hampered by mistakes and a bad stomach. He finished 13-5 for seventh overall.

The 250 class, on the other hand, is quite dynamic. There are typically four to five racers fighting for the top step on the podium. Washougal was a real barn-burner. Alex Martin earned his second overall win of the season and Austin Forkner earned his first career moto win. Joey Savatgy and Cooper Webb butted heads. After Savatgy made an aggressive pass on Webb, Cooper snuck up the inside a few turns later and looked like he applied the rear brake. Whether by mistake or on purpose, the incident turned costly when both riders went down. Poor Jeremy Martin was an innocent bystander. The two-time 250 National Champion tipped over and proceeded to get clipped by Adam Cianciarulo. Martin ended up breaking a few ribs. Both Jessy Nelson and Justin Hill also returned to the class. For having a week back on the bike Nelson did very well and made the second moto podium.

2016 UNADILLA NATIONAL 250 RESULTS:
1. Cooper Webb (Yam)…………..1-1
2. Aaron Plessinger (Yam)……..3- 3
3. Austin Forkner (Kaw)………….7-2
4. Justin Hill (KTM)………………….5-4
5. RJ Hampshire (Hon)…………….9-6
6. Mitchell Oldenburg (KTM)….8-9
7. Alex Martin (Yam)………………..13-5
8. Martin Davalos (Hus)………….11-8
9. Tristan Charboneau (Hon)…..10-10
10. Joseph Savatgy (Kaw)…………2-32
11. Adam Cianciarulo (Kaw)…….4-33
12. Kyle Cunningham (Suz) …….14-11
13. Luke Renzland (Yam)…………12-13
14. Jessy Nelson (KTM)……………6-24
15. Jordon Smith (Hon)……………39-7

RJ Hampshire finished fifth overall. in the 250 class.

Adam Cianciarulo got the holeshot in the first moto, but a 4-33 finish gave him 11th overall.

Mitch Oldenburg.

The 250 start, with Cooper Webb (17), Mitch Harrison (289), Aaron Plessinger (23) and Martin Davalos (49).

Photos by John Basher and Daryl Ecklund

BASIC 2016 AMA NATIONAL STATS

1. The season will be 83.3% over after Saturday. We are on the home stretch.
2. Unadilla was on the original AMA National schedule in 1972. Since then it has been on and off a few times before being permanently added in 1993.
3. Home to obstacles like Gravity Cavity, Skyshot and The Wall, Unadilla is a landmark track on the circuit.
4. Unadilla has hosted every major outdoor motocross event in the USA at one point or another. This includes the Trans-AMA (1970-1978), Trans-USA (1979-1981), the USGP (1978-1992), and the first ever Motocross des Nations to come to the U.S. (1987).
5. No New York native has ever won at Unadilla in either class. And Phil Nicoletti was the sole hope for New Yorkers back in 2016

450 CLASS NOTES

1. Kevin Windham is the only rider to win the 450 class at Unadilla and never win a championship. He won in 2003 and 2007.
2. Kevin Windham, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, and Ryan Villopoto have won Unadilla in both classes.
3. Ricky Carmichael won Unadilla six times in the 450 class. Along with his two 250 class wins, he is the winningest rider there.
4. California native Gary Jones won the first 450 race at Unadilla in 1972.

Cooper Webb (17) may have the championship lined up, but there are three other riders capable to knocking Webb from the top spot.

250 CLASS NOTES

1. Kawasaki has 14 wins in the 250 class at Unadilla. Compare that to the paltry three wins from Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. KTM has two wins in the class.
2. Marvin Musquin got his first career overall win in 2012 at Unadilla. Ken Roczen made the podium in third that year and won his very first 250 National moto.
3. James Stewart has the most wins in the 250 class at Unadilla. He won in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Christophe Pourcel is the latest victim of the 450 class this season. We’ll won’t see him until 2017.

450 Class

Ryan Dungey – Dungey’s crash at Thunder Valley looked like no big deal. He got up and finished the moto. After the fact, doctors discovered a crack in the C6 vertebrae.
Cole Seely – Out with a broken finger which had to be plated back together. Fredrik Noren will fill in at HRC Honda for the rest of the season.
Jason Anderson – Broke his collarbone early in the season. He may return at Unadilla.
Christophe Pourcel – Out for the rest of the season.
Josh Grant – Ankle surgery cut his season short. His fill-in, Tyler Bowers, just injured his shoulder and is out for the season.
Justin Bogle – While it isn’t confirmed what injury he had, he sat out of Spring Creek and Washougal because of it. He may be back at Unadilla.
Blake Baggett – Re-injured his shoulder. He is out for the rest of the season.
Matt Bisceglia – The Suzuki fill-in rider suffered a collapsed lung and broken ribs. He is set to return at Unadilla.
Broc Tickle – Tickle sustained a fractured pelvis at Millville when he crashed with Weston Peick.
Trey Canard – Canard missed Washougal after sustaining a concussion mid-week. No news on whether he will return at Unadilla.

250 Class

Jeremy Martin – Injured some ribs in the Savatgy vs. Webb fiasco at Washougal. He won’t return this season.
Alex Frye – Troy Lee Designs’ Alex Frye sustained a torn ACL and additional torn ligaments in his knee. He will be out for the rest of the 2016 National season.
Chris Alldredge – Recovering from a pelvis injury he suffered in Las Vegas. He is back on the bike but his return is unknown.
Christian Craig – Craig collided with teammate Jordon Smith at Glen Helen. In the crash, Craig broke his tib/fib. He is out for the season.
Chase Sexton – The AMA Horizon award winner was supposed to make his Pro debut at Unadilla, but he has an avulsion fracture and will not race this weekend.