WATCH LIVE: Roczen, Dungey resume Motocross championship battle at Washougal

Pro Motocross Washougal canceled
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Four hours of live racing get underway at the MotoSport.com Washougal National at 4:00 PM E.T. with first motos in both classes, followed by second motos at 6:00 PM E.T. All motos will stream live on ProMotocross.com and NBC Sports Live Extra and can be viewed here.

You can also tune into NBCSN at 6:00 PM E.T. for live television coverage of second motos in both classes.

With four rounds of racing left in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, the battle for the 450 Class title is still far from over. Ryan Dungey was able to cut teammate Ken Roczen’s points lead down to 24 points after the last race – meaning that one bad moto from Roczen could be all it takes for Dungey to overtake him in points.

Dungey has a history of success at Washougal. Between his time in the 250 Class and the 450 Class, he won here five years in a row from 2008-2012 and should be in the mix for the win once again today. He’ll also have the first gate selection for Moto 1 after turning the fastest lap in this morning’s qualifying sessions.

The duo’s greatest challenge may come from Eli Tomac though, who was dominant a week ago at Spring Creek and has looked excellent despite being a rookie in the 450 Class and missing the first four races due to injury.

In the 250 Class, Jeremy Martin saw his championship lead balloon to 43 points a week ago, but he can’t rest easy just yet. Cooper Webb and Blake Baggett still remain in contention but can’t afford to repeat their mistakes from last week, when they both crashed in separate incidents and gave up a ton of points to Martin.

Several riders are still looking for their first 250 Class moto win of the season, including Marvin Musquin, who was the top qualifier this morning in practice.

Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider

Beta Motorcycles 2024 Bloss
Beta Motorcycles
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Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.