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Dungey runs this town

Musquin fights for first career outdoor victory

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A scary situation occurred at Washougal Motocross Park Saturday, when worker Bruce Barnes was struck by a motorcycle that went off the track.

The 49-year-old Vancouver resident is in stable condition after suffering broken bones and internal injuries, according to a press release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Paramedics were immediately on the scene to care for Barnes. He was taken by an ambulance to an established evacuation point. A Life Flight helicopter transported Barnes to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, in Vancouver.

No rider or obstacle could keep Ryan Dungey from winning his sixth Washougal National in the last seven years Saturday.

The 24-year-old from Belle Plaine, Minn., out muscled the hills and whipped around the turns lined by trees and 20,000 screaming racing fans at Washougal Motocross Park. He won the first moto by 14 seconds and the final moto by eight seconds. Dungey also gained 50 points on the day to cut Ken Roczen’s lead in the 450 class down to 14 points.

A scary situation occurred at Washougal Motocross Park Saturday, when worker Bruce Barnes was struck by a motorcycle that went off the track.

The 49-year-old Vancouver resident is in stable condition after suffering broken bones and internal injuries, according to a press release from the Clark County Sheriff's Office.

Paramedics were immediately on the scene to care for Barnes. He was taken by an ambulance to an established evacuation point. A Life Flight helicopter transported Barnes to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, in Vancouver.

“I like coming to Washougal,” Dungey said. “I got my first win here back in 2008. And ever since, this has been a special place.”

After failing to make a significant dent in the 450 standings on his home track in Millville, Dungey came to Washougal with more determination.

“The chase for a championship can sometimes get in the way of your thinking. I was sick of letting the distractions get to me,” he said. “When the gate drops, I have to focus on myself and know that when I got done I gave it everything that I had. That was the difference today.”

Eli Tomac earned second place in the 450 class. He said he left it all out there on the track, but he couldn’t catch Dungey.

Roczen settled for third place on the day. He still leads Dungey in the 450 series 407-393.

“With that amount of points, you can’t back down. Just take it race by race and nail down the wins,” Roczen said. “At this point of the season, I’m still learning. It’s never a done deal. I want to go out there and win the outdoor and the supercross. That’s my dream.”

French 250 class rider Marvin Musquin fought hard to win the first outdoor round of his career at Washougal.

Musquin powered past fellow countryman Christophe Pourcel and points leader Jeremy Martin in the first moto. Pourcel also outlasted Martin, Cooper Webb, Blake Baggett and Jason Anderson in an exciting battle for second place.

“It was cool seeing two French riders on the podium in the U.S.,” Musquin said.

Musquin took care of business again in the final moto. He pressured frontrunner Justin Boggle on each lap, overtook him for the lead and finished strong.

“That was a perfect day,” Musquin said. “I didn’t want to push like crazy and make a mistake. I was just riding really smooth and waiting for my turn.”

Baggett grabbed second place on the day. He finished in fifth place in the first moto and moved up to second place in the final moto.

Martin wound up on the podium in third place overall. He finished in fourth place in both races. Martin maintains a 377-334 lead over Webb in the 250 standings. Baggett sits in third place with 323 points. Musquin follows in fourth place with 323 points.