Washougal National Honors Armed Forces Again in Military Appreciation Race
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 23, 2026
Washougal National
Washougal MX Park, on the Washington-Oregon border, will again put the Armed Forces at the center of its summer race weekend on Saturday when it hosts the 45th running of the FLY Racing Washougal National Presented by Peterson CAT. The stop is the eighth round of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 25 of the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, giving the event a clear place on both series calendars. It also brings back the annual Military Appreciation Race, a role Washougal has held since 2023. The program honors veterans and active-duty service members, and the track has turned that recognition into a regular part of the event’s identity. That combination of national championship racing and military appreciation has made Washougal one of the more distinctive dates on the summer schedule. The race weekend blends competition with a set of tribute elements that reach beyond the gate drops and motos. It is built around the idea that the day can serve both the sport and the people it aims to honor, with the Armed Forces featured throughout the venue and across the program.
Military Appreciation
FLY Racing is supporting the Military Appreciation Race, and the event will carry military-themed graphics throughout the paddock, on motorcycles and on rider gear. Teams and fans will also recognize members of the Armed Forces during the weekend. MX Sports Pro Racing president Davey Coombs said the event has become a summer highlight and a way to honor veterans, a description that fits the way Washougal has folded the tribute into the race itself. The Military Appreciation Race gives the event a broader purpose than a standard round of the championship series. It gives riders, teams and fans a way to take part in a public show of respect for service members, while the venue itself carries the message across the property. The graphics and recognition plans are designed to keep that focus visible from the paddock to the track. Washougal has leaned into that approach since taking on the Military Appreciation Race role, and this year’s edition keeps the same structure in place. The support from FLY Racing gives the tribute added weight, while the timing on a high-profile national weekend helps push the message in front of a large racing audience.
Saturday Activities
Dianna Dahlgren Bates will serve as Grand Marshal for the Military Appreciation festivities, adding another familiar face to the weekend’s tribute program. Bates is a nutrition and fitness expert, a former Miss Supercross, the wife of former Navy SEAL Ryan Bates and an advocate for military members. Her role ties directly into the event’s theme, and it gives the weekend a dedicated figure for the ceremonial side of the program. Planned activities include a Military Zone and free cancer screenings from the HunterSeven Foundation, giving the tribute a community element as well as a ceremonial one. Saturday’s schedule also includes opening ceremonies, a Coast Guard search-and-rescue helicopter flyover, a veteran parade lap, a Moto Hero presentation and a Peterson CAT-HunterSeven donation ceremony. Each piece fits into the same larger plan, which is to honor veterans and active-duty service members while keeping the racing show in full view. The combination of track action and military recognition has become part of Washougal’s identity, and this year’s program keeps that formula intact with a full slate of events surrounding the national.
