Page 22 - Issue_56

DEAN WILSON
450 MX / 6TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / TILLS
>> This 2017 outdoor season we have finally been able to witness what Dean Wilson can do aboard a 450. It has been a long, adversity riddled six years since he won the 250 outdoor title and it looks like he is finally returning to that form. He began this year as a privateer trying to revive his career and his results and determination caught the eye of Rockstar Husqvarna early in the Supercross season and they brought him on board. Since then, he has slowly improved each week. He finished Supercross strong and carried it over to the outdoors begin- ning the series with two fourth place finishes. He remained a top five contender since then and finally broke through to the overall podium with a third at Southwick. He followed up that great, emotional result with a better one at Millville securing second overall. He was trending upwards heading into Washougal and was looking to keep the good times rolling.
Wilson struggled in qualifying practice only able to throw down the eleventh fastest lap time. However, a good racer always finds a way to adapt come race time and that is exactly what he planned to do.
Wilson nailed a solid start in the first moto, powering up Horsepower Hill in fifth position. While things were hectic in the first few laps, Wilson stayed steady and maintained his spot. Once things calmed down a handful of laps into the moto, he found himself quietly nestled into that fifth-place spot. He would end up finishing the race there but not without some pressure. Late in the moto, Weston Peick closed the gap and the two endured a race to the finish. Peick threw everything he had at Wilson including a last-ditch effort through the finish line whoops but would be unable to make the pass. Wilson would hold onto fifth and was sitting pretty heading into moto two.
Wilson got a decent start in the second moto. He started a bit further back rounding the open- ing lap in eighth place. Like moto one, he held down that same position for several laps but this time he would end up making a few moves. At the halfway point he worked by Christian Craig for seventh. Then a few laps later he moved up to get around Justin Bogle for sixth. He would move up no further as he just did not have that extra spunk to really get going like he had at the previous two rounds where he podiumed. He’d bring it home going 5-6 for sixth overall. After two straight podiums, it feels weird seeing Wilson outside the top five but he’ll have a week off before the last three rounds to game plan how he will get back up to the podium.
22 GRITMOTO • JULY 31, 2017