Ryan Dungey will be the hometown hero at Millville on Saturday. Image: Simon Cudby.

Last weekend at the Washougal National, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Ryan Villopoto capitalised on a 2-1 moto split over Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey to capture the 450 Class win in his home state of Washington.

This Saturday, 27 July, Dungey will face Villopoto on his home turf for the Red Bull Spring Creek National in Millville, Minnesota, for round nine of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.

The popular Spring Creek MX Park has been challenging the world’s best riders for more than three decades and this season will mark the 31st annual national.

With 12 of the 16 moto wins thus far, Villopoto has proven to be the dominant force in the 450 Class this season. However, reigning 450 Class Champion Ryan Dungey is Villopoto’s primary challenger with three overall wins and the runner-up position in the 450 Class championship standings through the first eight rounds.

The Minnesota native has had much success at Spring Creek, where he hasn’t lost since 2008 when he was a competitor in the 250 Class. This Saturday Dungey will attempt to keep his five-year winning streak alive in front of his hometown fans, friends and family at the Red Bull Spring Creek National.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart is coming off two consecutive podium finishes, allowing the 2008 450 Class champion to climb one position into fourth place in the championship standings.

Stewart is a four-time winner at Spring Creek, with his most recent win coming in 2008 in the 450 Class, following a three-race winning streak in the 250 Class from 2002-04.

Stewart has yet to claim an overall win in the 450 Class this season but the Florida native looks to carry his previous momentum onto the center of the podium in the sandy hills of Spring Creek.

Aussie Chad Reed will enter this weekend 15th in the standings, while Michael Byrne is 22nd with four rounds remaining.

The 250 Class continues to produce exceptional competition this season as GEICO Honda’s Eli Tomac brought the championship battle to within one point of Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen after a 1-1 sweep last round.

Through eight rounds, Tomac holds the most victories of the season with three, surpassing Roczen’s two overall wins. As the 2012 250 Class winner at Spring Creek, Tomac will look for his second consecutive win this Saturday in Minnesota.

Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin returned to the podium last round with a third place finish at Washougal. Musquin joins Roczen and Tomac this season in earning multiple victories in the 250 Class, as the Frenchmen holds two overall wins thus far.

And then there’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett, who sits fourth overall in the championship standings with one victory to date.

Last round, Baggett was in the running to capture a second place finish in moto one but a mechanical issue ultimately kept the defending 250 Class champion from earning any points in the moto. Baggett will attempt to secure his first ever win at Spring Creek amongst an ultra-competitive 250 Class lineup.

Spring Creek has been a staple of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship since hosting its first National back in 1983. Since then, it has become an anticipated stop on the schedule thanks to its challenging layout that features a healthy assortment of obstacles, as well as multiple dramatic elevation changes.

Millville is home to three of the sport’s most iconic features, including the longest start in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross, the ‘Holy Schmit’ jump – named for late local legend Donny Schmit – and the infamous sand whoops that are often the site of where a race is won or lost.