Villopoto landed second, with Nico Izzi, Ken Roczen, and Millsaps rounding out the top five. After starting the day with the second-fastest lap, Dungey’s fast lap was denied because he jumped when the cross flags were out. He ended the afternoon with the seventh-quickest lap.

Even though it probably wasn’t the lap he’d hoped for, it’s good to see that Dungey didn’t lose a step during his time off. While I’m sure we will see more once the main event rolls around, he’s looking like he’s ready to pick up right where he left off and will put the pressure on Millsaps and Brayton to keep pace.

In the Lites Class, it seems as if Marvin Musquin’s time on the KTM 350 paid off. The Frenchman looked like he was flying out there and it showed in his lap times. He paced each session in the West Region’s first outing since San Diego in February, holding nearly a second advantage over points leader Dean Wilson. In fact, Musquin’s time was the second fastest of the day, period, eclipsing even Villopoto in the premier class.

Eli Tomac rebounded from a slow start to the day, moving from sixth in the first session to fourth overall. Perhaps Eli is easing his way back into top form since recovering from a fractured elbow. We’ll find out for sure once the gate drops.

There’s definitely a buzz surrounding the paddock today. I think a big part of it has to do with Seattle being the hometown of the champ. A lot of people are excited to see Villopoto in action and celebrate this championship with him. The return of Dungey has also injected a little more life into the tail-end of the championship. What was expected to be yet another Villopoto win has an added degree of difficulty with the return of Dungey. Everyone’s hoping to see this duo renew their rivalry before starting from scratch again in the motocross championship this summer.

After a short hiatus, live racing is back on SPEED tonight. Catch all the action from CenturyLink Field starting at 10:30 p.m. EST.