Steven Tokarski couldn't be touched...and he holeshot the 450 class twice on a YZ250F (you know, the one with the carburetor).
Although many people were in doubt that any motocross racers would show up for a race on New Year’s Eve, REM’s “New Year’s Morning Motocross” drew a large group of motocrossers. Some were drawn out to race out of boredom over the long race-less Christmas break, while some came for the final points race of the year (which paid double points), others don't know anything else.
The battle for Glen Helen’s number 1 plate had raged for 40 races with
the points lead constantly switching back and forth (based on
performance, injury and consistency). Back in early November, REM froze
the season-long points and refused to reveal who was where in the
points. REM did this to lessen the amount of infighting that sometimes
comes with riders desperately racing for points. Then, they accidentally
told the track announcer who was leading the points and he told everyone by mistake. With four races
to go the battle was engaged.
Andy Jefferson works for Husqvarna and spent the day testing different set-ups. He led the first moto to the halfway point before Jon Ortner went by for the win.
To win the Glen Helen number one plate you have to be dedicated. It
helps to be fast, but it is more important to stay healthy, never miss a
race (hard to do over 40 events) and finish in the top five every time.
There are lots of stories in any title chase—here are a few.
Ray versus Tom: Ray Pisarski had a slim points lead with four races to
go with former White Brothers owner and Grand National dirt tracker Tom
White breathing down his neck. And “neck” was the operative word! In the
first two of the four races left, Tom beat Ray, but Pisarski, a former
Saddleback specialist from the 1980s, always trailed Tom home to lessen
the points damage. And “damage” was the operative word. With two races
to go, Tom White had to win both of them, and trouble had to befall Ray
Pisarski. And “trouble” was the operative word. It didn’t work out for
Tom White—he had trouble at the penultimate round when he damaged his
neck and struggled to an eighth place finish in the first moto and
couldn’t ride the second moto. With one race to go Tom was 36 points behind—with the final
points race paying 40 points to win. Ray would have to fail to start to
lose the number one plate—instead Tom White’s doctor ordered him not to
race the final round (and was suggesting surgery). To make matters
worse, Jody Weisel, who as a much younger motocross racer won the
Glen Helen number one plate 14 years earlier, earned 34 points at the New Year’s
Eve race and passed Tom by 19 points for second in the year-end points total. Jody gave
Tom a couple rare 1976 Montesa rubber petcocks for his museum to soften
the pain.
Jon Ortner (11x) and Andy Jefferson (2) had a good race in the Over-50 Experts.
Biggest loser: Hollywood stuntman and actor Bryan Friday went home to
Ohio for the holidays—big mistake because he was ninth in point before
Christmas and lost two places (to Mark Taylor and Tom Holmes) at the
final race to fall out of the season-ending awards. Friday would have
fallen even farther back if Lightspeed owner Willie Amaradio hadn’t had
issues in the Over-50 Expert class. Amaradio struggled to a seventh
place finish for the day, but if he had finished in his normal top five
he would have passed Friday also. Several years ago, Willie Amaradio lost the number one plate by one point.
Jody Weisel (22) holeshot the first moto of the Over-60 Experts and held on for fourth, but Carl Gazafy, Ray Pisarski (11) and Tom Holmes (510) would all get him before the flag. Photo: Mark Chilson
Double classers: The season long points are tallied by class—which means
that if you ride two different classes, you only gets points in one
class. For Dirt Bike’s Ron Lawson, Aussie Dan Alamangos and TM importer
Pete Vetrano this rule hurt. Lawson earned 422 points in the 125 “A”
class and 337 points in the Over-50 Experts for a total of 759
points...but the best his “best” single class could do was 13th overall
for the year. Dan Alamangos earned a total of 654 points in the 125 “A”
and Over-40 Intermediate classes. Alamangos went into the final race of the
year only 1 point behind Ron Lawson, but elected to race the class he
had the least points in instead of the class where he was on Lawson’s
tail. TM Motorcycles importer Pete Vetrano managed to patch together 317
points from the Over-50 Experts and the Vet class.
Bill Seifert raced decades ago at Saddleback Park and then quit. In 2011 he came out of retirement and raced his way into the top ten in total points. "I don't know why I wasted so many years not racing. I love it," Bill said about his return. Mark Moore (103) gives chase.
The MXA guys: Motocross Action test riders have a big advantage in the
points chase because they race every weekend and, barring injury, never
miss a race because their job is to test bikes—which means they switch
bikes every week and never take a week off. The points add up if you
race 40 out of 40. Here is how the MXA test riders scored: Ray Pisarski (1), Jody
Weisel (2), Dan Alamangos (14), Chuck Minert (15), Billy Musgrave (18),
John Basher (24), Lars Larsson (32), John Minert (36), Mark Hall (42),
Willy Musgrave (43), Alan Olson (62), Tom Hinz (63) and Dennis Stapleton
(72). You might note that the Pro test riders are farther back in
points than the Experts, Intermediates and Novices—but that is because
they missed races, faced tougher competition or got hurt.
A close look will reveal two steel-framed 125 two-strokes and no room to spare between Rudy Castenada (43) and Randel Fout (3) in the 125 "A" class.
Ties broken: At the final race there was amazingly only one tie in the
top 50—the battle for 39th place was a three-way tie between Nathan
Cernicky, Mitch Evans and Greg Groom. Amazingly when the final
double-points race was over the tied still existed because Nathan
Cernicky didn’t show up, Greg Groom pulled out after practice and Mitch
Evans moved to a class he hadn’t raced before.
AS FOR THE ACTUAL RACES
450 Pro: Vance & Hines’ Steven Tokarski easily won the 450 Pro class on his YZ250F. Jake Baumert was second, Jason Ramsey third, Drew Weaver fourth and Chris See fifth. Billy Musgrave won the 250 Pro class on MXA’s KTM 250SX two-stroke. Willy Musgrave, in his first race since breaking his collarbone five weeks ago, won the Over-40 Pro class on MXA’s KTM 300XC in front of Chris Heinrich.
Alan Jullien won two classes on his Honda CR125 two-strokes.
125 “A”: South African Alan Jullien took his CR125 to two runaway
victories (and came back later on it to win the Over-40 Intermediate
class). Baja ace Paul Krause was a new entry in the 125 two-stroke class
and scored a solid 2-2 in front of a top ten of Scott Williams (5-3),
Randel Fout (3-6), Mike Monaghan (6-4), Ernie Becker (7-5), Ron Lawson
(4-9), Rudy Castenada (8-8), Brian Catterson (10-7) and Dan Alamangos
(9-10).
250 Intermediate: Steven Gibson used a 2-2 to take the 250 Intermediate victory over Jack Achey’s 1-3. Max Groom was third with a 6-1.
Ty Green (453) didn't just win the Over-40 Novice class, but he looked good doing it. Dirk Davidow, Steve Herrmann, Rich Merrill, Brian Pappardo, Greg Kearl and Steve Achey rounded out the top seven.
Over-50 Novice: The biggest class of the day was the Over-50 Novice class. It was also the most eclectic class with a field that included two doctors, two pastors, a dentist and an air show pilot. As for the pastors, Paul Crouch Jr. went 2-1 for the victory, while fellow preacher Don Wallace went 18-18 for 18th. Mike Brownfield (not a doctor, dentist or air show pilot) went 1-2 for second with David Blosser in third. Air show pilot Doug Jardine, who won last week, went 17-8 this week for 12th.
Back from his broken collarbone, MXA assigned Willy Musgrave to continue the development of our 2012 KTM 300XC, which we are turning into a 300SX. Musgrave won his class and loved the 300 engine.
Over-50 Expert: Jon Ortner has been on a hot streak at REM and it continued today—but with a few scares from Husqvarna’s Andy Jefferson and four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones. Ortner had to run the two former AMA National stars down in each moto, but once past them he opened up healthy leads to go 1-1. Jefferson was second with a 2-2, Dave Eropkin third (4-4), Dennis Boulware fourth (3-5) and Gary Jones fifth (6-3). This class had a lot of crashes in it (including a third-turn doozy by Andy Jefferson).
Mark Hall borrowed Andy Jefferson's Husqvarna TC450 (when Andy was racing his TC250). Mark went 2-2 in the Over-50 Intermediate class.
REM races again next Saturday, January 7 (and promise that everyone will be able to make it to Anaheim Stadium or to their TV set in time for A1). For more info go to www.remsatmx.com
Ray Pisarski can take one of those ones off for 2012.
2011 GLEN HELEN TOP TEN
(points earned in a single class from Jan.1, 2011, to December 31, 2011)
1. Ray Pisarski...........638
2. Jody Weisel............585
3. Tom White..............566
4. Dave Eropkin..........530
5. Dennis Boulware....525
6. Craig Johnston.......512
7. Greg Nelson...........486
8. Bill Seifert...............474
9. Mark Taylor.............462
10. Tom Holmes.........456
Photos by Dan Alamangos & Ernie Becker
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