FLASHBACK TO THE 2013 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP: SEE WHO WAS WHO A DECADE AGO!

On Nov 5, 2023 Last updated Nov 5, 2023

Travis Preston almost won the World Vet last year. Now he can drop the almost. Photo: Mark Chilson

Coming out of Talladega in the first moto, Mike Sleeter (111) leads Tony Amaradio (130), Tyson Taylor (255) and Travis Preston (11). It took Preston less than a lap to get into the lead. Photo:Dan Alamangos

OVER-30 PRO
1. Travis Preston (Yam)……….1-1
2. Mike Sleeter (KTM)…………2-2
3. Roman Jelen (Yam)…………5-3
4. Tony Amaradio (Yam)………3-6
5. Tonni Andersen (KTM)……..6-5
6. Jesse Bath (Yam)…………….4-10
7. Kris Keefer (Kaw)…………….7-8
8. Jorgen Huvell (Hon)………….10-9
9. Shawn Wynne (Yam)………..8-12
10. Tyson Taylor (Kaw)……….18-4
Other notables: 13. Dennis Stapleton (17-7); 14. Ed Foedish (13-13); 17. Kevin Barda (12-21).

This is the corner after the massive Talladega first turn. As you can tell, the Over-30 Pro pack is still tightly bunched. Photo: Mark Chilson

This basic looking corner was a brain teaser for many riders. It looks simple, but it claimed many victims with its uphill triple apex design. Photo: Mark Chilson

OVER-40 PRO
1. Doug Dubach (Yam)………..1-1
2. Gordon Ward (Yam)………..2-2
3. Billy Mercier (Kaw)………….3-4
4. Julian Cerny (Kaw)………….4-5
5. Terry Bostard (Hon)………..5-6
6. Shawn Wynne (Yam)………6-7
7. Kim Olsen (Suz)…………….10-8
8. Jorgen Huvell (Hon)…………9-9
9. Todd Mitchell (Suz)………….7-13
10. Kevin Barda (Suz)…………11-11
Other notables: 13. Tony Amaradio (24-3); 14. Darrin Hoeft (8-20); 20. Phil Lewis (17-21).

MXA’s Dennis Stapleton was running fourth in the Over-30 Pro class when a rock derailed his chain. Stapleton came back in the second moto to end the day with a 17-7. Photo: Mark Chilson

Doug Dubach has won double classes before at the World Vet, but typically it has been in the Over-30 and Over-40 class. This was his first time to doubled up in the Over-40 and Over-50 classes. As you would expect, Dubach’s mechanic, Alan Olsen is a nine-time World Vet Champion himself. Photo: Mark Chilson

Willy Musgrave (422) and Pete DeGraaf (151) fought over what Doug Dubach had left in his wake in the Over-50 Championship. Lapped traffic on the last lap resulted in photo finishes for the MXA test rider and Canadian in both motos, but Musgrave prevailed for second overall. Photo: Mark Chilson

OVER-50 EXPERT
1. Doug Dubach (Yam)……………..1-1
2. Willy Musgrave (Kaw)………….2-2
3. Pete DeGraaf (Hon)……………..3-3
4. Pete Murray (Yam)……………….4-4
5. Willy Simons (Yam)………………6-5
6. Jon Ortner (Yam)…………………5-7
7. Dan Berg (Hon)…………………….8-6
8. Isao Ida (Hon)……………………….7-9
9. Rob Engel (Kaw)………………….10-8
10. Bob Weber (Hon)………………9-10
Other notables: 11. Ed Guajardo (12-11); Serge Gregoire (11-13); 16. Clark Jones (16-16).

Jan-Einar Oxelmark actually passed Gary Jones in the first moto of the Over-60 Expert class. Unfortunately, Oxelmark overcooked the next corner and crashed off the track. He managed to get up and finish third, but his best chance to beat eight-time Vet Champion Gary Jones was gone. Photo: Dan Alamangos

After winning four 250 National Championships as a young man (1971-1974), Gary Jones never stopped racing. He won the Over-30 Pro class in 1987, then won the Over-40 title in 1992-1993, backed that up with three Over-50 crowns and won his second Over-60 Championship this year. Photo: Mark Chilson

OVER-60 EXPERT
1. Gary Jones (Hon)……………….1-1
2. Jan-Einar Oxelmark (KTM)..3-2
3. Dave Easkin (Hon)……………..2-3
4. Chris Hall (Hon)………………….4-4
5. Mike Marion (Kaw)…………….5-5
6. George Kohler (Yam)…………6-6
7. Lyle Sweeter (Hon)…………….8-7
8. Dwight Catalano (Yam)……..7-9
9. Mic Rodgers (Suz)……………..10-8
10. Alan Kent (Hon)……………….9-10
Other notables: 11. Jody Weisel (11-11); 12. Vic Curti (12-12), 13. Gary Chase (13-13).

Slovenia rider Roman Jelen made the podium in the Over-30 Pro class with a 5-3. Photo: Dan Alamangos

All of the Swedish riders at the World Vet gathered for a group photo, but it wasn’t until after the photo was taken they they realized that Spanish rider Kim Sunol (far right) had slipped into the photo as a joke. They threw him out and had the photo reshot. Photo: Dan Alamangos

OVER-70 EXPERT
1. Bart Kellog (KTM)……………….1-1
2. Lars Marsson (KTM)……………2-2
3. Ron Dugan (KTM)………………3-3
4.Gary Anderson (Hon)…………..5-4
5. Erik Guenkel (Yam)……………..4-5

John DeSoto was honored with the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award during halftime ceremonies at Glen Helen. John and wife Patty (left) were a fixture on the American motocross scene in the early 1970s.

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