YEAR END REVIEW! 2021 DUBYA WORLD VET MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

The most thrilling and chilling section of Glen Helen is the 70 mph charge to the steeply banked 180-degree first turn.

Photos by Debbi Tamietti, Rich Stuelke, Trevor Nelson, Dan Alamangos

THE RACE: This special race was founded 37 years ago by Tom White for riders over the age of 30. It may not seem so unique in today’s motocross scene, but four decades ago, Vet riders didn’t receive any love, attention or respect from other riders, sponsors or the industry as a whole. But, the World Vet Motocross Championships got the ball rolling, and little did the powers that be know it at the time, but in the not too distant future, Vet riders would become the most powerful buying demographic in bike sales. In recent years, the Vet market has become the saving grace of the American motorcycle industry. Why? Vets have the money, time and stability to keep racing. They want to relive their youth and have the money to afford new bikes every year.

THE CLASSES: At the first-ever World Vet Championship, there were only classes for over-30 and over-40-year-old racers, largely because the number of serious riders over the age of 40 was very limited. Remember, the first AMA National Championship for young Pro riders had only been held 15 years before the World Vet Championship was founded, so racers over the age of 40 were in short supply. But, with each passing year, as the teenagers who fueled the sport in the 1970s grew older, the World Vet Championship embraced them, adding the Over-50 class in 1988, the Over-60 class in 1994, the Over-70 class in 2001 and, in the last couple of years, an Over-80 class. Today, there are additional Novice, Intermediate and Expert classes divided by five-year intervals for racers who are 25, 35, 45, 55 and, most recently, 65.

The lay of the land is framed by the San Bernardino Mountains, with Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake at the top, while in the foreground is the racetrack.

THE PLACE: The first few World Vet Motocross Championships were held at Perris Raceway, but as the turnouts grew, they needed a bigger venue. Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, opened its arms to Tom White and gave carte blanche to the old coots. With its big, long and fast track that has held AMA National and FIM Grand Prix races, Glen Helen promised big hills and brutal bumps to challenge the riders.

THE SPONSOR: Originally sponsored by the White brothers in 1986, thanks to the Tom White connection, it is still sponsored by the White family through Dubya USA, which is owned by Tom’s daughter, Kristin, and her husband, John Anderson.

This photo is shot from the top of the hill that sends the riders whistling down to the famous Triple Step-Up, which is mellowed out for the Vets.

THE “WORLD” NAME: The biggest complaint about the World Vet Motocross Championship from Europeans is, “How can it be called a World Vet Motocross Championship if it’s not sanctioned by the FIM and in Europe?” The answer is simple. No one in Europe was interested in Vet riders 35 years ago, or 25 years ago, or 15 years ago. They didn’t promote a Vet Pro series for older riders, find sponsors, get press coverage and grow it into a race that attracts almost 1000 riders. America embraced Vet racing, claimed it as its own and nurtured it. Plus, the Dubya World Vet Championship is open to riders from every country, proven by the fact that riders from 25 countries typically showed up in non-pandemic years to race. If you want to be the World Supercross Champion, you come to Anaheim Stadium in January. Guess what? If you want to be the World Vet Motocross Champion, you come to Glen Helen in November.

Mike Alessi made big money by winning the Over-30 125 two-stroke Pro race on Saturday and the Over-30 Pro race on Sunday. With $19,500 up for grabs, Mike took home the biggest share.

WORLD VET HEROES: The list of factory riders who have won the World Vet Championship is impressive, but six riders stand out in the World Vet Hall of Fame. The first is Alan Olson. The former journeyman Pro won the first-ever Over-40 title and would go on to win nine times in the Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 Pro classes (his last win coming 19 years after his first). Four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones is the only rider to have won the Over-30, Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 Championship, as he racked up eight World Vet titles from 1987 to 2013. Gary turns 70 years old next year and has set his sights on the Over-70 crown. Former 1965 Canadian National Champion Zoli Berenyi, Sr. didn’t make his first appearance at the World Vet until he was over 50 years old but would go on to win 12 times in the Over-50, Over-60 and Over-70 classes (his last win coming 16 years after his first). Another Canadian powerhouse was Pete DeGraf, who won four Over-50 titles from 2007 to 2011 and then came back seven years later, when he was 60 years old, to win the Over-60 Pro class in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The King of Kings at the World Vet Championship is Doug Dubach. The former factory Yamaha rider and Supercross winner has won 26 times, often winning two age groups in the same year. Doug’s first World Championship win was in 1990 and his last was in 2017, but he did win the non-Championship Over-50 125 Pro race this year over archrival Kurt Nicoll.

Sean Collier had a good weekend with a second in the Over-30 125 Pro two-stroke class and a fourth in the Over-30 Pro class.

WINNERS ROLL CALL: You may have heard of a few of the World Vet Motocross Championship winners. They include, chronologically, Rex Staten, Gary Jones, Kent Howerton, Erik Kehoe, Rich Thorwaldson, Ron Turner, Hideaki Suzuki, Jeff Ward, Lars Larsson, Feets Minert, Andy Jefferson, Eyvind Boyesen, Spud Walters, Brent Wallingsford, Casey Johnson, Kyle Lewis, Thorlief Hansson, Ryan Hughes, Travis Preston, Ryan Morais, Daryl Hurley, Kurt Nicoll, Jim O’Neal, Brett Metcalfe, Mike Brown, Josh Grant and Mike Alessi.

Kurt Nicoll continued his win streak in the Over-50 Pro class beating Ty Davis, Kevin Barda and Jeff Matiasevich.

WHO WAS THERE THIS YEAR? Doug Dubach, Travis Preston, Lars Larsson, Sean Collier, Jason Potter, Val Tamietti, Pete Murray, Ty Davis, Jeff Matiasevch, Bob Rutten, Troy Lee, Kevin Foley and Chuck Sun.

WHO WASN’T THERE? The pandemic cast a pall over the 2021 World Vet Championship because many countries had closed their borders to foreign travelers, and with the uncertainty of being quarantined on return to their home countries, most of the European, Japanese and Canadian riders were forced to stay home; however, an odd thing happened in 2021. Just as the pandemic had created a massive boost in dirt bike, exhaust pipe and gear sales, the coronavirus restrictions drove American racers to want to get out and ride, and the result was 972 riders at the 2021 World Vet. This was an unexpected 25-percent increase in riders from the year before, and it strained the race-day time frame. Glen Helen lengthened the track to accommodate more riders at one time and reverted to double- and triple-gate starts.

Doug Dubach showed up with a medical boot on his left leg, but (above) in shades of Dick “Bugsy” Mann in “On Any Sunday” Doug took it off, and won the Over-50 125 two-stroke class and earned $2500.

Doug Dubach.

THE MOMENT: Repeat winners were the order of the weekend. Last year’s winners—Mike Alessi, Kris Keefer, Kurt Nicoll and Pete Murray—all stood on the top step of the Over-30, Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 podiums again. It was all rather anti-climactic, but there was drama afoot in a bad way.

In the first moto of the Over-30 Pro class, the Over-30 riders were in the first gate (and given a 30-second head start), while the Over-50 125 Pros were in the second gate (and had a two-minute gap between the Over-30 Pros and themselves). The top six in the 125 Pro class had lap times that would have placed them in the top 10 against the Over-30 Pro times. Mike Alessi was turning 2:33 laps compared to Doug Dubach’s 2:41 lap times. On paper, that meant that Alessi would never catch the front of the 125 Pro pack, but after seventh place in the 125 Pro class, the lap times had dropped to 3:06 a lap. On the fourth lap of the race, Mike Alessi caught Washington State’s Scott Oltman, who had given up and was riding at a reduced pace. As Scott came up to the finish-line jump, he was given the blue flag to warn him that the fast-closing Over-30 Pro leader was behind him. What followed was horrific. For some reason, Scott Oltman took his left hand off the bars and looked like he was going to use the track exit just 100 feet away, but whether Oltman moved left unexpectedly or Alessi assumed the blue flag had cleared the way, Mike jumped into the back of the 125 rider and both riders went down. Oltman was seriously hurt and transported to the hospital, while Alessi remounted in seventh place. The racers following Alessi couldn’t see the crash on the other side of the finish-line tabletop, and, because there was a jump just before the finish-line jump, they couldn’t slow down for the yellow that the finish-line flagger, just 50 feet away from the crash, was waving. Luckily, they all avoided the carnage as the red flag came out.

After some confusion over what to do about finishing the race, it was decided to restart the Over-30 class using the AMA’s staggered start protocol and to score the 125 Pros first moto as complete at the red flag. For the second moto, the Over-30 Pros and 125 Pros would be placed in separate races. Mike Alessi overcame his seventh place in the staggered start to win the re-run of the first moto and eventually take the second moto also.

1980 AMA 500 National Champion Chuck Sun (63) won the Over-65 Expert class over former Maico pilot Val Tamietti and desert star Bob Rutten.

Lars Larsson (13) became the first racer to win the Over-60, Over-70 and Over-80 World Championships when he made a last-lap pass to take the Over-80 crown.

UNSUNG HERO: Lars Larsson has played a pivotal role in bringing motocross to America. The former Grand Prix racer was picked by Edison Dye to move to America in 1967 to demonstrate the never-before-seen Husqvarna motorcycles to American teenagers. He traveled the USA, signing up dealers and winning racers on the Swedish brand. Lars then talked Torsten Hallman into joining him in importing the first true motocross gear to America by forming Torsten Hallman Racing—today, their company is called Thor (Torsten Hallman Off-Road). Lars never quit racing. He can be seen regularly at the weekly SoCal moto wars. In 2001, Lars won the Over-60 World Vet Championship. Exactly 10 years later, in 2011, Lars won the Over-70 World Vet Championship. This year, Lars turned 80 and wanted to win the Over-80 title to keep his birthday string alive. But, it wouldn’t be easy, as Lars and 1991 Over-50 World Champion Ron Dugan battled tooth and nail in both motos. With one lap left in the second moto and Ron Dugan on the verge of winning the title, Lars kicked out the jams and caught Dugan on the Mt. Saint Helen downhill. He passed him over the infamous Triple Step-Up by throwing caution to the wind and jumping farther than he had over the last 10 years.

KTM factory test rider Michael Stauffer (7) came over from Munderfing, Austria, to finish 4th in the Over-40 Pros and 7th in the Over-30 Pros.

THE FUTURE: Glen Helen is making plans for an even bigger turnout in 2022, because as the borders open up, the European Vet riders will be able to return in force. Hopefully, Glen Helen will come up with a game plan to hold an even bigger and better 38th Annual World Vet Championship.

When the Over-30 Pro race was red-flagged following a crash at the finish-line jump midway through the first moto, the riders lined up for a staggered restart.

 

MXA showed up with a nine-man team, with riders in every class from Over-25 to Over-80. We scored two wins, three top 3s and two top 10s.

RESULTS: 2021 DUBYA WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP

OVER-30 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Mike Alessi (Hon) 1-1
2. Jason Potter (Gas) 2-2
3. Sean Lipanovich (KTM) 3-3
4. Sean Collier (Yam) 4-4
5. Benny Breck (Gas) 6-5
6. Michael Staufer (KTM) 7-6
7. Bryce Huffman (Hon) 10-7
8. Cody Briner (Gas) 9-9
9. Dustin Pulliam (Hus) 8-10
10. Daniel Vanderziel (Yam) 12-8

Kris Keefer (165) defeated former AMA Pro Travis Preston (11) for the Over-40 Pro win.

2021 OVER-40 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Kris Keefer (Yam) 1-1
2. Travis Preston (Yam) 2-2
3. Mark Tilley (Kaw) 4-3
4. Michael Staufer (KTM) 3-4
5. Zeb Armstrong (Hon) 5-5
6. Shaun Bushnell (Hus) 6-6
7. Donnie Adams (KTM) 8-7
8. Mike Cundari (Kaw) 7-8
9. Jason Miskell (Kaw) 9-13

2021 OVER-50 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 1-1
2. Ty Davis (Hus) 3-2
3. Kevin Barda (Suz) 5-3
4. Jeff Matiasevich (Kaw) 4-6
5. Troy Cardiel (Hon) 7-4
6. Steve Nelson (Yam) 6-8
7. Don Biscelgia (Hus) 11-5
8. Bryan Sabbaugh (KTM) 9-7
9. Ed Foedish (KTM) 10-9
10. Billy Mercier (KTM) 2-20

Pete Murray (7) won the Over-60 World Championship for the third time. He had to run down fast-starting Jon Ortner (15) in both motos.

2021 OVER-60 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Pete Murray (Yam) 1-1
2. Jon Ortner (Yam) 2-2
3. Jim Ellis (Kaw) 3-3
4. Ed Guajardo (Yam) 5-4
5. Michael Clement (Hus) 6-5
6. Val Tamietti (Yam) 7-6
7. Ricky Arnold (KTM) 8-7
8. Bob Rutten (KTM) 10-8
9. Mike Monaghan (KTM) 9-9
10. Donny Bonnicksen (Kaw) 13-10

2021 OVER-70 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Tom Jesmer (Yam) 1-1
2. Lee Johnson (KTM) 2-2
3. Jack McCormick (Hon) 3-3
4. T.V. Holmes (KTM) 4-4
5. Glade Hill (Yam) 5-5

2021 OVER-80 WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Lars Larsson (Hus) 2-1
2. Ron Dugan (Hon) 1-2
3. Chuck Koistra (Hon) 3-3

2021 OVER-30 PASHA 125 PRO
1. Mike Alessi (Hon) 1-1
2. Sean Collier (Yam) 3-2
3. Jason Potter (KTM) 2-4
4. Dominic Desimone (KTM) 4-3
5. Bryce Huffman (KTM) 5-5
6. Dustin Pulliam (KTM) 6-6
7. Dane Rouse (Hon) 7-7
8. Jay Olsen (KTM) 8-8
9. Kenny Hernandez (KTM) 9-18
10. Will Hansen (KTM) 10-19

2021 OVER-50 PASHA 125 PRO
1. Doug Dubach (Yam) 1-1
2. Kurt Nicoll (KTM) 2-2
3. Pete Murray (Yam) 3-3
4. Kevin Barda (Yam) 4-4
5. Ed Foedish (Hus) 6-5
6. Don Bisceglia (KTM) 5-6
7. Ricky Arnold (KTM) 7-10
8. Paul Scontrino (Kaw) 11-7
9. Dean Olsen (Yam) 8-12
10. Chris Heinrich (Hon) 10-11

MXA’s Josh Mosiman won the Over-25 Expert class on Saturday and Sunday.

2021 OVER-25 EXPERT CLASS
1. Josh Mosiman (KTM) 1-1
2. R.J. Wageman (Suz) 2-2
3. Brian Medeiros (Hus) 4-3
4. Chase Adams (Yam) 5-4
5. Zach Spano (KTM) 6-5
6. Tracy Morgan (Hon) 12-6
7. Kevin Barbosa (Yam) 11-7
8. Mason Wharton (Kaw) 3-15
9. Billy Lea (Yam) 7-12
10. Josh Fout (Gas) 8-16