REM GLEN HELEN MOTOCROSS REPORT: BRYCE VALLEE SWEEPS 450 PRO CLASS; MATT INDA WINS 250 PROS AT SUMMER SERIES OPENER

The REM Summer Motocross series started this past weekend at Glen Helen Raceway. The 450 Pro class held promise of a great motocross battle with Vance & Hines rider Preston Tilford, DR.D’s Bryce Vallee, LightSpeed’s Tony Amaradio and Pasha Racing’s Kris Keefer and Chris See all vying for the win.

Chris See moves some SoCal real estate in the 450 Pro class.

In the end, the drama was reduced as Bryce Vallee swept both motos with ease. Kris Keefer used a 2-4 to take second overall with Tony Amaradio (4-3) third. The race tension was supplied by V&H rider Preston Tilford. In the first moto Tilford had troubles on the start, but rapidly moved up to battle for the lead, only to flat-track around the turn at the bottom of the big uphill and slide up and over the berm. “No problem,” Tilford thought, but he didn’t count on getting high-centered on the big hump of dirt. Eventually he had to dismount to get his bike going again. Preston Tilford ended up sixth in moto one. Then, in moto two, he crashed off the start and was 25 seconds behind the rest of the pack. Lap after lap he reeled the riders in the 450 Pro class in, often being as much as three seconds a lap faster…but the race ended one lap too soon?Tilford managed to get to second place and within striking range of Vallee. It was not enough. Tilford’s 6-2 was only good for fourth overall behind Vallee, Keefer and Dylan McKee.

Mat Inda.

Mat Inda won the 250 Pro class in front of a top three of Brett Hottel and Damion Tackett.

THE 250/450 INTERMEDIATES

R. J. Wageman easily won the 250 Intermediate class.

R.J. Wageman, son of former AMA Pro rider Russ Wageman, won both motos of the 250 Intermediate class. Chris Green was a steady 2-1, while Kris Nelson 3-3, Nicolas Gonzales (5-4) and Hunter Falk (4-8) rounded out the top five.

In the 450 Intermediates, Jason Bunch and Connor Green traded moto wins, with Bunch getting the nod with a 2-1 in front of Green’s 1-2. Ryan Lester was third overall with a 5-3.

SONS OF FORMER YOUNG GUNS

Billy Musgrave was busy testing and setting up MXA’s TM 144MX in the 250 Pro class for a future test.

As always the sons of former Pro racers shined at REM. Do you remember any of these former stars?

Robot Rodgers: One of the funniest Saddleback Pro riders of the 1970s was Robert “Robot” Rodgers. Rogers showed up with his son Mikael, who used a 3-2 to finish second overall in the 150 Beginner class.

Mike Bell: The 1980 Supercross Champion has been a regular at REM with son Sean winning the 85 Novice class.

Terry Varner: Hop-up artist Terry Varner’s son Nick was second overall in the 85 Beginner class.

Russ Wageman: While son R.J was winning the 250 Intermediates class, younger son Robbie was second overall in the 85 Experts (behind Tyler Weyman).

Willy Musgrave: Billy Musgrave, son of Over-40 Pro winner Willy, was fourth in the 250 Pro class on a TM 144MX two-stroke.

Feets Minert: John Minert, the grandson of AMA Hall of Famer, “On Any Sunday” star and Catalina Grand Prix winner Chuck “Feets” Minert, was fifth in the 450 Intermediates. By the way, Feets was also racing…and will celebrate his 80th birthday next weekend.

THE MOST IMPORTANT CLASS AT REM

Pete Murray was unmatched in the Over-50 Expert class this weekend.

By whatever math you use, the most important class at REM on a weekly basis is the Over-50 Expert class. It is the largest class at REM, features the most competitive field imaginable and has built-in rivalries that play out on a weekly basis. If you think you are important in the Over-50 racing world, you aren’t until you win at REM.

This week, former Over-40 World Vet Champion Pete Murray took the Over-50 Expert win. He was untouchable and won both motos with 15 second leads. Behind Murray came a dogfight between Steve Pfaff (2-4), Willy Amaradio (4-3), Dave Eropkin (5-2) and Greg Nelson (3-5).

As intense as the battle was for second overall, the racing behind the top five was equally memorable. Speedway racer Randy Skinner got sixth with the unlikely score of 10-6. Four-time AMA National Champion Gary Jones was seventh with an 8-8. Greg Groom was one point behind Skinner and Jones with a 7-10 (and tied on points with Randall Fout’s 6-11).

The only thing marring the Over-50 Expert race was a crash that collected Dirt Bike editor Ron Lawson, who landed on Dennis Boulware over a tabletop. Lawson was down for awhile, but was eventually okay.

John Basher testing the 2012 KTM 250SXF.

REM races again next weekend, July 16, for round two of the Summer series. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com