Fasthouse represents a lifestyle that is energized and full of passion for motorcycles and motorcycle racing. The Fasthouse mission is to represent that passion to its fullest; as designers of apparel, racewear and hardware, as promoters and creators of events and parties, and always, as the purveyors of good times. Find out more at www.thefasthouse.com.

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Photos by Chris Alamangos, Mark Chilson & Debbi Tamietti

Ryan Surratt swept both motos of the 250 Pro class and since the 250 Pros and 450 Pros started on the same gate—he won the combined Pro class at the same time. Note the wrist braces…on both wrists. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

We don’t know what your local race is like on a weekly basis, but REM’s weekly Glen Helen wars are strange. The mix of riders is stranger than any other local race in the sport. Yes, it does have the usual mix of kid son minis, vet dads with their novice sons and aspiring Intermediates — but what makes it crazy is the vast number of racers from the Saddleback days and the incredible variety of foreign riders.

Wesley Parker’s 2-2 was good enough for the 450 Pro victory when first moto winner Shawn Hillion went 1-3 and second moto winner Preston Tilford went 5-1. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

The foreign riders come to SoCal to race motorcycles — not just on the weekends, but also to ride on Southern California’s ten different race tracks all week long. Vacation companies, like MX Heaven, provide not just a place to stay, but race bikes and transportation to the tracks. And, along with MX Heaven’s riders there are many foreigner riders who are just living the dream and waiting for their tourist visas to run out. Plus a handful, who actually live here full-time.

MXA has spent the last three weeks dialing in our Showa SFF TAC air forks. We spend all day Thursday with Kawasaki and Pro Circuit testing both 2015 Suzuki and 2015 Kawasaki forks. Dennis Stapleton (46) raced each moto with different air pressures in the three chambers on his way to the Vet Pro win. We are getting closer to the final settings. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Thus, a glance at the sign-up sheet this weekend revealed riders from Australia (Damon Gibbons, Dan Alamangos, Greg King, Callum Evans), Sweden (Marcus Ovegaard, Kristoffer Palm, Jonas Carlsson and Gustaf Gustafsson),  Zimbabwe (Sean Fisher), South Africa (Stuart Robertson), England (Tony Parson), Kuwait (Barak Aljasmi) and a Hawaiian (Kai Mukai).

Kyle Redmond (19) was swapping MXA test bikes in order to do back-to-back race comparisons. Here the Endurocross star leads Willy Simons, Jr. and Kai Mukai (83) on MXA’s 2015 YZ250F. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

THE WINNERS

Sadly, the American riders were not good hosts as they didn’t let any foreign riders win any classes — but that is the way of the world.

Luther French (2) and Val Tamietti (31) finish both motos this close together in the Over-50 Expert class with Luther taking first place—which is a good thing because Val might not have gotten the first place trophy even if he had won (see below). Photo: Debbi Tamietti

When Val Tamietti picked up his first place award from two weeks ago the REM promoters, Frank and Myra Thomason, awarded it to Val with this inscription “Awarded to the husband of famous photographer Debbi Tamietti.”

The second biggest class of the day was the Over-50 Experts. Will Harper holeshot both motos, but suffered from exhaustion midway through each moto. He barely hung on for a 12-13 day. Once Harper began dropping back, Luther French and Val Tamietti came to the front. They dueled back and forth for the whole moto, but Luther held the point the complete distance to take his second ever win in the Over-50 Expert class. Phil Dowell was third, Dave Fontes fourth, Kevin Ward fifth, Craig Christian sixth, Bob Rutten seventh, Joe Sutter eighth, Tony Schuler ninth and Darren Lowry tenth.

How many racers can you fit in a phone booth? We don’t know why you’d want to, but Manuel Gasper (151), David Bress (320) and Bryon Ward (198) pack this corner. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

250 Pro: Ryan Surratt easily won both motos of the 250 Pro class and came through to eventually pass all of the 450 Pros. Cole Seeley went 4-2 for second with Kristoffer Palm third.

450 Pro: Wesley Parker didn’t win any motos, but he took home the loot with a 2-2. Shawn Hillion was second and Preston Tilford third. Aussie Damon Gibbons and Swede Marcus Ovegaard rounded out the top five.

Welcome back! Not only were the Ziegler boys back racing, but Nicolas (122) and Dillon (121) swept the 125 Two-Stroke Novice class. They were never far apart. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

450 Intermediate: Northern California’s Jared Yedlicka swept both motos in front of a top five of Kai Mukai, Edward Denton, South African Stuart Robertson and John Milner.

250 Intermediate: Trevor Stewart and Robbie Wagemen shared 1-2 and 2-1 motos with the nod going to Stewart.

125 Intermediate: Willy Simons, Jr. won the 125 Two-Stroke Intermediate class in front of Henry Roten and Jack Ward.

Arizona’s Doug Goodman (329) leads Mark Hall (58) and Baja star Bob Rutten (83) early in the Over-50 Expert race. Goodman would end up 12th, Hall 11th and Rutten 7th. Photo: Chris Alamangos

Orange, orange, orange — everywhere you look the world is turning orange. Photo: Chris Alamangos

THE BIGGEST CLASS OF THE DAY

There were more riders than would fit on the starting gate in the 250 Novice class, so, in an unusual move (not seen at a motocross race in the last 30 years), all the riders lined up in front of the gate and did a left hand on the helmet start. It had its comic moments. In the hustle and bustle of the class Cole Tompkins’ 4-1 took the win over Richard Taylor’s 3-4 and John Roggero’s 6-2. First moto winner Noah Hickerson suffered an 18th place finish in moto two to end up 9th overall. Kuwaiiti racer Barak Aljasmi had a tough day—they don’t have hills in Kuwait and he ended up with a 21-13 finish for 18th.

We are pretty sure that this is how accidents happen. Australian Greg King (711) has no plans to stop and he couldn’t if he wanted to since neither wheel is on the ground. Doug Reid (71) is just a passenger on King’s bus. Photo: Chris Alamangos

MXA’s John Basher (19) also swapped 2015 bikes between motos on his way to the Vet win. In this moto he’s on a 2015 YZ250F, but if you blinked he could have been riding something else. Photo: Chris Alamangos

British rider Tony Parsons leads Nick Costello (188) and Bill Seifert (37) in the Over-60 Expert race. Photo: Mark Chilson

Hawaiian Kai Mukai was second in the 450 Intermediates. Photo: Mark Chilson

It was a nice pleasant outing with the wife and kid until out of nowhere they saw something strange. It didn’t hover. It flew past them with an eery shriek. They reported it to the FAA as an Alien sighting. Courtesy of Australian Dan Alamangos (34). Photo: Mark Chilson

REM races again next Saturday. For more info contact the U.S. Embassy in your nation or go to www.remsatmx.com

Fasthouse represents a lifestyle that is energized and full of passion for motorcycles and motorcycle racing. The Fasthouse mission is to represent that passion to its fullest; as designers of apparel, racewear and hardware, as promoters and creators of events and parties, and always, as the purveyors of good times. Find out more at www.thefasthouse.com.