THURSDAY AT GLEN HELEN: THE STARS SKIP PRESS DAY IN DENVER

Kevin Strijbos gets the full Glen Helen Helen treatment?with the palm trees and giant trackside billboard for the 24 Hours of Glen Helen winners.

Jake Weimer has had a bad year with illnesses and mediocre results, but he is putting in the laps and looking for it to all come together.

Led by team manager Eric Geboers, the Suzuki Grand Prix team of Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos decided to come to the USA to race Colorado and Tennessee?but rather than fly straight to Colorado, they came to Glen Helen to shake down their bikes. Desalle will be number 925 and Strijbos 922 in Colorado

James Stewart was third at Hangtown, but he wants to move up in the rankings?it will be harder this weekend with Desalle in the picture. The intramural Suzuki competition adds to the drama.

Ben Lamay got to the track early to get two long motos in?in a strange twist, Glen Helen was cool and cloudy, while the rest of SoCal was sunny and warm.

Chris Blose was there with his N-Fab Yamaha YZ450F.

Ryan Villopoto rides with incredible intensity. At Glen Helen he would come up on large packs of riders (composed of Vets, Intermediates and Australians) and you would think that he was blocked, but 20 feet later he would be in front of them. He can pass lappers like no one on the planet.

Malcolm Stewart is still adjusting to his Troy Lee Designs CRF450, but at Glen Helen on Thursday he was flat-out all the time.

Clement Desalle is currently third in the 450 World Championships, but when the Mexican Grand Prix, scheduled for this weekend, got canceled he jumped at the chance to race in America. Desalle has raced the 450 Nationals before and done really well. He is a threat to win?maybe not Thunder Valley, but definitely Muddy Creek.