DEBBI TAMIETTI’S 2023 WORLD TWO-STROKE “HOT SHOT” COLLECTION
A split second after the drop of the gate for the first moto of the Open Pro class this image focuses on 9 of the 39 riders in the class. Preston Tilford (7), Aryton Ward (797), Josh Mosiman (171), Mitch Falk (612), Trevor Stewart (1), Giacomo Redondi (18), Ezra Lewis (65), Brian Medeiros (491) and Dustin Pulliam (158) for it—they wouldn’t get very far.
Josh Mosiman veered into Trevor Stewart (1) when his bike crossed into the ripped dirt. Stewart stayed upright as Mosiman’s arm hooks on Trevor’s handlebar. Mike Brown (3) is wheelying across the start straight.
Josh Mosiman falls and begins to tumble as everyone on the right side of the pack reacts to what they know is about to unfold with Stewart (1) veering right and Mike Brown (3) veering left.
Mosiman and his bike flip over with his feet against the back of Stewart’s bike. Meanwhile, fellow MXA test riders Ezra Lewis (65) and Brian Medeiros (491) are being squeezed towards the crash as the pack begins to angle towards the inside of the first turn.
Mosiman finally hits the ground for good, as Brian Medeiros (491) and Ezra Lewis (65) have no where to go, but they are momentarily safer than Mitchell Falk (white helmet), who is about to collide with Mosiman’s GasGas MC250. From this point on the crashed continued to the right side of the photo. All three MXA test riders would hit the deck in this first turn crash—just not in the same spot.
Mosiman is hidden behind Trevor Steward’s bike, but is about to be run over by his two MXA teammates (Lewis and Medeiros), who are making radical moves to avoid hitting him. Mike Brown (3) has successfully crossed over in front of the pack as Carson Brown (910) tries to duplicate Mike Brown’s move.
With 39 riders on the gate, the traffic jam isn’t over yet, but Stewart (1), Mike Brown (2), Matt Burkeen (820), Carson Brown (91) and Ryan Surratt (77) have found clear air. Not so for the rest of the pack and all the juking and diving has created trouble for the riders who were on the outside of the dog house—almost all of them would go down.
Brian Medeiros, who survived the congestion in the middle of the start straight, moved to his left and ended up being knocked down and run over in the crazy crash with Robert Nalezny (33), Cole Bailey (198), Shane Smith (57) and Jeremiah Moore (753). Brian suffered a dislocated hip and upper body trauma, but is out of the hospital (on a walker).
Meanwhile, back at the start of the crash, Josh Mosiman is cared for by wife Ashley and dog Lilly. Mitchell Falk (612) is still trying to figure out what happened. The race was Red Flagged. Falk would line up for the restart and go 6-25 for 14th overall. Mosiman’s GasGas was too mangled to ride.
Brian Medeiros would end up in the ambulance, which got stuck in the deep sand trying to turn around on the starting line. MXA’s Josh Fout (left), the track workers (yellow shirts) and the good Samaritan spectators had to push it out. You can see a video of the complete crash by Clicking Here
Three motos later, a battered and bruised Josh Mosiman (171) won the first moto of the Pasha 125 Pro class over Ryan Morais and Mike Alessi (800). Later in the day, Josh would lead the second 125 Pro moto until two laps to go when his batteredbody tightened up and he got passed by Morais and Alessi, but his 1-3 was good enough for second overall.
Ryan Morais (16) took the Pasha 125 Pro victory and earned $2500 for the win. He was also third in the Over-30 125 Pro class for another $1000.
PASHA 125 PRO RESULTS
1. Ryan Morais (KTM)…2-1
2. Josh Mosiman (Gas)…1-3
3. Mike Alessi (Yam)…3-2
4. Dominic Desimone (KTM)…5-4
5. Dylan Summerlin (Gas)…4-5
6. Bryce Huffman (KTM)…6-8
7. Jason Fichera (Yam)…8-7
8. Tyler Hansen (Hus)…7-11
9. Blayne Thompson (Kaw)…13-9
10. Kyle Swanson (Yam)…11-12
Other notables: 11. Carter Dubach; 12. Braden O’Neal; 17. Dennis Stapleton; 19. Preston Mull.
Carson Brown (910) was fast enough to work his way up to second in the first Open Pro moto behind Ryan Surratt. In the seond moto, Carson got the holeshot and took the overall with a 2-1 to Surratt’s 1-2 and Trevor Stewart was third with a 4 -3.
Ryan Surratt (77) was the 2017 World Two-Stroke Champion. This year Ryan elected to race his hybrid 2005 Honda CR250. It was fast enough to win the first Open Pro moto and come close in the second moto.
Trevor Stewart (1) was the defending Champion.
Italian off-road racer Giacomo Redondi (18) was sixth in the Open Pro class and fourth in the Over-30 125 Pro class. Here, he passes Kyle Engel (34).
OPEN PRO RESULTS
1. Carson Brown (Yam)…2-1
2. Ryan Surratt (Hon)…1-2
3. Trevor Stewart (Yam)…4-3
4. Carlen Gardner (Bet)…5-5
5. Mike Brown (KTM)…7-4
6. Giacomo Redondi (Gas)…9-6
7. Deegan Von Lossberg (KTM)…3-12
8. Griffin Dexter (KTM)…11-7
9. Preston Tilford (Yam)…10-9
10. Dylan Summerlin (Gas)…12-8
Other notables: 11. Ezra Lewis; 12. Sean Collier; 14. Mitchell Falk; 17. Ayrton Ward.
Mike Alessi (800) won the Pasha Over-30 125 Pro class with a 1-2 over Mike Brown’s 4-1, Ryan Morris’ 2-3 and Giacomo Redondi’s 6-5. Mike Alessi also finished third in the Pasha 125 Pro class.
The Talladega first turn was moved up a little higher on the banking and narrowed so that the riders could only go through 5 wide (for the AMA Nationals it was wide enough for 9 riders to be on the banking). That is former Vance & Hines Yamaha rider Preston Tilford getting the holeshot on the restart of the first Open Pro moto.
This is the view looking down towards Glen Helen’s three-lane second turn, which was designed to make sure that all 40 riders could make it through this tight left-hand turn without blocking the track if they fell. You can see the jam-packed pits in the background. This hill, called Shoei Hill, doesn’t look steep in this photo, but this is only one-quarter of the way up. The next photo shows you the rest of the hill.
It is a 22-story climb to the top of a Shoei Hill and, of course, it is followed by a 22-story drop down Mt. Saint Helen on the other side of the flag.
PASHA 125 PRO OVER-30 RESULTS
1. Mike Alessi (Yam)…1-2
2. Mike Brown (KTM)…4-1
3. Ryan Morais (KTM)…2-3
4. Giacomo Redondi (Gas)…3-4
5. Dominic Desimone (KTM)…6-5
6. Bryce Huffman (KTM)…7-7
7. Casey Casper (Hon)…10-6
8. Preston Tilford (KTM)…8-8
9. Preston Mull (KTM)…5-11
10. Kyle Swanson (Yam)…9-10
Other notables: 12. Dennis Stapleton; 12. Arek Kruk; 14. Shawn Bushnell; 17. David O.Connor.
Mike Brown raced three Pro classes at the 2023 World Two-Stroke Championship. He easily won the Pasha Over-50 125 class with a 1-1, got second in the Pasha Over-30 125 Pro class with a 4-1 and fifth in the Open Pro class with a 7-4.
Ralf Schmidt (73) flew in from Holland to race the 2023 World Two-Stroke Championship. He is/was the TM importer for the United States. He was the best thing TM had going for them in the USA. We’re sorry he’s no longer around.
PASHA 125 PRO OVER-50 RESULTS
1. Mike Brown (KTM)…1-1
2. Doug Dubach (Yam)…3-2
3. Alan Jullien (Gas)…2-3
4. Bill Sauro (KTM)…6-4
5. Chad Scholz (Gas)…4-6
6, Brian Storie (Hus)…5-7
7. Ed Foedish (KTM)…7-10
8. Chad Freeman (KTM)…9-11
9. Scott Mooney (KTM)…8-13
10. Larry Laye (Yam)…14-9
Other notables: 11. Pete Murray; 12. Cyprian Macara; 13. Loren Pochirowski; 17. Jay Jackson.
Don’t ask us how he does it, but South African Alan Jullien has become a 125 Specialist. Alan has won purse money at the 2022 World Vet 125 races and at this year’s World Two-Stroke Championship (where he finished third behind Mike Brown and Doug Dubach in the Pasha Over-50 125 Pro class). Alan weighs over 220 pounds, but he makes his GasGas MC125 sing.
Getting 720 two-strokes behind the starting gate in the correct order and at the right time requires three separate corrals that funnel the riders into staging when the race before theirs takes off.
This is the Fasthouse pit area. The support of Wiseco, Fasthouse and Pasha Afshar make this race and its $25,000 in purse money possible.
Glen Helen’s start line is wide and straight. It is possible to get the holeshot from any of the 40 gates, thanks to the 45-degree banked, 180-degree Talladega first turn.
\
Comments are closed.