FLASHBACK FRIDAY: RELIVE LAST YEAR’S WORLD VET MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI

If you couldn’t make it to the 2023 Dubya USA World Vet Motocross Championship at Glen Helen Raceway you missed an incredible race. There were 1200 riders entered, from 24 different countries, racing under sunny skies, with perfect 84-degree (29 C) weather, lap times that, on average, were around 3:20 and the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Troy Lee on Saturday afternoon.

There were remarkable performances at Glen Helen and one racer who made the podium in three different classes (Ryan Morais was 1st Pasha 125 Over-30, 1st Over-40 Pro class and 2nd in the Over-30 Pro class). Jeremy McGrath made the podium in two classes by finishing second in both the Over-50 Pro class and the Pasha Over-50 125 class. Giacomo Redondi got 2nd in the  Pasha Over-30 125 class and 3rd in the Over-30 Pro class. Doug Dubach got 1st in the Over-60 Experts and 3rd in the Pasha Over-30 125 class). Mike Brown got two firsts—the Over-50 Pro class and Pasha Over-50 125 class and backed that up with a 4th in the Pasha Over-30 125 class

The Troy Lee clan came out to celebrate Troy being given the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tom White founded the World Vet Motocross Championship back in 1985, and although Tom passed away in 2017, the race continues to be the giant extravaganza that Tom predicted it would be back when no one took Vet racing seriously. Today there are copy-cat racers all around the World, all of whom owe a debt of gratitude to Tom.

The 2024 World Vet is just around the corner, until then, enjoy Debbi Tamietti’s photos from last year’s two days of racing.

The Over-30 Pro class is the most important class at the World Vet Championship and has been since the race was founded back in 1985 (when there was only an Over-30 class and an Over-40 class). Ryan Morais (left) was second, Guenter Schmidinger (center) was the winner, and Giacomo Redondi  (right) was third.

KTM  test rider Guenter Schmidinger took the Overall victory in the Over-30 Pro class when his 1-2 edged out Ryan Morais’ 3-1.

Guenter Schmidinger went wire to wire to win the first Over-30 Pro moto.

Ryan Morais threw caution to the wind and blew by Giacomo Redondi as they hit the finish line at the end of the first Over-30 Pro moto. Ryan thought that he had passed Redondi for second place and after winning the second Over-30 Pro moto, Ryan thought that his 2-1 beat Guenter Schmidinger‘s 1-2. But, a finish line photo of the first moto dash for the finished line showed conclusively, that Redondi had indeed beaten Ryan over the transponder wire to be scored in second place—even though Ryan passed him as they went by the checkered flag. The result was that Ryan’s 3-1  beat Redondi’s 2-4 for second overall, but not Guenter’s 1-2.

Austrian Michael Staufer (7) and Mike Brown (3) had a rear end collision.

OVER-30 PRO CLASS
1. Guenter Schmidinger (KTM)…1-2
2. Ryan Morais (KTM)…2-1
3. Giacomo Redondi (Gas)…2-4
4. Mitch Cooke (Yam)…5-3
5. Marcello Lima (Hon)…4-5
6. Benny Breck (Yam)…8-7
7. Preston Tilford (KTM)…7-8
8. John Mason (KTM)…10-6
9. Michael Staufer (KTM)…13-9
10. Blayne Thompson (Hus)…6-17

Ryan Morais (116) is KTM’s in-house test rider for the North American market, and at this year’s World Vet Championship he was joined by Austrian test riders Michael Staufer and Guenter Schmidinger. They won the Over-30 Pro Class (Schmidinger), Over-40 Pro class (Morais) and Pasha Over-30 125 Pro class (Morais). Plus, they had three additional top-ten finishes split between Morais and Staufer.

Dirt Bike’s Mark Tilley (95) got to lead the Over-40 Pro class for one lap before Canadian Mitch Cooke (58) and Ryan Morais came steaming by.

Mitch Cooke was 4th in the Over-30 Pros, 2nd in the Over-40 Pros and won the Over-30 division of the World Cup of Nations.

OVER-40 PRO CLASS
1. Ryan Morais (KTM)…2-1
2. Mitch Cooke (Yam)…1-2
3. Kris Keefer (Yam)…3-3
4. Mark Tilley (Kaw)…4-4
5. Marcello Disetti (Gas)…6-5
6. Michael Staufer (KTM)…5-6
7. Shawn Bushnell (Hus)…8-7
8. Ashley Erbacher (Yam)…7-8
9. Ryan Hansen (Yam)…9-9
10. Jeremiah Moore (Hon)…11-10
Fastest lap time: Mitch Cooke 2:48.4

The track plunges down from the top of Mt. Saint Helen (on the right of the flag pole). It is a 22-story drop, before turning right and going under the right side of the Yamaha bridge and climbing almost all the way back to the top, before turning a third time and heading down and under the left side of the bridge. The rider at the bottom of the photo has completed the down/up/down circuit and is headed to the Canyon section..

OVER-50 PRO CLASS
1. Mike Brown (KTM)…1-1
2. Jeremy McGrath (Kaw)…2-2
3. Kurt Nicoll (KTM)…3-3
4. Bryan Sabbaugh (KTM)…5-4
5. Julien Cerny (KTM)…4-5
6. Brian Storrie (Hus)…8-6
7. Troy Cardiel (Hon)…7-7
8. Richard Ellis (Yam)…6-8
9. Kevin Barda (Kaw)…10-9
10. Arek Kurk (Yam)…9-11
Fastest lap time: Mike Brown 2:56.1

These are the Over-60 Experts blasting off the line. They are from left  to right; Ed Foedish (45), Rob Engel (24), Nicholas Serrano (31), Pete DeGraaf (16), Loren Pochirowski (737), Curtis Cohrs (25), Robert Reisinger (96), Michael Downey (5y), Doug Dubach (15), Scott Stearns (5) and Joey Hardin (106) . 

Over-60 Champion Doug Dubach  (15) was the Yamaha test rider charged with developing the original Yamaha YZ400 four-stroke. He still rides blue 25 years later and at the 2024 World Vet Championship he will receive the 2024 Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pete DeGraaf is a seven-time World Vet Champion split between four wins in the Over-50 class and three in the Over-60 class. Unfortunately, Doug Dubach turned 60 this year and is the owner of 28 World Vet crowns including the 2023 Over-60 title.

OVER-60 EXPERT CLASS
1. Doug Dubach (Yam)…1-1-1
2. Pete DeGraaf (KTM)…2-3-2
3. Nicholas Serrano (Hus)…3-2-3
4. Ed Foedish (KTM)…4-4-4
5. Robert Reisinger (Hus)…5-6-5
6. Jon Ortner (Yam)…8-9-6
7. Thomas Malmquist (Hon)…9-8-7
8. Loren Pochirowski (KTM)…12-10-24
9. Bill Stork (KTM)…15-7-10
10. Dave Wolfskill (KTM)…14-12-9
Fastest lap time: Doug Dubach 3:07.4

Four-time National Motocross Champion Gary Jones has won World Vet titles in the Over-30, Over-40, Over-50, Over-60 and Over-70 classes. Last year’s race marked his second Over-70 title to go with his 10 other World Vet crowns.

OVER-70 EXPERT CLASS
1. Gary Jones (Hon)…1-1-1
2. Tom Jesmer (Yam)…2-2-2
3. Frank Jache (Hon)…4-3-6
4. David Harrison (KTM)…5-5-4
5. Vladimir Kolev (Yam)…7-4-5
6. Tim Kennedy (Yam))…6-7-3
7. Mic Rodgers (Hus)…3-6-7
8. Rich Stuelke (Hus)…8-8-8
9. Harold Gooche (KTM)…9-DNF-DNF
10. Wayne Obleness (KTM)…10-DNF-DNF
Fastest lap time: Gary Jones 3:46.0

Josh Mosiman used the World Vet Championship as a test day for MXA’s 2024 Yamaha YZ450F. He went 1-1-1 in the Over-25 Expert class and made a lot of changes between motos.

Aryton Ward (797) was running in the top ten of the Over-25 Expert class when his YZ250 just quit with one corner to go.

OVER-25 EXPERT CLASS
1. Josh Mosiman (Yam)…1-1-1
2. John Mason (KTM)…4-2-2
3. Gage Guerin (Yam)…5-3-3
4. Hunter Carmody Yam)…6-5-5
5. Juan Pedro Cordovez (Hus)…9-6-4
6. Jed Drye (Kaw)…11-7-6
7. Derek Bitzer (Yam)…8-9-7
8. Griffin Dexter (KTM)…2-4-21
9. Thomas Leach (Yam)…10-11-8
10. Josh Alexander (yam)…14-12-10
Fastest lap time: Josh Mosiman 2:49.7

Mike Brown was 4th in the Pasha Over-30 125 Pro class.

Ryan Morais took home $3000 for winning the Pasha Over-30 125 Pro class, while Giacomo Redondi made $2000 and an additional $300 in holeshot money from ASV levers. Dominic Desimone (far right) joined them on the podium with a 3-3 day. That is Pasha Afshar and Mike Brown on the far left.

PASHA OVER-30 125 PRO CLASS
1. Ryan Morais (KTM)…1-1
2. Giacomo Redondi (Gas)…2-2
3. Dominic Desimone (KTM)…3-3
4. Mike Brown (KTM)…4-4
5. Bryce Huffman (KTM)…6-5
6. Arik Swan (Kaw)…5-6
7. Neal Allen (Yam)…10-7
8. Dane Rouse (Suz)…11-8
9. A.J. Lee (Hon)…12-9
10. Preston Tilford (KTM)…7-14
Fastest lap time: Ryan Morais 2:52.7

Jeremy McGrath (2) tries to fend off Mike Brown (L7) in aerial combat.

Jeremy McGrath came to have fun and that is exactly how he raced.

Doug Dubach (15) and Kurt Nicoll (2) revisited their old rivalry in the Pasha Over-50 125 class, but Mike Brown took the win.

Ty Davis went 5-5 in the Pasha Over-50 125 class behind Brown, McGrath, Dubach and Nicoll.

PASHA OVER-50 125 PRO CLASS
1. Mike Brown (KTM)…1-1
2. Jeremy McGrath (Kaw)…2-2
3. Doug Dubach (Yam)…4-3
4. Kurt Nicoll (KTM)…3-4
5. Ty Davis (Hus)…5-5
6. Brian Storrie (Hus)…6-6
7. Kevin Barda (Yam)…9-8
8. Kyle Killebrew (Gas)…8-9
9. Steffi Laier (KTM)…11-7
10. Arek Kruk (Yam)…12-10
Fastest lap time: Mike Brown 2:55.5

Announcer Greg Barbacovi interviews former Women’s World Motocross Champion Steffi Laier. Steffi won the Women’s Expert class and finished 9th in the Pasha Over-50 125 Pro class against the men.

OVER-30 WOMEN CLASS
1. Steffi Laier (JTM)…1-1-1
2. Alison Bushnell (Hus)…2-2-2
3. Michell Horton (Yam)…3-4-3
4. Holly Breck (Yam)…5-3-4
5. Lauren Volentire (KTM)…4-5-6
6. Nicole Pitelli (Hon)…6-6-6
7. Nicole Gaudern (Kaw)…7-7-7
8. Tress Rau (Hon)…8-8-8
Fastest lap time: Steffi Laier 3:19.9

82 year old Lars Larsson (12) won the Over-80 class for the third year in a row. These wins go with his two Over-70 titles and his Over-60 crown from 2001. Lars was caught up in a second moto crash going up the steep climb in the middle of the course, he fell and injured his shoulder and cut his elbow and couldn’t race his third moto on Sunday. But, he still won the 80 class even though because rival Chuck Koistra won the third moto on Sunday , but DNfed two the three-motos.

OVER-80 CLASS
1. Lars Larsson (Hus)…1-2-DNF
2. Chuck Koistra (Hon)…DNF-DNF-1
Fastest lap time: Lars Larsson 5:30.5

In the World Cup of Nations event the Canadian teams brackets the victorious Italians. It looked like a runaway for the Italians, but Canada’s Julien Cerny swept both motos of the Over-50 division, while Mitch Cooke won the first moto of the Over-30 divisions making it close.

When the Spanish World Cup team fell apart with troubles back home, the lone remaining Spaniard, Dr. Kim Sunol, drafted MXA’s Dennis Stapleton and Josh Fout to replace the missing Barcelona riders. The catch was that whatever place the two Americans finished in, they would be penalized five places in each moto for not being from Spain. Kim Sunol came to Glen Helen to represent his country and that is exactly what he did.

Kim Sunol (82) made the top ten in both of his Over-50 division motos of World Cup and even finished sixth in the Over-60 Intermediate class with a 3-10-5 score. Here, he duels with Robot Rodgers (12) who went on to get second in the Over-60 Intermediates

WORLD VET “WORLD CUP OF NATIONS” RESULTS
1. Italy #1…13 pts
2. Canada #1…15 pts
3, Canada #2…25 pts
4. Italy #2…33 pts
5. Brazil #2…38 pts
6. USA #3…40 pts
7. Australia #1…55 pts
8. Australia #2…70 pts
8. Australia #3…72 pts
10. Canada #3…76 pts
11. Ireland…78 pts
12. Mexico…78 pts
13. Hawaii…80 pts
14. Germany #1…83 pts
15. Australia #4…89 pts
16. Germany #2…100 pts
17. Brazil #1…159 pts
18. USA #2…202 pts
19. Portugal…253 pts
20. Spain…285 pts

There is nothing like the camaraderie of two Vet racers—especially if they are father and son, like Dominic Desimone (190) and his dad Phil Desimone (596) on their way to the starting line.

The 2024 Dubya World Vet Motocross Championship starts on Friday with a practcie day to enbale foreign riders, who are unfamiliar with the Glen Helen layout to learn the secrets of racing on the massive Glen Helen track. Racing start on. Saturday, Novemeber 2 and carries over to Sunday November 3, For more info go to www.glen helen.com

 

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