REM GLEN HELEN MOTOCROSS RACE REPORT: ADAM CIANCIARULO COMES FROM THE SECOND GATE TO BEAT ALL THE PROS (ALL OF WHOM WERE SWEDISH)

Photos by Dan Alamangos and Ernier Becker


Adam Cianciarulo (92) makes his pass on Swede Marcus Ovgard (865).

Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s next wonder kid came to Glen Helen’s REM races this weekend for a shakedown cruise on his new KX250F four-stroke. You could say that it went well, but that would be an understatement. Not only did Adam win two classes, but in the combined Pro/Intermediate moto he started in the second gate, 30 seconds behind the Pros (including 450, Vet and Over-40), and took the overall victory. The fastest Pros at REM this weekend were the Swedish duo of Marcus Ovgard and Jonas Carlsson, but they couldn’t hold off the assault of the youngster.

In both motos the two Swedes dueled with a very fast group of old pros, including Terry Fowler, Revelle Harrison, Chris Heinrich, Willy Musgrave and Randel Fout. Once the Swedes cleared the old-school Pros they found themselves under attack from the leader of the second wave. Starting 30 seconds back, Cianciarulo had left the 250 and 450 Intermediates behind and had knifed his way through the first gate pack.


Ryan Surratt couldn’t get a start at REM this weekend, which meant that he never got to see Adam Cianciarulo.

For the other 250/450 Intermediates, Cianciarulo was a challenge. Adam offered them a chance to test their speed against the best amateur in the country, but for Ryan Surratt, Zac Commons, R.J. Wageman, Dylan Anderson, Dylan Mroz and Tanner Lovgren they never got a chance to race with Cianciarulo ? he left them.

In the end, Adam Cianciarulo won the 250 Intermediates and the Open Intermediate classes (the “Open” refers to “open to any rider” as a second class). Marcus Ovgard used a 2-1 to defeat countryman Jonas Carlsson 1-2 for the 450 Pro win, while R.J. Wagemen took the 450 Intermediate victory.

SPEAKING OF OLD PROS

Terry Fowler (11) hasn’t lost any speed, he came to REM to prepare for the World Vet Championship on November 3-4.

REM is one of the few tracks in the country to have an Over-40 Pro class…it is really more of a spin-off of the fact that there are so many Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 riders at REM that some of the faster riders had to be separated from the slower ones. This weekend, former AMA National rider Terry Fowler took the victory with a 1-1 and that included getting up from a first turn crash in the second moto and coming from the back. Revelle Harrison, best known as a KTM guy, took second on a Husqvarna. Chris Heinrich was third with Willy Musgrave and Randel Fout rounding out the top five.


Jon Ortner (55) and Andy Jefferson (210) duel for the Over-50 Expert win. It could have gone to either one, but Jefferson came out on top.

The best race of the day was between Husqvarna’s Andy Jefferson and Jon Ortner. As many will remember, Jefferson was the first successful black motocross racer in America when he raced for the Pro Circuit team back in the 1980. Now, he works for Husqvarna and brought his special Husky TE310 out to try it in the Over-50 Expert class. Jon Ortner got a fill-in ride from the MXA gang, as they asked him to try their 2013 Honda in one moto and 2013 KTM 450SXF in the second moto.

In moto one Ortner holeshot on the Honda and led for a couple lps before Jefferson made a sweet pass and pulled away, but as the moto wore on, Jefferson’s desk job began to show and Ortner moved back up to his rear wheel and passed him. The first moto ended with a top five of Ortner first, Jefferson second, Willy Amaradio third, Dave Eropkin fourth and Mike Monaghan fifth.


Glen Helen’s REM track winds its way around a series of hills and valleys and has been used as part of the AMA National, USGP and Red Bull X-Fighters courses.

The second moto was more of the same as Ortner, this time on a KTM holeshot and led the first few laps. Logic said that if Ortner could force Jefferson to chase long and hard enough, that Jon could just wait for Andy to fade late in the moto. Unfortunately, Ortner coughed the KTM in a tight uphill turn and Andy Jefferson motored on by. The electric starter helped keep Ortner in second place, but Jefferson had moved out to a big lead. Without having to chase from behind, Andy Jefferson was able to conserve his energy and gradually pull away for the overall win with 2-1 over Jon Ortner’s 1-2. Willie Amaradio’s 3-3 was solid in third with Eropkin fourth and Mike Monaghan fifth (on a KTM 150SX two-stroke). With two laps to go, Monaghan had pushed his little tiddler past Amaradio and Eropkin, but one mistake at the bottom of the biggest hill allowed the two 450 riders to blow by the KTM on the way up.


Ray Poltack (223) leads Mike Phillips (433), Mark Hall (56), eventual winner Randy Skinner (51) and George Kohler (53) early in the first Over-50 Intermediate moto.

The Over-50 Intermediate class was the second biggest class of the day (the Over-50 Novices were the biggest class). Randy Skinner was the dominant rider of the day, but the scorecard just barely confirms that. Skinner won with a 3-2, but he was the fastest guy and would have swept both motos if he hadn’t had some incidents. Russell Brown’s 1-4 was good enough for second with Joe Sutter (6-3), Mark Hall (5-5) and George Kohler (4-6) rounding out the top five.

The Over 50-Novices were won by Dan Caneva with a 2-1 besting the 1-3 of Michael Mosca. Jeff Mason (4-2), Lance Sloane (7-4) and Jeff Scott (6-6) rounded out the top five. Terry Varner had a third in moto one, but struggled from the back to finish ninth in moto two.


Mic Rodgers (115) won both motos of the Over-60 Expert class. Jody Weisel (192) is in front of Mic, but that didn’t last long.

In the Over-60 Experts Hollywood stuntman Mic Rodgers won both motos after running down faster starting Tom Holmes in moto one and Jody Weisel in moto two. The top three were Rodgers, Holmes and Ray Pisarski. 81-year-old Feets Minert return to racing after recovering from a shoulder injury and went 6-6.

THE SWEEPERS

Greg Groom (12) used to specialize in jumping the gate, but he has expanded his repertoire to include cutting the track. Groom’s line avoided a bumpy left-hand turn which allowed him to pass George Kohler (55) and pulled away from Joe Sutter (111).

Going 1-1 for the day is the ultimate in motocross and a large number of riders had perfect days. These included Tamar Natanov (125 Beginner), Mike Wilson (Vet Beginner), Tomer Shemesh (450 Novice), Bradley Lionnet (250 Novice), Brian Stoner (Vet Novice), Robin Hall (Over-40 Novice), Brad Anderson (125 Adult A), Bryan Friday (Over-40 Intermediate), Adam Cianciarulo (250 Intermediate), R. J. Wageman (450 Intermediate), John Basher (Vet Intermediate) and Terry Fowler (Over-40 Pro).


Jeff Penner takes a classic soil sample, but…


…unfortunately, it ended his day.

REM does not race next Saturday, September 29, but returns again on October 6. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com

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