REM GLEN HELEN MOTOCROSS REPORT: BOBBY GARRISON, COLTON HAAKER, ANDY JEFFERSON & KACY MARTINEZ PROVIDE THE FIREWORKS


Bobby Garrison showed up on a plain wrap KX450F but eventually resorted to duct tape numbers before going 1-1 to win the 450 Pro class.

With the stars busy at Anaheim Stadium for the opening round of the 2012 AMA Supercross Championship, a wildly assorted cast of characters showed up for the opening round of the 2012 REM Glen Helen Championship. The difference? The pay scale. The track. The crowd. The speed. And the number of races?17 for Supercross and 40 for REM.


MXA’s Dennis Stapleton is finally back at home. Dennis has been on a globe trotting motocross tour (even taking MXA’s John Minert with him to race in the Philippines). Stapleton spent most of December in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Holland, Hong Kong and the Philippines. At REM, Dennis went 6-5 for fifth in the 450 Pro class.

The eclectic mix of riders included Bobby Garrison, Colton Haaker, Kacy Martinez, Josh Van Den Henvel and the regular pack of former stars and local heroes. In the 450 Pro class it was Bobby Garrison’s day, but, as always at Glen Helen, first Garrison had to run down veteran AMA National rider Tony Amaradio. Once Garrison dispatched Amaradio, he had no troubles, The top five, after Garrison, was Colton Haaker (2-2), Tony Amaradio (4-3), Travis Coy (3-4) and Dennis Stapleton (6-5).


250 Pro winner Billy Musgrave takes the muddy route past women’s offroad star Kacy Martinez.

Unlike most young riders MXA‘s Billy Musgrave has never succumbed to the four-stroke siren call. Although he has raced four-strokes, his preference is two-strokes. Each week Billy has been fine tuning his 2012 KTM 250SX?not only winning the 250 Pro class, but blasting his way into the top three of the 450 Pros, who start on the same gate.


LightSpeed owner Willie Amaradio (7), uncle of 450 Pro Tony Amaradio, gets his path blocked by a full-lock Andy Jefferson (9). Greg Nelson gets booted off to the right.

In the 250 Intermediates Kacy Martinez rode well, but she had nothing for local Intermediate Max Groom or Arizona’s Steve Gibson?they left her to race with the Over-40 Intermediates and Vets…she easily handled them.


Dave Eropkin channels David Vuillemin’s riding style on his way to third in the Over-50 Experts. Jon Ortner took the win.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, as the Over-50 Expert class got faster and bigger with each passing week, lots of riders were pushed back into the teens or worse when it came to results. Of course, many of them defected to the Over-50 Intermediate class?and now the Over-50 Intermediate class rivals the Over-50 Experts in size (and in some ways firepower).

Over-50 Expert: Jon Ortner won again. Orter has been enjoying his racing and that could be credited in no small part to the fact that he just keeps winning. This week Andy Jefferson gave Ortner a run for his money on a Husqvarna TE310. Unfortunatey for Andy, bad starts in both moto made him come to the middle of the pack. He got close, but no cigar. Dave Eropkin went 3-3 for third with Greg Nelson, George Kohler, Fred Nichols, Ron Lawson, Dennis Boulware and Willie Amaradio rounding out the important spots.


Andy Jefferson was the first black motocross racer to qualify for an AMA Supercross. He raced for Mitch Payton’s Anaheim Husqvarna/Pro Circuit team. Today, Andy works for Husqvarna.

Randy Skinner won the Over-50 Intermediate class with a 1-1 in front of Mark Hall (both are recent transfers out of the Over-50 Expert class). Robert Collins was third with Jeff Fahy fourth, Gerald Sumner fifth, Marc Crosby sixth, Ken Ehlers seventh, Mark Donaldson eighth, Mitch Evans ninth and Greg Groom tenth.


Mike Monaghan was a teammate of Andy Jefferson at Pro Circuit back in the 1980s.

The 125 Adult class (for riders over the age of 21) saw a see-saw battled between three riders over the age of 51. Randel Fout won the first moto, but crashed twice in the second moto. Mike Monaghan finished second in the first moto and led the second moto all the way to within ten feet of the checkered flag. Then, Monaghan fell and Dirt Bike‘s Ron Lawson pounced past the prone Monaghan for the overall victory with a 3-1. Monty remounted to get second, but a 2-2 wasn’t good enough.


Ron Lawson was losing the 125 Adult class all the way up until the last corner of the second moto.

In the Over-40 Novice class, Dirk Davidow won both motos easily in front of a top five of Mike Borowski, Rich Merrill, Mike seat and Paul Brunkhorst.

The Over-50 Novices were the property of Paul Doebereiner (1-1). Greg Whitfield (5-2) and John Tookey (4-3) took the next two steps on the podium.

Kevin Worrell got a gift in the Over-40 Intermediates when first moto winner Dan Alamangos crashed in the second moto. The best Alamngos could do from the back of the pack was third. Worrell’s 3-1 bested Mike Gee’s 2-2 and Alamangos 1-3.


Mark Crosby (95) and Mitch Evans (4) do a little formation riding in the Over-50 Intermediate class. Crosby would eventually go on to finish sixth to Evans’ ninth.

REM takes the next two weekends off because the WORCS series will be using the whole park on January 14-15 and 21-22. REM returns to action on Saturday, January 28.


Hollywood stuntman Mark Donaldson (74) was ninth in the Over-50 Intermediates.

For more info go to www.remsatmx.com


Dirk Davidow (9) won the Over-40 Novices.

Photos by Dan Alamangos

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