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Photos by Rich Stuelke, Ernie Becker & Dan Alamangos

Lyle Sweeter (55) leads Gary Jones (Y) early in the Over-60 Expert class. Jones would go on to win with a 1-1 score on a Beta enduro bike, while Sweeter was fourth with a 4-5. The Over-60s were the biggest class of the day as they prepare for the World Vet Championships on Nov.1-2. Gary Jones, who is a multi-time World Vet Champ, will not be defending his current Over-60 World Championships as he is going to Argentina for the ISDE that weekend. That is British rider Tony Parsons in the Fox gear.

Don’t make any mistake about it, REM at Glen Helen is a local race in the truest sense of the world. It is very much a throwback to the good old days of the 1970s. It is a place where everybody knows everybody and if they don’t they soon will. Because REM races more weekly motocross races than any other SoCal track, about 40 points paying races a year, it’s easy for the local yokels to be part of the scene. Yet, as local as REM is, it is also amazingly international. It’s not unusual to come to REM and see riders from around the world. And this week was no different as riders from seven countries were racing at REM.
Pasha Afshar (L7) holds the inside line to fight off Kuaiti Misharu Aboushibah (86). The young Kuwait rider had his best day ever since coming to America to sharpen his skills. Mishary won the 450 Novice and Open Novice class.

The foreign riders come to SoCal to ride on the 10 different race track located with two hours of each other—but if they want to race, get long motos and ride on a rough track— REM is the place.

Ernie Becker (45) won the first moto of the Over-40 Novice class, but crashed in moto two and ended up with 1-8 day for fifth overall. Becker is being chased by David Bress (320) who strung together an equally odd 9-2 day for sixth.

It’s no secret that the MXA test crew races every weekend of the year—and given that REM races more times than any other organization, it is where MXA comes to test bikes under real conditions (in as many classes as possible). But the test crew was depleted this week as Daryl Ecklund was in Latvia (and on his way to Austria), while Dennis Stapleton was in Bulgaria before he went to Latvia (he’s undecided if he’s going to Austria with Daryl since he’s been gone for three weeks). John Basher is on baby patrol as he and Hope had a new son a week ago. That only left five MXA guys at REM this week. MXA raced in a variety of classes, fast and slow, on the 2015 KX450F, RM-Z450, 350SXF, CRF450 and RM-Z250.

Australian Chris Alamangos (34) finished second overall in the Over-40 Novice class. His 3-3 days wasn’t helped a couple off-track excursions to go along with his go-for-broke riding style. Photo by Rich Stuelke

THE MOST IMPRESSIVE RIDES THIS WEEKEND WERE BY…

Scott Williams (20) won the Vet Novice class with a 3-1 day.

Willy Simons, Sr. who quickly got to the front of the Over-50 Elite class and set sail over the horizon. Equally impressive was the ride of Willy Simons, Jr. in the 250 Intermediate class. Will Junior hounded 450 Pro winner Deven Raper on every foot of both 20-minute motos. Will Jr. didn’t get by Raper, but he never let up.

Jody Weisel (44) and Phil Cruz (950) suffered bad starts in the Over-60 Expert class to end up eighth (Cruz) and ninth (Weisel) behind Gary Jones, Ken Ehlers, Mike Marion, Lyle Sweeter, Bill Maxim, Alan Olson and Tom White. Okay, bad starts weren’t the main reason — the eight faster guys had something to do with it.

Phil Dowell won the Over-50 Expert class with strong rides through the pack to get to the front—with Luther French all over him. Val Tamietti, of Maico fame, was third with Will Harper fourth.

Frank Emerson has been campaigning his twin-shock Husqvarna all year in the Over-50 Novice class. His 6-9 days proves that you don’t need new equipment to have fun.

Cole Tompkins was untouchable in the 250 Novice class. He swept both motos way in front of Hayden Cole, nephew of Answer, SixSixOne, Matrix founder Eddie Cole, and Ty Cullins.

Ron Mowry (762) used a 2-1 to win the Over-40 Novice class.

Mishari Aboushibah came from Kuwait to learn the American way of racing. He struggled for awhile with the pace, the hills and, strangely, the heat, but now he’s on a roll and used a 4-1, with a crash thrown in during moto one, to take the 450 Novice victory over Braden Larson and Brandon Reid.

Brian Underdahl (606) was a steady 4-4 in the Over-50 Novices class. Robert Pocius won the class for the seventh race in a row. What’s amazing is that Pocius had never won the class ..ever…until seven weeks ago.

Robert Pocius won his seventh straight Over-50 Novice race. He knows that he is going to get moved up, but hopes to make it to the World Vet (in one month) as a Novice — but that may take something no racer wants — some losses.

If you like a splash of color you will love Jon Ortner’s wild gear, matching helmet and yellow Cycra-plastic Yamaha YZ450F. Ortner finished second in the Over-50 Elite — which is a class where they put the guys who are too fast to be allowed to race with the rest of the Over-50 Experts.

Nobody knows what is up with the Over-60 class, but it just keeps growing. If you were born in 1954, you were part of the first wave of American motocrossers… and if you are at REM you are part of a weird revival of old (not just old, but very old) racers returning to their roost. Not only were the Over-60 riders the biggest class of the day, but the class was won by a four-time 250 National Champion (Gary Jones).

Randy Skinner (56) raced three different bikes during the day. Surprise! None of them was the “Magic Machine.” This is a 2015 Suzuki RM-Z450.

Dan Alamangos got off of his regular YZ250F and onto a 2015 KTM 350SXF. The result? Dan swept both motos of the Over-40 Intermediate class. It must be the “Magic Machine” that Randy Skinner is looking for. Oops! It was one of the bikes that Randy raced on the day.

From this angle this could be Willy Simons, Sr. or Willy Simons, Jr., but it is Senior on his way to victory in the Over-50 Elite class. Will Jr. won the 250 Intermediates.

David Cincotta (861) was second in the Over-40 Intermediates.

South African Alan Julien (70), Hollywood stuntman Will Harper (7) and Dave Eropkin (811) jockey for position in the Over-50 Expert class. Phil Dowell (hidden behind Julien) would go on to win the Over-50 Experts for the second week in a row. Julien, who isn’t 50, won his class and terrorized the Over-50 guys on a KTM 150SX.

If you try hard enough, virtually any position is possible. But rarely do you see a rider with his head stuck under his bike and his feet straight up in the air. Please note that he never let go of the bars.

Former Baja hero Bob Rutten (83) was racing his last REM race of 2014 as he is scheduled for knee replacement surgery in a couple weeks. Bob hopes to be back in action in May of 2015.

REM races again on Saturday, October 4. After next Saturday’s race will come the Octobercross event on October 25, which is the official warm-up race for the World Vet and will be held on the test version of the World Vet Championship track layout. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com