REM RACE REPORTS: SAND THRILLS, BIG HILLS & WIND CHILLS AT GLEN HELEN

Off-road, WORCS, NGPC, Big 6 and motocross racer Dalton Shirey won both motos of the 450 Pro class. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI, DAN ALAMANGOS & JON ORTNER

Although the TV weather forecasters said it would be 71 degrees, breezy and and partly cloudy on Saturday, they were wrong. Temperatures were in the high 50s, the wind was blowing 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph and it was socked-in cloudy. On the track, it didn’t take long to get warm, but in the pits the wind was relentless. Since the REM track lines-up directly with the canyon that leads to the high desert and there are no crosswind jumps or places where you can get blown off the track, the wind is not a major factor —except for at the top the the tallest hill on the REM track. It is like a wind tunnel when you crested Mt. Whitney and then circled around to come back up the opposite side. But apart from that one spot, the wind allowed riders to jump farther downwind and exercise their right wrists when the jumping into the wind.

Josh Fout (75), who also races WORCS, King of the Hammers, Endurocross and SRA, won the Vet Intermediate class on MXA’s 2022 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

It wasn’t the wind that gave riders fits at REM. It was the sand. Everyone was asking, “Where did all of the sand come from?” The answer was that the January rains washed decomposed granite off the hills that surround Glen Helen Raceway. In short, the track didn’t have to truck sand in, the rain did the same thing. The spot where the sand caused slower riders the most trouble, was climbing Mt. Whitney. It wasn’t just sandy at the bottom, where you got your drive to go up, it was sandy all the way to the top. All through practice lots of riders made it almost to the top only to lose drive or spin their rear wheels in the sand. At times there where more riders coming down the uphill than going up. After practice John Allen took the Cat out and cleaned up the face of the hill. It helped, but it still claimed any rider who hesitated or got too fancy with his line choice.

Brian Medeiros (934) came out to Glen Helen to deliver a bike for one his Ekolu Suspension customers, but decided to race. He went 3-3 in the 450 Pros. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

The second sand trap was on the back straight. Every time it rains, which isn’t often, but it did rain 12 inches in seven days in early January, the steep walls on both side of the track deposit tons of sand on it. This slightly uphill back straight, that is only seen by the racers, looks like a spillway with sand and water gushing down it when it rains. It makes the two corners before you start up the back straight very deep. And since Glen Helen’s sand is really shed from the decomposed granite hillsides, it doesn’t have round grains of sand like beach sand (which has been tumbled by waves). Instead, Glen Helen’s sand has irregular-shaped grains. It doesn’t form into sand whoops, instead it forms into sandy ruts that zig-zag back and forth. The first guys up the back straight can fly on the smooth sand, but every one after them has to worry about cross-rutting in the deep, but still loose, sandy ruts. You have to hold the throttle wide open and ignore the ruts—just blast through them. But it still has the nasty habit of grabbing the front wheel of any rider who doesn’t go full-bore or chops midway up the straight. Later in the day, the sandy ruts become easier to stay in as the irregular grains of decomposed granite hook together and go from soft and loose to considerably harder. If and when the sun hits them, they become hard-pack until ripped and graded for the next race.

Daniel Van Der Ziel won the Vet Pro class on his Simi Valley Cycle/Fasthouse Yamaha. Photo: Jon Ortner

As for any upcoming REM races at Glen Helen, it should be noted that February is a very busy month at Glen Helen Raceway. The month starts with the District 37 Awards Banquet and Ride Day on February 5 and an SRA Grand Prix on Sunday, February 6. The next weekend sees the WORCS Quads and UTVs on Saturday and Sunday, with WORCS coming back the next weekend, Feb 19-20, for their motorcycle divisions. A week later, on February 26, REM gets to come back to Glen Helen, but they share the park with a GBC Quad UTV race on Saturday and an ARX vintage race on Sunday. Finally, on March 4-5 (Friday and Saturday) the Prairie Dogs Grand Prix is at Glen Helen. On Sunday, March 6th, the Over-the Hill Gang National is on the National track and Old Schools Scrambles is on the Truck track.

Todd Sibell (829) wasn’t as fashion conscious as the rest of the 450 Pros and decided wear a warm hoodie in what was a cold and windy day. Todd went 2-2 in the 450 Pros. Photo: Jon Ortner

In short, REM will only race once in February, but Glen Helen’s calendar has them racing three times in March (12, 19, 26) and twice in April (2 and 30). April is another busy month at Glen Helen because they have an Old Timer International MX on April 2 (on the National track, while REM is on their track), followed by a Tough Mudder run on Saturday and Sunday April 9-10. The 2022 Wiseco World Two-Stroke World Championship is on April 16 and the track is closed for East on April 17. In May of 2022 there are 3 REM races scheduled (7, 14 and 28).

Bradley Denton just started riding two weeks ago after ACL knee reconstruction five months ago. Bradley finished fourth in the 450 Pros while testing out his knee. Bradley and girlfriend Natalie are wearing hats from his new clothing line. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Don’t expect a big production at an REM race. They have rules and they enforce them, but since most REM racers have been racing with them for a decades, all of the scofflaws and rule breakers are known to everyone in the pits. It is a low-key motocross race, on a safe track, with intense competition from some really fast guys—and lots of slow guys. Plus, Rich Stuelke from Motophoto (www.motophotollc.com) gives a framed photo away at every race to a lucky rider. Plus, famous moto-photographer Debbi Tamietti has a smug mug page (debbitamietti.smugmug.com), where she posts all the photos she shoots for MXA (where you can order hi-res digital images or prints of you or your buddies for around $1.50 and Debbi gives all the money to charity at the end of each year).

Welcome back Bradley. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

REM is as close as you can get to the way motocross was before it became big business. You should try it some time. But, until then, enjoy the photos of  Saturday’s race that Debbi Tamietti, Jon Ortner and Dan Alamangos shot for MXA.

Preston Tilford (14) moves a truckload of sand on his way up the very sandy back straight. This straight is hidden in a canyon behind the REM track’s big hills, so only the riders and a few flaggers ever see it. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Motocross is fun and no one knows it better than Jody Weisel (192) and Lars Larsson (13). They have been racing against each other for decades. They aren’t afraid to run close to each other—as this late braking stand-off at the bottom of a hill proves. Lars was the first Husqvarna factory rider in America back in 1967. Photo: Jon Ortner

Australian Dan Alamangos won the REM Number One plate in the Over-50 Experts in 2021, but was hospitalized with Covid in December and is slowly building his strength back up. Dan went 7-4. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Amazingly, most of the hot-shot Over-50 Elite riders from a couple years ago are now in the Over-60 Experts (they were also the hot-shot Over-40 riders 20 years ago, hot-shot Vet riders 30 years ago and hot-shot Pros 40 years ago). Robert Reisinger (96) and Jon Ortner (10) often race both Over-50 Elite and Over-60 Expert on the same day. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Connor Styers (62) took the 250 Intermediate win and got to mix it up with the 450 Pros. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Logan and Chloe came to ride play bikes on the Pee-Wee track, while dads Randel Fout and Pasha Afshar raced. Photo: Jon Ortner

Pasha Afsar is hoping to get a Cylinder Works 270 kit for this Yamaha before the next race. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Robert Reisinger (96), with Fred Nichols all over him and Val Tamietti (31) chasing, finished 4th in the Over-60 Experts. Nichols was fifth and Tamietti sixth. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Mike Monaghan (16), Val Tamietti (31), Dave Eropkin (811) and Steven Chandler (306) race to the drop-off in the Over-60 Experts. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Thanks to the heavy rains in early January, the decomposed granite washed down from the hills and coated Glen Helen with sand. Here, Mike Monaghan chases Fred Nichols up Mt. Whitney. Photo: Dan Alamango

Later in the day, Mike Monaghan swapped in the same sandy berm as in the photo above and landed face first in the dirt. He got up to go 2-5 in the Over-50 Experts and 7-8 in the Over-60 Experts (both on a KTM 150SX two-stroke). Photo: Jon Ortner

Robot Rogers, of Saddleback fame, went 7-5 in the Over-60 Intermediate class. He was the only rider in his class who could ride his race bike home after the race. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

The wind blew the hardest at the top of Mount Whitney. Kent Reed (491) tries to ignore the gust, but look how far the tree at the top is blown over. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Dustyn Davis (508) won the 125 Novice class, but only because REM race promoter Frank Thomason didn’t see him cut through the infield to get to the front of Lacy Fontes (W2) and Nick Reisinger (96). Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Pete Murray (7) leads the Over-50 Elites to the first turn. Murray would go on the win the Over-50 Elites and Over-60 Experts. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Michael Gonzalez went 1-1 in the Vet Beginner class. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

In the early morning, before the sun warmed up the track, the riders huddled inside their vans trying to keep warm before gearing up. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Scott Boek (66) made the trek from Mesa, Arizona, to race at REM. Scott went 9-8 in the Over-60 Expert class. Scott was one of  four Arizona riders at REM—they came from Mesa, Phoenix and Bullhead City. Scalvini exhaust importer Pete Vetrano is behind Scott. Pete went 10-9. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Bob Rutten (83) drove in from New Harmony, Utah, for a little moto therapy. He was one of three riders from Utah—Rutten, Steven Chandler and Tony Parsons. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Phil Cruz’s 2-1 beat out Mitch Evans’ 1-2 for the Over-65 Intermediate victory. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Dalton Shirey (75) steps up before heading up one of the smaller hills. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

Yes, Jody should be standing up as he goes down this steep downhill, but he is depending on the pucker power of his bike’s seat and gravity. Photo: Debbi Tamietti

REM will be racing Saturday, February 26, at Glen Helen Raceway. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com or Click Here for REM’s Facebook page.