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Photos by Dan Alamangos, Mark Chilson and Rich Stuelke

Ford Heit (144) gets his Yamaha smoker on the top of this perfect berm. Photo: Dan Alamangos

In what was a packed weekend at Glen Helen, the penultimate REM race of 2016 was held on the upper motocross track, while the “4th Annual Kurt Caselli Memorial Ride Day” was being held on the USGP track. Those two Saturday events had to make way for the SRA “Toys for Tots GP” on Sunday morning, followed by the “Kyle Yarnell Memorial Team Race” in the afternoon and a vintage motocross race on the upper track. That adds up to five distinctly different race events over a two-day period.

Tanner Basso (727) has a bird’s eye view of the REM pits. Unfortunately for Tanner, after winning the first moto of the 450 Pro class, he crashed on the last lap of moto two and broke his leg. Photo: Dan Alamangos

The 2016 REM Motocross series is nearing its end. The 40-race series has narrowed down to two final events (December 10 and December 17) before the Christmas and New Year’s break. REM will start its 2017 series on January 7th for the “Day After the Night Before” race that will be held the Sunday after the Anaheim 1 Supercross opener on Saturday January 6. Sunday races are rare on the REM schedule—and this one will be held on the USGP track.

AMA Hall of Famer, Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Husqvarna factory rider, 1971 Inter-Am 500 class Champion Lars Larsson is still racing 50 years after coming to America. 75-year-old Lars doesn’t ride like a someone born in 1941. Photo: Dan Alamangos

From left to right the Over-50 Intermediates don’t fan out — Marc Crosby (84) 9th, Bill Clontz (57) 1st, Lyle Sweeter (55) 18th, Bill Reimer (71) 6th, Mike Monaghan (300) no score, Greg Groom (596) 13th. Photo: Rich Stuelke

Another smoker attacks this picturesque berm. This time it’s Nicholas Ziegler. Photo: Dan Alamangos

The biggest classes at REM this weekend were the Over-50 Intermediates, Over-50 Experts and Over-50 Novices. It was a clean sweep for the Big Five-Oh group as almost 30% of the motocross racers at REM this weekend were in the Over-50 classes.

As you would expect from a Glen Helen motocross track, the REM layout goes up and down constantly. The REM track is on the exact site of the 1970’s Arroyo Cycle Park. Photo: Dan Alamangos

The brand breakdown this week; Yamaha regained the top spot after weeks of KTM dominance with 32%, edging out KTM’s 31%. Honda was third with 15%, Kawasaki with 8% and Suzuki/Husqvarna tied with 7% each.

THE STARS OF THE DAY

Garrett Marchbanks and his four-stroke may not be as stylish in this berm as Heit’s and Ziegler’s two-strokes, but he went through the turn a lot faster. Photo: Dan Alamangos

250 Intermediate Garrett Marchbanks railed some amazing outside lines on his way to an outright win the combined Pro/Intermediate race.

This is how close Justin Muscutt (39) came to being passed by Dennis Stapleton (184), after Dennis got up off the deck. Photo: Dan Alamangos

450 Pro Justin Muscutt, on an unfamilar Suzuki RM-Z450, had a bet with former AMA National Pro Dennis Stapleton, that whoever beat who would wash each other’s bikes for the next week. The challenge looked like it was going to be a cakewalk for Stapleton after he won the first round, but coming around a rutted right hand corner in moto two, Dennis hit a fallen Josh Fout, in the one-line rut and went down. By the time Dennis got up Justin Muscutt had gone by. Stapleton caught him on the last lap, but Justin pulled out all the stops and held off Stapleton for the Challenge victory. But, in the end it didn’t matter much, because Muscutt is selling his YZ450F (and doesn’t want to get it dirty and the RM-Z he was riding wasn’t his), plus, as always, Dennis Stapleton is off to race in some foreign country this week and won’t be back until next week. But there is satisfaction for Muscutt.

Robert Reisinger (96) was helped off the track on Wednesday by Doug Dubach, but came back on Saturday to sweep both motos of the Over-50 Expert class. Photo: Dan Alamangos

Robert Reisinger crashed at Wednesday’s MXA Ride Day was beat up and cut up, but he showed up at REM three days later with bruises and contusion—and went out and swept both motocross of the Over-50 Expert class.

Luther French (2) would win the Over-50 Elite class after passing Phil Dowel (23). Kenny Maddux (418) and Ed Heacox (18) try not to get involved. Photo: Mark Chilson

Luther French proved that you can teach and old dog new tricks. By hard work, lots of practice and good coaching, Luther turned himself from a decent Over-50 Expert into a winning machine in the higher-profile Over-50 Elite class. Luther credits the switch to KTM as the reason for his success, but its really Luther’s work ethic.

Mike Monaghan (300) did the unthinkable at REM this weekend. Photo: Dan Alamangos

Mike Monaghan did something that few riders ever do—he moved himself up from Intermediate to Expert between motos. He didn’t have to. He only had one win in the Over-50 Intermediates since returning to racing after a year off, but he moved up and finished 5th in the second Expert moto.

MXA’s 2017 Honda CRF450 testing continues unabated. We were back this weekend with two sets of suspension, a couple shock springs and three test riders. Photo: Dan Alamangos

THIS WEEK’S WINNERS

This is the hidden hill at REM. It is on the backside of the highly visible Mt. Whitney —  and only the racers ever get to see it. It is steep. 450 Pro winner Justin Muscutt builds up a head of steam. Photo: Dan Alamangos

450 PRO
1. Justin Muscutt…2-1
2. Tanner Basso…1-2
3. Klint Stapes…. 3-3

Carson Mumford screamed and roosted the rider in front of him as he pulled off the track after his second moto. He had wanted the rider to let him by and thought he was a lapper. It turns out the other rider was legitimately in front of the Geico rider. Carson’s dad brought him up to the other rider’s pits to apologize. Photo: Dan Alamangos

250 INTERMEDIATE
1. Garrett Marchbanks…1-1
2. Gavin Leachman…3-2
3. Carson Mumford…2-3

OVER-50 ELITE
1. Luther French….1-1
2. Jon Ortner…2-2
3. Phil Dowell…3-3

OVER-50 EXPERT
1. Robert Reisinger…1-1
2. C.T. Falk…2-2
3. Kenny Maddux…3-4

Josh Fout was testing a tapered-bored Mikuni carb, with an Intellajet system, on MXA’s KTM 250SX two-stroke. Dick Wilk from Dick’s Racing came down from Fort George, Utah, to babysit the carb. Photo: Dan Alamangos

450 NOVICE
1. Zack Randolph….1-1
2. Brandon Reid…2-2
3. Josh Fout…3-3

OVER-40 NOVICE
1. Pete Vetrano…1-1
2. Bill Reimer…4-2
3. Jim Hanson…3-4

Mark Taylor (126) was putting his Yamaha YZ250 engine together in the pits before the race. Try that with a four-stroke. Photo: Dan Alamangos

VET NOVICE
1. Mark Taylor…1-1
2. Jeff Fahy…3-2
3. Jason Bassett…2-3

OVER-50 INTERMEDIATE
1. Bill Clontz…1-1
2. Mike Phillips…4-2
3. Lonnie Paschal…3-2

This is a holeshot! Lyle Sweeter (55) is so far ahead of the Over-60 pack that he rides out of focus. Behind him are Tony Parsons (68), John Fitz (90), Tom Holmes (510), Carl Gazafy (176) and Tom White (80). Photo: Mark Chilson

OVER-65 EXPERT
1. Carl Gazafy…3-1
2. Lyle Sweeter….2-2
3. Tom Holmes…1-3

OVER-50 NOVICE
1. Jev Velez…2-2
2. Angel Montoya…4-3
3. Tim Tarry…1-7

OVER-60 INTERMEDIATE
1. Kirk Bassett…1-1
2. Brian Martin…3-2
3. Jody Weisel…2-3

REM has multiple track options. This week the track came down the left side of the big hill and didn’t use the right side. Photo: Dan Alamangos

OTHER NOTABLE WINNERS
250 Pro…Mat Inda
250 Novice…Travis Ledbetter
Over-40 Pro…Don Biscelgia
Over-40 Expert…Pasha Afshar
Over-40 Intermediate…David Cincotta
Over-60 Expert…Steve Parker

Since Don Biscelgia (96) was in SoCal while his son Matt was testing with Suzuki for the 2017 Supercross season, he decided to do some racing before returning to Texas. Photo: Dan Alamangos

UPCOMING 2017 REM SCHEDULE FOR JAN, FEB & MARCH
Jan. 8…………………….Glen Helen, CA (Sunday race on USGP track)
Jan. 21…………………..Glen Helen, CA
Jan. 28…………………..Glen Helen, CA
Feb. 11……………………Glen Helen, CA
Feb. 18…………………..Glen Helen, CA
Feb. 25…………………..Glen Helen, CA
Mar. 11……………………Glen Helen, CA
Mar. 18…………………..Glen Helen, CA

REM races again next Saturday, December 17, 2016. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com or go to their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/remsatmx/?fref=ts