“SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” RACE REPORT: IT HAD LOTS & LOTS OF TWO-STROKES GETTING READY

Lots of “Saturday at the Glen” racers were racing two-stroke to get in track time before next Saturday’s World Two-stroke Championship race. Robbie Wageman (64) won the 250 Expert class with a 1-1.

Ezra Lewis (58) went 2-2 in the 250 Expert class on MXA’s KTM 250 Factory Edition and came back on the same bike to win the Open Expert class.

Hawaiian Brian Mederios (82) raced MXA’s 2025 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke to third overall in the 250 Expert class with a 3-3.

Josh Mosiman was flying on Pasha’s carburated KTM 150SX. 

The 2025 Wiseco World Two-Stroke Championship is nest Saturday, so the turnout of two-stroke at this week’s “Saturday at the Glen” motocross races was impressive. The racers used it as an opportunity to iron the bugs out of their bikes and bodies before moving over the National track with is steadily being changed to offered the two-stroke racers something different from the regular National track. The complete transformation, won’t be done until the day before the actual race.

Brian Begin (222) used a 2-2 to take the overall in the 450 Expert class.

There were more than a few visiting foreign riders at the Saturday race including riders from New Zealand, Australia, Poland, South Africa, England, Sweden, Holland and Hawaii. Plus the regular gang from New Harmony Utah, who although not foreigners, do come from a long way every weekend to race.

Dennis Stapleton (171) had issue in moto one of the 450 Expert class, but came back to win the second moto. His 4-1 gave him second overall in the 450 Experts

The weather during the week leading up. to this saturday’s race was above 90-degrees, but is slowly cooling back down in the week ahead and next Saturday  it should be around 75 degrees

Shawn Bushnell (35), under the ever watchful eye of MXA’s Jody Weisel,  took the win the Over-40 Experts and got second overall in the Open Experts. 

With Val Tamietti making his first visit back to the races since breaking his pelvis, Debbi Tamietti was more than ready to get back to the thing she loves most—shooting photos.

Alison Bushnell (13) took the win in the Womens class with a 1-1.

Bode Bushnell (75) took the victory in the 125 Novice class.

And, believe it or not, one more Bushnell. Jett Bushnell was assigned to race, adjust and put time on MXA’s Triumph TF250-X

The effect on Glen Helen was that 240 riders showed up to race at “Saturday at the Glen, They were spurred on by an end of the rainy season and the arrival of more moderate temperatures before it cools down again. No matter how you cut it, the 100-degrees days of Summer will change everyone’s opinion about the weather.

Some times you have to fly in close formation, which is the best way to avoid following in the roost of the guy in front of you. Here, Shawn Bushnell (18), Ezra Lewis (73) and Cody Brownfield (124) fan out.

Kurt Nicoll won the Over-60 Expert class. 

New Zealand Tony Cooksey (6) flew in two weeks early to get ready for the 2025 World Two-Stroke Championship Tony went 1-2 in the Over-65 Expert class at “Saturday at the Glen,” but was nudged out to the victory by Dave Eropkin’s 2-1. Photo: Jody Weisel

Bob Rutten (83) is still getting used to his brand new 2025 KTM 450SXF, while Australian Dan Alamangos (95) loves the 2025 Husqvarna FC350 Heritage Edition.

Brock Harden (50) took the win the Over-30 Expert class win with a 2-1 in front of Josh Fout’s 1-2.

Josh Fout  (10) raced MXA’s 2025 TM 300MX two-stroke. It has both kick starter and electric starter, gray plastic and Kayaba forks.

Thomas Haddad (813) sails over a jump with the pits behind him and the mountains behind the pits. 

Pasha Afshar (L7) doesn’t just promote  the 125 Pro classes at the World Two-Stroke Championship, he also pays the $15,000 purse and, surprisingly,  tries to win some of own money back in the Over-50 125 Pro class. Here, Pasha was warming up for next Saturday’ Two-Stroke race with Australian off-road star Warren Strange (65) chasing him.

Adrian Lopez (89) is a 125 Beginner and is competitive on his vintage Yamaha YZ125. Adrian went 3-4 for third overall.

Two stranger showed up in the pits this Saturday— Firts, Val Tamietti (left) is refresh out of rehab for his broken hip suffered back in Janauary. He’s not ready to race yet. Second is Ralf Schmit (right). Ralf had been the TM importer  for both the USA and Holland, but when he went back to Holland during Covid he couldn’t get his Visa to come back to America. But, he can come on a tourist visa—so he is vacationing at Glen Helen.

You gotta love this, when Maverick Noriega (37) signed up as the only racer in the PW50 class.  “Saturday at the Glen” had their regular off-road “sweep rider” Gary Taylor follow him around to keep him out of trouble from faster Pee-Wees coming up behind.

Brian Skinner chases Marc Crosby, who is wearing gear that Jody gave him (but decided not to remove Jody’s name from the back of the jersey), suffered a broke hand in the same crash that put Val Tamietti in the hospital, but Marc sawed the cast off his hand and kept racing..

The “Saturday at the Glen” track is built on the exact site where the original Arroyo Cycle Park was located back in the 1970s. Just like the Glen Helen National track it has big hills.

 Maverick Evans (150P) and Logan Shelton (55) drag race down one of the hills. Shelton went 3-3 for third overall in the 50cc Beginners class, while Evans went 4-7 for sixth. Maverick came back later in the Pee-Wee 7-to-8 year old class to go 1-1.

Koa Sheets (25) swept both motos of the 85cc class and looked stylish doing it. Koa is a memberof the MXA Mini wrecking crew.

Fellow MXA Mini test rider Nixyn D’errico (83) went 4-2 in the 85 class. 

Noah Horowitz went 2-3 on a Honda CR150R four-stroke. It was first introduced back in 2007, but was banned from racing in the high-profile Amateur races, but given it’s 18-year lifespan “Saturday at the Glen Lets them in their 85 class .Noah went 2-3 for second overall.

2025 “SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” SCHEDULE

If you are looking for a racing oganization that offers long motos, low cost and very consistent race schedule—this is it. “Saturday at the Glen” motocross will race again on April 26. The Gate fee is $10 (per person) and the Pre-entry is only $30 ($25 for minis). Glen Helen wants everyone racing at “Saturday at the Glen” to pre-enter online. If you forget, you can pre-entry with your phone at the sign-up booth. You can sign up for the races as late as the Friday before the next race. For more info go to www.glenhelen.com