“SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” RACE REPORT: MOSIMAN VS. ALESSI IN THE PASHA 125 OPEN PRO RACE

All the riders at the “Saturday at the Glen” race did a slow lap in honor of Jeff Alessi, who passed away last Tuesday.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI, JON ORTNER & MARK RIKER 

MXA’s Josh Mosiman swept both Pasha 125 Two-Stroke Pro races at a blistering pace. Photo by Jon Ortner

The big news at this week’s “Saturday at the Glen” motocross was that the track underwent a couple design changes as part of a test of new ideas for the 2023 World Vet Championship on November 2-5. Plus, Pasha Afshar, the impressario of American two-stroke racing, put up $3000 for a World Vet warm-up race for 125 Pros, Over-30 125 Pros and Over-50 125 Pros. Additionally, everyone who races at Glen Helen has met or watched  Jeff Alessi  race and, to honor him, there was a special parade lap after practice for the large number of riders who wanted to make a heartfelt statement about his loss. It was nice to see not only see Tony Alessi in attendance, but to get to see Mike Alessi  race in the name and number of his brother.

Mike Alessi flew in from Florida to be with his family following his brother’s death. Mike, Tony and the rest of the Alessi clan came to Glen Helen to do what Jeff would have wanted them to do—race! Mike, with Jeff’s 801 number on his bike, chased Josh Mosiman closely in the first moto, but had an unfortunate run-in with a lapper that cost him time. Mike went 2-2 in the Pasha Pro race.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

All eyes were on the Pasha 125 Pro race, which paid $1500 to win, as MXA’s Josh Mosiman was quickly into the lead of both motos with Mike Alessi hot on his tail. The two riders had sections of the track where they were faster than the other guy, but it all balanced out. Mosiman held an acceptable lead and with a couple laps to go his lead grew, as Mike Alessi had a rider he was lapping fall into him in a tight turn. Mike got going quickly, but it cost him any chance at the moto win. In the second moto, Mosiman held the same advantage and towards the end of the 20-minute moto edged away to a clear victory.

Pasha was waiting for them as they pulled off the track with cash in hand. Josh Mosiman earned his $1500 by going all-out in the boiling 100-degree heat, Mike Alessi got a $1000 and Preston Tilford pocketed $500 for keeping Josh and Mike in sight. It should be noted that Pasha pays the purse money out of his own pocket. He doesn’t take any money from the rider’s entry fees. It is a labor of two-stroke love for Pasha. He is always looking for sponsors if you would like to help.

After the second 125 Pro moto Mike Alessi hugged his mother in a touching moment.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

For the upcoming Dubya World Vet Championship, there will be two Pasha 125 Pro classes (although the legal allowed displacement is actually 150cc) with a total purse of $15,600. The Over-30 Pasha 125 Pro class will pay a total of $7,500 with $3,000 for first, $2,000 for second, $1,200 for third, $800 for fourth and $500 for fifth. In the Over-50 Pasha 125 Pro race, the purse will also be $7,500 with $2,500 for first, $1,200 for second, $1000 for third, $700 for fourth, $600 for fifth, $500 for sixth, $400 for seventh, $300 of eighth, $200 for ninth and $100 for tenth.

If that is not enough to put Pasha in the poor house, all four holeshots in the Over-30 and Over-50 125 Pro class will pay $150 (thanks to ASV levers for rewarding the fastest starters and taking some of the burden off of Pasha’s bank account).

Preston Tilford went 3-3 in the Pasha 125 Pro race and collected $500. Preston is sponsored by two old-school Indian Dunes racers—Will Harper and Kent Reed. Photo by Jon Ortner.

You may remember Preston Tilford from when he was on the Vance & Hines Yamaha team back in 2011. Steven Tokarski, now at Yamaha, was his teammate. The Vance & Hines motocross team was run by AMA Supercross mechanic of the year Alan Olson. Preston took many years off before returning to racing three years ago. Photo by Debbi Tamietti.

What follows are the photos that Debbi Tamietti, Jon Ortner and  Mark Riker shot. If you thought it was hot for the racers during their 15 to 20 minute motos, imagine spending eight hours in the sun lugging around very heavy cameras. Thanks Debbi, Mark and Jon for the hard work. Enjoy!

Josh Mosiman’s 125 Pro victory was worth $1500, which Josh had big plans for, but….  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Unfortunately for Josh, Ashley Mosiman had other plans.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

The top three (from left to right): Preston Tilford, Pasha Afshar, Josh Mosiman and Mike Alessi.  Photo by Debbi TamiettI

It may be Fall where you are, but at Glen Helen on Saturday it was 100 degrees. During the post-race podium interview Josh Mosiman’s face showed the strain and sweat of the effort. Photo by Jon Ortner

Vince Friese didn’t have a 125 two-stroke, but he came out anyway to support his MCR family. Vince did a 2:11 lap time on his CRF450, while Mosiman did a 2:12 on his KTM 150SX. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Aryton Ward (797), the son of multi-time AMA National Champion Jeff  Ward, won the 250 Pro class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Dennis Stapleton (184), with Dennis Senior in the background, came out to support his MXA teammates (seven of whom were racing) and to start putting in laps to get ready for the World Vet Motocross Championship in three weeks. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

“Saturday at the Glen” is a bastion of hard-core ancient warriors from the Saddleback days. They run close together and give no quarter.  Marc Crosby (16) leads while Ricky Richards (white jersey) climbs the side of the berm. Alan Jullien (70) elected to take the faster outside line of this split lane section. Luc De Ley (34) follows Jullien’s outside line. Photo by Debbi Tamietti   

Four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones (88) has won the Over-30, Over-40, Over-50, Over-60 and Over-70 titles at the World Vet Championship[. He came to “Saturday at the Glen” to get ready to defend his 2022 Over-70 title in a couple weeks. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

MXA’s Justin Lee (76) raced a 2024 KTM 300SX two-stroke to a 5-3 day for third overall in the 450 Expert class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Former Saddleback Pro Luc De Ley has found success as a famous custom coachwork builder for Boyd Coddington and Chip Foose. MXA has featured Luc’s hand-built aluminum sports car recently. Luc went 5-4 for 4th in the Over-60 Expert class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Luc built everything in his car except the Corvette engine and wheels. That means that he made the chassis, the interior, the fuel tank, the grille and the body. However, he never brings it to Glen Helen, but instead wastes his time taking it to car shows.  You can see more of Luc’s Marcel Roadster on YouTube by typing in Luc De Ley.

Val Tamietti (31) won the Over-65 Expert class with come-from-behind victories. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Former desert and Baja hero Bob Rutten (83) drives 382 miles every other weekend from New Harmony, Utah, to race at Glen Helen against his old friends. It is a pleasant 382 miles back home if it wins, but not so nice when he loses. This week Val Tamietti’s 1-1 beat Bob’s 3-2 in the Over-65 Expert class. It was a miserable drive back to Utah. Photo by Jon Ortner

Ed Foedish (45) drove in from Scottsdale, Arizona, to go 3-1 in the Over-60 Expert class, splitting moto wins with Rob Engel. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Jon Ortner (10) only got permission from his doctor to starting riding again four weeks ago. In that space of time he rode chase at the Baja 400 (and also rode his Triumph Bonneville from Santa Barbara to Baja and back to Santa Barbara), a motocross race at Glen Helen the next week, then a round of the National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) and showed up this past weekend to race the Over-60 Expert class. He says his broken femur and hip feel fine. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Rich Truchinski (47) was a hot shot SoCal Pro in the 1980s and is best known as the inventor of the suspension triple clamp with his Tru Technologies’ Ride Control top triple clamp. He came back to racing recently as an Over-50 Expert. Rich went 8-8 on his Suzuki RM250 in the Over-50s and 3-2 in the 250cc two-stroke class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

The tree turn has a deep sand berm that eventually becomes a deep sand rut. Here, a rider falls in front of Damian Collier (207), the son of Sean Collier, blocking his path. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

In true Collier fashion, Damian blasted his way over the wheels of the fallen bike to go 1-3 in the 250 two-stroke class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Robert Reisinger’s Over-60 Expert class was in the gate behind the Over-50 Pasha 125 class and when the starting gate dropped for the 125 race, Robert mistakenly went with them. He beat all the smokers to the first corner on a Husqvarna FC350 and led almost all the way around before he realized that he was in the wrong class. After the moto, he was moved back to 11th place in his proper class. Then, when his second moto rolled around, Robert went with the 125s for the second time in a row, but this time he quickly realized that he had done the same thing again. He quickly spun around and got back behind the gate before the Over-60 Expert gate dropped. Robert’s 11-3 earned him 7th overall. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

It is a little disheartening to blast under the checkered flag only to realize that you got beat by a guy on a 1974 Bultaco 250. That is AXO/Alpinestars designer Kenny Safford on the Bultaco and Wiliam Bandy (77X) on the KTM 250SXF. Photo by Mark Riker

Joe Wilson (46) is reportedly okay after he whiskey-throttled his KTM head-on into a berm and flew up and over the adjacent fence. His bike bounced off a truck. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Tyler Hinton (33) swept both moto of the 65cc “Junior Cycle” class on his GasGas MC65. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Noah Rodriquez went 3-2 for second overall in the PW50 class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Austin Tilley (95) scored a 2-2 ride for second overall in the 50cc 7-to-8 year old Pee-Wee class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

If you are looking for a racing organization that offers long motos, low cost and very consistent race schedule—this is it. “Saturday at the Glen” motocross is down to the final four races in their 25-race 2023 season. Pre-entry is only $30 ($25 for minis). Post entry on the day of the race is $40 ($30 for minis). The Gate fee is $10 (per person). You can sign up on the internet for the next “Saturday at the Glen” motocross as late as the Friday before the race and save money (or just show up in person on race day). The next “Saturday at the Glen” race is on the Arroyo track on Saturday, October 21, followed by races on November 18, December 9 and December 16.

Our best wishes and condolences to the Alessi family.

2023 “SATURDAY THE GLEN” REMAINING SCHEDULE

Oct. 21…Winter Series #2 (Arroyo Vet track)
Nov. 3-5…World Vet Championship (National track)
Nov. 18…Winter Series #3 (Arroyo Vet track)
Dec. 9…Winter Series #4 (Arroyo Vet track)
Dec. 16…Winter Series #5 (National track)