“SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” RACE REPORT: THE OLD GANG WAS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN

Preston Tilford (491) won the 450 Pro class, but he did have a crash in the first moto when he ran into the back of Mark Tilley’s KX450 in a tight turn. Then he couldn’t get the bike to start for 30 seconds.

PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI

Believe it or not, after three months of almost constant rain, the sun finally came out in April. The rain didn’t go completely away, but for a change it started falling on the weekdays, not the weekends. For motocross racers, that is a big difference. When it rains on weekends, the track are soaked, the turnouts are small and, at least at Glen Helen, the main road in to the track is flooded. However, when it rains on the weekdays (especially Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) the race tracks end up in prime condition by Saturday and Sunday.

Over-40 Expert winner Mark Tilley (95) forced Preston Tilford (491) to run him down in both motos. Mark will be a threat come World Vet Time.

Glen Helen’s track crew can turn a drenched racetrack around in a couple of hours. So, this week when it rained on Thursday and Friday, the regular “Saturday at the Glen” racers knew that Glen Helen’s upper track, call the “Arroyo track,” would be a little wet in practice, but perfect for the first motos and fast drying by the second motos. And so it was.

Pete Anagnos (29) tries to makes a move on Over-60 Intermediate leader Robert Pocius (153) on the outside of this uphill bend.

Glen Helen normally gets 15 inches of rain in an average year. But, in 2023, they have had 35 inches of rain (and there is still five months left in the rain measuring season). But, as the Jet Stream moves north for the Summer, the chances of rain are greatly reduced in June, July, August and September as high pressure dominates the SoCal landscape, meaning warm and toasty days.

Oops! The outside line disappeared as Pocius pushes Agangnos off the track.

One of the best things about “Saturday at the Glen” is that they move fast. They don’t hold races with a handful of riders on the gate, they avoid holding days with 15 motos, by combining classes into separate waves so that the every rider get two long motos and they aren’t forced to wait around for hours for moto two. The typical “Saturday at the Glen Race” is wrapped up by 2:00 p.m. (which allows the riders to get home early enough to prep their bikes so they can go riding or racing on Sunday).

72-year-old Rich Stuelke and 83-year-old John Huegel have been out of action with medical issues for severals month, but both are good to go this Saturdy and go they did—straight to the starting line. In a strange twist, most of the riders in the Over-65 class are actually over 70.

The sunshine was welcome as the temps were in the mid-70s and there was no wind. The track had a few design changes, which resulted in average lap times close to 2:30 for the Novice riders, but 450 Pro winner Preston Tilford did a 2:09, Over-50 Expert winner Arek Kruk did a 2:18, Over-60 Expert winner Ed Guajardo did a 2:21 and SuperMini winner Jacob Tilley did a 2:24.

What follows are Debbi Tamietti’s photos of this week’s “Saturday at the Glen.” Enjoy!

Charlie Webb (51) took the 250 Beginner honors with a 1-1 day.

250 BEGINNERS
1. Charlie Webb (Yam)…1-1
2. Mason McHenry (Hon)…2-2
3. Lake McHugh (Yam)…3-3

No Vet Pro winner likes it when his dad tells him what  to do. Here, Randell Fout (22) tries to show son Josh Fout (51) the good line in the middle of the race.

MXA’s Jody Weisel’s 2023 GasGas MC350 was a test bed for Husqvarna shock linkage, shorter WP Cone Valve forks and Urmosi Soft handlebar mounts. However, he obviously wasn’t testing new boots or new gloves. He knows what he likes and he sticks with it—even after 20 or 30 years.

Four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones (41) has been busy racing off-road trucks this year, but decided to get some throttle therapy on Saturday. 

Ryan Weber (100) was 4th in the first moto of the 250 Novices, but DNF’ed the second moto.

250 NOVICES
1. Dylan Hyde (Hon)…1-2
2. Jackson Cenicernos (Yam)…3-1
3. Dirk McCoy (Yam)…2-3

Pasha Afshar (L7) was thrilled about giving away $15,000 in cash to the top three in he three 125 Pasha 125 Open classes at last week’s World Two-Stroke Championship. He celebrated by winning the 125 Two-Stroke Expert class at “Saturday at the Glen.”

450 NOVICES
1. John Schlickenmeyer (KTM)…1-1
2. Michael Oetzell (KTM)…2-2
3, Nathan Dean (Hon)…3-3

Tyler Nichols (55) won the 450 Intermediate class

OVER-30 NOVICES
1. John Schlickenmeyer (KTM)…1-1
2. Michael Oetzell (KTM)…2-2
3. Mark Taylor (Yam)…3-3

Eddie Laret (32) pushes his Honda hard on the way to the Over-40 Intermediate victory.

OVER-40 INTERMEDIATES
1. Eddie Laret (Hon)…1-1
2. Justin McCoy (Yam)…2-2
3. Craig Bouman (Hus)…3-3

OVER-40 NOVICES
1. Lamont Dusseu (Yam)…1-1
2. Jeremy Thompson (KTM)…3-2
3. Mark Vallejo (Hon)…2-3

Poland’s Arek Kruk (79) has been strong in the Over-50 Expert class for the last couple months.

OVER-50 EXPERTS
1. Arek Kruk (Yam)…1-1
2. Luther French (Yam)…2-2
3. Michael CarterHond)…4-3

Matt Dickinson’s (14) won the Over-50 Novices class. Joe Wilson (46) was fourth.

Scott Murphy’s 1-2 wasn’t good enough to beat Diclinson’s 2-1 for the Over-50 Novice win.

OVER-50 NOVICES
1. Matt Dickinson (KTM)…2-1
2. Scott Murphy (KTM)…1-2
3. Gary Taylor )KTM)…3-3

With Jon Ortner and Pete Murray not at “Saturday at the Glen,” Santa Barbara’s Ed Guajardo only had to fend off the talented Robert Reisinger in the Over-60 Experts. Side Note: Jon Ortner was seriously hurt in a crash at the World Two-Stroke Championship last week. He broke his femur and hip and a GoFundMe account has been set up to help him pay his medical bills. You can help by going  to https://www.gofundme.com/s?q=jon+ortner

Luc De Ley raced a 2023 KTM 300SX fuel-injected two-stroke to a 3-3 day in the Over-60 Experts.

Ron Shuler went 5-5 in the Over-60 Experts.

OVER-60 EXPERTS
1. Ed Guajardo (Yam)…1-1
2. Robert Reisinger (Hus)…2-2
3. Luc De Ley (KTM)…3-3

The Over-60 Expert/Intermediate start was a gimme to Robert Reisinger (96), but the eventual winners are both on the left side of the start. Ed Guajardo (27) took the Over-60 Expert class win, while Robert Pocius (153) won the Over-60 Intermediates.. Val Tamietti (75) had to borrow a KTM 350SXF after the silencer broke off of his Yamaha YZ250 in the first moto. It made so much noise that he thought his engine was breaking up , until Randel Fout pulled up next to him and yelled, “It’s just your muffler. Keep going.” Val borrowed a muffler from Vet Novice Mark Taylor for his next moto.

It was a bad week for the MXA wrecking crew. Last Saturday at the World Two-Stroke Championship Josh Mosiman, Ezra Lewis and Brian Medeiros were all involved in the big start crash, with Brian ending up in the hospital overnight while the doctors put his hip joint back in the socket. This Saturday, Randy Skinner (383), who came to the race beat up, crashed ten feet off the starting gate into another rider and went down hard, while Randel Fout was knocked down in a second-turn log jam and was run over by Pete Vetrano.

OVER-60 INTERMEDIATES
1. Robert Pocius (KTM)…1-1
2. Pete Anagnos (Hus)…3-2
3. Arnie Davis (KTM)…4-3

OVER-60 NOVICES
1. Scott Hyde (Hon)…1-1
2. Chuck Peterson (Hon)…2-2
3. Roy Krull )KTM)…4-3

These are the Over-65 Experts in the second turn. Dave Eropkin (811) leads with Bob Rutten (83) second, Randel Fout (22) third and Val Tamietti (31) taking the outside line. Val Tamietti was fitfh in the Over-60 Experts, but swept both motos the Over-65 Expert class.

Dave Eropkin was third in the Over-65 Experts.

OVER-65 EXPERTS
1. Val Tamietti (Yam)…1-1
2. Bob Rutten (KTM)…3-2
3. Dave Eropkin (KTM)…2-3

Tim Hoole (40) took the win in the Over-65 Intermediate class with a 2-1.

Tim Hoole (40) didn’t have an easy win as Jim Hanson (80) caught him late in the second moto and made every effort to pass Hoole for the win.

OVER-65 INTERMEDIATES
1. Tim Hoole (Ggas)…2-1
2. Jim Hanson (Hon)…1-2
3. Marc Crosby (KTM)…3-3

OVER-65 NOVICES
1. Tim Williams (KTM)…1-1
2. Kent Reed (KTM)…2-2
3. John Huegel (Hus)…3-3

Carson Tryon (311) leads a fast moving line of minis with Luke Schlosser (15), Kai Lopez (10) and Rocco Spina trying to stay in his draft. 

SUPERMINI
1. Jacob Tilley (Kaw)…1-1
2. Patrick Miranda (Hus)…2-2
3. Brody Tryon (KTM)…5-3

Austin Tilley (25) was part of a big Tilley Family day at Glen Helen. Dad won the Over-40 Experts, big brother Jacob took the Supermini and 85cc wins, while Austin was fourth in the Pee-Wee 7-8 class.

85cc MINICYCLE
1. Jacob Tilley (Kaw)…1-1
2. Patrick Miranda (Hus)…2-2
3. Carson Tryon (Hus)…3-3

85cc BEGINNER
1. Reed Brenton (Hus)…2-1
2. Gunnar Culver (KTM)…1-2
3. Brett Dykmans (KTM)…3-3

Holden Evensen (226) went 4-4 in the Over-65cc Beginner class

65cc BEGINNER
1. Tyder Leath (Gus)…1-1
2. Jake Whalen (Yam)…2-2
3. Jameson Wade (Kaw)…3-3

Braxtin McKeown (226) went 3-2 or second in the Pee-Wee 4-6 year-old class on his Yamaha PW50.

PEE-WEE (4-6)
1. Benjamin Bojorquez (Cob)…1-1
2. Braxtin McKeown (Yam)…3-2
3. Connor Berglin (Cob)…2-3

Weston Wondolleck (125) was  the Pee-Wee 7-8 winner.

PEE-WEE (7-8)
1. Weston Wondolleck (Cob)…1-1
2. Ryder Paul (KTM)…2-2
3. Matthew Yarnell (KTM)…3-4

50cc PW/XR
1. Ezra Armbruster (Yam)…1-1
2. Jameson Martinez (Yam)…2-2
3. Axell Middleton (Yam)…3-3

“Saturday at the Glen” will race again next Saturday, April 22 before taking couple weeks off before the  May 13th race. After that there will be three races in June and two in July. To learn more go to www.glenhelen.com

“SATURDAY AT THE G LEN’S REMAINING 2023 RACE SCHEDULE
Apr. 22…Spring Series #4 (Arroyo Vet track)
May 13…Spring Series #5 (National track)
June 3…Summer Series #1 (Arroyo Vet track)
June 17…Summer Series #2 (Arroyo Vet track)
June 24…Summer Series #3 (Arroyo Vet track)
July 15…Summer Series #4 (Arroyo Vet track)
July 29….Summer Series #5 (National track)
Aug. 19…Fall Series #1 (Arroyo Vet track)
Aug. 26…Fall Series #2 (Arroyo Vet track)
Sept. 16…Fall Series #3 (Arroyo Vet track)
Sept. 23…Fall Series #4 (Arroyo Vet track)
Sept. 30…Fall Series #5 (National track)
Oct. 21…Winter Series #1 (Arroyo Vet track)
Oct. 28…Winter Series #2 (National 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)

 

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