Temperatures and Tempers Rise at REM Glen Helen

Glen Helen is located just north of San Bernardino, which is on the edge of the California desert. Which is a nice way of saying that it’s hot there. Summer temperature can easily exceeded 100 degrees for weeks on end and this past week was no exception. Every day saw the mercury rise to around 105-degrees?yet the SoCal riders don’t seem fazed by the soaring temperatures. Although their tempers did flare a little as former factory Honda, Bultaco, Harley and Can-Am rider Rich Eierstedt took exception to a pass attempt (failed) by REM regular Dennis Boulware. Boulware’s risky move resulted in both riders going down, but Eierstedt got up swinging. REM has a policy of throwing riders who fight out of the races—and that is what happened to ?70s hero Eierstedt. Every track should have this policy to put a damper on the current fighting craze.

Justin Jones (42), son of four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones, was second in the 250F Intermediate class.

With Eierstedt and Boulware busy elsewhere, Lightspeed’s Willie Amaradio took two moto wins in the 50 Master class. MaxPower’s Dennis McAdam won the 50 Intermediate class when Saddleback specialist Ray Pisarski, riding a 2008 KTM 125SX two-stroke, couldn’t put it together in the first moto?even though he easily won the second moto (how embarrassing for a class of big-bore riders to be beaten by a pea shooter). Unfortunately, Pisarski’s 4-1 only got him second to McAdam’s 2-2. Dentist John Tookey took Over-50 Junior honors with a 1-3 in front of David Sobodos’ 4-1.

Kameron Silva (491) dangles a leg in the 450 Intermediate race. He went 4-3.

ALL THE EXPERT CLASSES

250 Pro: Ryan Campbell took the win on his Yamaha YZ250F.

450 Pro: Matty Dowell won the first moto, but couldn’t keep his YZ450F upright in moto two The win went to Honda-mounted Josh Brown.

Vet Pro: MXA test rider Willy Musgrave took the Over-30 Pro win

Over-40 Master: Paul Kellen took the Over-40 class win.

Larry Brooks (15), former AMA Rookie of the Year and Chad Reed’s team manager at L&M Yamaha, has spent the summer (save for the Budds Creek weekend) at the races with his two sons.

THE BIG CLASSES

As is normal in SoCal, the biggest classes of the day were in the Over-40 division.

Steve Pfaff took the Over-40 Expert win (a class which is confusing not the fastest Over-40 class…Over-40 Master is the faster class). Pfaff beat Phil Dowell, Gary Renko, Tim Murphy, C.T. Falk, Greg Groom and Mark Hall.

Steve Watson edged out MXA’s Zap Espinoza and Marc Crosby for the Over-40 Intermediate victory.

Mike Borowski swept the Over-40 Junior class in front of a top ten that included Chris Siemers, Bobby Hunt, Greg Wolfe, Blair Pike, John Tookey, Doug Jardine, Scott Williams, Steve Bednar and Tami Rice.

Dalton Bailey’s 1-1 beat Jordan Borowski’s 2-2, Kyle Smith’s 3-4, Luca Nastrini’s 5-3 and MXA’s John Basher’s 4-6 in the competitive 250F Junior class.

Willy Musgrave (422) chases Paul Kellen (647) while Clint Backlund (913) lands like a ton of bricks in the background.

REM races again next Saturday, July 14. Practice starts at 9:00 am. For more info go to www.remsatmx.com

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