“SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” RACE REPORT: WHY JUNE GLOOM WAS A GOOD THING IN SEPTEMBER!

The 450 Novices and 250 Novices sweep through the first turn with Casey Musick (85) out front and Casey Cromer (510) on the low line. Musick would go 1-2 and end up losing to Casey Cromer’s 2-1.  In sad news, the next day on Sunday, Casey Musick raced again at Glen Helen, but while racing he suffered some kind of serious medical emergency. Eyewitness report say he rode slowly on the edge of the track and fell. He was rushed to Loma Linda hospital where he passed away.  All our prayers go out to the Musick family.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI & DAN ALAMANGOS 

(Click on Images to enlarge)

Jaden Still (28) took the 250 Novice win over a top five of Lucas Gaetano, Chase McHugh, Austin Barker and Dylan Hyde. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

The average temperature in San Bernardino, California, in September is in the high 90s.  However, in SoCal there are weird weather patterns known as “May Gray” and”June Gloom.” They are really the same thing, but “June Gloom” is a little grayer than “May Gray.” Both May Gray and June Gloom  are unheard of in September, but was caused when the the Marin layer off the Pacific Ocean wass pushed inland by spinning high and low pressure zones. Normally confined to the beach communities, this Saturday it covered everything from Laguna Beach to Big Bear. And, on Saturday, it stayed all day. Only a handful of racers even thought about bringing a jacket or a sweat shirt to the track, since it is always 95 degrees at Glen Helen, but it wasn’t 95 degree on this morning, it was 62 degrees. That is 33 degrees colder than normal. It did warm up by noon, when it got as cozy at 74 degrees before plummeting back down to 61 degrees by 4:00 p.m. Luckily, “Saturday at the Glen” runs a clockwork like race program and they promise their racers that they will be out of the track by 2:00 p.m. (this goes back to the days of Saddleback Saturday, when rider wanted to get done early on Saturday so they could get ready to race again on Sunday). You think the riders would complain about the program, but they don’t have anything to complain about—the motos are still long and no shortcuts are taken—it is designed to be over by 2:00 p.m.

Sean Lipanovich (505) won the 450 Pro class with a 1-1 score, but faced serious competition from Dominic Desimone and Richard Taylor, who caught and passed Sean in the middle of the second moto, but seem to have issues later in the moto and fell back..

Making the cool weather even more welcome was another new track design, with an extended front straight that went all the way back to the sand canyon section over a series of rolling humps. It was fun and it was fast. The big plus was that the cloud cover kept moisture in the dirt and traction was primo all day, with only a little dust on the opposite side of Mount Whitney, which was being used as a giant tabletop. The water truck couldn’t come up the sandy canyon and the fire hoses couldn’t reach the one dusty spot, but it was only a 40 foot section of track and  then it was clear air.

Richard Taylor was flying on his Suzuki RM-Z450. It’s only natural for Richard to race a Suzuki, since his father, Rich Taylor,  was Suzuki’s American test rider for years.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

With 180 riders signed up, the biggest classes were the 65cc Beginners, Over-50 Novices and the Over-50 Experts. “Saturday at the Glen” added an Over-70 class this week and, as predicted, the Over-65 year old classes shrunk because that is where all of the Over-70 riders had been placed. Luckily, the addition of the Over-70 class was not announced, nor was it on the sign-up sheet, which meant that it wasn’t as big a draw as expected. There are no Novice, Intermediate and Expert Over-70 classes—just Over-70 was good enough. It will grow each week now that the word is out.

Dominic Desimone (190) races a fairly stock looking Honda CRF450 save for the RaceTech suspension. He flies on it. Photo by Dan Alamangos

These are the photos that ace photographer Debbi Tamietti shot on Saturday (with help from Aussie Dan Alamangos when he wasn’t racing). It is a cross-section of the racers in attendance. Enjoy! And if you ever get the urge to race again—”Saturday at the Glen” is waiting for you with open arms. And, it is the least expensive race in Southern California with a $30 entry fee and a $10 gate fee.

Dirt Bike’s Ron Lawson held off  former Saddleback hero Val Tamietti (31) early in the second moto of the Over-65 Expert class, but Val would finish second overall behind Bob Rutten. Lawson was fourth with a 5-3.  Photo by Debbi TamiettI

Phil Dowell (23) and Mike Monaghan (34), both well over 50-years-old (in fact Monaghan is over 60) decided to race their YZ125s in the 125 Expert class. They battled just outside of the top three in both motos with Monaghan going 6-4 to nip Dowell’s 5-5 for fourth overall. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Jody Weisel (86) switched to a 2024 KTM 350SXF on Saturday, the week before he was on a 2024 Husqvarna FC450, before that he was on a 2023 Yamaha YZ450F. That’s why working at MXA is such a great gig.

Val Tamietti (31) has a brand-new 2024 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke, but the only part of his new bike that he is using are the wheels, which he put on his old YZ250. He’s saving his new bike for the big races. Photo by Dan Alamangos

EXPERT CLASS RESULTS

450 EXPERT CLASS
1. Sean Lipanovich (KTMn)…1-1
250 EXPERT CLASS
1. Cody Brownfield (Kaw)…1-1
125 EXPERT CLASS
1. Nick Mairose (KTM)…1-1
OVER-70 CLASS
1. Carl Gazafy (Yam)…1-1
OVER-65 EXPERT CLASS
1. Bob Rutten (KTM)…2-1
OVER-60 EXPERT CLASS
1. Robert Reisinger (Hus)…2-1
OVER-50 EXPERT CLASS
1. Luther French (Yam)…1-1
OVER-40 EXPERT CLASS
1. Mark Tilley (Kaw)…2-1
OVER-30 EXPERT CLASS
1. Josh Fout (Hon)…1-1

Jake McCoy (100) won the 450 Intermediates with a 1-1 . Photo by Dan Alamangos

INTERMEDIATE CLASS RESULTS

450 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Jacob McCoy (Yam)…1-1
125 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Hayden Herman (Yam)…1-1
OVER-65 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Randy Skinner (Gas)…31-1
OVER-60 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Pete Anagnoss (Hus)…1-1
OVER-50 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Robert Kuhry (Yam)…1-1
OVER-40 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Justin McCoy (Yam)…1-1
OVER-30 INTERMEDIATE CLASS
1. Joel Licon (Yam)…2-1

Pasha Afshar (L7) was third in the 125 Expert class and sixth in the Over-50 Experts. Check out his jersey, you gotta wonder if he’s got one for every day of the week. Photo by Dan Alamangos

NOVICE CLASS RESULTS

450 NOVICE CLASS
1. Casey Cromer (Yam)…2-1
250 NOVICE CLASS
1. Jaden Still (Kaw)…1-1
125 NOVICE CLASS
1. Patrick Miranda (KTM)…2-1
OVER-60 NOVICE CLASS
1. Russell Brown (Gas)…1-1
OVER-50 NOVICE CLASS
1. Scott Murphy (KTM)…1-1
OVER-40 NOVICE CLASS
1. Casey Musick (Hon)…1-1
OVER-30 NOVICE CLASS
1. Mark Taylor (Yam)…2-1
WOMEN CLASS
1. Emily Cloud (Yam)…1-1

Alison Bushnell (13) went 3-3 in the Over-30 Intermediate class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

BEGINNER CLASS RESULTS

450 BEGINNER CLASS
1. Curtis Craigmyle (Hus)…1-1
250 BEGINNER CLASS
1. Caden Hallahan (Kaw)…1-1
125 BEGINNER CLASS
1. Miles McHugh (Yam)…1-1

Ireland’s David O’Connor works in KTM’s Factory Services division, where he builds race engines for the factory riders. You can bet that the engine in his KTM is very fast. David went 4-4 in the Over-40 Intermediates. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Talon Hinson (149) finds himself on the back side of the berm on his way to a 3-3 day in the 85 class. Talon knows that the solution is to hold it wide open. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

50/65/85 CLASS RESULTS

SUPERMINI CLASS
1. Jacob Tilley (Kaw)…1-1
85cc CLASS
1. Jacob Tilley (Kaw)…1-1
85 BEGINNER
1. Tony Grosso (KTM)…2-2
65 CLASS
1. Talon Hinson (KTM)…1-1
65cc BEGINNER CLASS
1. Ryder Paul (KTM)…2-1
PEE-WEE 7-TO-8 YEAR OLD CLASS
1. Garrett Kurth (Cob))..1-1
PEE-WEE 4-TO-6 YEAR OLD CLASS
1. Connor Berglin (Cob)…1-1
PEE-WEE FIRST TIMERS
1. Carter Brown (KTM)…1=2
PEE-WEE PW50 CLASS
1. Jaxson Boyd (Yam)…2-1

Shane Roberts (440) does a little excavation work on this Glen Helen downhill turn.  Photo by Dan Alamangos

The message on Amanda Hodge’s T-shirt is what every Pee-Wee mom feels when their baby is out “On That Track” racing.  Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Jaxxson Boyd (17) notched a 1-1 victory in the PW50 class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

This crowded corner is full of Over-60 Novices, including Brian Lynch (424), Stephen Brown (159), John McCarroll (412) and Dave Golles (152). Who is the mystery man leading the pack on bike 176? That  is over-70 winner Carl Gazafy. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Stephen Thorpe (56) leaves a bread crumb trail of roost for the other riders in the Over-40 Novice class to follow. Thorpe went 5-6 for sixth. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

Garrett Kurth (108) swept both motos over last week’s winner Parker Trunnell in the 7-to-8-year-old Pee-Wee class. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

We don’t have a clue how the EMT’s got to this crash while it was still taking place. The EMT asked the kid where it hurt, but he should have asked the kid’s dad where it hurt, because he would have said, “in the wallet”—since Junior left his bike under the pile behind them. Photo by Debbi Tamietti

What we have here is a rehearsal for Thanksgiving dinner, with mom, dad and grandpa cheering on young Madison Yarnell. 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 well past the halfway point of their 25-race 2023 season—with only six races left in 2023. 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 this Saturday, September 23, followed by a race on September 30 on the National track.

2023 “SATURDAY THE GLEN” REMAINING SCHEDULE

Sept. 23…Fall Series #4 (Arroyo Vet track)
Sept. 30…Fall Series #5 (National track)
Oct. 7…Winter Series #1 (National track)
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)