"SATURDAY AT THE GLEN" RACE REPORT" AS CLOSE AS SOCAL MOTOCROSS GETS TO THE WAY IT WAS
Today at 10:00 AM
These are the Over-65 racers midway through the Talladega first turn. Note the last rider in the pack. That is Marc Crosby, he has a broken bone in his hand, which he sawed the cast off of, and decided to race anyway—vowing to take it easy. Photo Debbi Tamietti
This is Marc Crosby a couple laps later after he worked his way up to third overall in the Over-65 Intermediates. Photo Debbi Tamietti
PHOTOS BY DEBBI TAMIETTI, JON ORTNER, MARK RIKER & JODY WEISEL
“SATURDAY AT THE GLEN”MOTOCROSS IS DIFFERENT FROM A LOT OF MODERN MOTOCROSS RACES. HOW SO?
Dominic Desimone (190) took the 450 Expert win with a 2-1. Photo: Jon Ortner
(1) It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to race at Glen Helen’s “Saturday the Glen” motocross events. The entry fee, when you sign up on the internet, is only $30 and the gate fee for racers to enter the facility is only $10 per person. That’s inexpensive compared to how many races are charging $50 or more for entry fees.
(2) “Saturday at the Glen” runs a well oiled machine. This Saturday they had 252 racers signed up, but they don’t run a race program that drags the day out with 26 different classes, some with only five riders in the track and the second motos not being held until 4:00 in the afternoon. The “Saturday at the Glen” organizers vow to get every “Saturday at the Glen” race program completed by 2:00 p.m.
Josh Mosiman (36) won the first 450 Expert moto by passing his way to the front, but in the second moto when he was in position to make some moves he got a flat tire on MXA’s Honda CRF450 and had to pull in. Photo: Mark Riker
(3) Glen Helen isn’t afraid to have full gates of riders on the starting line and generally do wave starts with a second gate drop coming 40 seconds the first gate.
(4) Plus, “Saturday at the Glen’ races get media coverage—which you are reading right now and so can motocross racers in Sweden, England and Holland. Most local races never see the light of day. At “Saturday at the Glen” over 25 riders a week get their photos in the “Saturday At The Glen” Race Report.
(5) Each race weekend, “Saturday at the Glen” can be scheduled on the iconic Arroyo Cycle Park track (where the first-ever 125 National Championship race was held in 1973) or the Glen Helen National track (with its long history of AMA Nationla FIM Grand Prix, World Two-Stroke Races, World Vet Championship and many historical races). See the race calendar below to see which track they are racing on each week.
Jeremy Byrne (55) went 3-3 for third in the 450 Experts. Photo Debbi Tamietti
(6) Both track are designed to be natural terrain layouts. The tracks serpentine through the valley that Glen Helen is located in—there are no double jumps on either racetrack, but lots of tabletops, big uphills and steep downhills. Glen Helen want to focus on building race tracks that challenge the riders—without becoming a “Seth Enslow jump contests.”
Former British National Champion, four-time 500 World Motocross Championship runner-up, seven-time World Vet Champion (in the Over-40 and Over-50 classes), Kurt Nicoll (2) won Saturday’s Over-50 Expert and the Over-60 Expert classes. Kurt also runs Champion MX, which hosts riders from around the world with everything they need to enjoy a racing trip to SoCal—including bikes and coaching. ChampionMX can be reached at www.championmx.com or +1-951-795-2411. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
(7) It is as close to old school motocross as you can get in SoCal. Plus, the tracks are open on Tuesday and Thursday to practice on. This is probably why so many riders from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s race here.
(8) This past Saturday, February 22, 2025, it was 80 degrees and sunny—which probably accounted for the 252 rider turnout. The track is watered by water truck and touched up by fire hoses and, when there was a chance, Glen Helen send the Cat up the Mt. Saint Helen downhill to get rid of the braking bump near the bottom.
The start at Glen Helen is a 70 mph charge to the steeply banked 180-degree Talladega first turn. Thanks to its steep banking and ultra-wide design, first turn crashes are rare. The turn itself came easily accomodate riders going through the turn five-wide. Photo: Mark Riker
(9) Glen Helen is a very busy racetrack, They hold multiple races every weekend on the National, Arroyo, Stadiumcross, Truck track, Stacyc track and E-bike track and the miles of trails. It isn’t uncommon for Glen Helen to have three different races going on at the same time on a Saturday and two more races on Sunday.
(10) With the Lake Elsinore and LACR tracks closing recently, more riders are choosing to come to Glen Helen to practice and race. The Tuesday and Thursday gate fee for practice is $35 a bike (spectators are free). The practice fee was just raised from $30 to $35, but is the first price increase since 2016. Glen Helen is still the cheapest track to ride at in SoCal.
Anthony Keasey (X124) pushes Jax Krahenbuhl (125) against the cliff in the sand section. Keasy went 1-1 to win the 250 Novice class. Photo: Mark Riker
Ricky Richards (45) was third in the Over-40 Intermediate class with a 3-4. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Dirt Bike’ Magazine’s Ron Lawson had bike troubles on the starting line and borrowed MXA’s 2025 Beta RX450 to make the race. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Shawn Bushnell (25) was second in the Over-40 Experts and fifth in the Open Experts. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Bode Bushnell (75) won the 125 Novice class with a 1-1 score. Photo: Mark Riker
Alison Bushnell (13) won the Women’s class and was 8th in the Over-40 Intermediates. Photo: Jody Weisel
Chris Panek (231) went 1-1 in the Over-40 Novice class. all of the sand on the track is a byproducts of the 9 inches of rain ovee the past couple weeks. It washes down from the hills surrounding the racetrack and when the water evaporates, it leaves the sand , which is really decomposed granite. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Pasha Afshar (L7) raced his KTM 150SX in the Over-50 Experts. He finished 6th overall with a 7-6. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Jon Ortner raced MXA’s 2025 KTM 300SX two-stroke for fourth in both the Over-60 Experts and Over-50 Experts. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Jamison Nash (187) took the win in the 450 Intermediate class with a 1-1. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Jacob Michaelides (12) used a 1-2 to take the victory in the 250 Intermediate class. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
The hills never look as steep or as tall when you are viewing them from below, but check out this photo of Josh Fout (37) starting the climb at the bottom of the Shoei uphill.
Josh Fout (37) cuts under Eric Rizzo (274) in the Over-30 Expert race. Josh Fout would go 2-1 for first overall and Eric Rizzo would go 4-2 for third. Photo Jody Weisel
Steve Chandler (306) is one of small group who drive down from Utah to race with “Saturday at the Glen.” It goes without saying that they are all California translants. The corner behind Steve is called “The Velodrome,” you don’t have to ask why. Photo: Mark Riker
Mike Diorio (117) was 7th in the Open Intermediate class and 5th in the Over-40 Intermediates. Photo: Jody Weisel
Randy Rogers (751 )tries to tag onto Mike Diorio (117), Ricky Richards (45) and Stephan Moore (45) on the steep climb up Shoei Hill in the Over-40 Intermediate class. Photo: Jody Weisel
Debbi Tamietti shoots the action from the behind a palm trees at Glen Helen. Photo: Jody Weisel
Bob Rutten (83), yes, the same Bob Rutten of 1970s Baja 1000 fame, won the Over-65 Expert class with a 1-2.
Scalvini exhaust importer Pete Vetrano (37) put together a 2-1 score to edge out last week’s Over-65 Intermediate winner Bruce Ashmore’s 1-2. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
Hollywood stuntman Mark Donaldson (93). lives in Virginia now, but he still comes out west for movie work and, of course, to race. Mark finished fourth in the Over-65 Intermediate class.
Dylan Rush (913) blasts through the sand on his way to fourth in the 450 Novice class. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
This quick thinking flagger realized that this kid’s leg was stuck under his bike and ran over to get him unstuck before the second wave came around and tried to blast this sand berm. Flaggers are the most important people at the races.
Caylee Costa (25) got third in the 50cc Pee-Wee class with a 3-4. Photo: Debbi. Tamietti
Jaxson Boyd (17) swept the 50cc PW/XR class on his YZinger. Photo: Debbi Tamietti
River Caputo (46) took the overall win in the 50cc First Timer’s class with a 1-1. Photo: Debbi. Tamietti
2025 “SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” RACE SCHEDULE
Well, you can’t say that they didn’t warn you. Photo: Jody Weisel
If you are looking for a racing organization that offers long motos, low cost, very consistent race schedule and a true-to-life outdoor motocross track—this is it. “Saturday at the Glen” motocross will be racing on March 8 and March 22, 2025. Pre-entry is only $30 ($25 for minis). Post entry is $40 ($30 for minis) on the day of the race). The Gate fee is $10 (per person). You can sign up for the next “Saturday at the Glen” motocross as late as the Friday before the race (or just show up in person on race day. For more info go to www.glenhelen.com
2025 “SATURDAY AT THE GLEN” SCHEDULE
Jan. 18…National track
Jan. 25…Arroyo track
Feb. 1…National track
Feb. 8…Rain cancellation—moved to Feb. 15
Feb. 15…Rain cancellation —moved to Feb. 16
Feb. 16… National track
Feb. 22…National track
Mar. 8…Arroyo track
Mar. 22…Arroyo track
Apr. 12…Arroyo track
Apr. 26…Arroyo track
May 31…National track
Jun. 21…Arroyo track
Jun. 28…National track
Jul. 19…National track
Aug. 2…Arroyo track
Aug. 9…National track
Aug. 23…National track
Sept. 13…Arroyo track
Sept. 20…National track
Oct. 4…Arroyo track
Oct. 25…National track
Nov.15…Arroyo trac
Nov. 22…National track
Dec.7…National track
Dec. 21…National track
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