WORLD VET CHAMPIONSHIP IS TWO WEEKS AWAY: ARE YOU READY?

 

The World Vet Motocross Championship celebrates its 34th year at Glen Helen Raceway on November 3-4, but it is really a four-day festival of speed—because there are two days of practice before the weekend races.

There is a big story behind Dubya’s sponsorship of the World Vet Motocross Championship. Tom White, who owned White Brothers back in the day, sponsored the first World Vet in 1984. Tom actually founded the event and sponsored it for the first 26 years. After selling the White Brothers, the new owners gave up the sponsorship of the race, but Tom wanted to keep the race moving forward, so he had his daughter and son-in-law’s company, Dubya USA wheels, become the title sponsor in 2014. And they are for still sponsoring it for 2018 (which is the 31st year of the White family’s involvement — Even though Tom White passed away a year ago).

Here is the schedule of events for the most important Vet race in the world—start making plans now.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1: Thursday will feature an open practice. The cost is $30 per bike. The 2018 Dubya World Vet Motocross Championship wants to give out-of-state and out-of-country riders as many chances as possible to adapt to the track — while riding on Thursday with AMA National Pros and 16-year-old kids. It’s a wild day. Smart World Vet racers skip riding on Thursday and stand back and watch the mayhem. Many long-time World Vet racers skip both Thursday and Friday practices to save themselves for the actual races. Thursday Open Practice: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ($25 per bike).

The Glen Helen National track is always mellowed out for the World Vet, per orders from founder Tom White, but don’t think for a minute that the lack of big doubles makes it an easy track. No one will see the full 2018 World Vet layout until the REM Octobercross the weekend before the big race.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2: Friday offers a special practice, limited to riders who have pre-entered the 2018 Dubya World Vet Championship. This practice costs $30 per bike. On this day the vendors will be setting up shop and the Glen Helen/Troy Lee Museum will be open in the afternoon. Sign-up for the weekend is open from Noon to 5:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3: Saturday, November 3, is essentially a warm-up race to lessen the advantage that Glen Helen locals have. It is no surprise that foreign and out-of-state riders need time to get used to the roughness, elevation and size of Glen Helen—it is a tough track that gets rougher with each lap and each day. Only the Over-40 Pros are racing for a World Vet Championship crown on Saturday, November 4th. Gates open: 5:30 a.m., Practice: 7:00 a.m., Racing: 8:30 a.m., All Classes +25 and up, Feature Purse Race: Over-40 Pro.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4: Sunday, November 4, 2018, is the official World Veteran Motocross Championships day. All the same classes that ran on Saturday will race again on Sunday — only this time it is for all the marbles. The exception is the Over-40 Pro class (who named their Champion on Saturday, but still have a class on Sunday). The big classes on Sunday are the Over-30 Pros and Over-50 Pros. Gates open 5:30 a.m., Practice: 7:00 a.m., Racing: 8:30 a.m..Feature Purse Race: +30 Pro, Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award: 12:30 p.m. (in museum)

SUNDAY AT NOON: THE EDISON DYE MOTOCROSS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: On Sunday at noon the Edison Dye Motocross Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented for the 21st time. Initiated to honor individuals who have made a positive contribution to our sport, the award has been received by Edison Dye, Roger DeCoster, Jeff Ward, Joel Robert, Torsten Hallman, Bruce Brown, Feets Minert, John DeSoto, Lars Larsson and many others. Each inducted rider gets a marker on the Glen Helen Walk of Fame (see Bob Hannah’s below).

Bob Hannah received the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award 11 years ago from World Vet founder Tom White.