Dual Sport Ride thru the Avenue of the Giants

What happens when an off road racing motorcycle club decides to go dual sport riding. Well first they have to hang a bunch of lights and turn signals on their KTMs, CRFs and WRs. Once that is completed they have to pick a ride location. October in N. California is beautiful and the coastal range is the place to ride.

Tough to beat two wheel travel,  these guys had a great time. Check out the pictures in the Gallery. Hard to beat riding along the coast on a dirt bike or how about thru the Redwoods.

Slowing Down? Maybe It's Your Circulation?

2012 World Vet - Glen Helen Raceway - Be There!

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NOV.3-4 WORLD VET MX CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reprinted from MXA

(1) TWO DAYS OF RACING & A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES
The 2012 MTA World Veteran Motocross Championship will feature two days of racing (Saturday, November 3, and Sunday, November 4). New this year is an Over-55 class and an extra day of racing for the Over-25 class.There will not be an Over-35 class in 2012.

(2) $4000 FOR THE OVER-40 PROS ON SATURDAY
The Saturday races are considered warm-up races for all the classes except the Over-40 Pro class. The Over-40 Pros will race for their share of a $4000 purse. Why do they hold warm-up races before the World Vet? Because riders come from 20 different countries and almost every state to race – allowing them to learn the track, the dirt and the massive Talladega start to help acclimate the foreign and out-of-state riders to the roughness, elevation and size of Glen Helen.

(3) THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING THERE ON SUNDAY
Sunday’s races represent the actual 2012 World Vet Championship classes. To claim the title, you have to win on Sunday...with the exception of the Over-40 Pros (who get claiming rights on Saturday). The Over-30 Pro class races on Sunday...and they too have a $4000 purse.

(4) OVER-25 CLASS RACES ON BOTH DAYS
This year the Over-25 class will race both days (in the past they only raced on Saturday). Additionally, there will be an Over-55 class this year.

(5) THURSDAY PRACTICE
As an added bonus, Glen Helen will be open on Thursday, November 1, for open practice from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

(6) SPECIAL FRIDAY PRACTICE
Then, for riders who have pre-entered the World Vet races the track will be open again for practice on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

(7) SATURDAY WORLD VET CLASSES
25 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
30 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
40 yrs...Novice, Intermediate
40 Pro...$4000 purse
45 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
50 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
55 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
60 yrs...Novice, Intermediate., Expert
70 yrs...All
80 yrs...All

(8) SUNDAY WORLD VET CLASSES
25 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
30 yrs...Novice, Intermediate
30 Pro ...$4000 purse
40 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
45 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
50 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
55 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
60 yrs...Novice, Intermediate, Expert
70 yrs...All
80 yrs...All

(9) PRACTICE, GATE, TIMES AND FEES
• Overnight camping is free (starting on Thursday, November 1).
• A weekend ticket is $20 (adult) $10 6 to 12), under 6 free.
• The track gates open at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday
• Entry fee is $40 pre-entry and $45 on race day.
• Scoring is by transponder, but there is no charge for the transponder.

(10) HOW TO ENTER
1. You can enter the race on the website at www.glenhelen.com

2. You can enter on Friday between noon and 5:00 p.m.
3. You can enter on Saturday between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
4. You can enter on Sunday between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

2012 Enduro Champion!

FLY Racing’s Baylor Wins Enduro Championship

October 16, 2012 – With one round remaining, 18-year old offroad phenom Steward Baylor is the 2012 National Enduro Champion. To say he’s had a good series would be understatement: six overall wins, 23 test wins, and a title wrapped up with one round remaining!

FLY Racing would like to congratulate the entire Baylor family on winning this prestigious title. Well done!

The Rest of the Story!

BUD FELDKAMP BREAKS HIS SILENCE ON WHY GLEN HELEN DOESN’T HAVE AN AMA NATIONAL

Amid all the controversy over the revolving SoCal Nationals, the man who hosted the Glen Helen National motocross for 16 years speaks

Dr. Bud Feldkamp owns Glen Helen Raceway. With all the internet talk about why Glen Helen doesn’t have an AMA National, he decided to sit down and clear the air about some misconceptions that the public has about why Glen Helen dropped the National in 2010, what happened with the USGP, and whether he would do the National again

MXA: IT IS IMPLIED BY MX SPORTS THAT GLEN HELEN DOES NOT WANT TO HOLD AN AMA NATIONAL. IS THAT TRUE?

Bud: Absolutely not. Glen Helen would love to host an AMA National again and I think that our track record shows that we can put on a show beyond expectations. Glen Helen did AMA Nationals for 16 years and I personally have wondered why we are not in the mix now.

WHY ISN’T GLEN HELEN IN THE AMA NATIONAL MIX?

Boiled down to its essence, Glen Helen isn’t currently an AMA National track because of the history of the National Promoter’s Group (NPG). In 1997 Dave Coombs Sr. asked Glen Helen to become a founding part of the NPG. The NPG consisted of the 12 AMA National tracks. The NPG stood together to fight for its rights against the AMA, Supercross promoters and those forces that were interested in discrediting the National series. It was, as Dave, Sr. expressed to me, important work.

DID THE NATIONAL PROMOTERS GROUP DO GOOD WORK?

Yes. The NPG did great things. It, under the executive guidance to Dave Coombs’ family, negotiated with the AMA to ensure that the Supercross series did not encroach on our dates. It not only found sponsors for the AMA Nationals, but it negotiated agreements with the AMA under which they shared series sponsorship money with every National track (ie. including Chevy and Parts Unlimited).

THEN WHAT HAPPENED?

The NPG, under the executive guidance of the Coombs family (because they had two AMA National tracks), was so successful that the AMA formed a for-profit arm called Paradama (which later became AMA Pro Racing) to compete against us. I have to say that this move by the AMA threatened the National tracks and the NPG because we were sanctioned by the AMA, yet they went into competition against us in the search for sponsors. Again, the NPG prevailed, and got all 12 promoters a uniform contract for four years with the AMA.

DIDN’T THAT CHANGE WHEN THE AMA SOLD THE RIGHTS TO PRO RACING TO DMG?

Yes and no. When we heard that the AMA was going to sell off motocross, road racing, dirt track and Supermoto, all of the NPG tracks banned together and pledged a fund to buy the series from the AMA. It was, to the best of my recollection, about $2 million. When the AMA decided to sell everything as a package to DMG, I assumed the NPG executive team approached them about buying the rights to motocross. It only made sense; we were the 12 promoters most invested in the series and felt that we could run it ourselves. Since the Coombs family held the executive positions with the NPG they did the negotiating with DMG.

BUT, DMG DIDN’T SELL THE RIGHTS TO MOTOCROSS TO THE NPG.

Surprise. Lo and behold, at the midnight hour we got a call from the Coombs saying that sadly the NPG didn’t get the rights, but, happily, the Coombs family’s MX Sport organization did. This was unbelievable to me. The 12 NPG tracks were represented at the DMG offering by the Coombs family, but our bid was beat out by the Coombs family. I was shocked by the lack of allegiance to the group that they went to represent.

THEN WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MX SPORTS TOOK CONTROL?

All the hard work of the NPG tracks and Dave Coombs Sr., was undone. The things that we fought for; a share of the series sponsor money, back gate income sharing, access to sponsorship deals, and control of our own vending, were wiped out. MX Sports took all the series sponsorship money and our individual sponsorships were limited to the title sponsor of the event. They even installed their own T-shirt vendors. This money, per MX Sports, was going to TV rights for the AMA Nationals. Also the MX Sports charged us an additional fee (what they called a “rights fee”). By my way of looking at it, the racetracks were reduced to ticket takers. All decisions impacting the fan experience were effectively stripped away from the tracks. because that was the only money MX Sports left us.

IS THAT WHY YOU CANCELED THE 2010 GLEN HELEN NATIONAL?

It was a contributing factor to what I saw as a bad business relationship, but it wasn’t the reason. At the time I pushed for fan access to the pro pits and improved track viewing, but wasn’t getting anywhere. I also made a request for better accounting of ticket sales and what was happening to the money. I also started hearing rumors that MX Sports planned to drop the Glen Helen National immediately after the 2010 event and move the race to Pala. These weren’t wild rumors, many of them were coming from Pala personnel. I wanted assurance, before I invested money into building a new track (because Glen Helen made a brand-new track design every year for 16 years), put up two-miles of fencing and supplied 14 phone lines, T-1 lines and internet access for MX Sports that I would have a contract for more than three months into the future.

DID THE OTHER TRACKS HAVE LONG-TERM CONTRACTS?

Of course they did. It is expensive to hold a National and you could lose everything if it rained. MX Sports had given every other track multi-year contracts and yet only offered us one year that would go through the 2010 National. Combine the Pala rumors with the financial questions I had and it became obvious that MX Sports was using Glen Helen as a place filler for 2010 so that they could go to Pala in 2011.
Glen Helen deserved the same contract as every other track and there were no facility issues. In fact, in moving to Pala and then Lake Elsinore, neither of those tracks have the facilities of Glen Helen. We offered free pit passes to our customers. We had free parking at Blockbuster Pavilion. We had a two-story scoring tower and we had one of the classic motocross tracks in the world. We had the fairest starts in the sport with 40 possible holeshots from any gate.

DID YOU DROP THE GLEN HELEN NATIONAL TO SWITCH TO THE USGP?

Emphatically not. I don’t know what you would do, but I stood my ground. I wanted the same contract as the other 11 tracks. We had held 16 AMA Nationals and were being disrespected. If MX Sports would have offered me a long-term contract to make the investment worthwhile, I would still be holding AMA Nationals at Glen Helen today. But, they wouldn’t and so we aren’t.

Regardless of all the rumors, we never contacted the FIM until after the deal with MX Sports fell through. We heard that the Grand Prix series was having trouble with the British Grand Prix date and by happenstance their date suddenly fit an open date in our schedule. We sent an e-mail to Wolfgang Srb and we agreed to host the USGP.

BUT IT FAILED.

It did fail, largely because the U.S. riders didn’t want to race the USGP.

That was beyond my control, but my goal was to give the fans and the industry a Grand Prix. It’s strange that my love of motocross can be spun into something bad. The USGP wasn’t a success and Glen Helen moved on. I should note that if the race had been supported by the teams, riders and fans, we’d be holding the Motocross des Nations at Glen Helen this weekend.

As it turns out, we added two Lucas Oil Offroad Truck Championship races (on our totally new truck track) and the Red Bull X-Fighters. Glen Helen isn’t losing money because it doesn’t hold an AMA National. Glen Helen will be hosting events for a long time with or without a National.

THE QUESTION IS – WOULD GLEN HELEN HOST AN AMA NATIONAL IF IT WAS ASKED TO?

Of course we would – and to make it a fan-centered event I would double the current AMA purse to $125,000 for the race. Remember, Glen Helen offered a $100,000 bonus to any American who could win the USGP. I’m not in the sport for the money. I’m in it because I love motocross and racing. I could find lots of other ways to spend my money. If MX Sports was interested and would talk in good faith – then it could happen. I only walked away because they were going to leave me hanging in 2010.

YOU’VE BEEN QUIET ON THIS SUBJECT FOR THREE YEARS, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY?

I think that the AMA Nationals should be held at tracks with history, grandeur, fan friendly viewing and courses that enhance the image and reputation of the sport. There are several AMA Nationals track on the current schedule that meet that criteria – and I always thought that Glen Helen was one of them.

Reprint from MXA

A Look Back in Time

Here is a short video made available by Tony Foale. Some of this video is from the Isle of Mann. This gives you a look at road racing forty years ago.

A Classic Race on a Classic Track!

Glen Helen Raceway announces the
28th Annual MTA World Vet Championship - Nov. 3rd & 4th
San Bernardino, CA - September 12, 2012: Motocross Enthusiasts: Watch, Race and Learn at the 28th Annual MTA World Vet Championships!

Amateur and pro motocross racers get a chance to be in the motocross spotlight at the MTA World Vet Championship hosted by the famous Glen Helen Raceway. Most people would not view a race as an educational event, but the Glen Helen’s 28th Annual MTA World Vet Championship serves as a great learning platform for motocross enthusiasts of all ages.

The amateurs get the opportunity to race in front of a well-established audience, and compete in a high-pressure desert arena. Spectators will see top motocross professionals navigate woops, bowl turns and the largest elevations changes at any track in the world. This will be invaluable experience for the audience and amateur and pro riders who wish to broaden the set of skills they utilize for their dirt biking experiences.

When you watch professionals in person you can see how they utilize mechanics and specific riding techniques to give them the edge above other competitors. Each specific race has different racing conditions due to track conditions and weather. Last year, it rained all weekend at the track, making the track treacherous and highlighting the riders’ fantastic skills.

Besides the race itself, the event offers lessons from a professional motocross racer for anyone who wants to join in. In addition to lessons, racers and can check out demos of different products related to the hobby. The track, specially designed by famous moto-journalist Jody Weisel of MXA fame, gives riders a plethora of opportunities to test their skills and determine how they measure up to the competition.

Even if you have no experience in actually riding a dirt bike, because you are in such close proximity to the race it is impossible not to get excited. Seeing the mud splatter as the bikers take air after a jump while hearing the cheers of a crowd and the roar of bike engines are definitive of the experience.

This event has both international flair as well as tradition. Riders from more than twenty countries throughout the world converge on Glen Helen to vie for the coveted title of champion in each age group. Famous AMA Pro riders such as Ryan Hughes, Doug Dubach, Gary Jones, Ron Lechien, and Chuck Sun, among others, compete in this truly international event.

In addition to great racing, the event features a vendor’s row, where spectators can peruse the latest and greatest in motocross accessories. To top off the weekend, the annual Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award is also presented. This year the recipient will be former Honda factory star Marty Smith—the first 125cc AMA motocross champion. Marty won a total of 18 AMA nationals, including wins in 125, 250, and 500 divisions. He won the United States Grand Prix, 125 class, in both 1965 and 1976. His style, class, and demeanor made him the first “rock star” of motocross—extremely popular with the teenage ladies!

For additional information, including online entry for competitors and spectator ticket information, visit www.glenhelen.com!

You Never Know What Will Show UP

Our friend Dave Wood dug deep into the archives to find this film his dad shot at Hopetown around 67/68. This gives you a good look at racing in the early days. Thanks to Dave for coming up with this video.

Hopetown....aka Corriganville

To all of you who do not know Hopetown it was one of the biggest races in the United States back in the 60’s and 70’s.  Bob Hope’s movie Ranch aka Corriganville was the place to be.  In the early years we rode Honda 4 strokes, Triumphs, Harley Davidsons and BSA’s  stripped of their lights and street tires.  In 1967 Edison Dye , Ted Lapadakis and Andy De LaTorre brought over Europe’s best and introduced us to MOTOCROSS.  The rest is History.  It caught on like wildfire.  By 1970 through 1975 1500 to 2000 racers would race on that historic track in front of tens of thousands spectators.  It was filmed by Bruce Brown (Endless Summer and On Any Sunday) and aired on Wide World of Sports.  This was the race we all trained the whole year to race.  Being in my back yard I always tried to excel there, but the course and the famous mud-hole and track itself took its toll a couple of times.   If you look at my extremesportspioneer.com website you will see a riders demand to bring back this event…..well…

This year there was a reunion of the racers and the public.   Heroes such as John Rice and Preston Petty (the inventor of the unbreakable plastic fender) were there as well as John DeSoto (the flyin’ Hawaiian)  Brad Lackey (first American to win a championship in Europe) . Also there, the legendary Marty Tripes winner of the first two Super-bowl of MOTOCROSS at the LA Coliseum along with Greeves great Jim Wilson.  Keith Mashburn, who put on this event with the Zimmermans,  was a motocross racer turned flat-tracker when Yamaha offered him a ride.  Dave Ekins won 2 Gold and 1 bronze at the prestigious ISDT’s in Europe.  Eddie Mulder ,Mike Runyard John Hateley as well as Ekins took their Flat-track / MOTOCROSS skills to the big screen in hundreds of movies ;

In the parking lot there was at least a thousand feet of high tenting providing shade for all of the bikes and memorabilia people brought to share. I heard 2700 people had signed up for the lunch but there were many more who knew nothing of the signing in process.  I would guess that 4000 people showed up. Chuck Daly brought the Sachs DKW he let Preston race at the Catalina GP back in 2010 as well as an original 3ft. x 4 ft poster.  We also did a memorial display for the late Gene Cannady.  He won many races at Hopetown as well as all of the tracks around So Cal.  He was probably the first cop to be able to catch us riding at the various unapproved tracks we had around the valley.  He discarded the HD for a Kawasaki.  RIP Gene!!! 

The entire day was non-stop moto talk. The event was to wrap up by 4 but as you can imagine it took a while to get everyone gathered up and out of there.  There is a rumor that there will be another event next year but we will have to see what happens.  When Hopetown quit hosting the event after 1975 it went to several other racing facilities but it never drew the same racers and crowds that it did in Simi.  It would be awesome if by some miracle they could revive this event.  Most or all of the track is still there.  It is now a park with houses around the perimeter.   We’ll see if the stars can align.  Keep the fingers crossed !!!!

Dick Mann was the speaker Saturday night, which was very interesting. Walt Fulton had some really good questions for Dick during the Question/Answer session.

I love going to these get-togethers to see people I have not seen for perhaps 40 or so years, and even longer. I am still thinking about the Hopeton/Mashburn production. It was beyond fabulous. I had no idea it was going to be so Big, have so many people, with so many things going on. I met the Zimmerman's at the event to Honor Dave Ekins, but no one told me about their motorcycle collection or that we would be seeing these wonderful Vintage motorcycles. I couold not believe that I saw so many old friends and so many old bikes. Boggles the imagination! I am having a hard time waiting for the next event, no matter what the size or where it is.

Go to the Gallery for more photos.

Photos and edited text sent by Chris Brook

2012 World Vet Championship - Coming To Glen Helen

Marty Smith to Receive Edison Dye Award

Bud Feldkamp, Tom White, and the Glen Helen Staff announced this week that Marty Smith, the AMA’s first 125cc motocross champion, will receive the 16th Annual Edison Dye Motocross Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to being the first 125cc AMA motocross champion, Smith also won 18 AMA national events, ultimately giving him the 125cc national championships in 1974 and 1975, as well as the AMA 500cc national championship in1977. He is one of a very few riders who won national championship races in 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc categories. In addition, during his stellar career Marty won Trans AMA races as well as the US Grand Prix of Motocross, 125cc, in 1975 and 1976.

Marty won all his championships as part of the Honda Factory Team. Marty was known for his great looks, his flowing locks, and his “rock star” status with the masses of young motocross fans throughout the world! Marty was indeed a teen icon, very much responsible for the tremendous increase in popularity of the sport of motocross in the 1970s!

A full biography of Marty will be included in the 28th Annual MTA World Veteran Motocross Championships program, available at the World Veteran Motocross Champions at Glen Helen, November 3-4. The presentation of the award, along with Marty’s induction into the Walk of Fame, will be on Sunday, November 4th, around 12:30 pm, just before the 30+ pro race.

Tom White will MC the presentation, and many previous recipients of the Edison Dye award will be in attendance to honor Marty. Tom will introduce many celebrities who will reminisce those glorious motocross days of the 70s and early 80s when Marty was at the peak of his career! The event will feature an autograph session where fans can see their heroes of yesteryear, talk with them, and get an autographed poster!

For additional information, including online entry for competitors and spectator ticket information, visit the Glen Helen Raceway website at: www.glenhelen.com.

Read more: Dirt Rider Online