RYAN HUGHES WINS WORLD VETERAN MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP AT GLEN HELEN:


Ryan Hughes swept both motos of the World Vet Championship at Glen Helen. Ryan’s performance is his best selling point for his training, coaching and organic food businesses.

To win the World Vet Motocross Championship it helps if you have won it before?at least that’s the way it seemed at the 2010 MTA-sponsored World Vet Motocross Championship. With Expert class titles on the line for riders over 30, over 40, over 50 and over 60, getting your name in the top ten is a major accomplishment, but to win your class for the second or third time?that is a major coup.

Ryan Hughes easily won the premier Over-30 Pro class (talking home several thousand dollars in prize money). It was Ryan’s third win (2004, 2005 and 2010). Hughes, who raced for the MXA wrecking crew, was never in any trouble. Ryan holeshot both motos and ran away. Behind Hughes there were several all-out wars?not the least of which went on between 47-year-old Doug Dubach and newly minted Vet Mike Sleeter. Dubach rode brilliantly in the first moto, catching Sleeter twice (he fell the first time he caught Mike) and made a bar-banging pass to take second on the last lap. In the second moto, Sleeter and Dubach dueled again, but Sleeter took the runner-up spot and second overall.


The battle for second overall raged between 47-year-old Doug Dubach (15) and Mike Sleeter (111). As you can see, they spent a lot of time out of shape and pegging it.

Doug Dubach won the Over-40 Pro class. It was his 18th overall victory in the Over-30 and Over-40 titles chases and his seventh in the Over-40 class alone. Gordon Ward was second, Kurt Nicoll third, Ron Lechien fourth and Willy Musgrave fifth.

Canadian Pete DeGraaf swept the Over-50 Pro class. It was Pete’s third victory?he won in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Pete Murray was the Over-40 World Champ back in 2000. Murray finished second in front of multi-time Loretta Lynn Over-50 Champ Matt Tedder. Also in the Over-50 field was former Over-30. Over-40 and Over-50 Champion Gary Jones (who also has four-straight 250 National Championship to his credit) won the Over-30 Pro title back in 1987, added the Over-40 crown to his resume in 1992, took the Over-50 title in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Gary will be eligible for the Over-60 class next year.


Pete DeGraaf took the Over-50 World Championship back home to Canada for the third time.

Bill Maxim took his third straight Over-60 World Vet Championship. Maxim’s victory came at the expense of former Over-50 world Champions Hideaki Suzuki of Japan. Suzuki won his Over-50 title 11 years ago. The only other former Champ in the field was Swedish star Lars Larsson, who finished tenth overall this year. Lars won the Over-60 crown back in 2001 ?which means that basic math skills will tell you that he is now closer to 70 than 60.


The Over-50 Pro class climbs its way up one of Glen Helen’s steep hills.

In an amazing show of strength there were 42 Over-50 Pro riders on the line at Glen Helen. The second surprise class was the Over-50 Novices?who also had 42 riders sign up.

There were riders from 18 countries including large contingents from Mexico, Australia, Tahiti, Canada, Italy and some place called “Texas.”


Glen Helen’s World Vet track was big, long and rough…did we say rough? This photo doesn’t even show one-third of the track.

It should be noted that Zoli Berenyi, Sr. was sorely missed at Glen Helen this year. The Canadian motocross icon died earlier this year, but will always be remembered as one of the most determined World Veteran Championship racers of all-time. Zoli Jr. raced the Over-50 Pro class and went DNF-10. The DNF came when his transponder box got caught on his black box and caused his steering to lock. “I’ve never used a transponder before,” said Zoli. “I didn’t know that you were suppose to put tape on the zip-ties.”


Jeff Northrup (615) leads Mike Sleeter (111), Matt Karlsen (94), Willy Musgrave (422) and Dieter Temmerman (500) over a jump in the Over-30 Pro class.


Tom White interviews Ryan on the podium, while Dubach and (right) and Sleeter (left) do the two-fisted hoist. The trophy girl was Gary Jones daughter.

OVER-30 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Ryan Hughes…1-1
2. Mike Sleeter…3-2
3. Doug Dubach…2-3
4. Jeff Northrup…4-5
5. Tony Amaradio…7-4
6. Jeff Willoh….6-6
7. Matt Karlsen…5-7
8. Willy Musgrave…8-8
9. Dieter Temmerman…10-10
10. Shawn Wynne…9-12

OVER-40 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Doug Dubach…1-1
2. Gordon Ward…2-2
3. Kurt Nicoll…4-3
4. Ron Lechien…3-4
5. Willy Musgrave…7-5
6. Victor Sheldon…6-6
7. Shawn Wynne…10-8
8. Tim Tynan…9-9
9. D.I. Wood…13-7
10. Jonathan Rhodes…13-7

OVER-50 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Pete DeGraaf…1-1
2. Pete Murray…2-2
3. Matt Tedder…3-3
4. Isao Ida…4-5
5. Bob Casper…6-4
6. Randy Chapman…5-6
7. Ed Guajardo…9-7
8. Steve Lawler…7-13
9. Andy James…12-9
10. Ron Utaski…11-11

OVER-60 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Bill Maxim…1-1
2. Hideaki Suzuki…2-2
3. Lyle Sweeter…3-3
4. Gary Chase…4-4
5. Alan Kent…5-5
6. Bart Kellog…7-6
7. Steve Machado…6-7
8. David Bibby…10-8
9. Jody Weisel…9-9
10. Lars Larsson…8-11


No, Magoo wasn’t there, but Japanese rider Chandler Sato shows up every year to pay tribute to his hero.


Thanks to a cooling trend in SoCal, the weather was cool and the dirt was perfect.

Photos by Dan Alamangos

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