Glen Helen MX, Devore, CA 12-14-03
- Updated: December 14, 2003
ITP Quadcross
Devore , CA
Dec 14, 2003
By Jorge Cuartas
How’s this for close? Jeremy Schell (pictured) won the ’04 ITP Quadcross Championship with 173 points. Doug Eichner was second with 171 and Jeff Anderson rounded out the season pro podium with 170 points.
ITP’s highly successful West Coast based “Quadcross Series” was wrapped up at Glen Helen on Sunday December 14th. The ten round series has picked up a ton of momentum in the past couple of months, and is seen as the catalyst to tipping off the 2004 GNC series. A record breaking 189 ATV riders attended the final round. The fact that the Huevos Dirt Riot took place the night before right down the street from Glen Helen probably didn’t hurt the pro entries, as 31 pros entered in the Open Pro Class. The rider’s meeting got underway immediately after practice. It was funny hearing the announcement that many of the GNC pros would have to slash their numbers, as the local pros were given precedence. The overall vibe was very “Californian” if you will, as everyone seemed pretty laid back and stoked to be in the presence of the GNC top runners.
John “Ironman” Natalie has now won four of the last four big ATV events, including both the Southwick pro and pro production classes, the inaugural Dirt Riot and now the ITP Quadcross season finale.
Kory Ellis greeted fellow GNC pros to his home turf by showing most of them his rear number plate. Ellis with his 1-2 finishes would have won the race if they scored it in motocross fashion.
Pro Heats
The Pro class was split into two heats, with the majority of the visiting GNC pros in the second heat. Kory Ellis (Alba/ATV Scene.com) however was in the first heat with his fellow West-Siders and after a relatively good start, passed his way into first and flat-out checked-out on the rest of the field. I had never seen the huge uphill at Glen Helen called Mt St. Helen (see video clip below). If you ask me it’s ridiculously scary. When the first heat of pros approached it for the first time, I was terrified and excited all at the same time. Glen Helen is what you can describe as a purist’s motocross track; a 5th gear start stretch, huge natural obstacles, bowl turns, coupled with long wide-open straights, and very safe looking step ups and tabletops. There’s no supercross style obstacles, just pure outdoor mx going on here. One of the bigger jumps is a 100+ foot table top which a couple of the pros seemed to handle with ease. As the checkers flew, Ellis had easily taken the win for heat-one. The second heat could not be described as an easy win however after a huge first lap pile up consumed over half of the pack. Dana Creech (danacreechracing.com) battled his way to the front of the more recognizable pro pack and began the long road towards redemption (after the previous evenings tangle with Keith Little (Lonestar), which took him out of the running at the Dirt Riot). Pennsylvania’s John Natalie Jr. (East Coast ATV) was running a strong second, followed by Jason Dunkelberger (Lost Creek ATV), Jeremy Schell (Team Green/Trinity) & Doug Gust (Suzuki/Yoshimura/IMS/Roll). Midway through the moto, Natalie vanished from the front of the pack popped up in the middle of it. In what can only be described as true “Ironman” fashion, he battled back up to third place with several laps to spare. Creech took the win followed by Yamaha’s bike test rider, Dustin Nelson, John Natalie and Doug Gust.
California traffic sucks! Here several pro riders pile up in a bottleneck on the second turn of the Glen Helen Highway.
Attention Glen Helen nay-sayers and boycotters – check this photo out
Pro Main
The Pro main portrayed a glimpse of what we can expect to see in 2004, as pretty much everybody but Creech was on Production class ATVs. As expected, due to Honda’s last minute release of the TRX450R, it’s apparent that just about everyone except Gust (and Tim Farr) will be aboard Yamaha’s mighty YFZ. The added testing time should play a huge factor in next season’s results. Minutes prior to the start of the Pro main, the California weather got a little weird as the temperature dropped ten degrees instantly and a light rain began to fall.
#74, Dustin Nelson (Two Brothers Racing) in only his third ATV race pulled the holeshot followed by “Ironman” Natalie. Natalie immediately put the pressure on and moved into first. As the rainy drizzle increased, Ellis took over second after passing his way from the fifth spot. Along the way Ellis had to surrender his goggles. Unfortunately for Ellis the race was scored with moto two as a feature main event. He was under the impression that the event would be scored in motocross fashion, like it was at the last Quadcross event he attended. With this, he figured he had the victory with a 1-2 finish and never pushed to catch Natalie, especially without goggles. After what seemed like an eternity, the checkers flew, Natalie finished with the win (his fourth big win in as many events). Ellis was once again the runner up, and bike pro Dustin Nelson surprised all with a respectable final podium spot. Team Suzuki’s “Digger” Doug Gust could only muster a 7th place in the final, but the pack of Suzuki engineers from Japan near his new Suzuki box van in the pits were probably impressed since Gust did indeed pass several riders to end up in the top ten. What’s more is he rode the entire moto without goggles.
Darrell Patton finished a respectable 11th.
Dirt Wheels Magazine’s Cain Smead claimed the first ever motocross win on the new Honda 450R.
Honda’s first 450R mx win
Another fan favorite moment came when Dirt Wheels Magazine’s Cain Smead pulled to the +30 class gate on Honda’s previously unseen TRX450R, — the Dirt Wheels test quad in which he picked up the week prior. Smead’s 450R was sporting IMS nerf bars, ITP tires, and a White Brothers exhaust, other than that it was bone stock. Smead finished second in the first moto behind Yamaha Motor Corp’s Mike Ulrich and won the final moto. Smead’s win marked the first 450R motocross victory.
The Dirt Wheels 450R test quad.
Glen Helen – GNC worthy
The racing at ITP’s Quadcross at Glen Helen was awesome! The series as a whole paid a whopping $15,000 in contingency prizes donated by White Brothers, Roll Design, Duncan Racing, IMS, Hinson Racing, Pro Armour, Golden West Cycle, Temecula Motorsports, Maxima, Wiseco, and FMF. The pro payout was a wimpy 50% but we’re told this will increase in 2004.
Marysville, WA’s Peter Collins.
The local’s seemed genuinely excited at the opportunity of hosting a GNC, and I think all of the GNC racers on hand for the Quadcross final feel equally excited at the thought of coming back for the GNC on Feb 7-8. Glen Helen lived up to my pre-conceived notions about the track and even exceeded them in some ways. More and more local ATV race events, especially out West, need to take example from ITP’s Quadcross Series. The end results can soon lead to a true National ATV racing series.
Number 11, Niclas Granlund hammers through the Glen Helen whoops. Big-Nic went on to finish in the top ten.
A job well done!
ITP takes the Quadcross series seriously. They even send detailed letters and flyers directly to the rider. This is not your normal sponsorship duty.
Open Pro
1. John Natalie
2. Kory Ellis
3. Dustin Nelson
4. Dana Creech
5. Keith Little
6. Tavis Cain
7. Doug Gust
8. Doug Eichner
9. Jeremy Schell – Series Champion
10. Niclas Granlund
251- Open Int
1. TJ Dietnoh
2. Clark Evernham
3. Kevin Bettoncourt
Lynn Prosser – Series Champion
251-Open Novice
1. Neemia Curteom
2. Matt Duhamell – Series Champion
3. Phil Dampier
251-Open Beg
1. Chris Riley
2. Clark Bevans
3. Jonathan Grauger
Jeremy Menighan – Series Champion
91-250cc 2 Stroke Int
1. Shane Strunk
2. Larry Hudler – Series Champion
3. Shiloh Strunk
91-250cc 2 Stroke Nov
1. Brandon Smith
2. Westley Geyer
3. Greg Bullem – Series Champion
91-250cc 2 Stroke Beg
1. Ryan Evans – Series Champion
250-400 4 Stroke Int
1. Tony Munio
2. Danny Ragon
3. Jason Kendall
Cory Hinsz – Series Champion
250-400 4 Stroke Nov
1. Garrick LaStra
2. Keith Bloodworth – Series Champion
3. Larry Hayes
250-400 4 Stoke Beg
1. Cyle Chislock
2. Sean Husted
3. Daniel Jiminez – Series Champion
91-200 Beg
1. Adam Dean – Series Champion
2. Dylan Becto
3. Christy McGuffin
Women Int
1. Lynn Prosser – Series Champion
2. Michelle Reiser
Women Nov
1. Amanda Hoback
Women Beg
1. Brittany Bloodworth – Sereis Champion
2. Robyn Beck
3. Dee Rickand
0-50cc small track (7-8 yrs)
1. Damon Swunlund
2.Austin Jordan – Series Champion
3. Brandon Atfield
0-50cc small track (4-6 yrs)
1. Quinton Hord
2. Wyatt Meurs – Series Champion
3. Tommy Harns
51-90cc Novice
1. Kyle D’Amora – Series Champion
2. Kris Connelly
3. Cameron Tokumoto
51-90cc Beg
1. Dean Pierce
2. Anthony Champman
3. Ryan Lapolla
Tyler Connelly – Series Champion
30+ Int
1. Cain Smead
2. Mike Ulrich
3. Brad Goodfellow
Pete Garcia – Series Champion
30+ Nov
1. Greg Bullem
2. Jon Wayment
3. Bert Morales
John Henderson – Series Champion
30+ Beg
1. Dan Hard
2. Bobby D’Amora – Series Champion
3. Lance Erika
