If you can read in reverse, you know what the sign in the foreground says.

There are races that defy explanation to the outside world. A world that takes offense to the phrase “World Championship” unless Giuseppe Luongo is making a buck off of it

If you can read in reverse, you know what the sign in the foreground says. Even if you can’t, you will recognize the massive scope of Glen Helen Raceway.

PHOTOS BY DAN ALMANAGOS, HARRY LEITNER & MARK CHILSON

There are races that defy explanation to the outside world. A world that takes offense to the phrase “World Championship” unless Giuseppe Luongo is making a buck off of it — even though they don’t recognize trends until after they have been established for 10 or 30 years. Take the World Vet Motocross Championship. American race promoters recognized the importance of the Veteran market to the sport over 30 years ago. That is three decades…not a couple years. They immediately formed a Championship race that invited Over-30, Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 racers (from around the world) to come and race against riders of the same age. No other country in the world embraces older riders like the USA— thus, the most significant Vet races have always been held on American soil. No one is stopping Europeans from racing the event and, in fact, riders from 18 different countries raced at the World Veteran Motocross Championships last year.

Although winner Mike Sleeter took home $2500 in purse money, the iron was what he really wanted. Photo: Mark Chilson

By the same token, American promoters recognized the nostalgia for four-strokes as far back as 40 years ago. They organized a special race just for thumpers in 1976. At that time the four-stroke had been driven off the race tracks by the influx of light, fast and agile two-strokes. To keep the four-stroke alive, the World Four-Stroke Championship was established in 1976 and was very successful — it had no peers around the world. It, like the World Vet, was solely an American enterprise — albeit open to riders from all countries. Only two European riders ever won the World Four-Stroke Championship (Swede Gunnar Lindstrom and Dutchman Pierre Karsmakers), but many factory riders and teams contested it over the years — including winners Mike Bell, Ron Lechien, Ricky Johnson, Rex Staten, Goat Breker, Brian Myserscough, Donny Schmit, Doug Dubach, Ryan Hughes, Josh Grant and Weston Peick.

Johnny Jelderda (86) borrowed John Basher’s YZ125 and rode it to a two-moto sweep of the 125 Pro class. Borrowed bikes are a major part of the World Two-Stroke Championship as most Pros don’t own a smoker and many have never raced one before.

When four-strokes returned from the dead with the Yamaha YZ400, CRF450 and KX450F, the World Four-Stroke Championship lost its cachet as the cool, retro, saving grace of the long-lost BSA era. Thus, it was discontinued in 2010 and replaced with the World Two-Stroke Championship. This was the logical move as the fond memories of four-stroke were displaced by fond memories of two-strokes. With each passing year, as two-strokes faded from the lives of young fans and racers, they become more iconic in the minds of the hardcore, who wish to preserve the two-stroke…and even see its return. This race will take on more meaning as the sport gets farther away from affordable, lightweight and easy-to-maintain motorcycles in favor of complicated and expensive four-strokes.

KTM test rider Mike Sleeter raced a KTM 300 to a 1-3 victory in the premier Pro class, but it wasn’t a sure thing until the last couple laps of the second moto. Mike has been the bridesmaid more times than he likes to remember.

For 2015 there were 230 riders at the FMF-sponsored World Two-Stroke Championships at Glen Helen. There were 34 Pros on the line in the premier class and there was an $8000 purse put up by the two-stroke diehards at L.A. Sleeve. The combination of the purse, the thrill of the smokers and the nostalgia for a simpler era brought bikes of every brand out to be raced. The premier Pro race had riders on Yamahas, Hondas, Kawasakis, Suzukis, KTMs, Husqvarnas and TMs.

The world may not appreciate the two-stroke, but Americans do…and they came out to prove it.

Sean Collier (1) was going to win his third consecutive World Two-Stroke Championship until the shock bolt on his KX500 broke. Sean had a big lead and was just cruising out front when his suspension collapsed. He came back to win the second moto just to prove who the fastest rider really was.

Colton Haacker (10) led the second moto