Tyler Sjoberg won the 250 Pro overall Saturday.
Saturday was another fabulous day at the 2010 Mammoth Motocross races. If you didn’t read what happened Friday make sure to review the
2010 Mammoth Motocross Friday report. As opposed to the slough of different sized bikes and racing classes yesterday, Saturday was dedicated to those competing on 250Fs.
One of the inevitable problems you’re going to encounter if you’re racing a carbureted 250F is jetting. The Mammoth racetrack is at an elevation of over 8000 feet which effects how the engine’s fuel system performs. Fortunately if you’re a Kawasaki or Yamaha rider you have access to onsite technical assistance provided free of charge by both manufacturers. Additionally, the guys from FMF exhaust were on hand to help with jetting issues. After getting the jetting right on our 2010 Kawasaki KX250F and fitting some new Pirelli Scorpion MX tires, we were ready to race.
After an impressive performance in yesterday’s Open Junior heat race our test rider Frankie Garcia couldn’t follow it up in Saturday’s 250 Junior (novice) heat race. At the start, Frankie was fifth going uphill into Turn 2. But then things got crazy. He was caught in the middle of a bumper bike competition and eventually got shoved off track. He went on to finish 14th which meant that he’d have to race another heat in order to make it into the main. Unfortunately when he rolled back into the pits he noticed that the engine was knocking, ending his day prematurely. Jake Mohnike would go on to win the 5-lap heat race and then the 7-lap main over Daniel Meynet and Max Groom.
On the way up to the ghost town we stopped at Mono Lake to take in the scenery.
With absolutely gorgeous weather we felt compelled to do a little exploring, so in between the races we went on a dual-sport adventure with three affordable dual-sports from Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. We headed north 40 miles past Mono Lake enroute to Bodie, California—the site of an old ghost town.
Back in the late 1800s Bodie was a bustling mining town with a population of nearly 10,000 people. But by the 20th century it had already started becoming deserted and by 1940 there was only a few people left. During its heyday, over 1.5 million ounces of gold were excavated from the ground here. At today’s gold price it would be valued in excess of 1.8 billion dollars! In the years since, it’s become a California State Park and for a nominal fee you can explore this well preserved old western outpost.
Off-road trails in every direction surround the ghost town and if you climb atop the hillside you’re treated to some pretty spectacular vantage points of Mono Lake and the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas to the west. Being a city slicker living in the urban confines of Southern Cal, it’s nice to get out in the middle of nowhere and see Mother Nature the way it’s been for tens of thousands of years. With fuel tanks getting low and the upcoming pro race we headed back to the track.
Dual-sporting across the Sierra Nevadas is a must when you're near Mammoth Lakes, California.
Just like yesterday it was a battle between Tyler Sjorberg and Nick Paluzzi in the 250 Pro class. In Moto 1 Sjoberg and Drew Gosselaar were having a battle royal. Sjoberg attempted to pass Gosselar on the outside of a narrow downhill session but Gosselaar wasn’t having it and bumped him off track. Sjoberg went flying over the fence and basically fell off a small cliff onto the ground. Miraculously he got up instantly ran to his bike and soldiered on to a sixth place finish! Gosselaar would take the win over Gannon Audette and Bryce Vallee. In Moto 2 Sjoberg quickly dispatched Gosselaar and would go on to win the race over Paluzzi and Austin Howell.
Later that evening there was a podium presentation followed by a celebrity relay-style pit bike race held inside Mammoth’s upscale village area. Riders raced on 2010 Kawasaki KLX110s around a course built right on the concrete and even featured a few dirt jumps.
Each team consisted of three riders. Each rider would do a lap while wearing an inflatable tube around their waist. After completing a lap they would pull off the tube and hand it to the other rider and then he would put in a stint. This went on for a total of 30 laps. The Transworld MX team of intermediate rider Jesse Nelson, Pat Lopez, and Brenden Lutes went on to win the race.
We also ran in to Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Josh Hansen who could barely walk after taking a big crash during Thursday’s open practice session. While he has no serious injuries he is bruised all over and definitely won’t be racing Sunday’s 450 Pro race.
That’s it from Saturday. If you’re looking for the full race results make sure to check out
Mammoth Motocross scoring website. Sunday is the final day of races at Mammoth and will consist of 450cc racing classes only.
Awards and a pit bike race took place Saturday night inside the Mammoth Village area.
1. Tyler Sjoberg (Kawasaki) 6-1
2. Bryce Valley (Yamaha) 3-4
3. Gannon Audette (Suzuki) 2-5
4. Nick Paluzzi (Suzuki) 7-2
5. Jacob Hayes(Kawasaki) 4-7
6. Drew Gosselaar (Honda) 1-11
7. Austin Howell (Suzuki) 13-3
8. Nathan Tiearney (Kawasaki) 8-8
9. Bobby Garrison (Yamaha) 11-6
10. Mat Inda (KTM) 9-9
11. Morgan Burger (Kawasaki) 10-10
12. Jonathan Davis (Kawasaki) 14-13
13. Jake Oswald (Honda) 12-15
Nick Paluzzi won the Friday’s Open Pro class with a 3-1 finish.
14. Kyler Jones (Honda) 18-12
15. Travis Mclver (Honda) 16-14
250 Intermediate Mammoth Motocross Results:
1. Brad Frace (Kawasaki)
2. Jessey Nelson (Honda)
3. Landon Currier (Yamaha)
4. Brian Sjogren (Honda)
5. Justin Hill (Suzuki)
250 Jr. Mammoth Motocross Results:
1. Jake Mohnike (KTM)
2. Daniel Meynet (Honda)
3. Max Groom (Honda)
4. Felipe Latorre (Kawasaki)
5. RJ Wageman (KTM)
