2022 2-STROKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The Wiseco Two-Stroke championship hosted by Fasthouse arrived at Glen Helen Raceway this weekend with a record turnout of almost 1000 riders. The one-day race included Pros, vintage bikes and minis, some of which were run on the vet track simultaneously, making for a very busy Glen Helen facility. The feature event of the day was the Open Pro class where a wildly varied group of pros, retired pros and off-road riders met, all riding two-strokes of different types and ages.  The riders who attracted the most attention were Mike Alessi and his highly modified Varner YZ300, and Zach Osborne on his retro Husky, which was a tribute to the Huskys of the ‘70s.

Alessi grabbed the holeshot in the first moto, followed by Osborne and Justin Hoeft on a Bonanza Plumbing backed Husqvarna. Before long, Hoeft moved into second and then started pressuring Alessi. Hoeft took the lead on the sixth lap. Two laps later, former National Grand Prix Champion Trevor Stewart also passed Alessi, who hung on for third ahead of Ryan Surratt, Motocross Action Editor Josh Mosiman and Dare Demartile on a new Beta RX300.

The next moto started the same way, but this time Alessi crashed hard in the second turn. That left Osborne in front, although trouble was brewing behind him with Hoeft and Stewart. They both passed Osborne and set out in a race-long cat-and-mouse game. Late in the race, Hoeft made a small mistake and Stewart took the lead,. On the last lap, Hoeft’s opportunity to retake the lead was hampered by lapped traffic. “Justin and I ride together all the time,” said Stewart after the race. “He was going really fast, but I was watching and trying to capitalize on his mistakes. He’s a great rider and an even better friend.” Ryan Surratt, who passed up an opportunity to ride the East/West showdown in the Monster Energy Supercross series, finished third with a 4-3 score ahead of DeMartile and Mosiman.

The purse in the 125 class was offered by Pasha Racing. It was divided up between 125 Pros, 125 Vets (ages 30+) and 125 Masters (ages 50+). The Pro class had most of the same players from the Open Pro class. Moto one saw Mosiman lead from start to finish despite pressure from Hoeft and Surratt. Moto two had Hoeft in front for the overall over Surratt and Mosiman. Mike Alessi recovered from his crash to take both motos of the 30+ 125 race over Cody Mackie. Kurt Nicoll was the 50+ 125 winner over Dirt Bike’s Pete Murray. For full results, go to www.glenhelen.com.

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