Jean Turner | June 3, 2021
Former King of Adelanto Ty Davis took it upon himself to resurrect the famous Adelanto Grand Prix for 2021, and while it is no longer part of any major off-road series, promoting a standalone event proved to be a big challenge. Still, Davis managed to pull it off, providing three days of racing to everything from two wheels to four (and even three!) over the Memorial Day weekend.
Fasthouse Kawasaki rider Trevor Stewart swept all three pro races to earn the King of Adelanto crown.
Photos by Jean Turner
Motorcycles took to Adelanto Stadium and the surrounding grand prix course on Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. The Pros saw a three-race format over the two days, and it was Trevor Stewart who topped all three outings to claim the King of Adelanto crown. In the Women’s Pro event, Laci Olivas captured the win to become the Queen of Adelanto.
“It was definitely a good day to be a motorcycle racer,” said Trevor Stewart after completing the sweep on Saturday afternoon. “Obviously with riding yesterday, I knew what to expect today. I wanted to get a good start and pull away early and go for a cruise. I was a little shot after yesterday. We did two 45-minute gnarly sprints. So I’m a little worn out, but I knew what I had to do today, obviously, to win all three of them.”
The Fasthouse Kawasaki rider finished ahead of Purvines Yamaha racer Tyler Lynn and last-minute entry Sean Collier. Lynn did everything he could to keep Stewart in his sights, but ultimately had to settle for second. “I kinda stuck with him for maybe the first lap and a half but he just left me after that,” Lynn said of Stewart. “Glad I was able to come out. Ty Davis put on a great event.”
Purvines Yamaha’s Tyler Dunn captured second overall.
Sean Collier made the last-minute decision to race Adelanto, piloting this 2008 Honda CRF450X to a hard-earned third.
There was a fair bit of back and forth in the 250 Pro class, and after a somewhat rough ride, and after Robby Schott retired with mechanical issues, Purvines Yamaha’s Thomas Dunn managed to pull off the win.
“I got off to an okay start behind Robby, he was riding really good,” said Dunn. “I was just trying to be smooth and pick my lines but I tucked the front wheel in the back [and crashed] so went back to third and had to catch up for the rest of the race. I ended up crashing again, but then just tried to push through and ride as good as I could.”
250 Pro winner Thomas Dunn had his work cut out for him, but pulled off the victory in the end.
Queen of Adelanto Laci Olivas tackles the infield endurocross section.
The Mini Futures class had the rare opportunity to race alongside the Pros on Saturday, contesting the same course with the same endurocross obstacles on the famous infield section of the Adelanto GP. The 85-112cc racers tackled the wood pit and log crossings alongside the Open Pro, 250 Pro and Women Pro riders, and proved they could hold their own. “These kids go fast,” said Ty Davis. “There’s like eight or 10 of them that are pretty darn fast at Big 6 and WORCS. And I thought it would be cool to race them with the pros because it just gives them that credibility. Those kids are our futures. In two years they’re going to be on 125s. So, I just wanted to give them some real legitimacy. And the kids liked it.”
The entire event was an uphill battle for Promoter and Race Director Ty Davis, who might have suddenly remembered why he hadn’t promoted an event in over 20 years. But he is already talking about plans for the Adelanto GP in 2022, and this time he is aiming for January.
Racing is a family affair. Just ask the Sean Collier clan.
“The last race I put on was back when Montclair Yamaha was around and we did it right down the street at Racetown, just did a grand prix,” said Davis. “Something this big was a little bit more than I imagined with work and putting everything together. Being that it was a little bit less entries on Friday, it gave me a chance to make some mistakes and correct them [laughs]. If it was a big event the first time, first go around, I would have been in trouble here and there. But it turned out good. I think the course came out good.”CN
