| December 4, 2022
The 25th annual Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix wrapped up at Glen Helen Raceway, where SoCal racers enjoyed another Thanksgiving Day weekend at what is often referred to as the “MX Woodstock.”
Glen Helen Raceway was nearly packed to capacity for this year’s Red Bull Day in the Dirt.
Words & Photography by Alex Kelly
Day in the Dirt (DITD) started as a one-day-event in 1998, organized by several MX enthusiasts in the film industry, and has evolved into a weekend-long gathering of family and friends doing what they love the most—racing and having fun, with emphasis on fun. The race attracts a range of riders from pros, local Joes, to Hollywood stunt riders, which included RJ Wageman, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Vicki Golden and Carey Hart who were in attendance. Even with the long days of racing and battles on the track, the smiles continued all weekend from the start of the races to the cold beers around the campfire.
The 25th annual event saw record numbers in attendance.
You can blame this guy for all of this, DITD co-founder Kenny Alexander.
The Hell On Wheels race was a spectator favorite.
The weekend was packed full of races from classic Grands Prix to special events like the Two-Stroke and Still Smokin’ Race, Bossa Nova Grand Prix 3-Man Team Race, Hell On Wheels Scrambles and more, all leading up to the featured race, the Coup De Grace Survival Race. All races, including the moto-for-kids, were Grand Prix style with no gate drops and longer motos. Kids races raced 20-minute motos, while standard Grand Prix races were 30 minutes, and the special races were over an hour.
The gates opened early on Friday where riders enjoyed a day of practice sessions to see and dial in the track with proceeds from the Happy Hour Practice session benefit the Steve McQueen Fun for Boys Republic. The official races kicked off Saturday and included a mix of classic Grand Prix’s and special events.
Patrick Evans and Darryn Durham swap wrist bands during the Moto-A-GoGo.
Trevor Stewart (left) and RJ Wageman battled for the win in the event’s feature race, the Coup De Grace Survival Race. Wageman emerged with the win.
Each day started in style with a throwback in the Vintage Grand Prix. Riders brought out their pre-1990 bikes and gear, making this race the most fashionable and bringing back memories from the early days of racing. The other classic Grands Prix that ran throughout the weekend included the Mini GP, Women’s GP, Intermediate/Expert/Pro GP, Beginner/Novice GP, and Vet Classic GP.
The special events kicked off with the sold-out Two-Stroke and Still Smokin’ Race. Anyone with a 125cc, 250cc or 500cc lined up on the grid as spectators saw the two-stroke smoke fill the running Saturday. On Sunday, the Stunt GP Team Race, aka “The Old Switcheroo,” and the Moto-A-GoGo Team Race had similar formats. They were two-person team races where one member is on the track at a time and the riders must switch each lap. Team members can share a bike or ride their own. If they rode their own, they had swap wristbands in the transition area. The teams consisted of Stuntmen, Film Industry, Man/Woman, Father/Son, Special Guests and Special Guest Pro.
Jason Fretwell makes his way around the course during the Vet Classic race.
These two events were the most entertaining and chaotic to watch as the start stretch of the track was lined with racers and crew members on either side awaiting the switch. As racers came into the transition area, it was a race to swap bikes or wristbands and get back out on the track. To help, each team had a crew that would gas up or grab the wristbands.
Next up was Bossa Nova Grand Prix 3-Man Race. This was also a team race but had a slightly different format as all three team members were on the track at the same time. Scoring was the standard MX of Nations format—lowest combined scores win.
The featured, Coup De Grace Survival Race, was the main event and final race of the weekend. In this race, riders don’t know when the race will start, or how long it will be. Once the riders were set, they had to watch for a green flag, from an unknown location. Once it was spotted, the race was on!
Rick Hurst waits patiently for the start of the Vintage race.
The race was anticipated to be around two hours, but no one knew the exact length. They raced until the checkered flag came out. Riders pitted as needed for gas, water or anything else. This race kept fans on their toes the entire time, as Wageman and Trevor Stewart swapped for the lead throughout the race. In the end, Wageman came out on top by 17 seconds.
Brandy Richards was the top female finisher. She was also the first female to ever finish in the top 10 in the Coup De Grace race.
The Ironman racers celebrate going the distance.
DITD co-founder Kenny Alexander, said, “I never would have thought what started out as a one-day event back in ’98 would turn out to be one of the biggest races in SoCal. It’s not just for the pros, it’s for the Joes. It’s about friendship, love and camaraderie.” CN
