The Authority Aces Glen Helen 24 Hour
Story by Trevor Hunter, Photos by Trevor Hunter, Jerbal Shots
The 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Glen Helen Raceway is done and dusted (thank goodness) and we’re still relishing our victory after claiming the ultra prestigious title of Business class champions, and therefore, the BEST dirt bike media site in the game. Typically, we line up for the Pro class with ambitions to battle for the Overall victory. Two years in a row we finished second overall, but came up short.
This year, due to a handful of injuries and zero prep time, we forgoed our plans for a Pro team and decided riding the Business class would be our best option. With myself coming off a two month shoulder injury sustained at Vegas 2 Reno (and still not cleared to ride/race until the week after the event), Tyler Belknap coming off a broken leg, and a rag tag team of friendly faces coming together, we went all in on having a GOOD TIME for 24 continuous hours with hopes that we’ll do alright in the Business class and in the Overall.
You can read about our Bike Build HERE, and while it was largely the same as last year, we came in with a slightly different setup centered around the suspension. Our testers had goals of experimenting with a fork valving setup that appeared to be a good direction on paper for our vet riders, but they were never able to track test it and confirm good or bad. So with no testing, we figured why not just show up to the 24 hour and live with it (either good or bad) and see how it is? That’s exactly what we did. Out back, we ran a completely stock shock that had ~30 hours on it prior to the start of the race. Typically we’d start with a completely fresh and rebuilt shock, but this shows how prepared we were. Instead of race prepping, we were attending a Dua Lipa concert at the Kia Forum the Tuesday night before the race…
With myself and DBT tester Tyler Belknap on the team, we brought on a few different riders from all backgrounds. Cody Lee, a Yamaha R&D rider who we’ve converted from strictly moto to all off-road (except Cody couldnt attend for the full 24 hours because of simping duties with his hot new girlfriend…) came to play from 6pm to 5am. Tucker Hopkins, a longtime friend of mine and who our dads teamed up for several Baja and desert team races back in the day, ventured out and helped complete the good vibes in the pits and solid on the bike criteria. Ryan Kudla, a fast vet guy that races the desert and GP sorta fast, was convinced last minute and we may have switched him onto a blue machine for the 2026 season! Lastly, we recruited Jake Kinney, a great friend from Colorado who has only ever done a couple of Colorado enduro and US Hard Enduro races in his life but had never been to Glen Helen and is self proclaimed as “not able to jump a motorcycle.”
For a quick recap on the race and what led to our overall experience, a lot of our bike setup comments can now be attributed to a loose headset that was found after the race. The top steering stem nut was much looser than it should’ve been and can most certainly explain why nearly all of our riders struggled in some way with the front end feel of the bike. Out back, the stock shock was never rebuilt and faded pretty hard at the end of the race. Normally we’d never start a race like this, or even ride much in general on a shock with 30+ hours on it, but we were pressed for time and couldn’t get the shock rebuilt in time without too much of a headache.
Additionally, instead of running the reliable wiring harness from the bike’s battery to the light setup up front, we tried to reinvent the wheel the night before and replace it with a fresh setup and routed more efficiently. Of course, that broke before we even put the lights on and we spent 15 minutes in the pits trying to resolve that. Additionally, our connector for the amber pod on our lights was faulty but having not been the last person to use it and having a lot of time in general on the lights, we weren’t able to fix that prior. Simply put, we had zero proper preparation and it showed. It was amazing that our race went as smoothly as it did and shows how using good parts and a good bike goes a long way in a race like this.
In addition, we used the race as the start of our testing grounds for an upcoming mousse comparison. We ran three sets of wheels for approximately 8 hours each: Michelin, Dunlop, and Nitro Mousse. We started with all the same sizes and measured each mousse in size as well as firmness prior to the race and post race. The results post-race were interesting in terms of durability and provided a lot of insight as we continue with the comparison coming in the future.
Without further adieu, hear from three of the riders that were motivated enough to write a mini recap of their experience and see how the race unfolded for the DBT crew.
Jake Kinney –
In the hours leading up to the 24-Hour of Glen Helen, Trevor Hunter had the DBT YZ450FX dialed in with a glow-up that would put Dua Lipa to shame, even on her hottest nights. The flashy blue-and-white steed matched Tyler Belknap’s metro flare perfectly off the start—equal parts shine and bark. She ran flawlessly throughout the heat of the day. With the TCS suspension perfectly dialed for my 160-pound teammates, I jumped on—armed with three liters of water, an enduro pack, a 240-pound dad bod, and a pizza hangover coming from a boujiee two weeks in Italy. Coming from the high country of Colorado (10,000+ ft elevation) and primarily riding altitude-muted 300cc two-strokes, the YZ450FX at sea level was a rude awakening.
It was my first time riding Glen Helen—and my first time on a moto track since my ’02 RM85—but after a few annoyingly basic riding tips from Trevor, I was able to settle in and feel the bike and the track out. Once I found the hot map (stock all zeros in Map 1) and started riding a gear higher than normal, I found a decent flow and managed to keep it on two wheels.
The suspension was harsh, as I was living in the bottom half of the stroke, but that was to be expected with my fat ass. I know why the rear shock was so smoked—sorry, fellas! The Yamaha motor has a strong, linear powerband that pulls hard all the way through, even in stock form. As night rolled in, I had the opportunity to watch the team diagnose and fix a handful of mechanical issues mid-battle with the MXA team. Adrenaline was high and efficiency was mandatory. It was just as impressive as their riding. Truly an eye-opening experience to see how much work goes into not only finishing a 24-hour event but also doing it at a competitive pace.
I got back on the bike just before midnight. I’ve ridden plenty of nighttime singletrack and late-night backcountry snowmobile detours, but I’d never raced a dirt bike at night—and definitely hadn’t experienced a proper off-road dual-light setup before. I was lit up with adrenaline and the excitement of chasing shadows and dust. I felt alive and fast (even if my lap times said otherwise).
At one end of the racecourse, a mariachi band was playing for hundreds of people. It sparked a fleeting dream of racing a leg of the Baja 1000 at night, surrounded by partying locals. It was my 36th birthday that night, and as I crested one of the ridge-lines, headlights danced across the surrounding hills. The air was filled with a cocktail of race fuel and dust, the city lights glowing in the valley below. I couldn’t help but grin and realize how damn lucky I was.
As the hours ticked away, the boys kept pounding out flawless laps. We all tried to grab a few minutes of shut-eye here and there, serenaded by the sweet sound of desert wind and rev limiters. I got the dawn patrol slot for my last few laps—stoked to get an extra lap behind the lights and with a dreamy combo of early-morning desert light and amber LEDs.
Shortly after, I was blinded by the rising sun and dust on my final lap, so it felt damn good to hand the abused 450FX off to the fast guys. As Tucker brought home the checkers, I downed every pancake and slab of butter I could get my hands on. Trevor dropped me off at the airport soon after, and I was on my way home almost as fast as it all began. I’m super thankful for everyone involved—a badass group of dudes, DBT for a rowdy bike, and Trevor for the invite and endless hospitality.
Tucker Hopkins –
I’ve raced the Glen Helen 24 Hour probably 10-12 times over the years. Everything from Open Sportsman teams, to Open Pro teams, but never with Trevor. Which is ironic because our dad’s raced together at Fud Pucker 24 Hour’s, different BITD races, and even down in Baja. Probably had something to do with me being a Checker and Trevor being a P-Dog but who knows. The 24 Hour always sounds like a great idea before the race, but when you get woken up at 2am to get on the bike you always seem to be contemplating your life decisions. This year however, was a little different. I’ve been racing the SCORE series all year on a 30 Pro bike, but haven’t raced much in the states all year. So when Trevor called me to race, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a bonus that we were racing Industry and I didn’t feel like I had the pressure to kill myself on an Open Pro bike battling for the win.
Besides some electrical issues with the race lights, and losing a rear brake in the first night stint, the race went well. We battled back and forth with the MXA team all day/into the night but this race doesn’t really start until midnight. We passed back into the lead in the early morning sometime, and were able to keep it rolling all the way to the finish. I haven’t ridden any sort of motocross track since last year’s 24 Hour, so the first time out I had some fierce arm-pump but by the second time out on the bike, I was able to shake it out and started to feel good. Always a good time on two wheels, and I can’t wait for next year.
With all my racing down in Baja the last few years, all of my time has been spent on either a Husky 450, or a 1st or 2nd Gen 450x. And when I’m racing NHHA or D37 races, I stick to my trusty YZ250, so racing a new YZ450FX was exciting. I’ve spent very little time on the newest version of the chassis so I was happy to get a chance to spend some time on it. The bike had some decent hit on the bottom, and in some of the rocky sections or hard pack I felt that it could have either used a mapping adjustment, or a flywheel weight to smooth the delivery a little bit. I love myself a cable clutch so I was pretty happy to see the cable clutch and a Works Connection perch on the bike.
For me and what I’m used to, the suspension was interesting. I was heavier than most of the guys on the team so maybe it was a spring rate issue but it felt like it was maybe too soft in the initial stroke of the fork, and maybe too much hold up in the mid-valve. After my first time out we made some adjustments and I ended up getting used to the bike. Having the Modified Machineworks lights on the front of the bike helped keep the front end settled, along with keeping the bike planted in some of the harder packed sections. Overall, the bike was very fun. Coming from a desert background I would have probably a little softer valving setup, and change the power delivery but all of that is minutia when it gets down to it. The bike ripped for 24 hours, and was a blast. Also, never used the Dunlop AT82 in the “scoop” direction and what a game changer. I think I found my new Hare and Hound tire.
Ryan Kudla –
While out at the NGPC in Ridgecrest a week prior, Trevor asked if I wanted to help fill out his team of five riders at the 24 Hours of Glen Helen and since it’d been almost ten years since I last raced one, I of course said yes! In those ten years, all the regrets you have about life when someone wakes you up at 2am to get on the bike were distant memories, so I was excited for the opportunity. I was also grateful we would be racing the industry class, so I wouldn’t have to go full send every time I got on the bike. My body (and my health insurance) were both grateful.
I’d only ridden the new generation YZ450FX twice before, so I was excited to get some extended time on a bike that had been modified a bit to address some of the issues some media princesses have with the bike. For my first stint on the bike, Tyler had just taken over the lead and I had a fun little back and forth down the pit lane with Josh Fout from the MXA team, almost getting his goggles off before he handed off the bike to the next rider.
That battle raged all the way through the race with both teams having difficulties at various times throughout the race. We had an electrical issue when we first put on the lights, and shortly after, the banjo bolt broke loose on the rear brake leading to a half lap with no rear brakes for Cody and another 15 minutes trying to get all the air out. Even after our mishaps, we were able to take the lead in the early morning hours and finish with a nice gap following the issues the MXA team had.
My normal race bike is a KTM 450 XC-F so it was a different world hopping onto a Yamaha. Every single time I was on the bike I had at least one crash and I think most of it was attributed to the suspension set up. Apparently, I like my suspension WAY softer than anyone else on the team so I just couldn’t get the front end to track the way I like. This was especially noticeable in flat hardpacked corners where I just could never get confident in the front end feel. But, in rutted corners, I could lean that thing over way better than I can my KTM, so it was a bit of give and take the whole day. To note, I was the lightest on the team and about 10 lbs lighter than who it was set up for in regards to rider sag which attributed to this sensation.
I was also grateful there were two maps set up in the bike as the stock all zeros Map 1 is a lot of bike to handle and I spent almost all my time in the softer map (see below). Overall, the bike is a great starting platform and I know it could be optimized to suit me, but with a wide mix of riding styles we were able to get something that fit everyone well enough that we won the industry class!
Cody Lee –
Trevor is the best. Nobody can test a bike better than him. He’s better on a dirt bike and on a bicycle than me. He can also blow a conch. He’s so awesome.
Tyler Belknap –
I wish I was Trevor. He’s a chill, fun guy that is better than me in every way. Mahalo (shaka).
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At the end of the day, we prevailed in the Business class after a race long battle with the Motocross Action Magazine squad and the Cycle News close behind in third. We ended up 8th Overall and, without our two mishaps in the beginning of the night, we likely would’ve finished around the Top 5 Overall. But that’s part of the race and we didn’t exactly follow the 7 P’s this time around…
As always, a BIG thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort and all of the sponsors that helped revive this bike into a showstopper pre-race!
1-800-Dent-Doc, Yamaha, TCS Powersports, Prairie Dogs MC, Dunlop, Modified Machine Works, Luxon, IMS, DDC Sprockets, Michelin, Nitromousse, Works Chassis Labs, RAD Custom Graphics, GUTS Racing, Acerbis
To see all of our laptimes and a complete breakdown of our race time wise, click HERE.
