39th TransBorgaro Vet

Old Boys, Still Fast (Andras Hegyi)

Earlier this month, the 39th TransBorgaro Vet race was held at Borgaro Torinese, a municipality near Turin in the northeast of Italy. This vintage motocross race has become more and more famous, with several American motocross stars traveling there to compete every year. Also on hand were former motocross and enduro world champions, and other off-road big names took part in. This year TransBorgaro was held in a brand-new venue, but its scenario and schedule were the same: races in three different categories and a then family cup. 

In the '70s Class, the biggest name was the “Golden Boy” himself, six-time AMA National Motocross Champion Broc Glover. The Californian, 57 and still in race trim, was a pre-race favorite, and he did not disappoint. The field had 39 racers from the seventies, and Glover, who works for Dunlop as an off-road senior manager, won both motos. The first time out, Glover won by 10 seconds; in the second moto, he got 21 seconds ahead of everyone else. Glover debuted at the TransBorgaro in 2014 and since then he has been undefeated, taking four consecutive victories.

Another American star, 61-year-old Chuck Sun, counts as an old-timer at the TransBorgaro. The 1980 AMA 500cc National Champion finished fourth overall, with 3-5 moto finishes. 

The '80s Class had 34 racers, and the winner was Italy’s Paolo Caramello, who hails from Turin. Caramello, who raced in the 250cc Grand Prix circuit in the 1980s, took 2-1 moto finishes. The most famous member of the field was Micky Dymond, but the two-time AMA 125cc National Champion was only able to go 3-3 for third. The 52-year-old was racing with cracked ribs from just before the TransBorgaro.

The strongest field was the '90s Class, which had 39 riders, among them Americans John Dowd, Robbie Reynard, and Doug Dubach plus two Italian World Champions, Alex Puzar and David Philippaerts. The winner was the “Junk Yard Dog,” the 52-year-old Dowd, the 1998 AMA 125cc East Supercross Champion. The ageless Dowd got 1-2 moto finishes, while the 40-year-old Robbie Reynard was fourth overall, collecting 6-4 moto finishes. Dubach, Puzar, and Philippaerts had no good luck. The 54-year-old Dubach finished third in the first moto but was forced to pull off in the second because of a technical issue. The 2008 MX1 World Champion, Philippaerts had the same schedule. In the first moto, he was fourth; in the second, mechanical troubles forced him to retire. Together with his brother Deny Philippaerts, a former motocrosser who at present is an enduro rider, they won the Family Cup competition.

Two-time FIM World Champion Puzar had a disappointing day. His 49th birthday was the day of the TransBorgaro, and “Crazy Horse” wanted to win. He managed to do it in the first moto, but in the second one he fell and finished only 15th, good for sixth overall.

Danish rider Brian Jorgensen also rode and made the podium, as well as this film.