Motocross park opening thrills riders

GARDNERVILLE - Most motocross riders have conditioned themselves to sustain long runs on the track. Their arms are strong enough to endure the pressure of holding down the throttle and squeezing the brakes, their legs are sturdy enough to handle the constant vibrations of the ground beneath them and their butts don't get saddle sore.

While long rides are nothing to them on a bike, the distance to find a track in the area has be a nuisance.

Consider that problem relieved.

The Nevada Motocross Park opened it's gates in Gardnerville on Wednesday to a crowd of dirt bike enthusiasts who previously had to spend hours to travel to Mustang or even Sacramento to find a track.

"The first impression I got, I ran it a couple weeks ago (before it opened), and it's a really good layout and it's going to make for some very good racing," said Matt Buyten, a native of Carson City. "It has a very good variety of corners and stuff. It's going to be a good race track, I believe."

Buyten's childhood friend, Mike Mason said it beats trying to ride in the hills

"You can't ride out in the hills during the summer. It's rocky ... you crash in the turn, get bit by a snake, you're screwed."

The opening also signaled an end to find a home for the park. Steve Brown said he spent three years trying to get the park open along with his friend Harvie Keith. He even attempted to put it in Carson City, to the dismay of a home owners' association. But after Douglas County granted him temporary approval to build the track on county-owned land in May, the wheels were already set in motion.

"I've been doing this since I was 5 and I'm a little long in the tooth to be doing it (now), but I love watching these young guys come up through the ranks," Brown said.

The track will fill a void for the Carson area. The last track in the city closed about five years ago after aiding in the early careers of X Games riders like Mason, Buyten and Adam Jones.

"That was like our stomping grounds, basically," said Mason of the Carson track. "... It was kind of heart breaking when it went away because that's where all of our childhood memories are. But what's cool about this, is we can make some new memories with our buds and get back on the track."

The track will host a number of races beginning with the inaugural Summer1 Series as well as vintage, pro and freestyle races throughout the summer.

Brown expects the track, between races and practice, to have an economic impact of about $700,000. Riders will be charged $20 to practice on Wednesday and Saturday open practice days, with spectators paying $5 on those days. On race days, riders will be charged $35 for the first entry and $25 for the second. Spectators will pay $10.

Brown hopes that by giving younger riders a place to go, it will help revive a sport that had been on the rise nationally before leveling off recently.

"Northern Nevada needs this really bad," Brown said. "Motocross is dying across the state with housing and everything pushing development."