legal mx practice tracks

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Some random thoughts..........

Does anyone know why there is no open practice @ the Middleboro/Capeway Rovers race track? Is there anyway this can be changed? Wouldn't it be nice to have a groomed, legitemate place to practice?

Does anyone outside of the dirtbike community see the logic to this? Something of this nature would help to eliminate evironmental concerns, complaints and run ins with the law. I know this all seems obvious, but in all of the websites that I have visited I have never seen this topic addressed. Especially in New England. Where better to discuss this, but right here in a website devoted to our sport in our little part of the world. There is so much talk about this as it applies to other parts of the country. Especially California. I have been to SoCal many times and have visited a handful of their tracks. It's organized and controlled and everyone is happy.

Has anyone ever given any thought to petitioning one of the local towns for a site upon which a small track could be built? In this months Motocross Action there is reference to town run tracks in other states. How about using one of our many landfills? Once capped they become nothing but a grass covered mound of earth. Take a look at the one off of Rte 3 in Braintree. It's huge and fairly far from homes. How about the one in Kingston. Same thing. What a waste of land...........

-- mike crosby (mike.crosby@lpl.com), April 08, 2000

Answers

Mike, most of motocross riders are with you but I think it becomes a legal problem with noise and everything else in such a tight neibors.

There were two guys in Plymouth a couple of years ago who tried building a track on (their own land)!!!!! and the neibors put up such a stink with the local politicans the made them stop consruction, imagine trying to build on their own land and were told they could not.

I hope this stirs up some chat to accomplish just what you are hoping along with many more of us.

-- Thomas White (tcwy2k@yahoo.com), April 08, 2000.


YOU GOT A GREAT IDEA THERE BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS NEW ENGLAND AND PEOPLE JUST HATE EVERTHING AND EVERYBODY WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGING THEIR LITTLE SPOT OF WORLD, JUST TRY TO START A BUISNESS AND SEE WHAT FUN YOU'LL BE IN FOR! NEVER MIND A PLACE WHERE ALOT OF PEOPLE CONGREGATE AND MAKE NOISE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES, IT UPSETS THEIR STUPID LITTLE SPOT ON THE PLANET, AND THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE WILL FIGHT TO THE END TO STOP PLACES LIKE THIS FROM EXISTING NEAR THEM.THERE IS A PLACE IN WARREN MASS. WHICH CONTINUES TO TRY TO FIGHT THE SYSTEM EVERY YEAR FOR A DECADE NOW,WITHOUT SUCCESS, EVEN WITH ALL THE CHARTS ON NOISE POLLUTION, LETTERS AND PETITIONS FROM RIDERS AND RACERS IN A 40 MILE RADIUS OF THIS TOWN, BUT EVERY YEAR THE (3) HOUSES ON HIS BACK ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE, THAT AREN'T EVEN NEAR HIS 75 ACRE BACK YARD VALLEY WITH AN EXISTING TRACK ALREADY ON IT CONTINUE TO SUCCESSFULLY WIN THE TOWN COUNCIL OVER AND WILL NOT LET HIM USE HIS OWN LAND FOR THIS PURPOSE! SO YOU TELL ME,IS THIS RIGHT? HELL NO! CAN HE USE OTHER CHANNELS? NO! WHAT THE NEXT STEP FOR HIM, A GUY WHO LOVES THIS SPORT WITHOUT A TON OF DOUGH IN HIS POCKET TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT? I DON'T KNOW, SEEMS HORRIBLE TO ME THAT THINGS ARE THIS WAY, BUT THEY ARE, AND IT SEEMS ONLY IN NEW ENGLAND DO PEOPLE RUN IN TO THIS TYPE OF STONE WALLING TACTICS.IF ANYONE TRIED THIS OUT WEST OR DOWN SOUTH YOU'D PROB.GET LOCAL SUPPORT AND FINANCING INSTANTLY AS THE REVENUE AND BUISNESS FOR THE TOWN IN THE AREA OF THE TRACK WOULD INCREASE, FOOD SALES, RACE FUEL, PARTSHOUSES, ECT.. ECT... 3 PEOPLE STOP THIS GUY EVEY YEAR!

-- stymie (stymie500r@aol.com), April 09, 2000.

Mike, There are several reasons why the Capeway Rovers do not offer practice at their track. First off, I think the biggest reason is the liability issue. If Middleboro were to have practice sessions on their track on certain times, Capeway Rovers would have to supply staff to handle entrance fees/practice fees, an adequate number of rescue/ambulances, and police detail officers to insure the safety of each and every rider. Finding the resources to do this alone would impose a major headache A second reason involves the politics of Middleboro. Is City Hall going to allow the noise, traffic congestion, and so on, for practice sessions? Think about everything that goes on in a typical race day. Imagine most of that on say, a Wednesday night, for practice. A third reason is the issue of race fairness. Sure, its a wonderful thing to be able to practice on a popular race track some weeknight before the race. Practicing on the track gives a rider a huge advantage over other riders that live too far away from the track to practice. So, come Sunday, is the race really going to be fair to all riders? Well, there you have it. The above are just a few reasons why Middleboro does not have practice sessions. So we got to just bite the bullet and deal with it until something comes up. -Pat Allen

-- Patrick Allen (www.kx250454@aol.com), April 10, 2000.

I Live on Long Island NY. There IS NO LEGAL PLACE to ride here. Each weekend, after a 50 hour work week, I have to be a criminal on weekends just to do what I enjoy to do. We have probally 100 golf courses, but no legal riding areas. I cant even got off my bike to take a piss because a cop on a quad may ride up. THIS IS HORSESHIT...What can we do to get a place ride so I can raise my kids to participate in a sport that I grew up with?

-- Bob Larsen (mxair250@aol.com), April 12, 2000.

In respoonse to the question regarding practice at Middleboro: My name is Paul Fournier, I am an attorney, NESC racer #431, and activist. I approached the NESC with a proposal to represent it in any legal proceedings or problems to set up a practice track for NESC members. I pointed out how the NESC could use practice tracks as a way to promote membership, minimize injury on race days, and promote a better image to the non-riding public. In addition, I proposed that all of this could be obtained by maintaining the seventy dollar membership rather than the new forty dollar rate and use the additional thirty dollars per rider to save up and purchase low value property. The NESC, in its infinite wisdom, simply returned a short note stating that it is satisfied with its tracks and does not feel the need to address these concerns. If you feel differently, let me know. Let the NESC board know. Take the time to write them and demand they put your comments in the newsletter provided at the races. Look for me at the races, I'll be the chubby guy in blue with a Kawasaki.

P.S. I'm looking for serious racers to help purchase and organize our own practice track if the NESC will not help.

-- paul fournier (papasmurf431@aol.com), April 21, 2000.



The question is the same everywhere, the answer is the same everywhere! The general public are afraid of motocross racing. I think it really comes down to the noise, it scares people. To a motocross enthusiast, the sound of a bike gets their heart pumping, to a non-enthusiast, it's noise. I know how everyone can find the largest sickest safest funest place to race/practice......move out west! Sorry folks, the spaces and places around here are few and far between. It's hard to find a frigging place to mountain bike around here anymore! There are too many greedy and selfish jerks moving to Maine and changing its' character. Hell I'm moving to the country!

-- jason armstrong burrill (jasonburrill@prodigy.net), August 13, 2000.

We make it hard on ourselves.

1 The real concern is liability to the track owners, Who some bonehead will sue if he scrapes his knee.

2 The bikes are too load and anoying. A possible solution would be extra quiet silencers for practice.

-- Don Davis (Don.Davis@verizon.net), March 07, 2001.


Check out EBMX its in ny website is www.ebmx.net checkit out two tracks both 1.5 miles long ones natural terrain the other manmade sx track over 40 different jumps ,whoops you name it. the natural track has some 100ft plus down hills and a serious uphill like comming out of gravity cavity. check it out you won't be sorry!

-- jim desrosiers (ebmxthumper@earthlink.net), March 12, 2001.

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