Rival Motocross Park offers a haven for dirt bike faithful

June 10, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/Frontiersman

BUTTE - A slice of motocross heaven is located at the end of an easy-to-miss gravel road off the Old Glenn Highway in the Butte. Improbably cut into a forest of towering hardwoods, it's a place where the dirt is always soft, the air smells like gasoline and pickle relish and there's enough free mosquito dope for everyone.

Welcome to Rival Motocross Park, as laid-back a track as any in America.

On Saturday, the track held its first races of the season. A couple dozen riders - ranging from beginners to the state's best - gathered for a day of low-key competition and camaraderie under sunny skies shaded by the track's distinctive cottonwood tree canopy.

Track co-owner Ralph Blanchard said that Saturday's racing was exactly the kind of action Rival's founders envisioned when they began clearing out the land with a borrowed bulldozer eleven years ago.

&#8220We just wanted riders to be able to show up and go,” Blanchard said shortly before racing began.

Blanchard and Sam Myers own the park, and maintain its 10 acres with the help of a small group of friends that includes semi-official &#8220track helpers” like friends Scott Sanderson, Pat Poland and Ralph's wife, Tyra.

There will be four weekends of racing at the park this year, with practice sessions held every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 until 10 p.m. While there is a $10 charge to practice, Sam Myers said the park is far from a moneymaker.

&#8220Any money there is goes right back into it,” Myers said.

The owners also stressed that they couldn't keep the park open without the help of local business United Rentals, which donates equipment time to keep the track in shape.

&#8220They've been the biggest miracle so far,” Sanderson said of the company's contribution.

The track itself is described as highly technical by riders, with numerous hairpin turns tucked in among the trees. Speeds are kept low because there are few straight sections, while the jumps are modest by traditional motocross standards.

But the track surface itself is rich soil, which is kept moist and soft by an on-site watering system. Riders love the surface, and said it's one of the park's biggest draws.

&#8220Other places are rocky,” said Palmer rider Aaron Loyer. &#8220Out here it's mostly top soil.”

Loyer cited the track surface, track layout and comfortable atmosphere as reasons he ranks the Rival park among his favorites.

&#8220It's a lot more laid back here,” he said.

Loyer would know. As one of the state's most successful motocross

racers, he has raced professionally at tracks all across the country at the top level of motocross racing.

But the 21-year-old was recently diagnosed with cancer and returned to Alaska. Now home, he said he enjoys being able to spend time with his family at the hometown track.

&#8220It's nice out here,” he said.

On Saturday, Loyer and his father, Ben, donned their racing gear to hit the track, while brother Steven - who also races but was in the pits Saturday - and mom Teri watched.

&#8220We've been here since it opened,” Ben Loyer said.

Aaron said he got his start at the track, and can remember when it was nothing but a dense forest.

&#8220It used to look just like that,” he said, pointing to the thickly wooded forest that surrounds the park.

While most tracks have strict guidelines for spectators, pit crews and racers, Rival is different. The pit area doubles as both a parking area and spectator area, and fans are close enough to the action to get dirt blown in their face as riders roar past.

A day at the track has the feel of a backyard barbecue, complete with picnic tables, hot dogs and little kids and pets running around amidst the riders and their crews.

Track helper Scott Sanderson said those who work to keep the track going wouldn't have it any other way, and believes that's what keeps riders coming back.

&#8220I think it's just we're low-key out here,” Sanderson said.

The track is also extremely family-friendly, with most of the racers utilizing siblings and parents as pit crews.

Among the riders who made it out Saturday were a number of young kids, riding scaled-down 50-, 60- and 85-cc bikes. That group included the Burton brothers, Wesley, 8, and Aidan, 6. Wesley began riding when he was a two-year-old and has since begun to see some success.

&#8220I won a championship out here last year,” he said proudly.

Both brothers said they like the speed of motocross racing, but that their favorite part of the sport is getting air.

&#8220I like jumping,” Aidan said.

&#8220Doubles,” Wesley added.

The boys' father, Will, said the track is an ideal place for young riders to learn the sport.

&#8220It's great for the kids and it's good for motocross,” Will Burton said.

Rider Justin Kewan, 16, agreed that the tight turns of the track have helped him improve his riding.

&#8220It gives you a challenge, makes you think more,” Kewan said. &#8220It's pretty much technical.”

While the track plays host to a limited racing schedule, the practice nights are when the majority of the action takes place. Scott Sanderson said the practice sessions are a great way to meet people and have a little friendly competition.

&#8220You can always make a pretty good race with someone out there,” he said.

Organizers say they have no plans to change much about the park, though they did note that they'll continue to make minor improvements as time and budget allow.

&#8220It's evolved slowly over the years,” Ralph Blanchard said.

After more than a decade of clearing the land, however, Blanchard and Myers both said the track has pretty much turned into exactly what they'd hoped, a laid back, low-key track; a place built by riders for riders to enjoy.

&#8220We knew what we wanted when we started,” Myers said. &#8220It's taken a while to get there.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com