Dirt has been flying ever since the grand opening of the South Cariboo’s motocross track at the 99 Mile hill.
It didn’t take long for the track to gain province-wide attention, according to Brandon Plewes, president of the association and the man who started the motion for the track in 100 Mile House.
“We have had great success so far,” said Plewes. “People are having fun and the track is safe, for the kids, especially.”
Since the opening of the track, the association has close to 129 members. Plewes said he only expected roughly 60 memberships for its inaugural season.
“We have built the track so it is fun for experienced riders but also safe for new and slower riders,” said Plewes. “That was one of our main focuses. They can come out here, learn new skills and not worry about crashing bad or hurting themselves.”
Lance Brown, a local rider who is no stranger to the motocross scene, said the old track used to get a lot of riders and the new one has been following suit.
Related: A new motocross track for 100 Mile House
“It’s a really good track,” said Brown. “The work that has been done this year to get it where it is, is phenomenal. To think, it started out as flat surface up here.”
Brown ran the old track during the 90s. He said he believed the track was initially built somewhere between the late 70s and early 80s. While in charge, the old track hosted many professional races.
“It’s a good place for kids to get together,” said Brown. “It’s a controlled environment versus trail riding. You don’t know who you’re going to meet on the trails. For the amateurs, this (the new track) is a good place to start. Yeah, you’ve got the obstacles, jumps and puddles, but as far as the environment, it is a safe place for kids to get out here, have some fun and learn some skills.”
Related: Riders show motocross muscle at nationals
Plewes said he intends on hosting races come the following season.
“The track is bringing in additional revenue for the town - fuel, food, bike sales have been up, maintenance and repairs. It goes around the whole community,” said Plewes.
Aside from hosting events, the association would like to expand into their system, offering more enduro-cross country events, which is trail-based riding. According to Plewes, there are approximately 15 kilometres of trails that have been cut and are in the process of being registered as dirtbike-use trails.
“I want to thank all of the volunteers and those who’ve gotten behind what we had envisioned,” said Plewes.”I don’t think it would have been possible without all of the community support.”
For information regarding membership pricing and the association, visit their Facebook page: South Cariboo Track and Trail Dirtbike Association.
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