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ET MOTOPARK - EAST MESA / APACHE
JUNCTION, AZ |
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Quads are no longer allowed at ET, so we
don't know have current info. Located in the East Valley, right on the edge
of Apache Junction; take
highway 60 east to the Ironwood exit and head south on Ironwood for about 5 miles, you
shouldn't miss it. Big Bikes and Quads are $25 per rider and $15
or $20
for kids under 80cc. There is a
main track (south track), a vet track (north track), a pee-wee track for the really
little guys & gals, and a mini track for the advanced or bigger pee-wees.
The bikes have access to the main and vet track, while the quads now only
have access to the vet track. Although the vet track is a pretty good, there are a
few things that could be done to make it a good vet track. Unfortunately it's not
unusual to see someone being air-vacced out, from the vet track, and it's
almost always a bike rider. The vet track had some serious work done to it
and it is getting better over the years. There is only one gnarly/long double on the track
that could easily be made into a table or scaled down to really make this
track a good one for all levels of riding, but we like the double because it
gives us an advantage over some of our friends that we ride with. Vet riders and beginners/novice
riders will have a good time on the Vet track. We saw a few quads out there that
were really airing it out (clearing the triple), and they may intimidate the novice rider, but the
quads aren't allowed on the main track, where the serious racers could really perfect
their skills. The youth (80cc) track appears longer and wider,
for the size of the quads and bikes on it, than the vet track... and the
kids get to kick the quads off the only track they're allowed on, for their
50-80cc sessions. It's pretty lame shelling out more money than the youth
riders and having to share a track with them (when they have one just for
them). There are a total of 4 tracks, 3 of them are open to the bikes and
the quads get to share the other one. That's pretty much our only pet-peeve
about the facility. Mostly because a lot of youth bike riders get hurt on
the Vet track and then the track is closed to everybody until the helicopter
or ambulance arrives. We've seen a lot of kids go down over the years, and
most could probably be prevented if they weren't allowed on a track that is
beyond their abilities. The Beginner track (50-60cc) looks very mellow for the little riders, the kids always look like their having a blast.
Parents should caution their young beginners to watch out for the kids that
cut the track though. For hours, races, and more info check
their site
www.etmotopark.com.
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~ JANUARY 9, 2009 ~ |
| There have been quite a few
changes at ET since we were last out there, with one of the
changes being that they're open on Friday's thru the end of
January. The quad track had some major changes to it, but
they were well received by the 3 of us that were out there.
With the narrow straights and all corners being high banks,
it's probably a little crazy on the actual weekend. There
were only a couple of corners wide enough to slide thru on
the inside, the jumps were all great... excellent
transitions, but the new section is so narrow that it's
bound to wreak havoc if more than a few quads are out there.
Still a great time though and with the 2 of us and one other
gal out there, we literally had the track to ourselves. |
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BRM
450R's |
Noelani's
DRX50 |
Getting
all set up |
Excellent day to
ride |
Noelani is ready |
Taking a spin with
dad |
Best buddies |
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Jeff having fun |
Jeff getting a
little loose |
Jeff airing it out |
Slipping a dime
under Jeff |
Missy having fun |
Missy having fun |
This 1 was fun! |
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Missy having fun |
Missy having fun |
Missy - Sequence
1 |
Missy - Sequence
2 |
Missy - Sequence
3 |
Missy - Sequence
4 |
Missy's 450R |
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Jeff - ET, Jan 9, clip 1 |
Missy - ET, Jan 9, clip 1
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Noelani - ET, Jan 9, clip 1
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Jeff - ET, Jan 9, clip 2 |
Missy - ET, Jan 9, clip 2
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~ NOVEMBER 23, 2008 ~ |
| ET Motopark is now under new
management and this was the first weekend with the new
folks. The track was in great shape at the start, but
deteriorated pretty quickly. That's been the typical thing
out at ET for years, but it really makes you a better rider
when you have to man-handle your 400 pound quad over the
tables, doubles, and kickers with all the deep holes and
uneven terrain. We had a great time out there, but the new
managers may have been "over-policing" who road the vet
track. They did give the quads their own 20 minute session,
but it wasn't really necessary since there were only about
15 of us. They also ran a bike only session (don't know why)
and several mini sessions. That's our pet-peeve. There was a
lot of sitting time for all the adults and complaining in
the pits. But, we'll see how things go out there. Hopefully
the new managers will just let the quads and bikes run
together on the vet track (North track) since it's "bikes
only" on the Main (South) track. |
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YouTube video:
Missy having fun at ET |
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~ OCTOBER 12, 2008 ~ |
It's cooled down a lot lately, only in
the 70's this early October weekend. The crowd turnout was pretty light,
but everyone looked to be having a great time. As we pulled
into the track our 3 year old daughter squealed with
excitement. The first track you see is the 50-60cc Beginner
track, and she knows that someday she'll be cruising around
it on her own. We got there about an hour after opening,
just in time for the 'Vet' track to be closed to adults and
opened to the 50-80cc kids. So, we unloaded our 3 quads and
gave our daughter a day we'll never forget. We got all
geared up and headed over to the Beginner track. She's been
learning the throttle, but at her young age, doesn't really
understand the whole braking concept, let alone steering
smoothly. More practice time on her big-wheel should help
though. Her first session was about 6 or 7 laps and she
yelled the entire time. When we told her we were going to
head back to the pits, she didn't want to go... but we
wanted our turn on the Vet track. We took her out for about
4 sessions, and she talked about the rest of the day.
Despite a dead 450R battery and a flat front on the other
one, it was a great day and are looking forward to our next
weekend visit.
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Jeff on his wife's 450R J |
Jeff getting started |
Jeff hitting the doubles |
Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
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Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
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NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
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Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
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Jeff - 450R |
Jeff - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
Missy - 450R |
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NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
NoMo - DRX50 |
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NoMo - Playing |
NoMo - DRX50 |
Randy-Motoworks Suspension |
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GRINDING
STONE SPORTS PARK - FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ |
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Grinding stone is now closed indefinitely.
Unfortunately a riders family went 'sue' crazy and forced the Tribe to close
it down. One of the best places in AZ for everyone one, is not just sitting
there. Located just north of Fountain Hills.
Follow the 87 north (Beeline highway) towards Saguaro
Lake. Shortly after you cross over the Verde River, you'll enter the park on
your right. The track is a great mix of loamy soil and granite stretched out
over 1.4 miles with a mix of high speed areas, technical areas, jumps, and
several elevation changes. A very good and natural outdoor motocross track.
After a couple of impressive day of heavy rains for Thanksgiving, the track
had some pretty good water hazards to navigate around, and sometimes thru,
but overall the track held up great. We had a great time and although you can't really see much of the track from
the pits, we got pictures where we could. However, the Pee-Wee track is very
visible from the pits and we had no problem burning a few pix of our
daughter as she's still learning how to handle her DRX 50. The 4 hours spent washing our quads and gear was
totally worth all the fun we had. For more
information on practice hours and fees, please visit their web site -
Grinding Stone Sports Park
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SPEEDWORLD MX -
SURPRISE, AZ |
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| Located in Surprise. Big Bikes and Quads are $25 per rider and $20
for kids. More info will be added soon, but for hours, races, and more info check
their site
www.speedworldmx.com. |
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MOTOLAND MX PARK - CASA GRANDE, AZ |
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Motoland is a new track in Casa Grande, that
just opened on 2/26/05 and we were there for the debut. From I-8 take the
Thornton road exit and go south for about half a mile to where the asphalt
road ends. Turn right onto Hanna road (dirt road) and follow it for about 1
mile or so and the track entrance is on your left. There is 1 main track and
1 youth track with other tracks and facility improvements in the works. Here
is the current Main Track layout... Hop on the track and you go down into a
pit, come out and take a flat hairpin right into another pit. Come out of
that one and take a banked 90 degree left. Turn slightly right for the first
table, probably about a 40-50 footer. There's not much of a run at it coming
out of the corner and it makes you drift slightly to the left but we were
getting about 75% a crossed it (400EX quads). After the table, you take a 90
degree flat left hand turn onto a good straight away (100-120ft) into a flat
left hand 90 degree turn right into the next table. This table has a nasty
lip on it and you drift hard to the right (Kirb almost went off the table
once). The lip gives you good air, but we didn't have much speed to try and
clear it because of the corner before. Plus there was no run at it. Great
for the advanced bikes though. After table 3 you take a 90 degree right for
a short distance and then another 90 degree right onto table 4 (which is
identical to table 3). Table 4 had an uneven lip on the right side... a lot
higher than the left side. You either had to hit the left or right otherwise
you're going off it crooked. This table made you drift left and on one lap
the bike in front of me drifted off and landed on the side of the table. He
rode it out but I think he had a short-check afterwards. After table 4 you
take a 90 degree flat left hand turn into a long straight away again,
probably the same as the other straight (100-120ft). Then we slooow down for
a nasty double. It's the kind that has a longer drop off than starting
ramp... and you can't see the landing area. After this double you take a 90
degree flat left hand turn into what is supposed to be a
double-single-double... but for us it was 5 singles! Another opportunity to
apply the brakes J.
After this section is a 180 degree left that leads to table 5. It didn't
have much of a lip but it did have a gradual down hill landing. We tried to
clear it, but it need the lip to get in the air more. After table 5 is a 180
degree right turn down a short straight into a 90 degree left. This is where
speed can do one of 2 things, give you the hard unforgiving landing or put
you ahead of the pack (guess where we were
J).
Ok, you come out of the left and hit a some-what blind table that drops into
a pit (the pro bikes would land on the downside in the pit). You come out of
the pit and hit it hard and we were almost clearing the step-up. A couple of
times we had a hard landing because we came up short, but it didn't
discourage us from trying it J.
After the step-up out of the pit you go down a short straight (50-60ft) into
a 90 degree left to table 6. Once again with the table being at the exit of
the corner, we have no speed to clear it. So after you come down the back
side of this table, you take a 180 degree right turn into table 7. You
actually get a run at this one, but there's no lip. The good news is, this
is the one we were clearing. After table 7, there's a 90 degree right hander
that goes into a roller section. The rollers are deep, but not too close
together... great rhythm. After the rollers there's a 180 degree left turn
with a run at table 8. This would be another good table to build the lip up
on to help the quads clear it better. (Table 7 thru the rollers over table 8
was my favorite part of the track.) Then you drop into pit 4 and just haul
butt, if there was a lip you could launch out, and hit the long straight. At
the end of this straight is the tightest and narrowest 180 degree right hand
turn on the whole track. It's also elevated and at times you almost think
you're going off the edge... it's an adrenaline rush. Then you hit a
straight just like the one before the 180 turn. Fly down this straight to
hit the brakes (or try the triple). You guessed it, we hit the brakes then
the jump. Then we roll/wheelie the next jump and then hit the single at the
end. After that there's a 180 degree left that takes you into a really long
whoop section. Not nasty like Verde's, we were hitting them in an easy 3rd
gear. They all had rolled tops so you couldn't mess up too bad. After the
whoop section is pit 5. Coming out of pit 5 is the fastest part of the track
and it takes you into a double apex left hand turn and drops you back in to
pit #1. 1.5 miles later, you've completed 1 lap. There are colored
flags/ribbons that line the corners and we almost took a couple out, it was
kind of funny. There are also flagger towers, with flaggers, throughout the
track. It's a very good set up and was run very well. For more current info
check their site,
www.motolandmxpark.com . As of 2007, quads are no longer allowed, but
still a fun track for the bikes.
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VERDE VALLEY MOTOCROSS - VERDE
VALLEY, AZ |
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Located in Cottonwood, about
10 miles west of I-17 on highway 260. The track entrance is on the north
side of the highway, and they don't have a sign near the road. Practice fees
were $15 in 2003, and they are open on the weekends. This is the most
technical track in Arizona. It's a lot of fun, but you need to be in shape
for the big doubles, and the nasty whoops. This is where I got my first
trophy and where I broke my femur (thankfully not in the same day
J).
The track is long, has elevation changes, a few step-ups, a triple, 4
different doubles, a whoops section, a rhythm section, and some tables. The
track is narrow in a few areas, but the corners are pretty wide. A great
place to ride in the summer, temperatures are usually in the 70-80's range.
OTHER ARIZONA RIDE SPOTS
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MOTO GRANDE - CASA GRANDE, AZ |
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Located in Casa Grande. This track is for both quads and bikes, there’s a $25
use fee, and Friday nights are becoming known as Quad Night. In the summer, they
are open Thursday thru Saturday for night riding. The rest of the year it’s
Friday thru Sunday 8am to 5pm. The track is a little narrow for quads, but lots
of fun none the less. It is technical with a lot of jumps, tables, pits, tight
corners, and whoops. There aren’t a lot of places to lighten up on your grip,
except for in the parking lot. Definitely a good track that will whip you into
shape in a hurry. Moto Grande is located south of Phoenix near Casa
Grande located right off of I-8. From Phoenix, follow I-10 south to the
intersection with I-8. Take I-8 west to the Bianco Road exit. At the top of the
exit ramp turn right and go over the freeway, the road will turn into a dirt
road. Follow the dirt road a couple hundred feet to the first right, turn here
and follow it to the track (you’ll see the track on the south side of the
freeway before you take the exit at Bianco Rd). Here are some directions we received from a rider out
there that says it will shave 35 minutes off the drive from Chandler. Take I-10
South to exit 185, follow it to the right to Casa Grande. Take this all the way
through town, and turn right on the main drag (Florence Blvd and highway 84 are
the same street). Go under the bridge and make a left at Thorton (stop light).
This will take you to the I-8, go right and then get off at the next exit. For more info
call Moto Grande at (602)326-8293. Moto Grande has lost a lot of riders to the
new track, Motoland, which is about 1 mile east on I-8... Motoland is a better
overall facility for the entire family.
OTHER ARIZONA RIDE
SPOTS
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PRESCOTT VALLEY MOTOPLEX, YAVAPAI
FAIRGROUNDS - PRESCOTT, AZ |
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Located in at the Prescott
Valley Fairgrounds. We last rode this track in the summer of 2001, so I'm
not sure if any changes have been made. The weekend practices were $15 per
rider and spectators are free. Pretty cool track. Lots of table, some big
and some small. A whoops section, some rollers, and good jumps. It's for
both bikes and quads, and great place to ride in the summer.
OTHER ARIZONA RIDE
SPOTS
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SYCAMORE CREEK - FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ |
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Located just north of Fountain Hills.
Follow the 87 north (Beeline highway) towards Saguaro
Lake. You’ll go past the Saguaro Lake turn off, get in the left lane, take
the next left (crosses over median-road thru bushes) and at the stop sign
you’ll see the entrance across the southbound lanes of the highway, just
slightly to your left. Follow the entrance in and find some shade. There are
usually quite a few riders out here early. There are a lot of good trails
and a wash that people like to rip up and down. We want to see it after it
rains. Located near Saguaro Lake and has quite a few trails to venture on.
We've been out here a few times with both our quads and our truck. The
trails are nice, clean, and very scenic. To get here take Highway 87 (the
Beeline) north of Fountain Hills towards Payson. Follow the signs to Saguaro
lake, and turn into the boat staging area (before you get to the lake), just
head straight back into the dirt. There are no fees to ride here.
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