Press Release
Motocross in Carbon County is getting a significant facelift, thanks in large part to private donations.
The Carbon County motocross track located at the Carbon County Fairgrounds will undergo an upgrade next week ahead of the Trails Grand Opening May 16, which will also be the weekend of the first motocross race on the newly rebuilt track.
Dirt Wurx, the premier motocross design and construction company, will be in Carbon County to rebuild the track and provide new obstacles and challenges for riders.
“Dirt Wurx built our track when it first opened,” said Shalee Johansen, Executive Director of the Carbon County Office of Tourism. “To have that team come in to rebuild the track is real exciting, particularly since many people in the motocross community are familiar with them and they are anxious to ride the tracks that they build.”
Johansen said the track has been a big win for getting visitors to the county. Not only does it bring in riders and their families from throughout the intermountain west, but motocross is a great spectator sport. The challenge, however, was that track in Carbon County needed to be updated to continue to attract large-scale races and continue to host races here. Those updates come at a cost.
Carbon County owns the track, but general budget dollars were not available for the overhaul. Johansen was not going to let that stop her. County commissioners supported Johansen’s efforts to fundraise for the overhaul and private donors stepped up.
Between Finish Line Promotions, Tony Basso RV and ATV and the Carbon County Office of Tourism, the $15,000 price tag was covered. The next challenge was getting Dirt Wurx lined up to do the work prior to the first race, slated for May 16.
“They are usually booked months in advanced, but they were able to accommodate our time frame,” said Johansen. “This project would not be possible without our sponsors and the hard work and dedication of a lot of people.”
May 16 is a key date, because the motocross race, a professional race with a $5,000 purse, will be held in conjunction with the Carbon County Trails Grand Opening.
Last year, 250 miles of trails in Carbon County were designated as multi-use trails. That means they are officially available for use and have been mapped and clearly outlined to provide all types of uses from beginner to advanced.
“The number one request we get as an Office of Tourism is for maps,” said Johansen. “The designation is a big deal and we want to showcase our trails as well as our county.”
The grand opening will include vendor booths, a ceremony, demo rides, obstacle courses and free guided trail rides with lunch (scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday). For more information on the event or to register for a ride, please visit www.castlecountrytrails.org or call (435) 636-3701