BEATING THE HEAT
SUMMERTIME VINTAGE BIKE PRACTICE IN ARIZONA
BY RICK SIEMAN
Summertime in Arizona can be pure murder. Temperatures of 100° are normal and this weekend, for example, the monitor tagged out at 110+. So if you want to go riding your dirt bike, get up early in the morning, go to your favorite riding spot and try to get some decent laps in.
However, if you're anywhere near the area, there is an option to go riding. Notice I didn't say racing, because racing comes to just about a complete halt during the hot months of summer. Arizona Cycle Park, known as ACP to all the locals, has a special practice time early on Sunday morning at their track.
The track is groomed and watered carefully, as it would be on a race day. The gates open at seven o'clock so you can get in plenty of riding before the heat hits. To make the practice session more attractive, track owner Bobby White has arranged to have racer, Don Adams, have a mini school of sorts for all riders. There's no extra charge for this and you actually stand a chance of learning something.
We attended the first practice day and watched Don put the riders through their paces on learning techniques. He picked several turns and demonstrated the various lines available and how to take them. Tight and inside or fast and outside. As in most motocross tracks, conditions change from hour to hour. A line that might work well in the morning, might be all chewed up and bumpy by midday, demanding that you change your line. Don had the riders go through the various turns using all sorts of lines. Some of the riders had never even thought about an alternate line.
By 11:00 or so, most of the riders had gathered underneath some shade and indulged in some high-level bench racing. Not a day of racing, but a good day none the less.
A number of practice sessions are planned. The practice we attended was for vintage bikes and the vintage track was used. You can contact ACP to find out times and dates for various bikes and ATVs. This totally beats the heat.
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PRACTICE SCHEDULE NCMX TRACK (Bikes Only)
PRACTICE SCHEDULE OLD SCHOOL TRACK (Bikes & ATVS)
Wednesday Morning, June 2, 6am - Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Saturday Morning, June 5, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Sunday Morning, June 6, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Wednesday Morning, June 9, 6am - Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Friday Night, June 11, 6pm – 10pm (Bikes Only)
Sunday Morning, June 13, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Wednesday Morning, June 16, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Saturday Morning, June 19, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Sunday Morning, June 20, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Wednesday Morning, June 23, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Saturday Morning, June 26, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Sunday Morning, June 27, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Wednesday Morning, June 30, 6am – Noon (Bikes Only) $15 June Special
Practice Fees: $25 per rider. Receive a $5 discount if you are a current CMC, AMA, AZOT/YT Member or MMI Student. Valid identification is required to receive discount. Practice rotation splits will depend on rider turnout. Typically it is all Big Bikes and all 50/65/85 split.
Arizona Cycle Park features Five tracks for practice/training……the National Championship MX Track, Old School MX Track, Kids/PeeWee Track, Single Track and a Family Fun Course. Three of the tracks are carved in a 40 acre pit that ranges from 40ft to 60ft in depth. All tracks are 100% viewable. We also have a Single Track and a Family Fun Course.
National Championship MX Track (Bikes Only): An almost two mile long 28ft wide MX Track featuring loamy rich soil and sand. In addition to many elevation changes in and out of the 40 acre pit, there are triple step-ups, double step-ups, off-camber turns, sand sections, jumps and rhythm sections. This track is very challenging, yet safe and is always changing to make it fresh every time you ride.
Old School MX Track (Bikes & ATVS): This track has our great ACP dirt but offers a little less of the technical challenges that our NCMX track has. It is great for banging bars with your buddies, honing your mx skills and just plain old twist-the-throttle fun!! This isn’t just a 2nd rate “vet track.” The Old School Track recently received a fresh layout with new jumps, fast corners and new uphills/downhills. Spinning laps on this track is a laidback and fun alternative to our more demanding NCMX track – and isn’t fun what it’s all about?
Kids/PeeWee Track: A miniature motocross track for the little guys and girls learning to ride. This track is great for 50’s, 65’s and play bikes.
Off-Road Family Fun Course: Opening Soon!
Single Track: Open select times and requires permission to ride.
Starting Gate: Dirt
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Directions & Info
Hotline: 623-853-0750, Ext 4
GPS Coordinates: N 33 degrees 12.924′ W 112 degrees 39.753′
Directions from Phoenix: I-10 West to Exit 112 (Hwy 85 south), Take Hwy 85 South approximately 14 miles to Exit 138. Turn right
Directions from Tucson: I-10 West to I-8 West, Take I-8 West to Exit 119 (Butterfield Trail/Hwy 85 North)
Directions from California: I-10 East to Exit 112 (Hwy 85 south), Take Hwy 85 South approximately 14 miles to Exit 138. Turn right, Directions from California (San Diego): I-8 East to Exit 119 (Butterfield Trail/Hwy 85 North), Take Hwy 85 North to Exit 138
Hotel/Restaurant Information:
25 minutes from the track off I-10, Exit 114, Days Inn, 623-386-5400
25 minutes from the track, South, (I-8 & Hwy 85) Town of Gila Bend:
Americas Choice Inn Suites, (Business I-8) 928-683-6311
Best Western, Space Age Lodge, 928-683-2273
Travel Lodge, 928-683-6303
35 minutes from the track off I-10
Exit 128 North, Hampton Suites, 623-536-1313
Exit 128 South, Best Western, 623-932-3210
Exit 128 North, Holiday Inn Express, 623-535-1313
Exit 129 North, Wingate, 623-547-1313
Exit 129 South, Super 8, 623-932-9622
Exit 129 South, Ramada, 623-932-9191
40 minutes from the track off I-10
Exit Avondale Blvd South, Hilton Garden Inn, 623-882-3351
Exit Avondale Blvd South, Homewood Suites, 623-882-3351
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