Abandoned or forgotten tracks

752dad
Posts
601
Joined
11/24/2014
Location
Hartland, MI, USA
11/18/2016 6:43pm
I searched Google earth for some Michigan tracks, couldn't put my finger on Eaton Rapids but did find Brown City run by the Flying Horseman MC. Very difficult to pick out any features.

KC
Sidecar
Posts
1727
Joined
1/29/2015
Location
GB
11/18/2016 10:49pm
Sidecar wrote:
Took my Dog for a walk round an old long forgotten, grassed over Motocross track on my lunch break today and I know some of you...
Took my Dog for a walk round an old long forgotten, grassed over Motocross track on my lunch break today and I know some of you on here, like me love these old forgotten tracks, be they former GP/National tracks, club tracks or merely well ridden practice tracks I have seen various posts on here including talk and photos on tracks, favourites being Carlsbad and Saddleback park in the US and Namur on my side of the pond so I thought it was time for a thread dedicated to these parcels of land that once echoed to the sound of battle but now hold no more than ghostly glimpses into moto past, a discarded tear off once nervously applied on a Sunday morning now weather beaten and crinkled in the mud or an old start line pointing towards a now non exsistent first turn....
Show us all your local ghost tracks.

Crick, not used for around 15 years....





Beeby wrote:
Pretty sure there has been races at that track in Crick way more recently than 15 years. Some googling just found results in 2009
Yeah I realise that now. I hadn't been there since about 00/01 era with nmcc acu, think it might have been used by amca in later years. It's been unused for at least 6-7 years now though....

The Shop

baxterj787
Posts
32
Joined
11/3/2009
Location
Xenia, OH, USA
12/12/2016 5:34am
MXVet261 wrote:
Kenworthy's, Troy, Ohio [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/11/18/160549/s1200_Kenworthys2016.jpg[/img]
Kenworthy's, Troy, Ohio



As of 12/9/2016:





1
Bultaco
Posts
1745
Joined
1/20/2014
Location
Planet, VT, USA
12/12/2016 5:58am
reded wrote:
How awesome is that track? The Kansas Flinthills along the Turnpike look just like that. Throw up some banners to mark a course and lets race!
This! As a long time born and raised Kansas guy I agree. The Flint hills are my favorite place on earth. One could make an amazing motocross, scrambles, XC courses there.

The track I've tried numerous times to find on satellite photos is the old Inter-Am/National track at Baldwin, Ks. Even knowing roughly where it was (Last time I raced there was 1974) I've not been able to find it.
Rexblaster
Posts
92
Joined
9/10/2015
Location
Round Rock, TX, USA
12/12/2016 7:49am
JAFO92 wrote:
This was never a National caliber track and mainly Texas locals rode/raced there, but it was originally designed by Dirt Wurx and had a big MX...
This was never a National caliber track and mainly Texas locals rode/raced there, but it was originally designed by Dirt Wurx and had a big MX track, GP track, night track and a beginner/kid track. (also lots of trails for scrambles) Andrew Short practiced there on occasion as his inlaws lived right near there.

RIP Cross Creek MX



Ah, i have some great memories of this track. Still hoping that one day someone will bring it back, there was so much to do there!
jonesaustin
Posts
2653
Joined
7/6/2009
Location
Austin, TX, USA
12/12/2016 10:44am
This is a cool thread, I wish there was a hardback table book with photos of mx track remnants.
ACBraap
Posts
1169
Joined
2/10/2012
Location
Seattlish, WA, USA
Fantasy
12/12/2016 11:14am
I've been amazed recently at some of the vintage pics friends have put up on FB. Tons of tracks in Oregon that were long gone by the time I started racing in '87, and every pic has had what looks like great soil and natural terrain layout. In a lot of ways, the 70s looks to have been a lot of fun!
DYE
Posts
238
Joined
2/23/2016
Location
USA
12/12/2016 11:58am Edited Date/Time 12/12/2016 12:19pm
Daniel Boone Mx in London Ky has been shut down all year. It will probably soon look like the image of Horseshoe Bend.




And this is what I think is left of Horseshoe Bend Mx in Owenton ky that shut down several years ago. My favorite tracks in the state gone. Luckily I'm a woods rider at heart, but it still sucks not being able to ride moto from time to time



MX114
Posts
742
Joined
12/30/2013
Location
USA
12/12/2016 2:29pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2016 2:30pm
Too bad about Kenworthys. I always wanted to race there but never made it. Tighter sections with SX style obstacles. Made for some cool racing to watch. Track always looked like a ton of fun
1
mx510
Posts
1993
Joined
2/26/2011
Location
Gig Harbor, WA, USA
12/12/2016 2:41pm




These are pictures of Jolly Rogers near Seattle. I spent a great portion of my childhood at this track, and was crushed when the land was sold to a developer. On the satellite photo I dropped a pin on the hill climb and you can see the hill climb in the picture of a racer on the track to the right.





This is Burnt Ridge Mx, another great track lost.

CHaynes
Posts
244
Joined
3/6/2011
Location
Edgewater, MD, USA
12/12/2016 5:18pm
There was a track in MD called Aquasco. It was simply and amazing track! Awesome dirt, plenty of elevation, fun jumps and very fast flowy layout. Closed down mid '94. It was home to a lot of very fast local and national level riders. Ask some of the old school MD guys about riding with McGrath and Stanton and the rest of the Honda boys there. I was just a kid so I really remember the fast kids ripping around there like the Schuler brothers, the Day boys, Denny Williams, TP and Amber Hughes. I know I left out some fast kids but that crew right there just hauled! In the mid '00s they shut down Antietam, which was a fun track with an old school layout. There were a few tracks that were around for a few years like Mountaineer and Blue Diamond that closed down for various reasons. Moto is fun, but living in MD makes it hard to ride. Unless you pay to ride at Budds or over in Seaford there aren't many options to ride unless you know some people with private tracks.
1
speedman
Posts
244
Joined
9/11/2010
Location
Houston, TX, USA
12/13/2016 3:12am
reded wrote:
How awesome is that track? The Kansas Flinthills along the Turnpike look just like that. Throw up some banners to mark a course and lets race!
Bultaco wrote:
This! As a long time born and raised Kansas guy I agree. The Flint hills are my favorite place on earth. One could make an amazing...
This! As a long time born and raised Kansas guy I agree. The Flint hills are my favorite place on earth. One could make an amazing motocross, scrambles, XC courses there.

The track I've tried numerous times to find on satellite photos is the old Inter-Am/National track at Baldwin, Ks. Even knowing roughly where it was (Last time I raced there was 1974) I've not been able to find it.
Try Historic Aerials, who have a surprising amount of coverage of the U.S. Going back to 1973 turned up every track whose location I even faintly remembered. Rio Bravo has survived in the same spot partly due to having landfills for neighbors and a location deep in a floodplain, and partly due to the devoted work of Danny Erdeljac and others, but I was surprised to see that the property that Fairbanks Motocross Park was on is still largely undeveloped, probably because the large ditch that created most of the track's topography is still needed for drainage purposes, storing a little runoff, I think. I rode my bicycle up there in 1980 and there was still singletrack tracing the course where people snuck in and rode, and there still may be shadowy traces showing in the vegetation from the air. The 1973 b&w was probably shot in winter because the track was barely legible, so I did a crude MS Paint of the layout I remember best, though I didn't get the dogleg in the back straight right. They must have filled the west end and made a giant culvert when the road went four-lane, getting rid of the two-lane's bridge over the big ditch. I was surprised to see how small that property really was. Can't help imagining electric bikes racing there again. . . .




12/13/2016 5:08am
their was a track in nj that was apsolutely killer! Powerline Park Imo by far the best track nj ever had ! The zupkos owned the track and he did such an amazing job running the place, the place had amazing dirt, and the track flowed so perfect. Richie constantly made changes to it, the place was epic! I will see if I can dig up some pics , the track is a cornfield now
MudPup545
Posts
1700
Joined
11/14/2014
Location
Imlay City, MI, USA
12/13/2016 5:15am
752dad wrote:
I searched Google earth for some Michigan tracks, couldn't put my finger on Eaton Rapids but did find Brown City run by the Flying Horseman MC...
I searched Google earth for some Michigan tracks, couldn't put my finger on Eaton Rapids but did find Brown City run by the Flying Horseman MC. Very difficult to pick out any features.

KC
Here's the Brown City track. I grew up pretty close to there. Flagged a lot there.

12/13/2016 5:26am
Cheddleton, Nr Leek in the UK. This was one of the most incredible tracks you could ever possibly imagine. Deep never ending sand, steep hills (you couldn't walk up or down one of them) It was a proper GP standard track. We raced there all through the 90's. It was only 4 miles from home, and my best friend lived (still does!) maybe half a mile away.
It was really close to the village, a lot of locals would come out and stand on the railway line to watch. as it was kinda set in a bowl, so you could pretty much see the whole track from there.

Sadly, some dick***d decided it would be cool to empty his chemical toilet into the land owners duck ponds. (you had to drive through his paddock to gain access to the track). As you can imagine it didn't go down well and the track was lost.

My friend Steve MacMillan in full flight over the bomb hole. Even by today's standards it was pretty crazy jump and not many people did it.



How it looks now on Google maps. Its probably 10-15 years since it was last used.



Talan_Hansen
Posts
179
Joined
9/16/2010
Location
Iron Mountain, MI, USA
12/13/2016 9:08am
Maple hurst in wilmot Wisconsin about 5 mins from my house was big and closed before I was born. It's a gravel pit now. Also Lake Geneva Raceway closed in 2006 I think. Used to have mx,
Stock cars and go karts. 15 mins from my house. Visited that place recently and it's. farm field now. Pretty sad









Sidecar
Posts
1727
Joined
1/29/2015
Location
GB
12/13/2016 9:52am
StevieD113 wrote:
Cheddleton, Nr Leek in the UK. This was one of the most incredible tracks you could ever possibly imagine. Deep never ending sand, steep hills (you...
Cheddleton, Nr Leek in the UK. This was one of the most incredible tracks you could ever possibly imagine. Deep never ending sand, steep hills (you couldn't walk up or down one of them) It was a proper GP standard track. We raced there all through the 90's. It was only 4 miles from home, and my best friend lived (still does!) maybe half a mile away.
It was really close to the village, a lot of locals would come out and stand on the railway line to watch. as it was kinda set in a bowl, so you could pretty much see the whole track from there.

Sadly, some dick***d decided it would be cool to empty his chemical toilet into the land owners duck ponds. (you had to drive through his paddock to gain access to the track). As you can imagine it didn't go down well and the track was lost.

My friend Steve MacMillan in full flight over the bomb hole. Even by today's standards it was pretty crazy jump and not many people did it.



How it looks now on Google maps. Its probably 10-15 years since it was last used.



I remember Cheddleton, raced there 2 or 3 times, once it rained so hard that the steepest downhill was like a waterfall, shame it's gone but thanks for posting the photos and back story to its reason for closing.
Trav138
Posts
1477
Joined
3/8/2012
Location
USA
12/13/2016 11:33am
cable wrote:
northern michigan had a race for a year or two at a ski resort. good turnout even with 30 minute motos in october.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPpYwB4ub1I
This race was profiled in a Racer X mag around that time i believe. I remember thinking this race would be a ton of fun and worth driving up to for sure.
Why the short lifespan of it? That vid really was awesome and what a bummer it only lasted a couple years!

This thread is tough, on one hand its great the memories that these tracks provided, but on the other hand sad that's all they will ever be now just memories.
12/13/2016 12:23pm





Mountaineer MX, just south of Martinsburg WV. Was a fun little track and easy to get to right off of I-81. Don't remember when it shut down, maybe 2007? Tomahawk isn't too much further up the road, so we still had a place to ride. Google shows a new Mountaineer MX somewhere else in WV... wonder if its the same guys.
AlexB289
Posts
104
Joined
12/9/2016
Location
USA
12/14/2016 4:50pm
Gale19XX wrote:
Oak Ridge Mx in Iowa
It's still open
AlexB289
Posts
104
Joined
12/9/2016
Location
USA
12/14/2016 5:17pm
Dog river mx in Georgia. Way before my time but I've heard stories of it. 5 minutes from my house. Track is still there but super rutted out. It could be restored with some effort. Saw someone on georgiaoffroad.com post about it back in 06 saying his buddy owns the land and they were talking about building it again. It never happened. I used to go down there a lot to go to the river. Not sure when this pic was taken but it looked like that about 5 years ago last time I was there. Pretty cool



AlexB289
Posts
104
Joined
12/9/2016
Location
USA
12/14/2016 5:21pm
Also Bremen Mx in Bremen Georgia.. I grew up there. Hardly ever missed a race. I love that track and miss it. Amazing dirt. It's still there but and people used to sneak in a few years back to ride but haven't heard anything like that happening recently. Might go by it soon if I can get in to reminisce



AlexB289
Posts
104
Joined
12/9/2016
Location
USA
12/14/2016 5:23pm


12/14/2016 5:44pm
I know it may be MX but this one is interesting it's the 2008 Beijing Olympic bmx track they payed $750,000 to build it for the Olympics now it just sits there rotting.





5
bobby397
Posts
3597
Joined
3/21/2009
Location
USA
12/14/2016 5:55pm
Montrose, my local track. Several greats race here, Bailey, Bradshaw, Larry Ward, Jim Neese, Barr, Hank Moree, Mike Brown, Kevin Walker, Austin Stroupe, Broc Tickle, Cooper Webb... it's my understanding that a spectator was crossing the track and hit by Ryan Zimmer (famous for launching the finish line jump during the 250 lcq at Daytona) and the spectator later died, so the owner shut it all down.









1
CRFracer117
Posts
541
Joined
12/4/2007
Location
Beaumont, TX, USA
12/14/2016 8:09pm
DC wrote:
And here's Cowboy Badlands outside Beaumont, Texas...[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/11/16/160264/s1200_Badlands3.jpg[/img]
And here's Cowboy Badlands outside Beaumont, Texas...

This place had a lot of potential and a ton of money behind it, the people running the track could never seem to keep it together. One week the dirt would be great next week dusty dried out concrete, one month you would have a fast flowing track everyone could ride, next month peaked out unrideable mess.

Does any one have any before and after and back from the past of Rio Bravo in Houston?

Post a reply to: Abandoned or forgotten tracks

The Latest