Sketchiest track you’ve ever ridden?

JaredPartridge 8/30/2021 1:39pm
8/30/2021 1:39pm
An unprepped day at Castillo Ranch is my pick. That outdoor track is pure sketch after its been baking in the sun for a week. Some of the worst square edges and hardpacked like Elsinore in the 2000s.

Still, was an awesome opportunity to get to ride there. HItting the infamous mountain booter is still my favorite jump of all time.
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JN137
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JN137 8/30/2021 1:46pm
8/30/2021 1:46pm
I remember the first time I ever raced Hangtown during a national, my first lap during practice it was so rough I thought to myself there's just no way I'm going to get through the weekend. It was so much different than every time I had been there for a practice or local race. Every time I had raced there since, hasn't been as bad. But for whatever reason, that first one was just insane rough.

As far as pure sketchy-ness goes... another NorCal track most will know of Sand Hill around the 2007-2011 era. This place was so hard packed it was like concrete, and they would SOAK it. If you went out even close to after watering, it wasn't a matter of if, but when you were going to eat sh!t.
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ktmdan
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ktmdan 8/30/2021 1:51pm
8/30/2021 1:51pm
Shady Grove in Dallas.
If you know, you know
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Coughlin639
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Coughlin639 8/30/2021 2:34pm
8/30/2021 2:34pm
I went to Budds Creek this past winter and it had rained for days straight, but unfortunately we drove 400+ miles and had already scheduled the vacation. Mud was so deep bikes were getting stuck. Towards the end of the day though the lines were pretty sick and although I still couldn't get the drive to jump the triple step up, I jumped everything else.

Also, the Pro Track at Pax-Trax in Florida the day before the Daytona supercross was insane

The Shop

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Caseclosed713 8/30/2021 2:55pm
8/30/2021 2:55pm Edited Date/Time 8/30/2021 2:58pm
As of late, the sketchiest track I've been to is Breezewood Proving Grounds in PA. It's not the layout and the track is groomed well, but it's the sheer number of people riding at once. There's all types of skill levels. Kids, complete beginners with no track etiquette, goons, quads, fast guys, and everything in between all out at once. I've been going there since 2006, but it has really exploded in popularity the last few years. I rode there last weekend, and I was in fear the whole time. I almost got landed on twice during my sight laps. Almost had an in air collision with someone who cross jumped right beside me. About an hour in of riding I had enough when I almost hit a kid head on after landing a jump when he decided to exit the track by cutting across multiple sections of track at once. I wont be going there for awhile.
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Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 8/30/2021 3:49pm
8/30/2021 3:49pm
Here it is! This was practice footage.from a muddy 1982 Carlsbad race. I can be seen at 1:07 riding towards the snot slippery Carlsbad uphill. #B56 on a YZ250, wearing my yellow JT chest protector and Simpson full face helmet . I see a rider stuck in a mudhole in the turn before it, I stop for a second and decide, It's doable!. Yes, we did run the race and it was crazy...Carlsbad on ice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVU2GmTkpI
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motoxxx599 8/30/2021 4:13pm
8/30/2021 4:13pm
Shady Grove - I went out there on a Saturday once and almost landed on a quad driven by a Mexican guy with 2 small children and a beer cooler coming up the landing of the tabletop in the front. I pulled off and loaded up and haven't been back.
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JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 8/30/2021 4:26pm
8/30/2021 4:26pm
Caseclosed713 wrote:
As of late, the sketchiest track I've been to is Breezewood Proving Grounds in PA. It's not the layout and the track is groomed well, but...
As of late, the sketchiest track I've been to is Breezewood Proving Grounds in PA. It's not the layout and the track is groomed well, but it's the sheer number of people riding at once. There's all types of skill levels. Kids, complete beginners with no track etiquette, goons, quads, fast guys, and everything in between all out at once. I've been going there since 2006, but it has really exploded in popularity the last few years. I rode there last weekend, and I was in fear the whole time. I almost got landed on twice during my sight laps. Almost had an in air collision with someone who cross jumped right beside me. About an hour in of riding I had enough when I almost hit a kid head on after landing a jump when he decided to exit the track by cutting across multiple sections of track at once. I wont be going there for awhile.
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting to party. By 4-5 the tracks are still great and you can ride til dark.

But you’re dead on about that place being sketchy. Mid day it’s a shit show.
Caseclosed713 8/30/2021 4:55pm
8/30/2021 4:55pm
I recall seeing some DE plates as well as NJ and MD too. I think Snake Creek opened back up, I know they've been posting new videos on Facebook.
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Caseclosed713 8/30/2021 5:08pm
8/30/2021 5:08pm
JBecker 72 wrote:
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting...
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting to party. By 4-5 the tracks are still great and you can ride til dark.

But you’re dead on about that place being sketchy. Mid day it’s a shit show.
Yeah I know it does clear out a good bit later in the day. I just haven't been able to do that lately because I've been working more than usual. To be fair, I sort of knew what I was getting myself into because last weekend was Rally in the Valley. I thought it would be a good idea to party Saturday, camp out, and ride Sunday. Partying all night there was a blast, but riding the following day was way too much of a shit show for me. That place was fucking packed. They had a boom lift set up probably 30+ feet high over the pond on Saturday and that thing fucking fell over in the water with people in the basket.
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Taylor415
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Taylor415 8/30/2021 5:48pm
8/30/2021 5:48pm
Another vote for Shady Grove. Haven’t been since 2008 or so. Sketchy track and you never know who’s going to show up. There will be a full on cookout going on and someone will jump on one of the handful of chinese four wheelers they brought, drunk as shit and get on the track. Chaos everywhere.
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JBecker 72
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JBecker 72 8/30/2021 6:07pm
8/30/2021 6:07pm
JBecker 72 wrote:
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting...
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting to party. By 4-5 the tracks are still great and you can ride til dark.

But you’re dead on about that place being sketchy. Mid day it’s a shit show.
Caseclosed713 wrote:
Yeah I know it does clear out a good bit later in the day. I just haven't been able to do that lately because I've been...
Yeah I know it does clear out a good bit later in the day. I just haven't been able to do that lately because I've been working more than usual. To be fair, I sort of knew what I was getting myself into because last weekend was Rally in the Valley. I thought it would be a good idea to party Saturday, camp out, and ride Sunday. Partying all night there was a blast, but riding the following day was way too much of a shit show for me. That place was fucking packed. They had a boom lift set up probably 30+ feet high over the pond on Saturday and that thing fucking fell over in the water with people in the basket.
Haha, wow. That’s crazy.
AH387
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AH387 8/30/2021 7:28pm
8/30/2021 7:28pm
For me, probably High Point 1 time when it was like a pond in A.M. practice, then rutted up and got hard as a rock and like 90 degrees by the 2nd moto. Just so choppy, hard and rough. I felt like the bike was deflecting everywhere and I was pretty nervous going down into the valleys with any real speed, with all the weird ruts and hard edges. Made me appreciate the pros that much more.

A close runner up would be years ago at PVR for the PA State Championships, in the fall. Practice was beautiful on a Saturday but it rained all night and all day Sunday for the motos. That place is always prepped nice and is deep (but in a good way) but it got so much rain that is was so boggy and slick. I DNF'd the first moto after crashing in the uphill dragonback on my 2nd lap and didn't go back out for moto 2.
cz2crf2wc
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cz2crf2wc 8/30/2021 7:38pm
8/30/2021 7:38pm
Sully wrote:
Marty Smith's practice track off the 5 in Sorrento Valley. Thing was built on a hill with no flat land that I can remember, all off-camber...
Marty Smith's practice track off the 5 in Sorrento Valley. Thing was built on a hill with no flat land that I can remember, all off-camber turns and rock hard dirt. Getting to it was sketchy, too; you had to ride through a slightly less than head-height drainage tunnel under the freeway.
I rode my Monark to that track once, about 10 miles each way.
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cz2crf2wc
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cz2crf2wc 8/30/2021 7:39pm
8/30/2021 7:39pm
lostboy819 wrote:
Carlsbad raceway. Shocked Shocked
In the mud was a bit sketchy at times.
GregP221
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GregP221 8/30/2021 7:53pm
8/30/2021 7:53pm
Kawboy14! wrote:
Ungroomed dry Durhamtown mx tracks……whew Sketcheeeee
My son and I just spent three days there. We had so much fun on the trails we didn’t bother with the tracks.
Sully
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Sully 8/30/2021 8:33pm
8/30/2021 8:33pm
Sully wrote:
Marty Smith's practice track off the 5 in Sorrento Valley. Thing was built on a hill with no flat land that I can remember, all off-camber...
Marty Smith's practice track off the 5 in Sorrento Valley. Thing was built on a hill with no flat land that I can remember, all off-camber turns and rock hard dirt. Getting to it was sketchy, too; you had to ride through a slightly less than head-height drainage tunnel under the freeway.
cz2crf2wc wrote:
I rode my Monark to that track once, about 10 miles each way.
It was about half that for me (Mira Mesa), but I didn't know it existed before they extended Mira Mesa Blvd., so I only drove there the few times I went.
FIREfish148
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FIREfish148 8/30/2021 9:58pm
8/30/2021 9:58pm Edited Date/Time 8/30/2021 9:59pm
Johnny Ringo wrote:
What’s the sketchiest track you’ve ever ridden? A place where you do your sight lap and wonder how your gonna get through the day. For me...
What’s the sketchiest track you’ve ever ridden? A place where you do your sight lap and wonder how your gonna get through the day.

For me it was Toes pro track in WA. Could barely roll around that sucker.
Toes supercross track was for sure gnarly. I remember trying the on off before the triple and never doing it again.
Mabton sand track used to get super sketchy by the end of the day during a busy day.
Also Ted used to make thurston county pretty sketchy (for me as a beginner) back in the 2001 P.R.O. events.
Oh but Yakima arenacross (2003?) in 7 degree weather after they disked and watered the track the night before was also super sketchy. It was like rolling around on 1’x1’ rocks. I told pops I ain’t racing that day haha.

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romain524
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romain524 8/31/2021 1:16am
8/31/2021 1:16am
I would say many French tracks during the summer, when it’s hard like concrete, hilly and rocky and that it hasn’t been prepped for 6 months. You still have all the same ruts since January that are now rock hard and sooo rough and deep. Idk how managed to have fun growing up lol
I go to Elsinore regularly and it gets hard pack for sure but it’s prepped everyday so it’s not bad.
I’m surprised no SoCal local said Nuevo even though it’s not a public track. It’s sandy with a really hard base and big rollers.
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nytsmaC
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nytsmaC 8/31/2021 1:49am
8/31/2021 1:49am Edited Date/Time 8/31/2021 2:07pm
kunk wrote:
Shady Grove MX in Irving TX.
I forgot about that place! Rode it in 97 or 98 and all I remember is I really disliked it. I think I rode Mosier the day before and that may have ruined it for me. You guys have such great tracks in the DFW area there was no reason for that place to exist. Where I grew up riding, home made private tracks like that aren’t out of the ordinary but the public tracks are nothing like what you’ve got down there. Village Creek was the best track I’d ever ridden, it kind of ruined it for me back here.
Kawboy14!
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Kawboy14! 8/31/2021 5:20am
8/31/2021 5:20am
Kawboy14! wrote:
Ungroomed dry Durhamtown mx tracks……whew Sketcheeeee
GregP221 wrote:
My son and I just spent three days there. We had so much fun on the trails we didn’t bother with the tracks.
We had a great time on the trails but holy smokes those mx tracks were sketchy
Owen H
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Owen H 8/31/2021 6:33am
8/31/2021 6:33am
JBecker 72 wrote:
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting...
Get there after 3pm, even on a Saturday. The place is clearing out or the ones who are staying overnight are wore out or are starting to party. By 4-5 the tracks are still great and you can ride til dark.

But you’re dead on about that place being sketchy. Mid day it’s a shit show.
Caseclosed713 wrote:
Yeah I know it does clear out a good bit later in the day. I just haven't been able to do that lately because I've been...
Yeah I know it does clear out a good bit later in the day. I just haven't been able to do that lately because I've been working more than usual. To be fair, I sort of knew what I was getting myself into because last weekend was Rally in the Valley. I thought it would be a good idea to party Saturday, camp out, and ride Sunday. Partying all night there was a blast, but riding the following day was way too much of a shit show for me. That place was fucking packed. They had a boom lift set up probably 30+ feet high over the pond on Saturday and that thing fucking fell over in the water with people in the basket.
That's exactly what I like to hear. Someone was making MX great again :D
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Owen H
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Owen H 8/31/2021 6:37am
8/31/2021 6:37am
I just watched a video of shady grove. In one minute I saw a honda rider with #666, a side by side on the track, a grown man riding an 85 on track in jeans, and a pitbike. I think this has to be the winner lol.
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Zesiger 112
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Zesiger 112 8/31/2021 6:57am
8/31/2021 6:57am
Countyline MX Bolton NC.

Was told day of conditions were going to be “perfect”
Got there and the parking lot was flooded, there was 3-4’ of muck pushed off both sides of the track. Ruts in the corners so deep you had to push the bike through, mud ruts on the straights, jumps were like grease.

I did 3 laps at walking pace, washed up, loaded and rode the 2 hours back home.
Graybeard 8/31/2021 7:18am
8/31/2021 7:18am
Foe me it has to be the Freestone night track. Booters with sketchy faces and a setting sun that left you hitting jumps blind was not a lot of fun for a 55+ racer! Once the sun went down, had a better time, but still couldn’t get comfortable on some of those jump faces!
PFitzG38
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PFitzG38 8/31/2021 10:25am
8/31/2021 10:25am
Motoxdoc wrote:
Here it is! This was practice footage.from a muddy 1982 Carlsbad race. I can be seen at 1:07 riding towards the snot slippery Carlsbad uphill. #B56...
Here it is! This was practice footage.from a muddy 1982 Carlsbad race. I can be seen at 1:07 riding towards the snot slippery Carlsbad uphill. #B56 on a YZ250, wearing my yellow JT chest protector and Simpson full face helmet . I see a rider stuck in a mudhole in the turn before it, I stop for a second and decide, It's doable!. Yes, we did run the race and it was crazy...Carlsbad on ice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibVU2GmTkpI
Yeah and your wearing my Suzuki JT leathers (that’s what we still called them back then even if nylon). Did you ask to borrow those when I was in the hospital? That’s OK at least you didn’t race my bike while I was laid up. I remember driving past Chapman General while you were laid up with your bike in the back of my truck on the way to race it - sorry bro, that was messed up
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Hman144
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Hman144 8/31/2021 10:27am
8/31/2021 10:27am
Any of you D5 geezers remember Beaver Valley? Or that short lived track up near New Castle PA that was built on an old landfill? The one where garbage and cart parts would come up out of the dirt? Come to think of if, lots of the tracks we raced on in the 80's were pretty sketch.
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Rabbit Run 41 8/31/2021 12:43pm
8/31/2021 12:43pm
lostboy819 wrote:
Carlsbad raceway. Shocked Shocked
I second that nomination. Blue grooved concrete jungle!
devindavisphoto 8/31/2021 12:56pm
8/31/2021 12:56pm
Did any of you guys race Honolulu Hills in Taft, CA? That may have been one of the sketchiest tracks I rode at when it first opened. I'm sure there's a few others that matched that sketchiness, but I think I've hit my head too many times to remember them Wink
DaveB771
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DaveB771 8/31/2021 12:57pm
8/31/2021 12:57pm
Back in the early 90s, Illinois off-road promoter Bill Gusse took a detour from torturing the hare scrambles crew and ran a motocross race at the old Tampico sand track. In February. He called it the Frozen Toe MX and toes weren't all that froze. Wasn't too bad for the first moto but it got to just above freezing in the afternoon so there was a layer of greasy sand on top of the ice. One corner I must have turned three donuts trying to get it straightened out for the exit. The sand whoops were filled with grinding compound. It was so terrible almost no one stuck around for the 2nd set, so I brought home my tallest trophy ever. And then bought a new chain, sprockets and brake pads.
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