What was the best track you have ever ridden?

SADDLEBACK PARK in April 

CARLSBAD RACEWAY

I’ve heard Saddleback called a lot of things, but loamy wasn’t one of them. Agreed morning practice for SMX was epic. It would start out all greasy then slowly tack up until it was sticky clay, then harden up to rock hard curbs, then finally that perfect grippy baked adobe blue groove. Completely different than a sloppy Carlsbad practice 

I have to go with Mammoth. Especially in the morning when it's smooth, haha.

Ahh damn you Americans you have it good. Reading all your comments and i can almost dream me away to all your amazing track you have around your awesome contry.

That’s it for me too. Mammoth 20+ years ago first practice. Absolute chocolate cake is the way most describe it. And then MC flys over my head and does a huge look back. 30 minutes after giving me pointers. He told me to ride my rear brake on the downhill while gassing it. I’ve been doing it ever since especially at Glen Helen

Lake Whitney

MotoMasters MX in Mexico, New York OR Budds Creek in Maryland. 

Mammoth, Zaca Station, or Castillo Ranch

Yep, the old Lake Whitney track was pretty awesome. My "home" track was Rio Bravo in Houston. Back in its heyday, it was such a good track that the European riders felt right at home (or so I heard) during the Trans-Am races held there. It was a great track for me to cut my teeth on. 

The rain the night before really messed the place up. Wasnt much they could do. The turn off for me was when they posted how great it was and deleted comments regarding how it really was. Its too far for me to ride down there again anyway. I had really looked forward to riding it prior to arriving. 

Unadilla 1997 - finally after many years as a kid watching my MX heros out the original National / Grand Prix / Trans-Am track I was out on the very same track! This was before any of the new sections and air launching jumps were added. It was quoted by another racer that was also experiencing moto-nirvana for the very first time that it was like "racing in a humongous flower pot of planting soil".

It was grass in practice and quickly churned up into deep-black topsoil. Surprisingly not really many rocks of any significance which I remember was a bit of a surprise. I remember actually laughing those first couple laughs of practice in pure joy that I was finally experiencing it-- so I'd have to say this was my hands-down winner.

Other honorable mentions include:

Southwick- first in 1982 and a dozen other times over the years. I always did well in sand and despite living at least 6 hours away I really felt at home there racing.

Wheels In the Sand / Ocean City, Maryland - this was a short lived MX track in the mid 80's only a couple blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and OC Boardwalk. I was in my teens on KX-125's and it was one of the first tracks I don't think I used brakes the entire moto... You could literally go into turns wide open and throttle pegged without ever shutting off and you didn't think twice about nailing the even largest double jumps... As with Southwick, I loved the sand and besides being a crazy 14-16 year old kid I think it was the absolute fasted I've ever circulated a MX track.

Glen Helen- I had witnessed a race a few years earlier there, but finally RODE Glen Helen one weekday practice day on a Yamaha " WR450F "!! Yes- I said WR !! I was actually doing an offroad ride with my buddies with Gary Laplante of MotoVentures and he took us there to shake down the bikes and ourselves (apparently). Nothing like riding Mt St Helens with your HEADLIGHT on for safety... LOL!!! Gary was a great guy I did a few rides with... My buddies and I still laugh about that trip!!

Honda Hills followed by Kenworthy's 

There was this track in Delaware called Speed Citi. I believe it was also called Seaford and Middleford MX, but when I was there it was Speed Citi. Loved the layout and the sandy soil. It was a 3 hour drive for me but well worth it. 

Yamahaland. Big track with big jumps in Belgium, unfortunately already closed for two decades. Saw Everts, Vohland, Bartolini and many more train there aswell. We went every summer. Had an old castle at the campsite which was beautiful, we even found 40 year old wine in the basement there.

You can just see the castle in the background here:

Lake Madeira 

A shoreline track with honest to God off-cambers and a very challenging track lay out. Real motocross. It’s not that it was “The Best Dirt”…it’s that it was an amazing track. 

Hollister Hills GP course at the upper ranch

In the original lay out, it had 2 amazing hills that had road jumps (roads that crossed the hillside) that really made a rider wonder if they needed to be going DOWN a hill that fast! Also, an awesome 1st-2nd turn combo where you could hi-speed pass “on a wall” as you gassed it into the shadows of the trees…

Huron

An awesome mixed clay-sand track in a flood basin. Pretty sure there’s a world famous wave pool very near to where the track once was. 

The 80s…great times. Amazing tracks. Tons of unbelievable racing.

Grateful to have been a part of it. 

Lamoka Motocross

The absolute best and worst track for me is located in New Berlin, NY and is called Unadilla. 
Took a Tony MX school there in 1986 the day after the USGP. I still have vivid recollections of the day, the perfect dirt, the great weather. 8 hours later, I was toast. There were still a few students left riding as we were given free rein after the school to ride to our hearts content. 
The worst, Unadilla 1990 amateur event. Hard, rocky, duty shit hole. I couldn’t believe this was the same track. 

Locally in district 34, the original South Woods by the river was hands down the best. Great Sandy dirt. Racing through the trees/shade and did I mention a river!

Budds Creek is awesome and a favorite. 

 

Where was this track? When I lived in Houston the best tracks were Highlands, San Jacinto, and 3 Palms (which had just opened).

Hollister Hills could still be a pretty great track but the Oatfield guys made changes a few years ago that slowed it down and made it sketchy compared to the previous hillside tabletops and mini-horsepower hill before the gravity cavity. 

A good track builder to fix that, a 2-3 day soaking, and running up to the top of the hill (after the tree turn) would make it a must ride destination. 

Here are my top 4 and when I was there:

2001:  W Milton Florida - the dirt and layout, no elevation changes though

2001-2003: Cycleranch, Floresville TX - the best dirt, super open and fast layout AND elevation changes!

2001-2003: San Jacinto MX, Splendora TX (near Houston/Conroe) - awesome dirt, great layout

2001-2003: Three Palms MX, Conroe TX  - awesome dirt, fun layouts that changed frequently (except the finish line which still looks the same 20 years later lol)

X-Track in Loganville GA (long since closed) awesome dirt and fun layout

Bremen MX in Breman GA (closed)

International City Raceway near Macon GA (now closed)

Big Gun MX near Toccoa GA (long closed, it was an long MXGP track with very few jumps and but lots of elevation changes and grass)

Zaca Station. Would do almost anything to get another day on a track like that.

Competition Park I.  Perfect mix of clay, sand, and cow manure 

CPR, what track is that?

2003 Splendora (north of Houston)

Wasn’t that where the MJR and Home Depot are now?

Lake Whitney and Splendora was good. Saddleback was blue groove when I raced there.

  Yes, just off Grand River Road off 94. That place was my favorite. I always liked Red Bud night track as well. Bull Dogs in Millington comes to mind as sandiest track I've ever seen.

Echo Valley- Australia.