Edited Date/Time
6/28/2024 10:13am
I have never been to Southwick so I do not know the layout of the land but I want to try to watch every pro national live and to ride at every national track at some point in my life. Instead of working, I was looking at Southwick on a map and I was shocked to see how close houses, schools, and parks are to the track. How is this track still open? Is it in a valley where the sound doesn't disturb anyone? Where does everyone park during the nationals?
Does anyone on here live in the neighborhoods close by and just ride your bike down the road to track days? Do you ride your moto, go home get lunch and ride back?
Yes, it's in a hole. Times I was there, parking was at the school & rec center.
You park in the field of the public school and walk to the track for the national. I think the locals like the track because it brings them a lot of tourism so they put up with the noise. The track is over 50 years old now so most people living near it knew about it’s existence when moving in.
Isn’t it bad ass when communities endorse and back Motorsports parks rather than side with urban sprawl? Wish we saw more instances of this across the 50 states.
In my opinion its all about local culture. Yes you can still have a moto track right in the middle of town if the local culture is blue collar, independent freedom loving, powersports supporting, and much more.
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Freedom Factory is facing that right now...
The town of Southwick seems to realize just how much the races add to their coffers every year. They are astute enough to realize that it would be financially foolish to ban a very large payday over 3 days of noise and traffic. These days it is treated as a big Town Party. Good Job Southwick !
Check out the Siena Valley Club on ig. Not a ton of info out yet but looks like a community built around outdoor enthusiasts. Seems they might have there own MX track/trails, horseback riding among other things.
Maybe that weekend alone the whole town makes enough money for the whole year...
absolutely BLEW MY MIND first time we raced there. Like, you go around the back of a Middle School then boom - it is in a little wooded valley.
was giving me Cross Country (running) flashbacks from the jump. Pretty epic environment, definitely different.
Some good info about The Wick on businesswest dot com. Talks about how much the town loves it etc. Just search the wick 338 and you should find it (won’t let me post link)
"The track is over 50 years old now so most people living near it knew about it’s existence when moving in."
That usually doesn't stop homeowners from complaining about what happens in their neighborhood. Cool that this place is an exception.
Isn’t it owned by the American Legion Post 338?
As a non profit Do they qualify or grandfather in for different regulations?
Yeah people still usually complain even when the track was there when they moved in. We have people like that to thank for Laguna Seca losing races every year
The town of Linton, Indiana allowed locals to build a proper motocross track on city park land. They usually hold a few prepped practices every year and even a race or two occasionally.
https://www.facebook.com/linton.mx
I think at one point the Southwick chief of police raced in the NESC. Thats the local sanctioning committee for most of New England MX.
Southwick Police Chief Kevin Bishop honored upon retirement | The Westfield News |June 23, 2021
I recall Weege saying it a big deal for the town, they even have a parade I think and it brings in a lot of money for local businesses.
Not sure about now, but for years the 338 post of the American Legion donated all of the profits from the race to the town, I think.
They do that with DFW airport.
During the day, a plane is landing or taking off every minute. There's no way in hell they didn't notice that when they looked at the house.
Pit Row
Yes.
https://businesswest.com/blog/motocross-at-the-wick-is-a-driving-force-…
The local facebook group went wild a week or two ago when the military was using the local airport for touch and go training for jets. "They should let people know there are going to be fighter jets flying around." - Ma'am it is an AIRPORT.
Bravo to the Southwick community to use this to their advantages. We need to replicate this success with other communities and tracks.
There was a small village (roughly 1000 ppl) in Canada that hosted one of the biggest metal festivals in the country (100k+ ppl). Locals eventually accepted it, due to it producing like 10 million $ for the village in a week. Point being, if it drives enough cash in, people will put up with a lot for a short time.
And numerous countries around the world.
High Point has a few houses right around the tracks property. They make bank charging and allowing people to park in their yards.
They use the ball fields out front for parking and the proceeds go to the school I believe what Ralph told me.
I have been at southwick several times leading up to the national doing testing and random neighbors will walk over from their homes and hang out and watch the riders testing and talk to all the mechanics. They do get into the event and the track being there.
A very awesome piece of mx history
So I’m dating myself here but I lived by Bradley international airport in Windsor Locks Ct. We use to ride from there to Southwick and come in the back side from the old railroad tracks and get one lap in before they’d come out to run us out. It was miles of tobacco fields, tree farms and turf farms back then. Ahhh the 70’s.
I know the track also knows it works both ways. They don’t hold a ton of events and large open practices. I’ve asked why they don’t hold open practice during the week and noise was mentioned. So the track has clearly found a balance with the community.
I grew up in CA, so my first time rolling up to that track, right in the middle of a quaint north east town, and turning right at the school and dropping down into the track, was certainly an experience. And of course riding it was incredible, after growing up watching it on TV. Places like 338, and wet sand pit tracks in the dead of summer because it rains so much, make the northeast great. I don’t miss CA.
Sound testing. That’s must be how they stay open?
It’s a large contributor to town revenue and the Johnsons are also very involved in the town including having fireworks and non moto things like tough mudder type events
No.
Keith Johnson owns it.
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