R.I.P Devils Ridge in NC

wasummer46
Posts
219
Joined
1/11/2017
Location
Raleigh, NC US
We went riding Sunday at Devil's Ridge in Sanford and saw "FOR SALE" sign at the entrance and Kent(owner) informed us after 43 years they will sell the property. It also sounded like the current highest bidder is a home developer, not motocross enthusiast. A couple guys said that Sunday was the final open practice and a few others said maybe 1 more.

Granted the track and facility hadn't seen any upgrades or track changes in a couple decades, this a major blow for any North Carolina locals that grew up riding this track. The dirt was always primo too!

I will surely miss this place immensely!!
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mx317
Posts
5291
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
TN US
4/5/2022 8:11am
I qualified for Loretta's there one time at their regional.
6
JBlain619
Posts
1819
Joined
6/10/2010
Location
Severna Park, MD US
4/5/2022 8:53am
mx317 wrote:
I qualified for Loretta's there one time at their regional.
Same here. 1997, 125 and 250 A Mod. I had a 103 temp the whole weekend. I slept the entire time I wasn't on the track.
3
Roostermx58
Posts
1539
Joined
9/18/2013
Location
Wilmington, NC US
4/5/2022 9:57am
This is one of the closest track to my location. Raced many mx races here as well as NC hare scrambles as well. Sad to see.
1

The Shop

user760a
Posts
1202
Joined
9/15/2008
Location
Shelby, NC US
4/5/2022 10:06am
I have been looking for a few acres to buy in NC and land prices have gone absolutely insane here in the last few years. Much more so than surrounding states.

A 31 acre piece of land right around the corner from me seemed overpriced to me @ 3500/acre about 5 yrs ago and I passed on it. God, the regret.... That same piece of land would sell at $10K/acre now....and it happened really quickly.

Chunks of land that have been for sale for years with no action have all sold, been sub divided and are in now in various states of home construction all around me.

what is my point here? just that land owners are going to be a lot less likely to stick their necks out to hold races on their property and a lot more likely to sell and retire as milionaires.
7
1/30/2023 4:09pm

The Ridge Mx, formerly known as Devils Ridge, lives on! Soft opening February 11th- 12th and the 25th-26th, Grand opening March 11th and 12th, and first race the weekend of April 2nd! Spread the word and see you at The Ridge! 

26
Taotech
Posts
263
Joined
2/23/2017
Location
Fuquay Varina, NC US
1/30/2023 4:14pm

That is the best news I have heard in a long time!! Thank you!!!!

SEE ARE125
Posts
5659
Joined
3/28/2012
Location
TN US
1/30/2023 4:19pm

Never been there, but what an awesome turn of events!

1
wasummer46
Posts
219
Joined
1/11/2017
Location
Raleigh, NC US
1/30/2023 4:59pm

I honestly can’t believe it!!!!! Even Ken the previous owner told me a family was buying the land with no plans to keep the track.

 

EPIC!!!

1/30/2023 5:12pm

That is awesome to see!

Just had our local short track have its first race in 7 years a couple weeks ago. Thought it would’ve been sold and leveled into houses by now. It was really emotional to go back because that’s where I grew up watching my dad race and eventually learning to drive there at 13, I can only imagine the same feeling for guys that grew up riding at Devil’s Ridge. 

1/30/2023 5:39pm

I got lapped by Damon Bradshaw there. May I rest in peace. 

2
1
Motobeau179
Posts
114
Joined
4/16/2018
Location
Fernandina Beach, FL US
1/30/2023 6:43pm
The Ridge Mx, formerly known as Devils Ridge, lives on! Soft opening February 11th- 12th and the 25th-26th, Grand opening March 11th and 12th, and first...

The Ridge Mx, formerly known as Devils Ridge, lives on! Soft opening February 11th- 12th and the 25th-26th, Grand opening March 11th and 12th, and first race the weekend of April 2nd! Spread the word and see you at The Ridge! 

Do you have a instagram or Facebook page to follow?  Pumped you guys are bringing it back. 

Tyler D
Posts
2047
Joined
12/5/2022
Location
La, CA US
1/30/2023 6:58pm Edited Date/Time 1/30/2023 10:02pm

I got lapped by Damon Bradshaw there. May I rest in peace. 

we landed on the moon

1
wasummer46
Posts
219
Joined
1/11/2017
Location
Raleigh, NC US
1/30/2023 7:16pm
The Ridge Mx, formerly known as Devils Ridge, lives on! Soft opening February 11th- 12th and the 25th-26th, Grand opening March 11th and 12th, and first...

The Ridge Mx, formerly known as Devils Ridge, lives on! Soft opening February 11th- 12th and the 25th-26th, Grand opening March 11th and 12th, and first race the weekend of April 2nd! Spread the word and see you at The Ridge! 

Do you have a instagram or Facebook page to follow?  Pumped you guys are bringing it back. 

1
12
Posts
33
Joined
1/4/2023
Location
nowhere, AA US
1/30/2023 7:55pm
user760a wrote:
I have been looking for a few acres to buy in NC and land prices have gone absolutely insane here in the last few years. Much...
I have been looking for a few acres to buy in NC and land prices have gone absolutely insane here in the last few years. Much more so than surrounding states.

A 31 acre piece of land right around the corner from me seemed overpriced to me @ 3500/acre about 5 yrs ago and I passed on it. God, the regret.... That same piece of land would sell at $10K/acre now....and it happened really quickly.

Chunks of land that have been for sale for years with no action have all sold, been sub divided and are in now in various states of home construction all around me.

what is my point here? just that land owners are going to be a lot less likely to stick their necks out to hold races on their property and a lot more likely to sell and retire as milionaires.

Same here in TX.

A small private airpark just down the road from me has decided to sell the land instead of build more hangers. The owner: "I can make way more selling lots than renting hangers..."

What happens to his current tenants? He doesn't care. Millions vs. thousands? Not even close.

Every piece of vacant land around here is being developed. Even the crappy ones avoided for a hundred years. Full of power lines? They are being filled and leveled.

Example: there is a sand/gravel pit fully exhausted.....it has been systematically filled with any type of junk and covered with dirt. They are going to build on it. Buildable land is that valuable here.

2
BBA
Posts
260
Joined
3/6/2011
Location
somewhere, NC US
1/31/2023 3:26am
12 wrote:
Same here in TX. A small private airpark just down the road from me has decided to sell the land instead of build more hangers. The...

Same here in TX.

A small private airpark just down the road from me has decided to sell the land instead of build more hangers. The owner: "I can make way more selling lots than renting hangers..."

What happens to his current tenants? He doesn't care. Millions vs. thousands? Not even close.

Every piece of vacant land around here is being developed. Even the crappy ones avoided for a hundred years. Full of power lines? They are being filled and leveled.

Example: there is a sand/gravel pit fully exhausted.....it has been systematically filled with any type of junk and covered with dirt. They are going to build on it. Buildable land is that valuable here.

Same here in NC. Every vacant land track, farms, pastures or lots with sketchy housing are being sought after by developers here. Hell, I get letters in the mail and phone calls from developers out west that offer to buy my land. My area which used to be a rural farm area is being gobbled up at a crazy rate and houses are being built as fast as they can construct them. We have a lot of new Northern neighbors moving in and now about every fifth license plate you see are from NY, NJ, IL, PA and so on. Tracks and riding areas are becoming endangered places moving forward in NC. 

1
WTF_M8
Posts
307
Joined
10/28/2022
Location
North West, NC US
2/6/2023 12:35pm
 

 

6
2/6/2023 12:44pm
12 wrote:
Same here in TX. A small private airpark just down the road from me has decided to sell the land instead of build more hangers. The...

Same here in TX.

A small private airpark just down the road from me has decided to sell the land instead of build more hangers. The owner: "I can make way more selling lots than renting hangers..."

What happens to his current tenants? He doesn't care. Millions vs. thousands? Not even close.

Every piece of vacant land around here is being developed. Even the crappy ones avoided for a hundred years. Full of power lines? They are being filled and leveled.

Example: there is a sand/gravel pit fully exhausted.....it has been systematically filled with any type of junk and covered with dirt. They are going to build on it. Buildable land is that valuable here.

BBA wrote:
Same here in NC. Every vacant land track, farms, pastures or lots with sketchy housing are being sought after by developers here. Hell, I get letters...

Same here in NC. Every vacant land track, farms, pastures or lots with sketchy housing are being sought after by developers here. Hell, I get letters in the mail and phone calls from developers out west that offer to buy my land. My area which used to be a rural farm area is being gobbled up at a crazy rate and houses are being built as fast as they can construct them. We have a lot of new Northern neighbors moving in and now about every fifth license plate you see are from NY, NJ, IL, PA and so on. Tracks and riding areas are becoming endangered places moving forward in NC. 

I apologize now that you have to see Illinois plates. I live in that hell'ish state. Good news is, no one is moving here and the tracks are staying open as no one is building houses. 

2
1
JMMcMac127
Posts
35
Joined
12/17/2020
Location
Mount Holly, NC US
2/7/2023 7:38pm

I saw Ritchie Horton walk the dog on Carmichael here. Then I saw the back of Stewart twice….once off the gate, and once when he lapped me lol 

mb60
Posts
5571
Joined
3/7/2010
Location
GRAPEVINE, TX US
2/7/2023 8:53pm

So cool to see old mx tracks brought back to life. Texas has seen so many go and bulldozed and still just sit vacant makes you sad. 

NorCal1975
Posts
539
Joined
12/27/2019
Location
Northern California, CA US
2/7/2023 10:01pm
I apologize now that you have to see Illinois plates. I live in that hell'ish state. Good news is, no one is moving here and the...

I apologize now that you have to see Illinois plates. I live in that hell'ish state. Good news is, no one is moving here and the tracks are staying open as no one is building houses. 

That is weird, I saw the Illinois Governor talking about how open minded and equitable Illinois was, which is why "so many" people are moving there?  I was totally buying into his story, until I read your post....   Wink

1
1
wasummer46
Posts
219
Joined
1/11/2017
Location
Raleigh, NC US
10/28/2024 8:01am

It looks like this property has been sold again and doesn't sound like they will continue as a motocross track. Sad day, glad I was able to make the group of 10 or so people to ride the track last on Saturday.

image 661

 

2
1
JustMX
Posts
5237
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
TN US
10/28/2024 11:45am

That has been an odd deal since kent sold it.

Supposedly it was 4 buyers that bought it to split into 4 parcels with no intention of keeping a track there , then suddenly they are revamping it and opening it back up.

Could not understand why they would spend all that money and keep it the same layout.

I leased it to run some races at back in 2008 and 2009 and wanted to move the start down by the big pond coming uphill with a nice banked 180 degrees left first turn that would be where turn two was. Even offered to move the fence.

Camerons would have none of it. They insisted on keeping it where it was, a fast 90, down hill right and 300 yards of track that only got used on the start, and cut through the upper and lower parking lots.

Place certainly had some history.

Rip drmx

3
10/28/2024 6:15pm
JustMX wrote:
That has been an odd deal since kent sold it.Supposedly it was 4 buyers that bought it to split into 4 parcels with no intention of...

That has been an odd deal since kent sold it.

Supposedly it was 4 buyers that bought it to split into 4 parcels with no intention of keeping a track there , then suddenly they are revamping it and opening it back up.

Could not understand why they would spend all that money and keep it the same layout.

I leased it to run some races at back in 2008 and 2009 and wanted to move the start down by the big pond coming uphill with a nice banked 180 degrees left first turn that would be where turn two was. Even offered to move the fence.

Camerons would have none of it. They insisted on keeping it where it was, a fast 90, down hill right and 300 yards of track that only got used on the start, and cut through the upper and lower parking lots.

Place certainly had some history.

Rip drmx

Joe,

I was in the neighborhood of Parker Valley MX last week passing thru.

My my the memories you gave us with that place was unmatched. 

1
JustMX
Posts
5237
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
TN US
10/29/2024 6:42pm
JustMX wrote:
That has been an odd deal since kent sold it.Supposedly it was 4 buyers that bought it to split into 4 parcels with no intention of...

That has been an odd deal since kent sold it.

Supposedly it was 4 buyers that bought it to split into 4 parcels with no intention of keeping a track there , then suddenly they are revamping it and opening it back up.

Could not understand why they would spend all that money and keep it the same layout.

I leased it to run some races at back in 2008 and 2009 and wanted to move the start down by the big pond coming uphill with a nice banked 180 degrees left first turn that would be where turn two was. Even offered to move the fence.

Camerons would have none of it. They insisted on keeping it where it was, a fast 90, down hill right and 300 yards of track that only got used on the start, and cut through the upper and lower parking lots.

Place certainly had some history.

Rip drmx

Joe,

I was in the neighborhood of Parker Valley MX last week passing thru.

My my the memories you gave us with that place was unmatched. 

Thanks man.

It was awesome to have everything come together to make it such a special place, and i certainly have a lot of great memories as well, and it is humbling to hear people remember it so fondly.

It was hard to have to let all that go, and i am sure the camerons as well as the current owners feel somewhat the same way about devils ridge.

1
JMMcMac127
Posts
35
Joined
12/17/2020
Location
Mount Holly, NC US
11/1/2024 6:57pm Edited Date/Time 11/1/2024 6:57pm

Moto 40…..too soon? 

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