Posts
1189
Joined
7/8/2016
Location
Belton, MO
US
Jeff_Crutcher
8/8/2019 3:40am
8/8/2019 3:40am
Edited Date/Time
8/10/2019 1:09am
My buddy Corey was always out there over the last year and a half, so I think he's being 100% serious.
We've all been hearing news of the closure possibility, but it sure sucks when it actually comes into fruition. I never got to ride there. Share stories or memories of FTT.
1) great idea
2) bad business people
I rode there last November, I wasn’t really that impressed
The Shop
Every time I’ve called their phone rang and rang. So...who knows why. Sad.
Green card thing seems possible as it seems the track was just a front for something else.
Of friends, we are from Massachusetts and saw FTT as a must. Had a blast, loved the “amateur” track. The bar/beach was just a bonus. Too bad, seems like Florida is losing more tracks than opening...
FTT will be sorely missed!
Nothing above first gear in the pits, for bikes at least. Quads and side by sides were allowed to do whatever, even after we watched a kid with a PW get mowed down by a shirtless, helmetless guy doing wheelies on a banshee in the pits. Then a big ass Razr is doing donuts next to us and flings a decent size piece of shell right into the door of our truck and leaves a little dent and takes some paint with it, we inform the employees, and I quote "Yeah they can do whatever they want, if we go yell at them they'll just go hide in the trails". Then i pointed out that if you just monitored the pits like you're supposed to, you could prevent any complaints like this. They just argued 4 people tending the tiki bar was a lot more important than people's safety.
They would let goons into the peewee track while a kid with a mini with training wheels was putting around, then the kid would either get the shit roosted out of them or too intimidated to go ride the small track built for them.
The last time I went me and three friends were all dicing it out and we hit the step down together but locked up the brakes quick because there was someone laying in the middle of the track on the bottom of the step down, ten feet away from his mangled bike. The worst part? A flagged was supposed to be on the top of the step down, but instead had headphones on with the windows rolled up in his pickup truck parked off the track. We tried to get his attention but he gave us a quick glare as one of my friends was dragging this unconscious kid out of the middle of the track.
All in all, if the correct people owned it nothing like this would've happened. I know this is an extremely dangerous sport, but when the people getting paid to look out for the safety of you, me, our children, and families would rather scroll through instagram or drink the beer they're supposed to be selling while a child gets run over by a quad or side by side in the pits, You really start to realize why shit like this happens.
I hope someone who actually knows what the hell theyre doing reopens this place, it's a beautiful piece of property with so much potential but such little pride in presentation.
Pit Row
https://youtu.be/2zPXjWEcHVo
1. Way too big. The place was insanely big. It would take a mile from the parking lot to ride to the track which is not a problem if you are the one riding but when your not riding its a pain. I would bring a klx 110 to ride from camp to the track to watch my girlfriend and one thing that was kind of annoying was the helmet rule on a peewee bike. Which I understand the insurance side but 95% of the tracks don't really enforce this rule. FTT was a stickler about it which no big deal.
2. 74 is a mile down the road. It is a lot more chill and better track. Everything is within 2 acres and is great because you can watch your partner or friend right from your camp.
3. Tracks were closed way too often.I have been to FTT twice where it would rain the night before and they would not open the amateur track. They would only open the beginner track which is pretty much a peewee track. I would have to pack up everything and head over to 74 and ride there instead
This was a hassle because I would arrive Friday night camp there to ride Saturday and Sunday but the hassle to move after you set up is just a pain in the ass. I mean they would have plenty of time to prep and get the amateur track ready for lunchtime at least but nope, if you asked the staff they would say its closed for the whole weekend.
It is a super nice facility. If they would have kept it smaller instead of 1000 acres I'm sure they would still be in business
It is with a heavy heart that I write this message to all our customers and friends.
Effectively Immediately FTT will be closed, at least
temporarily, until further notice.
Most of you have seen Terry around the Park. He was the vision behind FTT. The man who founded and built this place. Terry was a hard-working man whom loved to play even harder.
To get a project of this size off the ground, financial backing was required. This was not Terry’s strong suit. His strengths were building and running the Park. But, as most of you know, the one who holds the wallet pulls the strings.
As a result, we have come to the sad realization that our legs were cut-off even before FTT’s doors were opened. Since then, we did everything humanely possible to make FTT a success. The echoes of Terry’s big, kind and loving heart will always be here as this place was his life’s dream
come true.
You might hear a million different stories why FTTE so abruptly had to close its doors. I cannot control the rumor-mill, but I can tell you, this didn’t happen due to lack of any effort by my family. We poured all of our hearts and souls into making this place a safe, fun, weekend destination
for everyone. Sadly, not everyone involved shared our dedication, grit and “do what-ever-it-takes” attitude.
Some people found it better to close-up shop when things got tough. So, at this point, all we can do is ask everyone to remember the “good ol’
days” and FTT for what Terry built it to be.
It has been a pleasure to be a part of this venture and I will treasure every friendship and memory created from FTT.
Ride Safe! -Tiffanie Cooke-Cool
They should have aimed a little lower and grow as it grows
We were not happy and pointed out that their facebook page said it would be open and is the reason we drove the extra 3 hours to ride there. We rode the smaller side track which deteriorated rapidly for a few hours. It became almost dangerous to ride after a couple hours and could see that the entire day they were grooming the pro track for what we assumed was the side X side event. Why you would every let side X sides on a pro MX track is beyond me but whatever.
We tried to make the most of the day, swimming in the lake, playing volleyball basically trying to justify the extra drive to go to this track when all of a sudden about 5 side X sides went out and started ripping the pro track. All except 1 were utility SXS. This pissed about everyone off that after being told that no one was allowed on it because of grooming, now utility SXS were basically tearing the track to shit.
So this prompted about 20 dirtbike riders, almost all from out of state to go off on the manager and basically say that nobody would ever return to the track. Which also started the question of WHY no local MX riders were riding.
What we were told was the owner/operator/managers basically own SXSs and they had been letting all their friends pretty much destroy the pro track and would never open it to actual MX bikes.
Anyway, after about an your of bitching, and 3 destroyed SXSs later (one completely flipped on its head and destroyed the front A arm) they finally let us go ride the track...……...for 20 minutes. And then told us they had to start REPREPPING for the SXS event the next day..
We have never returned and everyone that went with us and the people we know from the St Louis area that went, have never returned.
………...I told the owner/manager/whoever that they would be closed with a couple years. Guess it was just a little quicker.
With that being said, I really don't think they cared, as stated before it was a way for a bunch of people to get green cards at a cost of 500k per person and this was just the way they laundered the money.
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