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From a small-town track, big-time motocross pros

 Dade City Raceway has produced some of the stars of an ever-growing sport.

By BOB PUTNAM
Published July 13, 2006

DADE CITY - The noise from dozens of motorcycle riders revving their engines reverberates through the crowd.

The bikes quiver as masked, helmeted youngsters get ready to race.

Then they're off.

Dirt flies from spinning tires as riders try to avoid spilling on hairpin turns. Throttles are cranked as competitors dash up elevation changes, both natural and man-made, that propel them high and far.

This roaring, soaring spectacle takes place year-round at Dade City Raceway, where amateurs learn their craft on this challenging, dirt obstacle course.

"This is one of the toughest places to ride in the country," said Randy Yoho, the track's founder. "If you can conquer this one, you can conquer any of them."

Dade City Raceway has the top pros to prove it.

Before Ricky Carmichael and James "Bubba" Stewart became Supercross superstars, they were dusting rivals here on the amateur circuit.

So was Travis Pastrana, who won three straight X Games golds in motocross from 1999-2001.

The track, located on the Pasco County Fairgrounds, about 8 miles east of Interstate 75, is so happening, Supercross rider Chad Reed made sure to check it out when he moved to the area.

"It's kind of amazing to see how many riders got their start," said Reed, 24, who is from Australia. "Actually, I'm kind of jealous that I wasn't here with those guys at that time."

The track is part of a long motor-sports tradition in Pasco County. In the 1950s, cars raced on the oval track for time trials. In the 1960s, the property was used for scramble races with two infield jumps for motorcycles.

Yoho was there for it all. At first, he came to watch. He started riding in the mid 1970s, a time when motocross began appearing in rural areas of the country.

The craze wasn't enough to keep the raceway going. It was closed from 1976-78.

Yoho decided to open it again.

"I realized how much the track meant to me and everyone else," he said.

Yoho was able to lease the site for $1,000 a year from Collie Clayton, a former president of the Pasco County Fair Association who died in 1991.

Yoho, 47, started running races in 1979. He has been expanding his operation ever since. Today, the track has 250-300 riders, ages 4-60, who compete in the 21 events held on a typical race day.

Not every race is the same.

Each week, a crew using heavy machinery moves thousands of pounds to change the configuration of the track.

"We try to keep it challenging," Yoho said.

As Dade City Raceway has grown, so has the sport. There are now more than 1,500 motocross events each year, according to the American Motocross Association.

Sponsorship money also is following stars such as Carmichael, Reed and Stewart.

Supercross events - professional motocross held in big-city stadiums, both indoors and outdoors - are attracting crowds of 60,000-70,000.

But rural tracks such as Dade City are its lifeblood.

The track's first star was Carmichael. He got his first bike when he was 5 years old and amassed a roomful of trophies by the time he was 16.

In 1996, he turned pro. Today, Carmichael, 26, is the winningest rider in the AMA 125cc class.

Pastrana, 22, and Stewart, 20, kept the tradition going years later.

"The track has always been a good place," said Sonya Stewart, James' mother. "When they first started riding, we never thought that these guys would make it this big."

A big draw is the track's wholesome fun. No beer sales. No boom boxes. No drugs.

"People have this image of the sport as big, tough, biker dudes," Yoho said. "Nobody here is wearing chains or sporting a lot of piercings or tattoos.

"It's mostly just families and kids who are hungry to compete."

That also is what brings the top guys back.

During practice sessions or racing nights, it is not uncommon to see Carmichael or Reed or Stewart mingle with the crowd.

"Sometimes, it's just a surprise visit," Yoho said. "It's pretty cool to see guys who are the top three in the world stop by.

"That's part of what makes the track special."

DADE CITY RACEWAY

WHERE: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City.

ADMISSION: $10 for adults, $5 for children 11 and younger.

RACES: Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. Practice begins at 5 p.m. with the first race at 7. It's $25 to enter a race. The track gives lessons by pro riders every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lessons are $25.

[Last modified July 13, 2006, 06:32:02]