ROCK SPRINGS – The second year was bigger than the first as Rock Springs Motocross will focus on bringing the Loretta Lynn Qualifier back for a third year.
At the recent Sweetwater County Fair Board meeting, Rock Springs Motocross President Wes Smith gave an update on the second year of the national motocross race. This year, the race almost doubled the number of racers. It went from a little over 100 riders in year one to 243 this year. Smith said they had participants and families from as far as North Carolina and Tennessee.
Smith reported area riders did extremely well with several qualifying for the regional race. The winners here move to regional qualifiers and from there move on to Loretta Lynn’s ranch to battle it out for the top title.
After the meeting, Smith told SweetwaterNOW they hope to try to bring the race back for a third year next summer. The race goes through a applications process which are due in December. Smith said they are starting the process now.
He added they will be looking at hosting next year’s event during the same time frame as the one this summer. The first year was a muddy mess as Rock Springs was severely impacted by heavy rains. They were also impacted a little this year as Smith reported hail only allowed a fraction of Sunday’s racing to take place.
The race has coincided with the start of the outdoor season which has historically started around the same time frame. Smith said the weather is just one of those things you cannot factor for.
The cancellation of a qualifying race in Utah also was a factor in this year’s growth. The race at Miller Sports Park was the only other area qualifier for local racers. With the park going through a transition, the Utah race did not take place. Smith did not know if the track would be submitting an application for the upcoming season.
Upcoming Races
The next race in the outdoor series in July 29-31 at the Sweetwater Events Complex. The final race of the outdoor season is Aug. 26-28. Smith said they are starting to work on details for the upcoming indoor season.
