By By Matthew Nascone
The Atmore Motocross Park witnessed record attendance last weekend for the third round of the Gulf Coast MX Championship. More than 800 people poured into the park for the Saturday and Sunday races.
Track owner Bobby Hadley said the weekend was a definite success.
"This is our first series and I think it went well," Hadley said. "It was hectic out there, but it was pleasantly hectic."
Hadley might have described the weekend as pleasantly hectic because the third round of the championship saw 250 riders participate in the 44 classifications of racing.
Track promoter Steve Hicks had another view on the festivities of the weekend.
"I have never seen the Atmore MX Park so full of spectators, campers and haulers," Hicks said. "When you enter the gates of the track it is like another world. Everywhere you look there are campers set up with grills cooking, and folks from all over the Southeast are coming together to have a great time."
Billy Boyer, a BMX &MX chaplain out of Monroeville, performed a pre-race church service for all the riders and families Sunday morning.
The races were the first at the track in almost three months. But while the riders were not competing in Atmore, they were at the first round of the championship in Wagarville at the Lower Alabama Motocross Park, and then at the second round in Mossy Head, Fla. at the West Florida MX Park.
The riders will be at those two for the third and fourth rounds, respectively, before coming back to Atmore for the finale. Some of the festivities have been planned for that finale, but Hadley said he wants to have something special for all who attend that weekend on Nov. 4-5.
"We are looking forward to the finale and we are working on what to do to finish this thing with a bang," he said. "We are just excited to have the finale at our track and we hope we can give everyone who comes out a good show."
Hicks said a giant fish fry for all the riders and guests is planned for Nov. 4 after the races conclude. Hadley and Hicks both invited all of Atmore to come and enjoy the fun atmosphere as the riders compete in the final round of the Gulf Coast MX Points Championship Nov. 4-5 at the Atmore Motocross Park.