Munchwick - The Course
Complete with twists, turns, jumps,
and more, the track is a place for amateur and expert riders in our
extended
circle of friends to ride and race. Scott spends most of his weekends
on the track making improvements, racing
our Golden Retriever "Nitro," and helping our
"adopted" nieces and nephews improve their skills on and off
the bikes. He has spent countless hours building and rebuilding the
CRF 50's in our "collection" and passing on his knowledge
and guidance to the our next generation of racing enthusiasts.
The track measures 818 feet from start to finish, and the basic track
configuration looks something like this:
Starting
Line: This is where the fun
beings. During our race events this line is usually drawn out by using
some surveyor's tape. The location is in front of the Power Aid
victory lane about half way to the fire pit. A comfortable number of
racers to line up at once is 5 - 6. During the finals at out annual
Watermelon Nationals we have been known to let as many as 10 bikes line
at up at once to do battle at Munchwick.
Flag
Stand: From the starting
line, the flag stand is located straight ahead towards the first turn.
Located strategically so it can be viewed well from the starting line
and the finish line. The finish line is located just past the base of
the spectators jump. During race events we have a seasoned flagman run
the race by the use of a complete set of hand made flags available from
Sandy Jones Racing Flags. The set of flags includes the "meatball"
flag. The flagman is not shy to wave it at rider that is riding like
one.
Plymouth
Rock: Oh the pilgrims would
be proud to dock the Mayflower on this baby! This rock was given its
name for the obvious. As we were building and creating the track, this
rock reminded us of the famous Plymouth rock. The rock is located
approximately 1/3 of the way around the track. The rock identifies the
very inside of a sharp but wide left hand turn the can challenge the
best. The key to getting through this slightly down hill two-laner is
good brake control. In racing conditions, getting in and out of this
turn will dictate how you start your journey down the back straight
away. Hang on for a great left-hander, its one of my favorites!
Snake
Back: Don't worry, the
snake won't bite! Snake Back is located at the end of the back
straight away. Before getting on to Snake Back the rider has to whoa up
from top speed, give the bike a left hand flick and a quick right onto
Snake Back. Snake Back got its name by an identifying tree root that
runs horizontally, exposed slightly above the ground. The curvature in
this exposed root sure looks like the back of a snake to me!
Switch
Back: This is the most
creative part of the track. Remember, we started working with nothing
but a heavily wooded area. To best utilize the terrain we were working
with it seemed obvious to use the slope of the yard to some advantage.
From the top of Snake Back you head down to the bottom of the Switch
back. The elevation change is approximately 15 feet. At the bottom you
find a high, well-groomed left hand berm. In race conditions getting in
and out of the turn is crucial to getting a good drive up to the top of
Switch Back. The top of the Switch Back is a tight 180-degree
right-hander. From the top, the rider heads down hill again, getting
ready to set up for the most demanding part of the track for the engine.
My advice is, hang on like an AMA pro, pin it and enjoy the ride!
Horsepower
Hill: This hill is like a
Dyno for the minis! Stockers take warning; it may take you a while! For
the hot rods, show us what you got! Horsepower Hill was given its name
because it's got a way to slow you right down if you're not on the
power. Starting at the exit of the Switch Back, Horsepower Hill starts
its progressive left hand upper turn. After completing the turn,
Horsepower Hill continues its upward slope to one of the most important
turns on the circuit. On race days this is a passing zone. Beside
horsepower it take a lot of driving precision to successfully level out
Horsepower Hill.
Spectators
Jump: This one is for the
spectators! You can't have a moto cross track without a jump!
Spectators, most baring some sort of video devise or camera gravitate to
this one! Hence, the Spectators Jump. Carefully designed and created for
safety, and accommodating the full range of rider skill levels. The top
of Horsepower Hill spits you into a sharp left-hander that delivers you
directly onto the jump. From the stock 50's with beginners aboard,
popping a wheelie at the top of the jump is a thrill. To the experts
that get incredible height and distance, this jump handles them all.
User-friendly characteristics make it fun for all.
Power Aid Victory Lane:
This is where you wanna be at the end of the day! On race day events
this place gets a lot of action from everyone! The backdrop for the
famous victory lane is my buddy Dave Holden's beautiful white
four-place snowmobile trailer. We dress it up in race day attire that
includes, Moose Racing and Parts Unlimited hay bales. A red Honda wing
logo banner and of course lots of Power Aid. The Power Aid Victory Lane
serves as both a place to gather the podium finishers as well a perfect
photo opportunity location.