Carlsbad Motocross Races This Weekend Only Echo Those Glory Days
The sound of dirt bikes buzzing like chain saws is rare now. Visions of knobby tires spraying mud, and sun-tanned fans and television cameras at every jump and every turn are faded images. The glory days at Carlsbad Raceway, once the Mecca of the motocross racing world, are over.
Oh, the dirt bikes run there from time to time. There are events such as the Golden State Series in February and Commotion By The Ocean III this weekend, but the motos are no longer prestigious, not when they are compared to what used to take place at Carlsbad: the United States Motocross Grand Prix. Gone are the marquee races. Gone are the cameras. Gone are the crowds. They stopped coming for one reason: Carlsbad Raceway before too long, will be gone.
In 1970, Carlsbad took off in high gear as a prime motocross facility. But since 1986, the last year the U.S. Grand Prix was held there, Carlsbad has been stuck in reverse. It is now a race track no one wants to touch, yet it is still regarded as one of motocross’ ultimate challenges.
“That’s my favorite track,” said Ryan Hughes of Escondido, one of the early favorites in Commotion By The Ocean III. “It’s a real motocross track.”
Commotion By The Ocean, which attracts “the cream of the crop of San Diego up and comers,” according to race promoter Frank Thomason, calls itself the largest motocross event in San Diego County. Its total purse of about $4,000 and its $1,200 winner’s share are on par with most national races, Thomason said. Yet it remains a small-time event.
“Carlsbad is a big name, but it would require a tremendous investment to be brought back,” said Roger DeCoster, a five-time world and four-time Trans-American Motocross Assn. racing champion and now promoter of the Grand Prix. “It doesn’t look nice, and the spectators won’t come anymore. Carlsbad is not what it used to be.”
For 16 years, Carlsbad was the site of the Grand Prix. During that time, the raceway was synonymous with motocross. It was at first a showcase for European champions such as the Belgian DeCoster--who became a legend in this country though he never won here--and later as training ground for young American riders who eventually took over as the world’s best.
But as the mid-1980s approached, the raceway became a risk to promoters of national events because of rapid urban industrial development around it and rising insurance costs. The future of the twisting 1.1-mile track became cloudy. DeCoster said promoters became complacent and some riders became unhappy. He said the track is now run down by national racing standards. Gavin Trippe and Bruce Cox, the British promoters who brought world championship motocross here, decided in 1986 to take the Grand Prix elsewhere.
Everyone associated with Carlsbad seems convinced that sooner or later it will be razed. The only question is, when?
“It will eventually be developed,” said Frank Mannen, Carlsbad assistant city manager. “I’m not sure of the timetable.”
“We have a pretty good shot at two more years,” said promoter Thomason, who said he would love to bring a national event back to Carlsbad but can’t get the backing.
Even with the funding, it still might not be enough to pull the world’s top riders away from the more lucrative international Supercross circuit. Even Del Mar’s Broc Glover, who would be a slam-dunk pick for a motocross hall of fame, opted not to race this weekend. He’s competing in a biathlon instead.
But those who will race in today’s amateur and Sunday’s intermediate and professional events will do so, in part, because of Carlsbad’s mystique.
“I watched it once as a kid,” Hughes, 17, said. “All the Europeans came over and it was a great race. The Grand Prix originated in Carlsbad. I think they should try to bring it back here.”
Motocross Notes
The event is expected to attract about 1,000 riders and more than 3,000 fans . . . Hughes is one of four favorites to win this year’s 30-minute main event. The others are Mike Craig of El Cajon, who won the 125cc class at the Supercross in Anaheim this year, Larry Brooks of El Cajon, formerly the youngest (at 16) rider to get a factory contract under Team Honda, and Mickey Diamond of Placentia, a two-time 125cc national champion who is coming out of retirement . . . Local amateurs can compete in today’s moto events. Entry fee is $30. Local pros can enter Sunday’s events for $40. Entry can be made by calling 484-1441 or 727-1171 . . . Today’s races will consist of Beginners and Juniors; Sunday will feature Intermediates and Pros. Motos will be held in 80, 125, 250, 500cc classes, as well as veteran and old-timer (40 and over) divisions both days . . . Gates open at 6 a.m.