The first two weeks of 2008 were for the most part wet, cold, and miserable. The New Year pounded the Northern California landscape with one wet storm after another. Scheduled for the third weekend of January, conditions were looking pretty dreary for the Polka Dots Motorcycle Clubs 30th annual running of the Prairie City Grand Prix off road motorcycle race. The weather gods had much different plans, however, as the clouds parted and the sunshine beat down on Prairie City Off Highway Vehicle park for the entire week preceding the event. Nearly perfect riding conditions greeted the host club and racers for two days of exciting race action.
The OHV Park is nestled up against the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range just East of Sacramento California. Prairie City takes its name from a gold rush community that was located adjacent to the present-day park. Today, the only reminders of that 1850s community are the mine tailings that dot the landscape and California Historical Landmark #464 located near the front gate to the park. Opened in 1963 as McGill’s, a privately owned and run cycle park, the 836 acre OHV area was purchased by the state of California in 1976 with State Green Sticker Off-Highway Vehicle Funds. Prairie City is also home to the AMA National Hangtown motocross race www.hangtownmx.com.
The Polka Dots Motorcycle Club has been promoting and racing since 1954 and this year’s Grand Prix would mark their 30th year of hosting the event. One of the longest running off road motorcycle clubs in the country, the PDMC challenged racers with a very technically demanding 11.2-mile course. A Le Mans style shotgun start had riders standing and facing their non-running motorcycles from a line about 25 feet away waiting for the shotgun blast that would send them scurrying towards their mounts in hopes of a quick engine start and a decent position heading into the first turn. The course then wound up and down all throughout the hills of the Park with the snow-covered Sierras providing a scenic backdrop for racers and spectators alike. One section of the course included a very long straightaway on a paved road where racers would reach as high a speed as their bikes were capable of carrying them while they tucked into positions reminiscent of Anthony Hopkins in scenes from the movie “Worlds Fastest Indian”. Of course no Polka Dot Grand Prix would be complete unless riders were sent through the infamous “rockpile.” Picture riding for several miles over a trail covered by wet bowling balls and you get an idea of what racers faced every lap through the rockpile section.
This year’s Grand Prix would be round one of the 2008 MSR Western Regional Cross Country Racing Series and the sunny weather drew 889 participants over the weekend, the largest turnout ever for an AMA District 36 Cross Country event. Saturday morning’s first shotgun blast got the festivities started with the eager and hard charging A and B level 50cc mini racers headed for the first turn under bright sunny blue skies. The future of the sport was looking pretty bright indeed as 249 youth racers showed up to do battle during Saturday’s youth program. Knowing the youngsters represent the future of the sport, the Polka Dots made sure all the young 50cc racers felt the thrill of victory by handing out trophies to every participant--64 of them to be exact. Races continued throughout the day Saturday and Sunday with Diva’s, Sportsmen, and Vintage racers up to the AA Experts taking their crack at the challenging layout. Spectators made their way around to different sections of the course to root their riders on and get a closer look at the competition.
A quick walk through the pit area at the 2008 PCGP made it readily apparent that the advent of toyhaulers had made a striking impact on the motorcycle racing lifestyle. Gone are the days when the “pits” would be lined with tents, pickup trucks, vans and the trailers that carried racers and their bikes out to the races. The local hotel parking lots were no longer jam packed on Friday and Saturday night with box vans decorated in team colors, or trucks and trailers loaded with race bikes. There was no mass exodus after the last race Saturday afternoon as racers and their families stayed and relaxed in their homes away from home. Instead, the scene through pit row was reminiscent of a large RV show with row after row of toyhaulers and RVs. Most every manufacturer was well represented, some many times over again. It was really pretty exciting to see the change that toyhaulers had made with the off-road motorcycle racing crowd. No doubt this group has bought into the toyhauler lifestyle in a very big way!
The Polka Dots MC (www.polkadotsmc.com) were the ever-gracious hosts and pulled off yet another fantastic, well-organized weekend of off-road racing. After consecutive weeks of Northern California rain, cabin fever was setting in, so thankfully the sunshine warmed both the outside temperature and the souls of race goers out enjoying the weekend of racing. It was great to see the record turnout that indicates the overall health of the sport is doing quite well--thank you very much. Personally, I’ll never grow tired of seeing moms and dads rooting for their kids or watching five-year-olds up to 75-year-olds enjoying themselves playing in the dirt.
-Bob Balunda
