After approximately 1,000 man-hours of work put into the new Penticton BMX track, riders are cranked up to get rolling.
“It was a lot. I don’t know how many exactly but I would say well over 1,000 hours were put into it. We did get a few races in on it at the end of the season but it wasn’t quite ready,” said Penticton BMX Club president Len McLean. “Truthfully, all the snow and rain we have had is exactly what we needed to really pack it down.”
Related: Riders race Munson Mountain for the first time
Buzz is generating up and down the Okanagan Valley about the new racetrack, located at 630 Munson Mountain Rd., and it is exactly what the club was hoping for.
“Everyone is excited to get going,” said McLean, who added weather permitting the first race was going ahead on Thursday. “We already have riders from Kelowna saying they are going to be coming down for race nights and some from Vernon on a regular basis.”
The club is hoping to continue to make improvements, such as the addition of power from their shed to the start hill to run the starting gates. Currently they are using a compressor and generator system that can be cumbersome for set up. As well, they hope to fundraise to improve on irrigation for the course to make it more volunteer friendly.
With volunteer efforts concentrated on switching from the old track on Warren Avenue to Munson Mountain, McLean said they weren’t able to market the club and sport as strongly as they wanted to last season.
“We didn’t have time to get out in the community and draw in new riders. Now that the track is done we have the time to do that and it is our number one goal to get as many new riders interested in the sport as possible.”
While the public is invited to watch on any race night (Thursday’s) the Penticton BMX Club is also hosting an open house on May 27 with a barbecue at 11 a.m. Racing registration takes place from noon to 12:30 p.m. with racing taking place at 1 p.m.
“The best way to get introduced to the sport is to come out to the track on a race day or, if they want to give it a try, to the open house and get out and ride the track. Most kids that come out to try it, love it. Basically if you can ride a bike, you can race. We love to see new faces at the track and we have good group of volunteers and we are hoping to attract more.”
Penticton BMX club treasurer Kirsten McLean said the old track was smaller and more technical to ride.
“We are thinking that this year with the new track, and how beautiful it is and great to ride on, it will encourage some new people to join the sport. It is not as intimidating and our club is smaller than some so we are pretty laid back. We still follow the rules and regulations, of course, but for a new rider our club is a great place to start.”
Riders who are giving the sport a try for the first time just need a bike, full-face helmet, long sleeve shirt and pants — gloves are highly recommended.
The club said the main gate remains locked on non-race nights for now, keeping vehicles out, but the public can still access the track on foot or by bike. They ask that people use common sense and do not ride on it when it is wet because it is dangerous.
The other big event the Penticton BMX Club hosts this season is the Okanagan Provincial Series, which runs from June 9 to 10. Riders will race in Kamloops and Vernon on June 9 then the racing moves to Kelowna and Penticton on June 10. Club riders that perform well here can qualify for the provincials. To stay up-to-date on Penticton BMX Club events and track conditions, they suggest following their Facebook page @PentictonBMX.