Casa Grande's Motoland track unites new riders with near-pros

Casa Grande's Motoland track unites new riders with near-pros By MELISSA ST. AUDE Staff Writer Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc.

CASA GRANDE

Joey Sites of Apache Junction was 4 years old when he started riding motocross.

Now at age 12, the amateur racer said his goal is to make the national competition level soon.

“It’s one of those things you have to put all your effort into,” Joey, a Mesa Brinton Elementary School sixth-grader, said. “You can’t just half-try.”

Joey is one of the dozens of competitive motocross riders who regularly practice at Motoland MX Park south of Casa Grande.

Tucked away on a quiet corner near Hanna and Sisler roads, the park is a frequent meeting spot for motocross enthusiasts ranging from pro and amateur competitors to new and novice riders.

At Motoland, skill level doesn’t matter, said Mark Brooks, who built the park for his two sons several years ago when they were motocross competitors.

“Some people are out here for sheer recreation,” Brooks said. “They’re just having fun. But we have others who are competitive. They’re out here to practice.”

The facility’s four tracks encompass 50 acres.

A pee-wee track is designed for people who are new to motocross, including children as young as 3.

“We have adults who use the pee-wee track too,” Brooks said.

A vintage track has no jumps and is often used for older bikes — including those that race — while the national track as well as the super-cross track were created according to American Motorcyclist Association standards. They both have the dips, turns and jumps a competitive rider might expect.

Run as a 501(c)(3) organization, Motoland is managed by Brooks’ sister, Lori Erickson.

“The park was made for Mark’s kids, but when they grew up, we opened it up to the public,” Erickson said.

Brooks said he was just a dad trying to support his two sons’ new hobby when he built the first track.

“They were about 9 and 11 at the time,” he said. “They had a friend who raced and they wanted to race too.”

He got them bikes for Christmas that year.

“They got hooked,” he said. “I built them a track to practice on. As they progressed, I built more and more and people started asking to use the track.”

Motocross, which involves racing motorcycles off-road on terrain that often has hills, jumps and turns, is one of the most popular forms of amateur motorcycle racing in the country, according to the American Motorcyclist Association.

The sport quickly became more than a hobby for the Brooks family. Before long, the boys were working with a motocross trainer and traveling across the country to take part in competitions.

“It was quite an investment but it was fun,” Brooks said.

His sons are now adults. One works for a technology company and has a family. The younger is studying radiology.

“We had a great time. I like that motocross teaches kids work ethic and the lesson that hard work really does pay off. It’s like real life — work hard and you’ll achieve,” he said.