Jim Caron of Greene finds his line at Hemond’s MX and Offroad Park in Minot last year. “We don’t do the jumps anymore,” the 53-year-old said of himself and 57-year-old Larry Fortin of Lewiston. “Fear comes with age,” Caron said. He and others rode during the track’s open practice.
Hunter Williams of Lisbon launches through the air at Hemond’s MX and Offroad Park in Minot in 2016. The 2016 graduate of Lisbon High School has been riding since he was 3 years old.
MINOT — The 11th annual Gold Cup New England Classic will take place this weekend at Hemond’s MX and Offroad Park, 695 Woodman Hill Road.
Practice begins at 10 a.m. Friday and runs all day. On Saturday and Sunday, practice runs start at 8:30 a.m., with each rider taking two, and races immediately after.
The facility boasts two full-size motocross tracks, 10 miles of off-road trails, 600 acres of land, approximately 100 acres of parking, and over 400 feet of elevation change.
Every year, professional and amateur racers compete. The winner is determined by the average time of their three best races.
The “pro-purse” is $10,000, divided among the top 10 racers of the 250A and 450A professional classes.
There are 18 classes, based on the size of the bike engines.
Preregistration, which ends Friday, is $60 per class. After that, registration is $75 per class. Racers can register to race for one day only, but will not be eligible for the gold cup.
First through fifth place prizes will be awarded in all classes.
Last year, Ryan Dowd of Ludlow, Massachusetts, won the cup in the professional classes, 250A and 450A, and his payout was a 200 percent match of the entry fees collected by those classes, event organizer Paul Michaud said.
Each racer will race four times — twice at the Sawmill MX on Saturday and twice at the Hilltop MX on Sunday. The race with the worst time will be eliminated, and the average time of the three remaining races will be used.
Admission is $15 per day for ages 5 and older; free for ages 4 and younger.
Bonfires, music and fireworks will be held Friday and Saturday nights, and the winner will be announced Sunday, 30 minutes after the last race ends.
Other activities throughout the weekend include a RaveX “Best Whip” Contest and a pit bike race. Attendees are encouraged to camp out for the weekend.
For more information, go to hemondsmx.com.
emarquis@sunmediagroup.net
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