Racing at RedBud will thrill the whole family

BUCHANAN — If the typical fireworks show just isn’t quite loud enough, long enough or thrilling enough for you, maybe it’s time to head over to RedBud Motocross this Fourth of July weekend and find out what 36,000 other people already know.

Located at 13638 Red Bud Trail North—just five miles north of U.S. 12 —“America’s Motocross Track” is just a short drive from home for most area residents. However, people come from all over the country to see this annual event, many of them camping on the raceway’s grounds.

With races beginning on July 3 and running through July 6, “It’s the largest motocross event in the U.S.,” said RedBud spokesman, Pat Schutte. “The best riders in the world are at RedBud on the Fourth of July weekend.”

Those pro riders will be competing in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Champion-ship on Saturday, July 5, and a ticket to the event lets you get just about as close to the action as you could possibly want.

“If you go to any other motorsports event, you buy a ticket, and you’re in one spot, but at motocross, you buy a ticket, you get in the gate, and you can go wherever you want,” Schutte explained. “Along the fence lines, you’re so close to the action, you could almost reach out and touch the racers.”

Other popular locations along the nearly 2-mile track include “LaRocco’s Leap,” “The Ski Jump” and, of course, the starting line.

“You can stand by LaRocco’s Leap, the largest jump in pro motocross racing in the world. Or, you can go stand by the start, where 40 racers line up. It’s a salmon run heading into a bottleneck at full speed,” Schutte said. “The crowd also gathers at The Ski Jump, where riders fly more than 100 feet through the air. Or, you can go to any point in between.”

Those descriptions alone should provide a good clue as to the level of excitement involved in watching this kind of racing.

“The neat thing is, some forms of racing can get a little boring for kids, but this is actually thrilling for the entire family,” Schutte said. “The sport of motocross combines the traditional ‘man and machine versus the elements’ with the more recent phenomenon of the X-Games and big-air jumps.”

Rather than simply travelling around the track, lap after lap, riders perform all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers on their bikes as they battle to be first to the finish line.

“NASCAR, Indy, NHRA—those are all ‘rubber on the ground’ events, but motocross is ‘rubber in the air,’” Schutte said. “There are certain areas on the track where the riders spend more time in the air than they do on the ground.”

While the pro races take place on July 5, there will be amateur races taking place every day from July 3 through July 6, and those who would like to get involved in motocross can learn some of the tricks of the trade on July 2 at the Ricky Carmichael University (RCU).

“It’s a day-long instructional camp for little guys all the way up to old guys,” Schutte explained. “Carmichael brings in a bunch of professional racers. A lot of kids will come out for that on July 2.”

Unlike many other venues, RedBud allows spectators to bring in their own coolers. However, glass containers and pets are prohibited. There will also be food vendors on the premises.

“They have vendors who’ve been coming there for decades,” Schutte said. “It’s the best carnival food you’ve ever dreamed of!”

Whether you’re interested in getting involved in an exciting sport by attending RCU, or you just want to see some amazing airborne feats, RedBud would be a great place to check out over the Fourth of July weekend.

“Anybody who’s into motors, gas and gravity is a natural for what goes on at RedBud on the Fourth of July weekend and has been for 41 years,” Schutte said.

Tickets and more information about the weekend’s events and registration for RCU can be found at www.redbudmx.com. The track can also be reached by phone at (269) 695-6405.