Group restoring motocross track

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — For decades, the land was used by ATV owners and as an unofficial shooting range.

It has also been used as an illegal dumping ground.

But now a group of Gallup residents want to convert it back to what it once was one of the best motocross racing tracks in the state.

For the past three years, Eric Gonzales and Greg Kirk have been leading a group of ATV enthusiasts intent on converting this vast area of trash and tumbleweed intoa track that can provide fun not only to locals but would attract motocross fans from throughout the state.

The two created Red Rock Motor Sports, which is now in the process of getting its non-profit status, and with the help of the city of Gallup are now converting about 300 acres of land near the juvenile detention center on Hassler Valley Road into a motocross track.

The city recently spent $30,000 to put up a fence to define the area where the track will be and Kirk estimated that it's going to cost as much as $25,000 to get it prepared for races this year.

The original motocross track was built more than 30 years ago by Elmer Atson of Chinle and for a decade or so, it was considered one of the best in the state. But for reasons not clear to present fans of the sport, the track "fizzled out" and start being used a dump and unofficial shooting range.

"It's just been a free-for-all," said Gonzales, "and the land has suffered for it."

The group is holding fund-raisers and asking for donations once it gets its 501c status.

One of the biggest tasks will be to clean up the area. Gonzales said that the group will have to come up with $7,500 to pay for insurance before the races can be held.

"Hopefully by late spring or early summer, we'll be ready to have a race," he said. The plans are to have only one or two races this year just to get the ball rolling and have a longer season next year.

Another challenge the group faces is a possible backlash from the people who have been using the land as an unofficial shooting range, something Gonzales and Kirk said may not be the greatest idea since the area even now is used by bikers and ATVers.

City Manager Eric Honeyfield said the city was happy to get the opportunity to get the land back in shape but he also realized that some of the shooters may be upset.

He said the city is just hoping that those who like to use the area for shooting would be patient for a couple of months to allow the city and the county to finish a range that is being built in the Mentmore area. That will give the shooters a safe place to practice, he said.

Kirk said the city should be given a lot of credit for getting involved in the effort since in most cities, race tracks like this are done solely by the private sector.

"This wouldn't be possible without the city's help," he said.