Legacy of Family Fun
A family-owned, 40-year racing operation provides thrills, chills, speed, and a child-friendly motocross experience. Reads Racing, with tracks in Akron and Pierceton, offers a family affair, with lights for night races and one gate fee for all-day and all-night Saturday fun.
“Our program has always been very family-friendly,” said Lori Hastings, whose grandparents, Larry and Joyce Read, established the racing company in 1982. “Families form bonds that last long after their racing days. We have riders who are now grown up and have their kids at the track racing with them – or instead of them.”
Obstacles
At Hangtime MX Park in Akron, viewers enjoy all the obstacles that make motocross exciting –“whoops” (a series of small-to-larger humps to cross) and “doubles” (two large mounds to clear in one jump), with the additional thrill of a 110-foot “tabletop” (a jump filled in so there’s no fall-off until the rider ramps off at the end). Trojan MX in Pierceton offers fun obstacles and similar amenities, with spectator-side hill seating, where the majority of the track can be viewed from one single location.
Need For Speed
“Freestyle and racing are two different divisions,” Lori said. “Some riders will do both, but most competition racers tend to focus more on speed skills, whereas a freestyle rider will focus more on jumps, angles, and developing new tricks. We don’t host freestyle events.”
Speed skills include whips (pushing the back of the bike to the side during a jump), scrubbing (staying low while jumping an obstacle), and railing the corners (laying the bike sideways through a turn).
Beginner to Pro Racer
Built with the beginner and experienced rider in mind, the Reads tracks have launched racers who made the national or professional scene. So don’t rule out running into some racing stars at Reads.
“We just hosted a school in June with Mike Alessi, a former pro racer, at Hangtime MX Park,” she said. Names like Guy Cooper and Ricky Johnson have been in the Hangtime MX mix as jump designers or instructors, and Hoosier friend, NASCAR racer Tony Stewart, has visited the track. The Reads Racing Team, all family members, competes at the tracks as well. Special events on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends draw big crowds for extended Friday-Monday racing, awards, and activities.
It’s easy to begin amateur motocross racing – in racer parlance, just jump in, Lori said. “Our website is a great source of information – it lists costs, fees, classes, FAQs, a complete schedule, series information, and riders meetings so you can familiarize yourself with the rules.”
Ample camping and parking space are available at both locations. Visit www.readsracing.com