A spectator stands on the roof of his self-contained camper waiting for the Southwick Moto-X 338 racetrack to open. The parking lot of the Powder Mill Middle School was used as a staging area for private and commercial vehicles to park while waiting for the gates to open. MX Sports Pro Racing and Moto-X 338 have announced Friday that this season’s Moto-X 338 National on Saturday, June 29th, will be the final round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship taking place in Southwick, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – An end of a 35-year era will take place later this month when the last Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will take place at Southwick’s Moto-X 338.
The announcement was made via a press release from MX Sports Pro Racing. The release said the announcement was made “with heavy hearts.”
Moto-X 338 President Diane Peebles-Pittello said she and her husband Ralph will retire after this season and cited issues with landowner American Legion Post 338 as the main reason for ending the 35-year run.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to reach terms with the landowner to maintain the event at the facility,” said Peebles-Pittello. “The support we’ve received from MX Sports Pro Racing has allowed us to bring the New England area the best-of-the-best to the ‘Sandbox,’ with the finest motocross athletes on the planet considering this a destination event for many years.”
The end of Moto-X 338 could mean an economic downturn for local businesses – and the town – that had come to count on a boost on race weekends.
Selectman Russell Fox said the loss will be felt.
“It’s a national event in Southwick,” said Fox. “It has an economic benefit to the community, from gas stations, convenience stores and restaurants to campgrounds.”
Fox said traditionally, the school department, Southwick Recreation Center and Whalley Park also gained economically from proceeds of parking cars, which ranged in cost from $10-$20 per vehicle.
Fox said he wasn’t sure how much was made by the school and center, but it was definitely a benefit.
“There were also other people who benefited, including kids who worked there, the Boy Scouts and more,” noted Fox.
Fox said while there are rumors in town related to the end of Moto-X 338 and future use of the track, it is his understanding that the Pittellos are done.
“From what I was told by Diane and Ralph, this is it,” said Fox.
Fox said the sport has grown so much over the years, it has outgrown Southwick’s track.
“They are looking for 200-300 acres in a spot with no neighbors to worry about noise,” said Fox, adding he does not think “there’s anything we could do” to try to keep it going in Southwick.
Janice LaFrance of Southwick Acres Campground said her grounds are filled to the brim when the Pro Championship comes to town.
“We definitely will feel the loss,” she said. “There are a lot of campers on Nationals weekend.”
Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Business Manager Stephen Presnal said last year the schools received about $12,700, after expenses, from parking cars on the grounds. The money is distributed to the Southwick, Tolland and Granville Citizens Scholarship Funds, the Music Parent Association and the Transportation Association. Without that funding, the groups will have to look elsewhere.
“They will have to find another fundraising source or work with less,” said Presnal.
This year, work will begin at Woodland School immediately following the close of school for the summer. Presnal said the construction trailer and materials staging area will cut into “a little bit” of the space normally used for parking.
“But there is plenty of space at the high school and Powder Mill,” he added.
This season will mark the 35th year that the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will visit Southwick in its road to crowning a pair of champions in the 450 Class and 250 Class. During its illustrious tenure as a fixture on the championship schedule, Moto-X 338 has been the site of many of the sport’s most memorable moments while also producing two of the sport’s greatest heroes in John Dowd and Doug Henry who each called New England home.
Since hosting its first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross National in 1976, a total of 38 different riders have stood atop the podium in the 450 Class, 250 Class, or 500cc division. Additionally, within those winners five different countries are represented, making Moto-X 338 a globally diverse venue that has challenged riders from all over the world.
“There are very few tracks in the world with a legacy that can even come close to that of Southwick,” said MX Sports Pro Racing President Davey Coombs. “The greatest names in the history of the sport have all raced at Southwick, but not all of them have found a way to win there. That’s a testament to the one-of-a-kind nature of the track that not only made it the premier sand track in the U.S., but also one of the most demanding circuits of all time.
“The sport of professional motocross traces its roots back to Southwick and other venues throughout New England,” Coombs continued. “The legacy established in New England over the past four decades is tied to the dedicated efforts of Diane and Ralph, and by Ray Peebles and Bernie Yellin. It has been important to the growth of our sport and we will continue to explore opportunities to maintain this legacy moving forward and ensure there is professional motocross in New England.”
“MX Sports Pro Racing has helped bring the sport of motocross to a premier level and we look forward to its return to New England where so many diehard fans look forward to enjoying the world’s fastest riders every summer,” concluded Peebles-Pittello. “We want to thank all the fans, riders, event sponsors and supporters, the town of Southwick, the local business, and everyone else who has been a part of the success of this event for their support of over the four decades Moto-X 338 has been around.”
The final Moto-X 338 National, the sixth round of the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, will commence on Saturday, June 29.
