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Motocross in Pemberton this weekend

Motocross in Pemberton this weekend

The final race of the Canadian Motorcycle Association’s B.C. Provincial Championship Series takes place this weekend at the Green River Motocross Park just south of Pemberton.

Although the heat may scare a few riders away and a Canadian championship event might draw off a few pro riders, organizer Shaun Greenaway is expecting a field over 200 this Saturday and Sunday.

"We had a pretty good turnout (in May) with over 200 riders and about 2,000 spectators, and the word is out a little more since that race that the track conditions and setup were spectacular, and we’re getting great feedback," he said.

In addition, some of the pros will probably skip the national event to try and win the provincial series and contend for money from their sponsors.

"As it stands we’ll probably have a smaller pro category, but the intermediate category will be stacked with locals – Justin Patjas, Shane Wiebe, and so on. We’ve got a lot of good riders in the corridor already and this is their home track. The amateur and the junior categories should also be pretty huge," said Greenaway.

The Green River Riding Club, which manages the track, is hosting four provincial level races this season. Not only does it give local riders an opportunity to compete, it also helps to raise money for the track itself. Compared to past years the track is now groomed twice a week, and was able to bring in about 25 truckloads of dirt to make the course longer and safer.

Hosting events has also attracted more attention to the track, and Greenaway says its common for Lower Mainland riders to head up to Pemberton on the weekend to ride.

The result is a boost for the local economy, with competitors and spectators filling restaurants, shopping for supplies, and staying in local hotels and lodges.

Even the Lion’s Club, which sells hamburgers and hotdogs at events, is cleaning up. At the last event they sold out at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. after emptying local supermarket freezers.

"Everything we make goes right back into the club and into the track, which one day could be one of the best in the province," said Greenaway.

The practice for the sixth and final stop in the B.C. Championships runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The qualifier and training runs will start at 9 a.m. on Sunday, and the races will run from approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Spectators are welcome. The cost is $5 to watch, and parking is free.

Registration strong for Crankworx events

Whistler-Blackcomb VP of business development Rob McSkimming compared the sale of qualifier spots for the 2006 Boneyard Slopestyle to a Rolling Stones concert – all 100 open spots were snapped up in a matter of hours. Sales are also strong for other Crankworx events, many of which are expected to sell out.

"I don’t have exact numbers for the other events, but people are signing up. The Air Downhill always sells out, and the Garbanzo event is really popular. I would imagine we’ll have a bigger turnout for events than we did last year," said McSkimming.

Registration for events is available at <>

Pemberton hosts Loonie Ride Monday

The Pemberton Bike Co. is hosting a Loonie Ride this Monday, July 10, meeting 6 p.m. at the Lillooet River Lodge (end of Pemberton Farm Road, turn right at Spierings Auto) for registration. The start is at 6:30 p.m.

For more information call the Bike Co. at 604-894-6625.