Daily Independent (Ashland, KY)

Local News

Discussion

August 31, 2012

Motocross draws a crowd to Greenup fair

SHANNON MILLER The Independent

GREENUP —  A cloud of dust and dirt made the race track easy to find during the motocross races at the Greenup County Fair Thursday evening.

A crowd almost filled the stands and others sat in truck beds or on trailers to better see the dirt track as riders prepared for the race.

Gary Woods, 66, of Wurtland, leaned on the fence as he waited to see his grandson, Kyle Boggs, 13, race around the track. He prepared to find a new spot to watch from, though, when the track was sprayed with water to keep the dust level down.

“It’s about to get muddy. You better find a place to hide,” he said.

Nearby Rachel Williamson, 41, of Proctorville, Ohio, waited anxiously for her son, Jonathan Wright, 14, to get on the track.

“It makes me nervous,” she said about watching the races.

Luckily, her son has never been in any serious wrecks, she said. But the muddy track was not helping her nerves.

“This is the muddiest track I’ve seen, and it’s a small track. ... I don’t like it when they get all close together,” Williamson said.

Brandon Turner, 23, of Louisville, a track worker, also said he thought the track was too wet.

“It can cause a lot of wrecks. We’ve already had a couple riders drop out,” he said.

Patrick Lee, 14, a rider from Greenup, said he also found the short, muddy track a little worrisome.

“Riding is fun, but sometimes it’s bad. ... There’s a chance of wrecking and hurting yourself. And on short tracks like this, accidents are common,” he said.

He said his mother is also a worrier.

“Mom prefers that I not race, but she supports it because it’s what I want to do,” Lee said.

Unlike some other parents, Rick Noel, 47 of Ironton, Ohio, said watching his son, Corey, race no longer makes him nervous. He said his son races often and ranked sixth in the nation in his class last year. He has also recently been to several county fairs this summer, including the Lawrence and Carter County fairs.

“He’s never broke anything, but he crashed last weekend. We just got the bike back together.

Garrett Holliday, 13, a rider from Coal Grove, said he learned how dangerous motocross racing can be when he broke his finger in the spring. He said he often gets nervous before races, but he tries not to let it affect how he rides.

“I just get out there and try my best,” he said.

E.J. Conley, 20, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, is another rider who knows the dangers of motocross. He attends several races regularly each year, including this one, but last year he did not attend the Greenup race because of injuries he sustained in a biking wreck. He had broken his collar bone, among other injuries, but said it did not hinder his enthusiasm to race.

“It makes me even more anxious to get back on (my bike),” he said about his injuries.

SHANNON MILLER can be reached at smiller@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.

Text Only
Local News
Featured Ads
Seasonal Content
AP Video
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8 Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8 Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
AP basketball
SEC Zone