Hitchhikers guide to the American Nationals - Thunder Valley
June 25, 2008
This week sees the riders head back west to Denver, Co where history will be made as they compete in the first ever 'night race'. It's also different as the race is on Saturday, rather than the traditional Sunday (although this does make sense). When it was first announced, there was a fair amount of skepticism as it touted as another step towards Supercross. Now though, it has now changed into one of the most sought-after tickets on the tour.
In a nutshell:
Thunder Valley is the nearest track to civilisation, being located right on the outskirts of Denver. If you look at the map below you'll see that it is right on the edge where the plains of the mid-west meet the Rocky Mountains. This gives the track plenty of elevation and some superb scenery. And with it being held at night, they've found a way to remove my only gripe from the last year - the temperature.
Location:
701 S Rooney Road, Lakewood, CO 80401
Click on picture for interactive map
Viewing Options:
Looking down at track
Set on the side of a hillside, Thunder Valley does offer some great views, even if you can't see all of the track from anyone spot. To make up for this fact, 2 Giant TV screens are locating at either end of the track showing live race-coverage to the fans. It's something that a lot of tracks would LOVE to have, and it really works well. It will probably look even better at night.
Rides to watch:
MX Class - Davi Millsaps #118
Last year Millsaps won his only moto victory here when he surprisingly chased down James Stewart. So far this year he has been consistent, if not spectacular but as his fitness improves, so do his chances of repeating his '07 performance.
Lites Class - Jake Weimer #30
Jake has quietly been going about his business, collecting top 5s and podiums as other contenders have struggled with consistency. Last week at High Point he managed 2nd overall which put him up to 5th in the Championship. So while everyone else is looking at RV / J-Law... keep your eyes peeled for the #30 machine.
Chances are that RV will continue his run of victories here.
Accommodation:
Camping is done by reservations only, so your best bet is to use one of the MANY hotels littered throughout Denver. A lot of the teams use the ones around the Wadsworth Blvd so if you fancy bumping into some riders, that'll be your best bet. Other than that, pick one that's within your budget and make sure you leave enough time to negotiate the Denver traffic.
Weather:
Last year, with the heat and the altitude (over 5000ft up) it was almost unbearable to watch. This year, the races are going to be held from midday to roughly 10pm. This'll mean that it will be both hot AND cold. I haven't really decided how to deal with this dilemma but come the weekend, I'm sure things will work themselves out.
Alcohol Rules:
After some outrage last year, Thunder Valley now serves beer! Woohoo! Of course you can still bring it in by the cool-box load (and many do) but I know at least one person that is glad about the upgrade in beverage facilities.
Other things to do:
About 100 miles west of Denver is the famous snow-resort of Vail. So if you fancy mountain-biking, skiing, snowboarding, hiking etc just pack up a rental and head west. Literally as soon as you get past the outskirts of the city, you are in mountainous terrain so I'm sure there are plenty of trails to find. Denver is also known as the Mile-High City so I'm sure you can think of other things to do... like shopping or something.
Yes, that is a giant TV in the background and yes they are awesome.
Overall:
Not many people can say they've witnessed a night race so that'll be a cool thing to tell your friends. And if the action is anything near as good as last year's (Top 3 in MX1 tied on points) then you definitely won't go home empty handed. I'm just really excited to see how all this lighting works and what the photogs manage to produce. Only time will tell...
David Bulmer
http://www.ayearinmx.com
Send this article to a friend
