Hitchhikers guide to the American Nationals - Unadilla

July 18, 2008

From the 2007 MXoN track to the 1987 venue... this week the AMA heads to upstate New York as they take on Gravity Cavity and Screw-U at the Unadilla Valley Sports Centre. A lot of the riders hate it, a lot of the fans love it... either way, it's one of those venues that should be definitely be visited.

In a nutshell:
 New York state's only Motocross race isn't exactly popular amongst the riders due to the 'rocky' conditions but it has a real hardcore following due to the popular Amateur event held on Unadilla's little brother - U2. Things have toned down since the 80s when it was the party-place, but it can still get pretty rowdy. I just wish it was a bit closer to civilisation.

Location:
5986 State Highway 8, New Berlin, NY 13411


 Click on picture for interactive map

Viewing Options:

Ahhhh.... Old-school American Motocross

Just like Budds, Unadilla is a pretty good track for viewing. There are a lot of hillsides which offer good views of about 75% of the track. There are also grandstands in some prime locations but obviously they fill-up pretty quickly. The cool thing I like about the track is that they've named a load of sections, so now, instead of turning to your mate and saying: "Damn... Stewart just scrubbed turn 27 ", you can say: "Wow... Stewart just scrubbed Skyshot". See how much better that is? I've also heard they are adding a few more sections this year, so let's hope they name those as well.


8. Gravity Cavity 27. Skyshot 33. Screw-U Rides to watch:
MX Class - Michael Bryne #26
The Australian has really stepped up to the plate this year, and with Alessi now out... he is the main hope for the Rockstar/ Makita Suzuki team. Lying 6th in the Championship, he can gain even more places if Millsaps doesn't recover in time. It really has been a big turn around as last year he was struggling to break into the top 10.

Lites Class - Martin Davalos #577
After missing the first 2 rounds, Martin has gradually worked back into contention, in what is a VERY competitive Lites class. He received his first overall podium at Red Bud and then narrowly missed out last week at Budds Creek coming 4th. As others around him struggle for consistency look for the #577 to continue to rise up the rankings.


Unlike the GPs, the KTMs struggle to make in an impact in the Lites class

Accommodation:
Known for it's crazy 'Amateur Camping', Unadilla is not for the faint-hearted. Last year I heard all manner of stories regarding fire and trucks. Needless to say, in this day and age, things are considerably calmer. In fact just after midnight we were being told to start shutting things down, so don't be too afraid. If you aren't a camper, I think most people stay in Utica which is about 1hr north. There really isn't too much nearby as it's in the middle of nowhere.

Weather:
Last year, Unadilla was the only track to get rain on a Sunday! That's right... I actually got wet! It was only for about 5mins, but still... rain. This year, it looks like it's going to be pretty hot, although there is also a chance that rain will make another appearance. Unfortunately there isn't much shelter around so if it rains, or is sunny... buy an umbrella.

Alcohol Rules:
Blah blah no glass bottles blah.

Other things to do:
Seeing as New York city is probably the nearest airport, you have to make sure you do all the tourist thing there before making the 200+ mile drive north. It is a pretty cool city to visit, but there is no way I could live there... it's crazy! Other than NYC, you have Niagara Falls about 4hrs west which is definitely worth checking out if you've never been there before. The town of Niagara is an ugly tourist trap, like a mini-Vegas or something, but the Falls are awesome. Make sure you bring your passport with you so can cross over to the Canadian side - it's got better views than the American. Also, go on the Maid of the Mist boat trip and then ignore the "In the Caverns" tour (forget it's proper name)... you will see everything from a better angle, on the boat. Unfortunately that is about all you have to do... other than motocross.


At Unadilla they leave in a grass section, looks kinda cool

Overall:
If you were to pick an American track for the 'Most Oldschool' competition, this would be it. And I can definitely see why they used it for the MXdN in 1987. However it is now looking a little bit dated but maybe these tracks changes will change that. They may even sift through and remove all the rocks... It isn't the most-liked track, and the complete lack of telephone signal is REALLY frustrating, but overall, the spectators usually have a good time.

David Bulmer
http://www.ayearinmx.com

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