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This week demonstrates both the diversity and the commonality of motorcycling in the United States. Go to Sturgis, South Dakota, and you might conclude every motorcycle in the country is a big, American-built V-twin. Go to the Loretta Lynn Ranch in central Tennessee and you'd probably believe motocross is the biggest sport in the country.
The only thing those two scenes have in common is the passion for motorcycling. Very different forms of motorcycling, but an enthusiasm that has the same roots.
This summer is a milestone for the amateur motocross scene. Racing began this morning at the 40th Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, which everyone usually just refers to as Loretta Lynn's. Given that the event is tucked away in the woods several miles off I-40 between Nashville and Memphis, you're not likely to stumble on it by accident, so if you're not into motocross you probably have no idea how big the scene is. This year, more than 26,000 amateur racers tried to qualify for one of the 42 spots in the 36 classes at the championships, which cover everything from 4-to-6-year-olds on shaft-drive minibikes to the Masters class for riders over 50. The campground becomes a motorcycle-themed city of its own, where dirt bikes are everything. Many families plan their summer vacations around the event, driving cross country to spend a week in motocross Mecca.
Ask a few pro motocrossers and they'll likely tell nostalgic stories of racing at Loretta Lynn's, from their first taste of national-caliber competition to the summer-vacation vibe of racing hard in the dirt and then cooling off with a dip in Hurricane Creek.
My first trip to Loretta Lynn's was the 20th edition, the halfway point to where we are today. That also happened to be the last visit by one James Stewart, who reached age 16 and turned pro just days later after mopping up the field and winning two more amateur titles that year. That was an era when a mostly unknown little red-headed kid named Ryan Villopoto was lining up against the much-hyped Mike Alessi in the minibike classes. Entire professional careers have come and gone since those days, but there's something special about seeing the best pros when they're just getting their start.
Since event organizer MX Sports shows all the motos live — full days of racing through the week — you can see future stars yourself. And to understand how we got here, listen to this podcast narrated by occasional Common Tread contributor Brett Smith (himself a competitor at the Amateur Motocross Nationals) of We Went Fast about how the Coombs family, owners of MX Sports, and others began the event, giving U.S. motocross a truly united national amateur championship.
Many of us enjoy our one particular slice of motorcycling and never even realize the passionate, highly developed subcultures that exist in other parts of motorcycling. Hidden in the hills of Tennessee is one of the most intense of them all. Happy 40th.
