Ephrata Raceway features high-flying motocross action

EPHRATA — The paved oval that’s been a fixture in Pacific Northwest racing for decades sat dormant in the night air just a bit chilly after the passing storm on Saturday night. But the buzz from the infield more than made up for it.

What had once been the roar and thunder of stock car racing on the circular track has now transformed to the whine of cubic centimeter engines propelling high flying two-wheel racers, and a few four-wheel quads, through the maze of the motocross dirt that makes up a fine challenge for the up-and-coming dirt bike stars of the future. Racing under the lights at the Ephrata Raceway Park has transformed into a family night for the motocrossers honing their skills. “People think we’ve closed, but that’s not the case,” said track co-owner Rita Witte, who along with her husband Mike decided to end the stock car racing in May. “Our racers have gone without pay and were very gracious. But there comes a time when we do not have cars on the track, or people in the stands that we had to seriously consider where we are heading.”

The stands were in fact as empty as the raceway below, but the hillsides and pits were covered with motor homes and race team trailers with a flurry of activity all focused on the infield where 12 different motorcycle classifications prepared to light up the night sky. Bikes ranged from the 80cc minis to the powerful 450cc. There were young ones on quads, vintage riders hanging onto a good day in the seat. Women, pee wees and everyone else who enjoys the thrill of the chase, the whine of a finely tuned engine and the smell of oil burning as it propels two wheels higher and higher all met on the infield to put it to the test. Twenty-year-old Cody Jensen of Ephrata has been racing seven years now, about as long as some of the young ones been alive. Ephrata Raceway is home. “My first race was here. My dad (Wayne) and Steve Eilers taught me how to race,” said Jensen, who races in the 450cc intermediate class. “I like the family atmosphere. You can spend the weekend with all your friends and family. My dad was out there for the first time in years, which was cool. You always want to support your local track. Mike and Rita are such nice people. We’re all here to improve and it’s such a great place, especially for the younger kids out here.” Dakota McAfee must have had a power-driven baby stroller, because he’s been racing since he was three. The Parkway Elementary 11-year-old rides in the Mini-Quad A division and in the 8-to-11 open class. He’s got some things figured out in his six years of racing at the Ephrata Raceway. “I like winning and running out front,” said McAfee, who will get on his first two-wheel ride this season. “I don’t like to stay behind slower people, so wherever you can get around them is good. You have to have some power when you pass. It’s about putting the throttle to the max as fast as it will go, that way I have momentum to get around them.” Racing is a work in progress, experience is the instructor. Taking what you learn to the next level the proving ground. Fun is pushing the envelope they say. Powering through the banked curves, hitting the Whoop-De-Dos with enough power to bounce off the tops, then catching major air on the big jump. “The adrenaline rush is fun,” said 15-year-old Kolton Judkins, who’s a sophomore at Ephrata High School. “I love being in the air. You need speed for it, but you gas and break a lot in the air. Faster on the ground is better, to be able to take the inside and cut them off is a skill you have to learn. You want to take away their line. When you’re running out front it’s about keeping calm and steady and keeping your own pace.” You don’t learn that anywhere but in the seat. Game Boy doesn’t prepare you for two-wide going into the hairpin or blowing into the air with someone on your shoulder. The experience at the Ephrata Raceway is where they put their moxey to the test and come out better because of it. “I’ve progressed to the bigger bikes. With the 250, the weight is the noticeable difference,” said Ephrata sophomore Joseph Hinners, who also races in the Super Mini and 80cc to 150cc. “It’s a lot bigger and heavier. The power difference between a two-stroke and a four-stroke is a lot different to ride. I’ve raced over in Washougal MX Park near Oregon, Monroe, Kent and down in Tri-Cities. There’s a lot faster competition and it lets you know where you stand. But I like to ride here because it’s home.”

The remainder of the summer motocross schedule is as follows: July 16 under the lights; Aug. 13 under the lights; Sept. 10 under the lights; Oct. 8 Supercross day event. For more information on other events check out www.ephrataracewaypark.com.