October 17th 2010 will mark the NCHSA’s return to the Devils Ridge track in Sanford, North Carolina. It will be the second time in 2010. The first time around was pretty messy! It rained for a couple of days prior to the event making it a full on mud debacle, which resulted in a few nasty mudholes that ended up claiming several riders.

This time around it seems as if conditions will be near perfect! As the season is starting to wind down, championship battles are starting to tighten up and everyone is ready to go.

Devils Ridge has a long history with the NCHSA, heck, Ken Cameron was one of the original founders of the NCHSA. Devils Ridge has also played host to many motocross races throughout the year, including the North Carolina State Championship for more than a few years. They also hosted a GNCC/National Hare Scramble back in 1987.

As many of you already know, the wooded land that we race on was logged in 2006. This left the NCHSA without a second Devils Ridge event in 2006, and some really rought events in 2007 and 2008. 2009 got a little better as they did more work to the trails and the land started to grow back. The first 2010 event had potential but was ruined by mother nature, something that was out of anyone’s control. This time around, things are looking up.

A lot of you already know what to expect, but for any first timers, or those who don’t remember, let’s jump right in. As mentioned, the land was logged 4 years ago. It’s started to grow back a little bit, but you’re still going to be racing in some clear cut. Stay on the trail the best you can! When you start to venture off into the clear cut, there’s all sorts of stumps and logs that you won’t see until it’s too late. However, it’s a lot better than it has been the past couple of years, so you can still hang it out a little bit.

The soil is a lot of the standard red clay but also has a silty sandy mix to it. When it’s overly dry, it can get really dusty and when it’s overly wet, it’s sticky and slick. They do a lot of brick making in this general area, so that should tell you a little something about the ground.

Since the trails will be mostly be in clear cut, you can expect a fairly fast course, but it will be a bit on the twisty side too, so be ready for that. Of course, there’s also the motocross track. Luckily there’s no do or die jumps. There will mostly be tabletops with a few little extras, so if you’re not a huge motocross rider, don’t worry, it’s a track everyone can enjoy.

That’s just about everything there is to Devils Ridge. Just make sure to ride smart and safe, pay attention to the arrows and markings, and you’ll be golden! As always, if you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me! Good luck!