Owyhee Motorcycle Club is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

[ad_1]

BOISE, Idaho — The Owyhee Motorcycle Club has been providing motocross and motocross riders with a track to race in the foothills of Boise since 1940.

This week, the club received an impressive honor by becoming the first motorcycle club in the nation to earn designation to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Incredible,” said Rodney Reynolds of the WTO. “I’m sorry I choked up a bit because this place is really amazing for us and it’s pretty much the oldest motorcycle club in the country.”

Rodney Reynolds’ father raced here, Rodney grew up racing and he credits the club for keeping him out of trouble and Rodney’s son Gerry also does motocross.

“He’s getting ready to get married and hopefully we’ll have the fourth generation here soon,” Reynolds said.

Family ties and history run deep at the club, 50 years ago Gary Jones became the first American to beat the Europeans in a race and it happened on this track, I met several Hall of Famers of the AMA on the track and the club was inspired by Firebird Raceway south of Emmett which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

“It kind of sparked an idea of ​​why not us,” Reynolds said.

Scott New of Firebird provided the master plan for the OMC and after a three-year process, this non-profit organization was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s such a fabulous achievement from the people who have been involved in this and have tried to maintain the area that it has always been for the family unit relatively close to town,” said Thad Lawrence, a member longtime that started racing here in the 50s. “I think that’s a lot, what an achievement.”

The OMC will host the Western Hare Scramble this Saturday and Sunday which will bring together riders and families from all over the country, it also gives the people of Treasure Valley a good opportunity to check out the club if they are interested in motorsports.

“It’s a national event and it’s kind of a unique event,” Reynolds said. “It incorporates all of the tracks here at OMC and some of the upper hills that you do for a prescribed amount of time and that’s how many laps you do.”

The Owyhee Motorcycle Club is still on its original 80-acre land, but the club has expensive future erosion repairs to protect the area.

The OMC has therefore set up a fundraiser, it’s a raffle giving people the chance to win a personalized 2022 Husqvarna motorcycle, more information on how to buy tickets click here.

Across the country and Europe, dirt tracks have been dead over the past few decades and the club doesn’t want that to happen here in Boise, they hope listing on the National Register of Historic Places will be another play which will guarantee riding in the future even as Treasure Valley continues to grow.

“Urban sprawl is coming and hopefully that’s a way to protect facilities so they’ll be there for generations to come,” Reynolds said.

[ad_2]
Source link

Patrick F. Williams