Dirt on Neon: Motocross weekend at LaBaron’s

The weekend was a fantastic weekend for plenty of reasons. Fall is here, and with the leaves changing colors and the temperatures starting to dip, came the last motocross practice weekend at LaBaron’s Power Sports tucked away just off M53 heading south of Marlette. If you’re unfamiliar with their track or motocross in general, take a minute and let’s examine it a bit more with plenty of pictures and conversations to give you an idea just what you’re looking at.
If you’re not familiar with LaBaron’s track, there are tons of good photos out there overlooking the sheer size of the track, and you can start to see that between the turns and jumps, it is a work of art for those in the sport. The balance of the track makes it easy for newer or inexperienced riders to get a feel for motocross and start to develop their skills, while other elements give the dedicated and adrenaline-hungry ample opportunities to hone their art and enjoy the thrill. “Forgiving” is the word that came up a lot when discussing the track, and after watching the different experience levels take stage, is a good word. The younger riders took their time without concerns of making mistakes, and the more seasoned riders when they came out, got to have their fun and maybe try out that new stunt for the cameras watching them. “Safety” was another big word used and not thrown around lightly. Six flaggers out on the course kept everyone in the know as things happened, with the different flags waved when needed, and EMT personal were on standby, who thankfully weren’t needed during our time there this weekend. The combination of the the track, staff, and safety gear made the event this weekend not only safe, but allowed it to flow fantastically with everyone having a good time.
If you take a step away from the track to talk with others, you’ll quickly learn there’s more in motocross than just bikes, it’s about friends, family and stories! One dad we spoke to referred to himself as his sons’ sponsor in a joking manner, saying how when something broke, he fixed it, or if they needed something, it was him buying it for them. Both kids were all too eager to talk about their riding experiences and in short, had all good things to say about the track, and of course, Dad too! Another rider we spoke to who was rocking a high visibility suit said how his home track was way up in Mancelona, and he came down to meet his buddies from St. Clair Shores here for a good day of riding. Those more local to the area were happy about the turn out too, saying how it was great seeing so many out this weekend and catching up with friends again. The total for Saturday ended up being about 75 participants and with over 100 on Sunday, there would have been a good chance you’d have run into someone you knew if you had been there too!
If you’re already excited about motocross, the friends you’ll make, and everything in between, I’d say give LaBaron’s a call, or better yet, stop by their shop and talk to one of the staff members. Chad and Alex, the owners, were more than helpful this weekend in answering any questions I had and sharing their visions of the future of LaBaron’s, and there’s no doubt in my mind they’d be able to point you in the right direction as well. Between their experience in the industry and their services they can offer with their store front, it’s pretty evident to me that they can take good care of you, and I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a call.
As a last thought, maybe you have some reservations about going, or maybe there’s little interest in the sport, to that I say, show up on a practice day and see what it’s about. We’ve all felt like that with any activity, but until you’ve been there to see the dirt fly and hear the passion in someone’s voice about the sport they love, you’ll truly never know what you been missing out on!