Good News Bad News Ballance MotoX Closing!!!

T

team186

PR Member
Bad news first-I was out at track and yes they are closing down the MX track. Every year rumors jump out that the track is closing, but this decision did not happen until this past weekend. In fact there was a meeting with Victory folks last wed to go over 2014 events and I was told Area Q and ATV Nat'l were a go for 2014, but then Ballance Team and Victory decided to go their separate ways and this past weekend John and Katie decided to move ahead to next business venture for the property. So that's the bad news for the KY MX scene.

The good news is they have been slowly moving toward all music....slowly just sped up to lightspeed. They are gonna build a top notch music facility and turn those hills into two or 3 amphitheatres. The top stage will be an art stage and announcing stage. One massive 5 acre bowl is done with new irrigation, power, new grass etc. Bowl 2 and maybe a 3rd got started Monday. All green camping, lots of very big festivals heading their way in 2014. Looks like they need seating for 20,000. Last piece of puzzle is a 5 lane road into property.

So I was out there yesterday and watched as the fences came down, the jumps were being pushed over and the track was being graded to this new facility.

Bittersweet day for me, but I know this next idea will be big, way bigger with less headaches, and way less liability!!!!

One more good news part, there is a "Race Gates" 40 man starting gate that might be for sale. Top of the line, if you have been to track you know this is the best gate you can buy.

Shoot me an email if you need a contact on gate.

team186@twc.com
 
Sorry to hear! Glad we got the chance to run down there this year for the AMA Vintage Race. It was certainly a cool track, had a lot of fun racing on it.
 
Sorry to see the track close, we had many years of great racing there. Good people, good track, good competition. Happy they are moving forward with something that sounds so cool. Best of luck to the owners.

The Moores
 
KSRec said:
Jeremy must first bow to his supreme overlord Sam Gammon before the AMA hears or cares about an ATV National at Briarcliff.
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Mr. Gammons had a pretty big falling out with a big shot involved in the ATV Nationals...I don't think he has much pull now-a-days....
 
Ballance has had 6 solid ATV Nat's with rider counts well over 650 mark each year. 4 great Area Qs and two massive ME Youth Regionals, run like clockwork by Victory and Ballance Team. In 2012 regional had 800+ youth riders (and about 1,000 crazy out of their mind mini-bike parents) and event was done by 3PM on Sunday. The 2013 Area Q had 858 entries. Decision to close track was made after Victory and owners decided to not do these events together for 2014.

I would agree Ballance's absence might open door for another Mideast venue. I would hope that would be in Ohio or Southern IN.

I'm gonna miss this track, I personally have spent a lot of time of there riding, working and being part of the Ballance Team and family. Victory ran some big events but in 2006 it was Team186 and Ballance Farms that had 513 entries on a Saturday night at an event we called the Bluegrass Classic. That race that led to the formation of the Team186 Promotions 2007 and 2008 Toyota Trucks Bluegrass Championship Series (presented by Radioactive Energy).

The coolest series ever across the states of KY and IN at 10 different tracks and almost 125,000 in factory contingency posted each season.

Then I sold it 2009 and funny enough Victory Sports owns it now and it is called the ABC Series.

Ballance ran Round 1 of that series in 2013 and it drew 86 entries.....one of reasons track is no more.

Tough time here in KY!!
 
Sad to hear, was a fun track and was ran top notch all the way. Also was my wife's favorite track to attend, she says they have the best bathrooms.
 
team186 said:
Ballance has had 6 solid ATV Nat's with rider counts well over 650 mark each year. 4 great Area Qs and two massive ME Youth Regionals, run like clockwork by Victory and Ballance Team. In 2012 regional had 800+ youth riders (and about 1,000 crazy out of their mind mini-bike parents) and event was done by 3PM on Sunday. The 2013 Area Q had 858 entries. Decision to close track was made after Victory and owners decided to not do these events together for 2014.

I would agree Ballance's absence might open door for another Mideast venue. I would hope that would be in Ohio or Southern IN.

I'm gonna miss this track, I personally have spent a lot of time of there riding, working and being part of the Ballance Team and family. Victory ran some big events but in 2006 it was Team186 and Ballance Farms that had 513 entries on a Saturday night at an event we called the Bluegrass Classic. That race that led to the formation of the Team186 Promotions 2007 and 2008 Toyota Trucks Bluegrass Championship Series (presented by Radioactive Energy).

The coolest series ever across the states of KY and IN at 10 different tracks and almost 125,000 in factory contingency posted each season.

Then I sold it 2009 and funny enough Victory Sports owns it now and it is called the ABC Series.

Ballance ran Round 1 of that series in 2013 and it drew 86 entries.....one of reasons track is no more.

Tough time here in KY!!
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I know all about the good turnouts at ballance for the atv national, I think for most it was their favorite stop on the schedule. It's a bit disheartening that they had that good of turnouts and they still thought they could do better. It makes me wonder what the heck am I doing??
 
According to my son a recent transplant to the buckeye state he says you got it going on up there especially at Briarcliff. He said tons of places to ride, huge turnouts and killer tracks and REAL DIRT. Not like our red clay, sawdust added, rocks moved (daily) KY stuff. He loves the OMA series....an Area Q and Briarcliff doesn't seem like stretch to me....got to be a Q or 2 somewhere in Ohio??

The nail in coffin for Ballance was Victory moving on and so many poorly attended local races but the closed sign was based on a few other key issues.

One of my good friends, the original owner of Daniel Boone, Jerry Hebel one told me the easiest way to make a million dollars running a race track is to start with two million...

We need a Jerry back in the KY MX scene....
 
I know of Jerry I raced a couple atv nationals at the Boone back in the day, he did a great job, I liked going there. I have a meeting with Alex on Tuesday, he seems like a nice kid.
 
tank166 said:
Sad to hear, was a fun track and was ran top notch all the way. Also was my wife's favorite track to attend, she says they have the best bathrooms.
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I agree on the restrooms. I remember when I race three classes in the hot summer. I would run and take a cold shower in between classes. lol
 
Logan #34's Dad said:
Hey MR. Briarcliff, if ya don't mind, I'm gonna take the liberty to "mention" your track to some people..... I KNOW "people"
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Rocky, word of mouth is the best form of advertising. If any of those "people" need to contact me shoot me a pm, I can give you a contact number.
 
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