Hey Ya'll, i've been kicking this idea around in my head for the last year and it's now trying to kick it's way OUT. Originally i thought of just gettin 30-40 acres for a play track and trails for my buds and family, but as I ponder it, the more i see a very viable business opportunity. This area, 6 counties along the gulf coast has 0 legal public riding areas and only 1 active MX track that is very small. The good illegal riding is limited to a handful within 2 hours of pensacola.

I've been looking for a followup to my established business and getting closer to comitting to this idea. It looks like an incredibly challenging and satisfying opportunity. I'm not seeing it as a huge moneymaker initially, but with time and work has some amazing potential. The final site would be around an hour to some of the worlds finest beaches. What If I built a campground and a great track with some good trails and maybe had some MX races, harescrambles and sand drags? Would any of you guys wanna come down and take your families to the beach, and pay me for some good ridin?

I know a bunch of you guys have thought about having a track and some of you have done it.
I'd appreciate hearing any ideas you might have. Particularly about legal/liability issues, anybody know a lawyer competent in these matters? Land use, track design, marketing, sponsorship, Racing, whatever? I've been connecting with some good people to help with this project and know It's going to take more talent than i have.
Of course, everyone involved will get free t shirts, stickers and riding for life!
Thanks guys!
Ryan

 

Thank you lewis. I'm in Pensacola, L.A. (that's Lower Alabama). About 200 miles to New Orleans or Tallahassee. Are you friends with any track owners you could hook me up with? Coming up with the money i think i need will take some hustle, but the legal/insurance stuff scares me worse!

 

Hey Ryan,

Sounds like a great idea to me.

Actually, that would make me a nice vacationing spot each year...Keep us posted.

 

Most excellent Idea, If land didn't cost 100,000 and acre and people didn't complain, I'd be doing it.

I used to sell insurance so Here's some Free Advice, you get what you pay for.LOL

When you contact insurance companies, you will have to sell them on the idea that your area is stressing SAFETY. You should also seach around for statistics from other tracks, Include only the ones that has zero to no injuries reported. Invite them out to the area and show them around and let them trail ride the well groomed trails and clearly marked areas. It may be kinda hard, but talk to other track owners about their insurance and rates. Establish a users card that they recieve after a saftey breif every year. What they are looking for is a minium exposer for a maxium premium. Take everything they say and do what you can afford to do. Lights, markers, classes, that sort of thing.

By the way there is no such thing as a competent lawyer.LOL

Corndogs dad is a lawyer ask him.LOL I crack myself up.

Smitty

 

Sounds like a great idea. If you want some practice you can grab your shovel and come up here and help me and your bro with the track we're doing at my place.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

We had a park here but it got shut down over legal problems, I heard a kid on a dirtbike got killed there. It was called Slades Park and was in Surry VA, you may be able to do some research and find out what happened.

 

One of the big things is watching the riders on the bikes and if they appear to be riding over their heads to stop them, or if they are on a bike/quad way to big for them.

Smitty

 

sounds like a great idea, i live on the mississippi gulf coast and have the same problem with very few riding places. my son races for a dealer out of brookhaven mississippi and would be very interested in this. he was looking to buy a track for a while but has had to put that idea on hold for a while. we have been working hard here to try and organize the quad riders in mississippi ans louisiana. we have spoken to many track owners and have an all quad race scheduled for sept. 14 in fernwood mississippi. here the quad riders get no respect from the bike riders and are treated like step children. we are trying hard to change that and get the quad riders the respect and same treatment as the bike riders get at the tracks. my son was practicing at at rack in louisiana this past sunday and the track manager told him to slow down in the corners. he said the bike riders were complaining that he was throwing the dirt out of the corners and messing their groove up. i went and explained to him that we were not there to putt around and that if he was gonna race quads at his track that he also has to allow us to practice it too. i wont go any farther into this subject, i see red just thinking about it. keep us posted on your progress

 

ryan,
the state of fla.legislature passed a new law in fla.
they are going to select 5 areas all over the state and create 5 new ride areas
they have until jan 1 to submit the 5 selected areas to the committee
HOWEVER...there will be a fee to ride these areas AND a tax(sticker)for your quad will be required($33.25)
these will be called the MARK SCHMIDT MEMORIAL TRAILS in honor of the late owner of cycle sports center in lake mary(he was killed in an ultralight crash a couple of years ago)
he championed this cause while he was alive and now his dream(and ours)is going to be a reality!

 

Sounds like you should make a play to manage one of these areas.

Smitty

 

Hey guys, thanks for the encouragement!

Yea Cannitor, I'm aware of the new law and excited about it. I bet you were the first one in line to register your stable of quads weren't ya? Dang, that's a couple bucks for you! I certainly won't be making any financial comittments before Div of Forestry submits it's plan 1/1/03! I don't like the odds of NW FL getting a OHV area though, nearest is likely to be Apalachicola forest in tallahasee, still 200 miles from here. Our local forest managers hate us. Really smitty, I don't think i'll be going to work for the state in this lifetime!
I'm willing to be poorly compensated on this endeavor, but I'm looking at the long term payoff too. Land in this area that would be suitable is 2-5k/acre, so private ownership is doable. Found 160 acres to the east for 1500/acre that is interesting. I'm going to see the Small Business Development Center next week to help focus my research and business plan.

Take at look at this motorsports park for some people doing it right:
Wow