New motorsports park to open in Minnesota

A new motorsports park in the Twin Cities has broken ground and will have its grand opening on Dec. 18, 2008.

Located in Elk River, Minn. on the outskirts of the Twin City metro area, the Elk River Xtreme Motor Park (ERX) will offer snocross, motocross and more to motorsports enthusiasts throughout the Midwest.

Located on 14-acres of rolling terrain, ERX Motor Park will feature year-round action with a focus on grass roots racing, giving first timers and recreational enthusiasts a chance to hone their skills and have fun with friends and family. Park designers are taking all levels of experience and all forms of racing including snowmobiles, motorcycles and ATVs into consideration as they design the track into the varying elevations that encompass the park.

“The idea behind ERX is to create a motor park where amateur riders can come out and try racing in a non-threatening environment,” says Chris Carlson, co-owner of ERX. “While we’ll have the ability to adapt the track for professional level racing, we want to create an environment where everyday trail riders, clubs or organizations can come out and enjoy a day or evening of fun with their families.”

To get families to the track, organizers are promising to keep entry fees low and track time abundant.

During the week starting Nov. 15, ERX will offer open snocross practice on a professionally designed and built track, and the same will hold true during the summer months, when open motocross practice will be available.

“We already have three grass roots races scheduled for this winter,” says Carlson. “There will an event or class for everyone including women, children and even older snowmobiles. ERX is all about having fun.”

In addition to the family events planned for ERX, two professional snocross races hosted by the International Series of Champions (ISOC) have been scheduled.

What’s more, ERX will not be dependent upon Mother Nature to provide snow for its inaugural season. The ownership group has purchased snow-making equipment and with an on-site pond, snowfall will be abundant.

“ERX will be a professionally operated facility,” says Carlson. “We are building a first-class operation, and it will be obvious from the minute you drive in. We will have ample snow making equipment, two groomers to build a world-class snocross track and we’ll have on-site heated facilities and full lighting for night racing as well. We decided if ERX was going to become reality, we wanted to do it right.”

Six events are currently slated for ERX this winter, with more on-deck as well as a summer schedule to be announced later this winter. ERX will also be available for private uses such as factory team testing, special dealer demo events, test rides, training and safety classes, swap meets, club functions and more.

Details including racing classes, rules and directions to ERX can be found on the official website: http://www.erxmotorpark.com/