Wichita selected to host one of eight regional motocross championships in 2020
Wichita is officially home to one of the top eight motocross tracks in the country.
Wednesday, Visit Wichita and Bar2Bar MX Park announced the 2020 North Central Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Regional Championship is coming June 13-14.
The announcement comes after years of negotiations and work to get the track up to par with the country’s best. Event rider Chris Kirk said so much goes into creating the perfect track that a typical participant would never notice.
“With a ton of help, we do have a national-caliber race track right here in Wichita, Kansas,” Bar2Bar owner Bruce Richardson said. “As far as the facility, we have every amenity you would want to come experience an incredible race.”
Richardson runs Bar2Bar with his family. He said to earn an event of this magnitude is rewarding but more so for the volunteers and those who have helped make it what it is today.
Bar2Bar has hosted area qualifiers in the past, Kirk said, but never a regional. The top eight finishers in each of the 36 classes (differing in age and skill level) from eight area qualifier events will feed into Wichita this summer. Across multiple events, more than 700 riders will compete.
The top six finishers in each class will earn a ticket to the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship from Aug. 3-8 in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn.
“If you go to any motocross track and ask any kid, ‘What is your goal?’, they would say to go to Loretta Lynn’s,” Kirk said. “That was the highlight of my career.”
Brian Hargrove, Visit Wichita executive director of sports development, said this event is a win-win for the city.
“Both in positive local economic impact and quality of life for locals,” Hargrove said in a release.
Wednesday’s announcement marks the 16th event Visit Wichita will host in 2020. Others include the NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championship from March 4-7, U.S. Figure Skating National Theatre on Ice from June 26-30 and The Basketball Tournament (TBT) from July 30-Aug. 2.
“In the motocross community, this is the biggest stage you could be on,” Kirk said. “Wichita is known for all the sporting events it can host. Now we can add motocross.”