Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1521336
May 2024 29 ing flashbacks of last season's unrelen ng ba le with foul weather. Expert course prep to shed water before the event and Mother Nature's combina on of bright sunshine and a s ff steady wind eliminat- ed any concerns over sloppy track condi ons. Any lingering moisture uncovered in prac ce was short- lived and by moto two dust was flying. Rocket is a thoroughly modern motocross facility, and Corey and team con nually invest in the prop- erty and its facili es. As such, its layout is built to cater to a more modern bike crowd, which is fine for post-vintage and up Mid Atlan c classes, but not quite as suited to the under four-inch travel crowd. For 2024, Dave and Corey agreed to run the vintage and novice class races on the facility's youth track, which required quite a bit of logis cal mojo to seamlessly incorporate into the program with separate flaggers and scorers sta oned at the youth track throughout the day. Now, don't let the "youth" moniker fool you into thinking the racing would be tamed down, because this track was an absolute blast on a vintage bike and quite demanding as the compact format kept you busy everywhere through a lap. Wrapping upon itself several mes as it as- cends and descends a hillside adjacent to the pit area, the course u lizes a mixture of bowl turns and flat corners connected with tabletops, step-ups, and stu er bumps. If you were so willing, every jump on the course was approachable on a vintage machine. With clear sight lines for spectators around the en re course, the racers put on quite a show dic- ing through the corners and leaping tabletops with ease. So fun! The Post Vintage and newer classes lined up on the same gate but a er the uphill start straight, the pack took a sweeping right-hander to ba le on the main track. This first turn is probably near the highest point in eleva on on the track and makes for quite an ac on shot as the riders crest the hill in forma- on jostling for the holeshot. In general, the course is wide, and the lled soil is so and conforms to the preferred lines with berms forming quickly and solidly. There is plenty of room to stretch a thro le cable if you dare, and many of the jumps are of the tabletop variety so there is li le fear of coming up short. In considera on of the bike's limita ons, the largest triple jump on the course was bypassed, but a few doubles remained, including an uphill step- up double that was quite a sight when brave riders pinned it and took flight…we just got to fly (that song again!). I'm sure that hundreds of riders clear this par cular leap on any rou ne prac ce day at