High Point Raceway – Mt. Morris, PA

In the early 1970s, enterprising motocross race promoter Dave Coombs Sr. went on the search for the perfect motocross track. He had tried a couple of tracks in West Virginia that weren’t big enough, and then one in Keyser’s Ridge, Maryland, but that track’s rocky soil didn’t find favor with the riders. In the fall of 1976, he moved his races to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, just across the state line above Morgantown, West Virginia, using the rich soil of a farm owned by the Holbert family, who were racers themselves.

High Point Raceway opened in September ’76, but the original layout would soon change. Shortly after opening, the Maico factory team stopped by looking for a place to practice while following the Trans-AMA Series, and they decided to revamp the track layout to make it more European, incorporating more hills and off-camber turns. Sylvain Geboers, Adolf Weil, and Hans Maisch laid down fallen tree branches and built small rock piles to outline where they should go. In doing so, they created the basic design that High Point uses to this day.

The High Point circuit uses the land’s natural elevation to create uphill double- and triple jumps and long sweeping corners in a natural amphitheater setting. To go fast on this highly regarded track today, riders have to dial in skills that were perfected three decades ago.

But High Point, like the sport itself, has gone through changes over the years — most of them aimed at making a more fan-friendly track that also challenges the ever-evolving equipment modern race teams bring to Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross. Trees were cleared from around the facility so fans can view nearly 100 percent of the track from a variety of vantage points, and the bigger jumps were put right in view of the largest spectator areas. In 2008, the track received a makeover courtesy of star track builder Marc Peters, resulting in more hang time for the riders. With a mix of the old school and the new, High Point is a true challenge for the racers and remains one of the most popular tracks in the entire sport.

Here’s a little-known fact: Today, its commonplace to name stadiums and racetracks after a company in exchange for sponsorship money. Coombs was ahead of his time, though, and began looking for a title sponsor as soon as his new track was ready in 1976. At first, it looked like Hi-Point Racing Products would step up and take the naming rights, but the company decided to pass on the opportunity (for a reported $500). Coombs was stuck with a bunch of Hi-Point Raceway signs, so he needed a new name that would require as few changes as possible: thus High Point Raceway!

The motocross world lost Dave Coombs Sr. on August 3, 1998, after a long battle with leukemia, but his family and the Holberts continue to produce the High Point National in his honor. The family business, MX Sports, is also the driving force behind the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, the AMA Pro ATVA Series, and now the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

And in a move that would make Big Dave proud, the first live network television broadcast of an AMA Motocross race will take place on June 13, 2009, when the High Point National is featured on NBC. The race will mark the opening round of the Monster Energy Triple Crown of Motocross, as well as the fourth round of the 2009 Women’s Motocross Championship.

Featured Motocross Events
• Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship
• Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur Motocross Regional
• ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Pro Motocross Championship
• PAMX Regional Series
• DC Vet National Championship
• USVMX (US Vintage Motocross)

2008 AMA Motocross Winners
• 450 class: James Stewart (Monster Energy Kawasaki)
• 250 class: Ryan Villopoto (Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki)

SPECIAL FEATURES
• Monster Energy Triple Crown Event – Round 1
• 450 Class televised LIVE! on NBC
• 250 Class televised tape-delayed on SPEED
• Women's Motocross Championship – Round 4
• Legends Lap featuring MX stars from the past
• Vintage Bike Show
• Special Guest: Craig Morgan to sing National Anthem
• Live Band! 10 Man Push
• Friday: Racer X Fan Fest 4-7 pm, Open Pro Pits
• Friday Night: Pit Bike Race
• Amateur motocross racing Sunday