Rough road for Pima Motor Sports Park

But considering how long it took to get the county-run facility back online after its most recent shutdown, just being open is considered a success, its new operators say.

"We knew we'd be behind the eight ball at first," said Richard Barner, who along with Kirk Rysdam has been entrusted by Pima County to revitalize the state's only publicly funded off-road park. "We think 2007, really, is our real starting point."

Up and running again since September, the 206-acre dirt track at 11700 S. Harrison Road, just west of the Pima County Fairgrounds, is feeling the effects of being closed for so long.

Shut down in July 2005

Pima County shut down the park in July 2005 after its previous operators, Whiplash Motorsports, failed to address maintenance and safety concerns.

During the hiatus, the property was whittled down from its original size of 640 acres to allow for expansion of the county's adjacent Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range. The original plan to reopen the track after a few months was extended on several occasions as the county settled on new proprietors.

The county selected Barner and Rysdam from a pool of eight applicants. The longtime friends and off-road buffs previously were in the telecommunications industry.

"We had seen the first operators come and go . . . and we'd tried to work with the second operator," said Rysdam, 48.

He and Barner would visit the track once or twice a week to ride their bikes and quads. "We felt it was something that someone needed to do. Like they always say, it's the American dream to have your avocation become your vocation."

Barner and Rysdam were officially approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors in July and immediately took to upgrading the facility. The Board of Supervisors approved $110,000 for repairs and upgrades, money that has been or will be used to replace the park's fencing, rehabilitate the administration buildings and track and repave the parking lot.

Barner, 48, said that because the track had to be worked on during the normally busy summer season, attendance at the outset has been low. Fewer people ride in the winter, he said, and poor weather of late has added to the low turnout.

"It's way too safe"

Barner and Rysdam have also heard the comments from some riders, usually those in their teens, who say the course is too easy.

"It's way too safe," said Paul Manley, whose 14-year-old son, Tyler, and 17-year-old daughter, Corrinne, are frequent off-roaders. "I understand the county wants it to be safe, but other tracks around the state are safe but also more challenging."

Tyler Manley said, "Compared to how it used to be, it's really easy and calm now."

Barner said he altered the course to put a premium on speed and riding skills rather than stunt-riding.

"The younger crowd, they like to jump and maintain air," he said. "This track will never be a jumper's paradise. And a lot of tracks are getting away from giant air. What we're trying to do is give people a real consistent experience each day."

Rysdam said the influence of televised extreme-sports competitions, like ESPN's X-Games, has led many young riders to be interested only in how high they can get off a jump and how many tricks they can do in the air. However, Pima Motorsports Park is there to cater to the more novice crowd, he said.

"We're looking at the core clientele, the older middle-aged riders and their kids," Rysdam said.

Different set of standards

Pima Motorsports Park is unique in that it must adhere to a completely different set of standards than privately run off-road facilities, Barner said. Those include a requirement to have insurance and have an emergency medical technician on site for all practice sessions or competitions, as well as provide an aspect of education to the riding experience.

All first-time riders must watch a nine-minute safety video, after which they pay $10 for an ID card that serves as proof they have received the proper safety training.

The park also hosts all-terrain-vehicle training courses, and Barner said a dirt-bike school recently signed on to hold classes there later this year.

The park is also quick to cancel ride days because of inclement weather, such as the high winds that Barner says often hit the park in the later afternoon and evening.

"It's always more windy here because we're in some sort of a wind channel," he said. "You don't generate revenue if you're not open, but we're not going to try and generate revenue without keeping safety in mind."

"I'm very satisfied with it"

Those policies might make for a more docile course, but that doesn't seem to bother most of the park's riders.

"I'm very satisfied with it," said Ken Terkelsen, a parts manager for East Side off-road shop Tucson Motorsports. "The jumps aren't all that huge, but I think it's much more geared to a family atmosphere. It's top-notch, very professionally run."

Fellow Tucson Motorsports employee Russell Hacker said customers of the store often comment about how delighted they are to have Pima Motorsports Park open again.

"They're really happy with it," Hacker said.

Despite the reduced challenge of the course, Paul Manley said he appreciates what Barner and Rysdam have done to get Pima Motorsports Park reopened. It beats having to take his kids to tracks in Eloy, Mammoth or the Phoenix area, he said.

"They busted their butts to get this open," Manley said.

If you go

● What: Pima Motorsports Park

● Where: 11700 S. Harrison Road (just west of Pima County Fairgrounds)

● Pay-to-ride (practice) days: 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, 12-5 p.m. Sundays

● Cost: $25 per person, per day; first-time riders also must watch a 9-minute educational video and purchase an ID card for $10; riders younger than 18 also must have a release signed by both parents or legal guardians.

● Information: Call 762-8771 or go online to http://www.pimamotorsportspark.com.