A racer flies through the air at the Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

A racer flies through the air at the Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

State motocross sees increased numbers

Build a nice facility, and the riders will come.

Lacie Kelly, president of the Kenai Peninsula Racing Lions Motocross Division, said both the city races and state races have seen an uptick in racers this season.

The Alaska State Motocross Races 3 and 4 were held Saturday and Sunday at Twin City Raceway in Kenai.

“I think is has a lot to do with the organization and facility upkeep,” said Kelly, who has been on the board for 12 years. “A lot of people love this track. They love the facility itself.

“Kenai has always been one of the top numbers in all the state series.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Kelly said the city series is almost up to 100 individual riders after being down at 45 riders just four years ago.

“We’ve had a lot of people come down from Anchorage for our races, which is just awesome,” Kelly said.

The state series also is up, with Kelly saying a lessening of last summer’s gas prices has helped. Last summer, there were 98 riders entered in 154 categories at the Kenai state event, while Saturday had 141 racers in 215 events.

Kelly said racers like the only major sand track in Alaska.

“It’s pretty technical,” she said. “There’s a lot of jumps and it can be cumbersome.

“We have to have a lot of flaggers just to cover it. Most track don’t need 15 or 16 flaggers, where we do that just to be safe. There’s so many jumps and blind sections.”

Another recent addition to the facilities at Twin City Raceway point to the family atmosphere that also makes racing so popular.

Kelly said Twin City Raceway recently received three playgrounds from an anonymous donor. The playgrounds are now at the motocross track, the circle track and the quarter midget track.

“It is very popular,” Kelly said. “I think they’d rather be playing on it than race.”

Kelly’s family is a strong presence at the track. Kelly’s husband, Jesse, no longer races after he was paralyzed in an accident at the track three years ago, but the Kellys have two daughters and a son set to race this season.

Conner, 6, is doing his first state races while Danica, 17, is jumping back into racing after some time off. Camryn Kelly, 4, is planning to make her racing debut at the city race next weekend.

Danica, an incoming senior at Soldotna High School, said she stopped racing at 12, but was pulled back in by seeing her sister and brother get into racing.

“I think it’s cool that girls do it, so I just thought, ‘Why not just go back out there?’” she said. “And my dad had a bad accident, so I was like, ‘I’ll show him I can go back out there still.’”

Danica also has a ready-made rival in the Womens category in her aunt, Anna Love, though the word rival may be a bit strong.

“She said that we were going to, but for the first couple of races, if I was behind, she would stop or slow down awhile until I caught up,” Danica said. “Then she was trying to battle me the rest of the way.

“She’s doing pretty good. I thought she was pretty slow when I was watching her when she wasn’t racing. And then when I got there, I was like, ‘OK. Maybe she’s actually fast.’”

Love said she has been riding for about 20 years. Her oldest son, Cole Crandall, and her youngest son, 14-year-old Draiden Mullican, both have multiple state and city titles to their credit.

Love said she’s won the last three city titles in the Womens category, but has yet to win a state title, finishing second last year. Love said she’s off to a slow start at the state level this season.

What keeps Love coming back?

“Being an adrenaline junky,” she said.

Both Love and Danica agreed they love racing in Kenai. Love said the jumps are not short and choppy, and the quality of the dirt is nice without rocks.

“They spray you with them,” Love said. “It’s bad. It hurts really bad, actually.”

Danica said the rocks can actually leave welts.

“And if you crash, it’s like you’re going onto pavement,” she said. “This is a little bit nicer, but the dirt definitely gets dusty.

“You take your helmet off, you definitely have a dirt mustache, but it’s better than landing on concrete.”

Both Danica and Love have no plans to stop riding. Danica said she plans to keep racing when she goes to college in Idaho next year.

“Until I can’t walk,” Love said when questioned about her race plans. “I’ll just go a lot slower.”

Racers fly through the air at the Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Racers fly through the air at the Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Anna Love rounds a corner at Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Anna Love rounds a corner at Alaska State Motocross Race 3 on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

More in Sports

Runners line up at the start for the Seldovia Salmon Shuffle 5K race on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Seldovia, Alaska. Photo courtesy Ecola Collier
255 do the Salmon Shuffle

The 5K race is held annually as part of Seldovia’s 4th of July celebrations.

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Hard luck at the fishing hole

The action wasn’t as hot as in the past, but neither was the run.

Seward's Fred Moore stands at the base of Mount Marathon in Seward, Alaska, on Monday, June 24, 2019. Moore will run in his 50th consecutive Mount Marathon race on July 4. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
‘It’s been a good run’

Seward’s Moore explains his decision to end his Mount Marathon streak at 54

Matthew Schilling of the American Legion Post 20 Twins slides safely past Eagle River catcher Jack Mullen on Monday, July 7, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Monday: Twins keep rolling with sweep of Eagle River

The American Legion Post 20 Twins swept Eagle River on Monday at… Continue reading

Sharon Tyone, Dan Aaronson and Jessica Small make the "real life slot machine" work at the Oilers All-Star Family Field Day on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Oilers return to field for All-Star Family Field Day

It was only for a day, but the Peninsula Oilers were able… Continue reading

David Norris, 34, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, wins the men's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Norris goes 6 for 6 in Mount Marathon men’s race; Moore’s streak ends at 54 races

One streak lived while another streak ended during a brilliantly sunny men’s… Continue reading

Anchorage's Klaire Rhodes, 27, wins the women's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Rhodes defends women’s Mount Marathon crown

With Seward stuffed with people for 97th running of the Mount Marathon… Continue reading

The juniors start at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Zuber, Flagstad capture junior Mount Marathon races

Kenai’s Boonstra takes 2nd in junior girls race

tease
Thursday: Twins finish strong road trip by sweeping South

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins picked up 10-0 and 18-5… Continue reading

tease
Post 20 Twins enact mercy rule on Eagle River

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins defeated Eagle River 11-0 in… Continue reading

tease
Tri Nikiski draws 79 participants

The ninth annual Tri Nikiski was held Saturday starting from the Nikiski… Continue reading

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in