TOOELE, Utah — Usually, the sound of dirt bikes can be heard over at the Peak Sports and Entertainment Complex, but recently the track has been quiet.
“They try to build it so it has some drainage," said Kirk Steadman with Steadman's Recreation. "But when you get so many days of rain constantly, it's hard to manage all of that rain.”
The tracks turned into swimming pools, and Tooele County Parks and Recreation decided to cancel open rides on the track until it dries out.
“In the current condition, we can't get the equipment to the track to groom it because the equipment will sink," said Corey Bullock, director of Parks and Recreation in Tooele County. "We want to provide the best opportunity for people to ride from any level — beginner all the way to pro."
Kirk and David Steadman ride bikes themselves and worked with the county to host rides at the complex. They said while the track itself can hold a lot of water, standing water can be dangerous.
“Just like the highway there. If they're on the track, they're like a hydroplane," David said. "You come up over a big jump at a high speed and have a mud hole behind it, and you sink your front tire in the mud hole with all your momentum going forward. That could be ugly.”
“My daughter took an inside corner that was really wet, got stuck in the mud, and if you get stuck and stop and you're racing and somebody's coming behind you, there's a chance somebody could run into you," Kirk said.
While they've worked hard to keep their racing events going over at the tracks across the way, the goal is to get all tracks back up and running, maintaining safety and the community's passion for racing.
“The worst thing that can happen is somebody comes out here and gets hurt, gets seriously injured," Kirk said. "You know that's the last thing that we want to have."
Officials are hoping to open the open ride tracks back up come Wednesday if the weather permits, but unfortunately that’s right when more weather is supposed to hit the area.
Tooele County Parks & Recreation and The Peak Sports & Entertainment Complex on Facebook and Instagram will have the latest announcements.
For more information, you can visit this link.