When Coy Gibbs brings his race team to Budds Creek Motocross Park in southern Maryland, he'll be coming home.
Gibbs, who attended high school in Maryland and coached with his father, Joe, from 2004 to 2007 with the Washington Redskins, said the track is the closest to his team's facilities in Huntersville, N.C.
That will make today's Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship Series that much more enjoyable for Gibbs, an executive at Joe Gibbs Racing and founder of its motocross division. He said watching a race at Budds Creek is probably more pleasing than any other racetrack.
"It's really, of all the ones we go to, it's one of the best ones for the fans," he said. "Some of them are so spread out and so scattered, you don't get to see much of the race."
That's what sets Budds Creek apart from other tracks — the experience given to fans.
With crowds of 20,000 expected, it's an atmosphere track owner and race promoter Jonathan Beasley compares to Woodstock, with thousands of people camping throughout the weekend for the event.
Fans scream throughout races, urging their favorite riders along the track. And in a sport where the racers generally may not be within sight for large portions of the race, Budds Creek offers a track where visibility is almost never impeded.
"Anywhere you sit around this venue, you'll be able to see 90 percent of the track. And there are huge trees everywhere to give you shade," said Charles Cobb, a 39-year-old Baltimore resident who has watched races at Budds Creek since the 1970s.
The freedom to get close to the track is also attractive to fans.
"The entire track is fence-lined," said Michael Baker, a Mechanicsville native who has been coming to Budds Creek since 1993. "Unlike NASCAR, you can get right up on the fence and wave your shirt and cheer on your favorite rider."
Budds Creek, started in 1973 by Beasley and his brother, Brian, didn't immediately start hosting pro events. Members of the Terra Motorcycle Club, which mainly consisted of servicemen in the Navy, taught them how to run races, something that can take years to perfect. The track made its first appearance on the AMA Championship tour in 1989 and has gained worldwide recognition as a top-tier raceway since.
The respect garnered by the course led to opportunities to host rounds of the World Championships in 1993, 1994 and 1999. Budds Creek also hosted the Motocross of Nations in 2007, an event similar to the Olympics where racers represent their countries.
One of the biggest reasons for Budds Creek's success is the track, which allows racers to showcase the best of their abilities.
"It's a rider's dream because it has a lot of elevation changes and switchbacks," said Davey Coombs, a former racer and current vice president of the Lucas Oil Motocross Championship. "It's a rider's track the same way Camden Yards might be a hitter's park."
Gibbs' team will be looking for its first victory of the season. Racer Josh Grant placed second in the first moto last weekend at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pa., but a flat tire in the second moto derailed his chances at the overall title, which went to Ryan Dungey for the second week in a row. Grant ranks sixth in the overall season standings.
His teammate, Justin Brayton, will be making his second appearance on the circuit this season. After missing the first two races because of injuries to his ribs and lungs, Brayton had a strong showing, finishing 12th overall after the two motos.
Each year when the Lucas Oil series makes its stop at Budds Creek, Beasley reserves the best seats for veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They fill the area with a perfect view of the track.
"They're the guys that gave their legs and their limbs and their lives for my freedom," Beasley said. "They defend our freedom and they're welcome at my racetrack and welcome to the best seats in the house."
Beasley considers it a privilege to honor wounded veterans, something he's done for the past eight years when his track hosts its stop of the 12-race series.
"[Veterans] are smart, independent-minded, fearless, tireless workers. … And I think Jonathan knows that and knows that those guys do an awful lot for an awful little," Coombs said. "It's just a little thing that he does that is unique to the region because the facility is nearby. But I have a feeling that no matter where his motocross facility was, he'd be participating in a program like that."