The racing that takes place on the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada is nothing short of a great time. In Mammoth, you won’t only find beautiful scenery but also one of the most famous racetracks in California, providing a dreamscape for most motocross enthusiasts. Located just under 8000 feet above sea level, is only open two weeks during the year for this race. Former pros Cole Martinez, Jeremy McGrath and Kurt Nicoll highlighted the results sheets and claimed the coveted bear trophies. (If you’d like to see what I am writing about, I recommend you to RacerX on YouTube). I myself have never raced here, as it is quite demanding in funds, and to qualify you must race prior to this and place in a certain position. But I have seen parts of the track when I go to Mammoth for recreational purpose, and holy toledo I can only imagine the butterflies you’d get when the gate drops. Only few of the hundreds of thousands of racers worldwide will ever experience this, and those who do are deserving. It takes more than just the want, but the willingness to go all out and risk your life for it, to be ready to bleed for it, to be ready to break bones while trying to get here. And if you don’t get too hurt, and put in the work, blood, sweat, and tears, you just might make it.

When you make it to Mammoth, you will have the time of your life. But don’t be fooled, as it is only when you let your guard down that you will suffer the consequences. Mammoth provides good times, but if you slip out of race mode you will only have a rough time. People come here to win, and the ones who did so when they were kids are here to do it again, but as grown men. So as a first timer, have that dog in you. Think of how much it took to get there and put even more in to win. Skill is preferred, but skill goes hand in hand with the guts to lay it all on the line.

If you are new to this lifestyle, you will quickly learn that it takes a lot of courage to put yourself on a racetrack. To simply ride it is one thing, but to race is different. It costs you not only thousands of dollars, but pain as well. It pays off, but only when you have sacrificed enough to get the rewards of this sport. Don’t get me wrong, at any skill you will experience the same thrill of a professional, but what professionals do to achieve that thrill is quite intense. So that is why races like Lorreta Lynn’s, Mammoth, Freestone, and all the other intimidating tracks exist. To push limits and to achieve that adrenaline rush.

So if Mammoth doesn’t seem like something you want to do, neither is racing at all. What I have described is how it feels to race any track. When motocross is your passion, it doesn’t seem so miserable to crash but frustrating because you know you could’ve done better.

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