Situated in the western region of Maryland, Hagerstown in Washington County is an ideal location for the BMX community with its easy accessibility to a large majority of the Mid-Atlantic region, and for the more obvious reason of Hagerstown BMX, the county’s premiere BMX course.
Hagerstown BMX opened in 1999 with its location nat Fairgrounds Park. Hagerstown BMX was also the first sport venue to open at the Park. The venue is also run completely on volunteers, much of whom are all race families, so it is easy for these families to see first-hand the impact the sport of BMX has played in their family’s lives. “Hagerstown BMX is a valuable asset to our community and to tourism,” Dan Spedden, President of Visit Hagerstown stated. “Their events bring in families from across the Mid-Atlantic; they use our hotels, restaurants, and other vital services while they are here. They are a boost to our economy.”
Being open for 18 years, Hagerstown BMX realized that they needed a few upgrades to keep its pizazz. The upgrades included a track rebuild with newly paved turns and a new starting hill, a new starting gate, solitac to give a better riding surface for the competitors and control dirt erosion, a new sound system, concession stand and security cameras. Giving Hagerstown BMX the upgrades it needed surely enhance the riders’ experiences, wanting them to come back time and time again.
Hagerstown BMX hosts smaller weekly races one to two times per week, bringing in on average about 100 people per race. Outside of the weekly, more local races are four major races that take place annually at Hagerstown BMX: the Maryland State Championship Qualifier, Track vs. Track, the Gold Cup and the Turkey Cup. On average, these races bring in 1,000 people from across the state as well as the extended region, providing a great economical impact for the City of Hagerstown and Washington County.
“Hagerstown BMX is a vital part of the Hagerstown Washington County community,” Scott Cantner, Marketing Director for the Hagerstown BMX track stated. “It promotes competitiveness, teamwork and family values. Hagerstown BMX is one of the only tracks in the country that offers a completely free open practice to the public once a week. They do this to get kids of the street that might not to be able to afford to race and helps to push them in the right direction in life.”
To learn more about upcoming open practices and races, please visit Hagerstown BMX’s website for more information.
All photos are credited to the Hagerstown BMX Club.
