MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – Michigan native and California transplant Nick Wey (Team Mafia Moto Crew)will contest this Saturday’s inaugural running of the $50,000 Edge of Summer MX event at Soaring Eagle Resort & Casino, being the first to commit among the number of top pro racers rumored to be attending.
The Aug. 30 event, featuring appearances by RCH Racing’s Ricky Carmichael and Carey Hart, and showcasing some of the region’s most talented pro and vet class racers, will host one of the Midwest’s richest cash prize pro class races – to which Wey is planning on cashing in, despite riding a borrowed bike!
“The plan is to tear all the suspension parts off my race bike, check them with my luggage and slap them on to the bike Randy Valade is letting me borrow prior to Saturday’s race,” said Wey of his longtime motocross racing buddy and Team Mafia Moto Crew member from nearby Howell, Mich.
Word on the street, according to Wey, is that the track on the grounds of Soaring Eagle will ride more like a hybrid MX/SX track, similar to the layout of the Daytona (Fla.) AMA Supercross. No coincidence that the Daytona SX track designer/builder, Mark “Bomber” Barnett is taking the lead on the SX features on track, which is being roughed out today by RedBud MX’s Tim Ritchie.
Given that, Wey said he made sure to turn some SX laps prior to leaving California.
“I got over to the Kawasaki test track in Corona and rode some supercross over the weekend – first time I’d done that all summer,” said Wey, who raced the MX Nationals circuit the past several months. “Touching up on some SX skills.”
A homecoming event for Wey, the multi-time national amateur motocross champion is considered one of the top riders of all-time to come out of the state of Michigan, racing a long, lucrative pro career that began in 1997.
“It’s cool to come home,” he said. “I grew up pretty close to here (Dewitt), raced a lot at RedBud over the years and practiced nearby in Stanton, Mich. The Edge of Summer MX event is a great concept, professionally-run and has a really good payout. I’ve had it on my calendar all summer and I’m really looking forward to this Saturday night.”
Featuring 22 amateur classes, from ages 18+ to 60+ in novice to expert classes, racing on the Carmichael-designed, Mark Barnett “Bomberbuilt” and RedBud (Mich.) MX-built track on the Soaring Eagle grounds, the Edge of Summer MX event will rock the central Michigan action sports scene to its core with an entire day – and night, under the lights – of motocross racing action.
Throughout the day fans will be able meet and greet with Carmichael and Hart, as well as RCH Racing’s Weston Peick and Ivan Tedesco, posing for photos and getting autographs from some of the most well-known action sports stars in the world. Partnering with Soaring Eagle, RCH team owners Carmichael and Hart – along with RedBud MX, the world’s premier MX track (located right here in Michigan) – have combined on what should prove to be an incredible and most memorable day/night of motorsports action right in the heart of the state!
What: Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort’s inaugural pro/vet motocross event
When: Saturday, Aug. 30
Time: Saturday practice begins at 8 a.m., amateur class racing begins at 9:30 a.m. Pro class practice begins at 6 p.m. followed by racing – under the lights – Saturday night.
Where: Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Who: The Midwest’s top pro and vet motocross racers, along with a bunch of fast kids!
Tickets: Just $20!
More information: www.redbudmx.com and www.soaringeaglecasino.com
Contact: Pat Schutte / patschutte@aysling.com
