A top tier round of the series greets riders for round three. Thunder Valley Motocross Park is located just to the west of Denver and the most metro of outdoor venues. It feels more like a supercross location than motocross but the convenience is appreciated by everyone that travels to these events. With that area of the world being very outdoor-activity-oriented, turnout is often very strong for this race, too. For these reasons and more, Thunder Valley is one of, if not my favorite race of the year.

Dirty Little Secrets

Located on the side of a large foothill, the track offers elevation change and difficult off cambers. Speaking of elevation, Thunder Valley is situated at over 5,000 feet. That elevation and subsequent lack of oxygen wreaks havoc on both man and machine. Engines need oxygen to burn fuel and as the oxygen is stifled, the ability to burn efficiently is lessened, too. The lack of power is immediately felt as riders roll out onto the racetrack Saturday morning. There are things the teams can do to counteract the ill effects but it’s a salvage job at best. Gearing changes, increased compression, fuel map changes, and changing the fuel itself can all help but there is simply no way to replace the oxygen that sea level elevation can provide. As for the riders, they will be feeling the lack of oxygen, too. I usually felt it while walking the track on Friday, breathing much harder than I should have been. I also noticed being out of breath on qualifying laps on Saturday morning, when riders are pushing to the absolute limit. I felt like I acclimated quickly, though, and didn’t really notice it during the races. Point being, if you see riders laboring on Saturday afternoon or hear strange noises coming from their engine, it’s almost a guarantee the elevation is the culprit.