By Amanda Monk
Moapa Valley Progress
Published August 4, 2010
This weekend a large, first time event will come to Moapa Valley. For the past two years Logandale resident, Jason St. John has been working to bring a spectacular off road racing event to the community. On Saturday August 2 the Dark Side Racing Club will be hosting a night race in memory of the late Kent Steffen. The night race is expected to attract about 500 people to town.
St. John is president of the Dark Side Club which has about 100 members throughout the region. The Dark Side is one of 14 charters, part of Motorcycle Racing Association of Nevada (MRAN).
The upcoming night race will take place near the old dump located at the base of the Mormon Mesa. The race will begin at 9:00 p.m. and will start wrapping up at around 1:00 a.m.
St. John has been especially busy the past year submitting his GPS course to MRAN. With the approval of the course he then attended surveys and walk-throughs with an archeologist, Bureau of Land Management representative and a botanist.
The night race is designed for fun for women and men alike. There are currently 21 riders from the Moapa Valley who plan to participate in the event. “It really is fun for the whole family,” St. John said.
There are six divisions to choose from: pro, open, vet (30yrs. & older), 4 stroke, 2 stroke and iron man. The quad classes listed are: pro, open, stock, and iron man. The course will consist of a 14.7 mile loop. It is a timed event, meaning the team that finishes with the fastest time wins.
The pro class will consist of a two man team while the expert and novice/amateur class can have up to three.
Each person must be a member of MRAN in order to race on Saturday. For those who are interested, a day racing card is available and listed for a fee of $20 on the MRAN form. Participants must be 12 years of age or older and their quad/bike must be full sized.
The Mack Lyon Middle School Dance Team plans to hold a bake sale at the event to keep spectators filled with goodies and beverages. All proceeds will help the team with costs throughout the coming year.
The BLM will have the area of the race below the Mormon Mesa closed in preparation for the event. Lights will be aglow on Saturday night to light the way for racers.
The race track will be located 200 feet past the ending of the paved on airport road.
If you are unable to attend this weekend’s excitement don’t fret. In November there will be another local race, this time part of a series of day races.
Questions and forms are available at mranracing.com or by calling Jason St. John at 702-768-6795.
