Motocross Park Roarin’ to Go for First Test Ride

Is Irvine Lake half-full or half-empty? Either way, Brad Etter sees it as a winner for motocross.

That’s because he and his two partners are opening a professional motocross park in a dry portion of the lake bed called Woody’s Cove.

He said they are giving thousands of Orange County motocross enthusiasts what they have yearned for since 1984--a closed-course park for off-road motorcycle racing and riding that is clean, safe and geared toward families.

The trial run for Saddleback Motorsports Park will be this weekend--on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the park will be open to the public from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The Serrano Water District, which co-owns recreation rights with Irvine Co., has given Saddleback Motorsports Partners LLC a temporary permit to maintain three motocross courses at the southwest corner of the lake.

So far, the facility seems to have drawn little opposition from environmentalists, but that might be because few know about it.

Sherry Meddick, a Silverado Canyon resident and environmental activist, only heard about the new course three days ago.

“In the early 1980s, when they had another track here, traffic was a terrible problem,� she said. “I don’t know how they are going to deal with the cars now. The other day I drove by and there were a lot of cars parked there, people looking at the track and blocking the bicycle lanes.�

Andrew Wetzler, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Los Angeles, said that he hadn’t heard of the course but that track managers should be concerned about the surrounding environment, a home to the endangered California gnatcatcher, a tiny songbird.

“If they ‘take’--meaning harass, or kill or harm in some way--a gnatcatcher, it’s breaking the federal law,� Wetzler said, referring to the Endangered Species Act.

While the courses were under construction, Etter hired a biologist to check on any environmental concerns.

“He said we weren’t encroaching on anything,� said Etter. “We were very careful where we put our track. There’s a delicate balance here. We want to make sure we stay within those bounds.�

Dave Noyes, general manager for the water district, said he welcomes the motorcycles and increased traffic.

“We’re trying to make the lake more of a full-service recreation area,� Noyes said. “For profit, that’s the bottom line.�

The water district has jurisdiction of the land below the waterline, and the rest belongs to Irvine Co., which has requested that Etter take out $10 million in liability insurance.

Etter said he thinks motorcycles, campers, fish and anglers should all be able to get along.

“This is a very protected cove,� he said. “It’s an area where people will like to camp and ride. I don’t see the fisherman having a problem. That hill really eats up the sound. It’s not going to be any louder than cars coming down the canyon road.�

The buzz about the track is getting louder. For the last few weeks as completion has neared, motocross junkies have pulled over on winding Santiago Canyon Road to peek down at the rolling course.

Etter, a 29-year-old tax attorney, said he has been receiving thank-you e-mails and phone calls from parents who as kids rode the dusty trails of the old Saddleback Park, an open-trail riding park that attracted national and international competitions. The park closed after it was denied insurance in 1984 following several deaths and serious injuries.

The old park, which opened in 1968, was two miles west of the new park, next to a landfill on Irvine Co. lands.

In the years since motocross left Orange County, the sport’s popularity has exploded. For the last 17 years, motocross riders had to trek to Lake Elsinore, Beaumont or San Bernardino to get their fix, Etter said.

Three of the industry’s main manufacturers--Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki--have their U.S. headquarters in Orange County. Honda is located in Torrance.

“This is a big deal, considering the recent growth of motocross and motorcycles,� said Tony Gardea, spokesman for Chevy Trucks Kawasaki. “There are tens of thousands of motocross enthusiasts within hours.�

The park will accommodate all ages and styles of riders. There will be a pee-wee track for children under 6, a track for the beginner or older rider and a main track for the more advanced rider. The admission fee will run from $10 to $20.

When the Labor Day weekend test period ends, the park will be open Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursdays from 4 to 10 p.m.

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Times staff writers Matthew Ebnet and Janet Wilson contributed to this story.