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April 6, 1999 Thunder Cross Motorsports Park
This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Thunder Cross Motorsports Park.
I am always excited to go to new tracks. Not having heard much about the
track before, I didn't know what to expect.
Thunder Cross Motorsports Park is located off State Highway 70 three miles
east of the city of Okeechobee. Thunder Cross operates a motocross track on
Sundays as well as a slightly banked, red clay oval on Saturday nights. The
bright red color of the track is reminiscent of clay tracks in Alabama and
Georgia, not Florida. The oval is listed as a quarter-mile in length but a
keen eye and a stopwatch indicate that the track is closer to a one third
mile oval.
With the exception of the swamp buggy track at Mesa Park in Fellsmere, FL,
Thunder Cross is the newest race track in Florida at just over two years
old. The track is owned and operated by Dudley, Spencer, and Corey Kirton, three
men all under the age of 30. At most tracks, the image of the owner is an
older man with glasses, a slight pot belly, and a cowboy hat. The Kirton's
are clearly an injection of new blood into the Florida racing community and
that can lead to one thing: new ideas. These ideas have been implemented
all over the complex.
Thunder Cross has developed with family entertainment in mind. There is a
no alcohol grandstand on the front straight. The pit area has two sections
so children over ten may enter. The "grandstand" pit area allows children
so they can be close to their racing parents. The true car and hauler section
of the pit area is off limits to children.
Thunder Cross is one of the best tracks in the state I've seen at
keeping a show rolling. The Kirton's want a Saturday show to be over by
11pm so parents with children can get home at a reasonable hour. An
excellent use of the pit area as a staging grid and time limits on races
keeps the action fast and plentiful. With seven classes racing each night
starting at 7pm, there's no time to mess around.
Safety is also a primary concern at Thunder Cross. Three EMTs are present
at the track along with an ambulance. Four county police officers are also
on detail in case they are needed. Drivers in all classes must have a full
firesuit with gloves and boots. All cars must have a fuel cell, fire
extinguisher, and four point roll cage.
Thunder Cross runs year round except for December. Unlike most tracks
however, not every class runs every week. The classes work an eight week
rotation. A class will race for seven weeks, then have a week off. This
gives owners and drivers a week to rebuild beat up equipment and rest.
Thunder Cross offers simple, no frills entertainment. The track and stands
are well lit. A solid PA system allows announcer Alan Clark to describe the action on both the front straight and in the pits. There are no obstructions to vision at
the track because, except for a few safety vehicles, the infield is clear.
The pit side bathrooms, located in a temporary building, are small but they
are very clean and well stocked. Periodic use of the water track helps keep
the dust down. Thunder Cross is one of the cleanest dirt tracks I've
attended.
Co-owner Spencer Kirton is happy with and surprised with how people have
caught on to the track. An average night's attendance is between 1200 and
1500. Last Saturday night looked even better. The majority of fans are
from the Atlantic Coast between Vero Beach and Ft Lauderdale. With the rate
at which Thunder Cross is growing, advertisers should take notice and join
the list of companies who already advertise there.
With young energetic owners, family based entertainment, and solid racing
action, Thunder Cross Motorsports Track is definetly a track heading in the
right direction. If you live in Vero Beach or West Palm Beach, it's only
one hour away. The next time you are in South Florida, add it to your race
schedule. You'll be glad you did!
-John Matthews
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