Motorcross bikes jump across Plains

Matt Unrau

Valley Press

The thunder of roaring engines was ripping through the air on Sunday at the Plains Motocross track as it hosted a HCMA race. The HCMA, or High Country Motocross Association, is a state sanctioned race, and Plains hosts one HCMA race per year.

It was the second largest HCMA race in the state this year sporting 288 racers. The race stands only behind Butte who brought in 346 racers.

The day featured two local racers including Vice President of the Plains Motocross track, Jessie Warren.

Warren who graduated from high school in May recovered from a shattered ankle that he suffered during the motocross last season. Coming back from the injury this year he says the biggest challenge is the mental aspect of the sport.

“There are definitely  times and places when you’re hesitant,” says Warren in regard to conquering the fear associated with the high-risk sport. He says it’s easiest to hesitate on the starting line where a dozen other races are all packed in together.

Because of his previous injury Warren now has to wear a brace over his ankle during the races. But, none of this stops him from loving the adrenaline filled sport. “It’s for people who like to go fast and take chances,” says Warren. He also describes the family aspect of the sport where people from all over Montana travel to a track in RVs with their families to these races giving the sport the feel of a family reunion. “You love them or you hate them, but you make a family out here,” says Warren.

Racing in the 250 intermediate category Warren placed fourth in the morning race and sixth in the afternoon race winning fifth overall. The only other local rider was four-year-old Hayden Conn who placed sixth overall in the 50 PW category. He placed fifth in both the morning and afternoon race, but ended up with sixth based on the averages of the other riders.

The race on Sunday was the fifth race for the Plains motocross track this season. A scary moment happened during the first afternoon race when Jessie Carr from Missoula flew over his handlebars and crashed into a berm. He was stabilized on the track and transported to the hospital.  

The Plains track is 1.04 miles long with several jumps where the riders fly into the air during their race.