Saturday, Saturday, Saturday Starkvillians will have the chance to see dirt bikes and four-wheelers tear around the Mississippi Horse Park.
Oklahoma-based Cycle City Promotions is putting on the arenacross show, which will begin inside the Mississippi Horse Park at 7 p.m.
The event is being sponsored by Village Cycle Center in Starkville and will feature local and out-of-state amateur and professional motocross riders.
“It’s high-flying, bar-to-bar race action,” said Todd Hammock, Cycle City Promotions representative.
Riders and fans from all across the Southeast will compete at the event. Paula Ivey, the operations manager of Village Cycle Center, said she hopes to see a big crowd this year.
“Last year, we had over 200 riders and over 3,500 in the arena, and this year we’re expecting an even bigger turnout,” Ivey said. “With these regional races, there are a lot of beginners that just want to come out here and ride.
“We’ll have kids out here as young as 4 and professionals in their 30’s,” she added.
Arenacross is a smaller version of stadium motocross. The competition takes place inside an arena on a short, enclosed track with turns, jumps and “whoops.” Racers, outfitted in special uniforms and safety gear, will compete against each other on dirt bikes and four-wheelers for the best time.
“Racers are classified according to age, motor size and ability as well,” Hammock said. “At a race like this, there can be over 24 different classes.”
“They’ll ride heat races for their starting positions all afternoon,” Ivey said, “and when the real race begins, we’ll have our feature races.”
The halftime show will consist of an exhibition team of professional trick riders from Cycle City Promotions performing stunts similar to those seen on ESPN’s X Games.
Ivey believes the arenacross is a great opportunity for Starkville residents.
“With the new horse arena, it’s been a really good thing for us,” she said. “There’s always a big crowd. It’s a good chance for the kids to do something new, and it’s something fun and different to watch.”
Registration for the arenacross will begin at 10 a.m. at the Horse Park, and the feature races will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate for $12 for adults and $10 for children or at Village Cycle Center for a $2 discount.