Donations, volunteers helped make BMX racetrack a reality
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

COOL RIDER- Beau Gutierrez, a 7-year-old from Camarillo, was one of the first riders on the track at Freedom Park BMX Raceway. The new Camarillo raceway is one of two in Ventura County; the other is in Simi Valley. The entire project cost about $50,000, but lights alone took up $26,000.

After many delays, the Freedom Park BMX Raceway is finally open for anyone on two wheels.

Under construction for the past two-and-a-half years, the 900-by-26-foot track finally opened Mon., Oct. 1, as some 30 riders took a spin around the dirt course.

The course makes Camarillo home to only the second BMX track in Ventura County, joining Sycamore BMX in Simi Valley.

Frank Marino, the co-owner and tract operator, hopes there will be a grand opening in the first week of January, when the new racing season begins.

Marino said he plans to host the track's first races in November and is striving to get about seven races in before the end of the calendar year. It is sanctioned by the American Bicycle Association (ABA), is

Photos by WENDY PIERRO /Acorn Newspapers KEEPING IT TOGETHER- Track operator and co-owner of Freedom Park BMX Raceway, Frank Marino of Newbury Park, wets down the track in preparation for opening day. Marino says the track requires constant upkeep.

For now, the park is open Monday and Thursday nights. To race, riders must be members of the ABA, which costs $45 to join. Memberships will be available for purchase at the track.

Even though Marino and coowner Richard Huvard kept the practice runs free for the opening weeks, it will normally cost each rider $5 to practice and $10 to race on Saturdays.

The speedway also wants to start a friendly competition with the riders in Simi Valley called the 805 Series.

The raceway is geared toward both competitive riders and those looking for a good time, Marino said.

"It's for anybody," Marino said. "On the first day, we got brand new kids who had never done it before. It's a sport anybody can do. You don't have to be addicted to racing to come."

Even though the BMX track is one of the smallest sanctioned raceways in the country, Marino would eventually like to see Camarillo host a national event.

"I would love it if 100 kids came out every night and for us to get national recognition," Marino said. "If you have a big following and a get a lot of kids to sign up, you'll get a national race. It usually takes at track about three to five years to get one."

Right now, Camarillo should get plenty of attention.

"We're the new track in California, so now, boom! They're going to throw races our way," Marino said.

The entire project cost about $50,000, but lights alone took up $26,000, according to Marino. Marino and Huvard were appreciative to the community for contributing, in Marino's estimation, about 80 percent of the funds necessary to open the raceway. RSC Equipment Rental in Camarillo has donated any equipment needed for the maintenance of the course every week. State Ready Mix donated concrete; Hagel Lumber helped build the tower; and Home Depot provided free rakes, shovels and brooms.

While Huvard concentrates on scheduling the AMA races, Marino works on maintaining the dirt course.

"It needs to look like a concrete track," Marino said, "only with dirt that's hard-pack and that's as smooth as it can be. That's the whole trick. … It's full-time work maintaining the dirt to get the track in good enough condition for the kids to like it. It still needs to be groomed and rocks need to picked out., watering it, pulling weeds, shaping turns, sweeping, raking, irrigating it properly. It's not-stop."

This week, Seabees, which is part of the U.S. Naval Reserve, helped build a 16x16 snack shop and office. Seabees donates construction time as a kind of practice exercise; the Seabees build 'sea huts' to armed forces personnel overseas.

With the governing body of the sport and Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District in its corner, the track hopes to be a mainstay in Camarillo.

"We want it to go on forever," Marino said. "We want it to be the No. 1 track in California."