Friday
Nov292013
Muddy Creek's Tennessee National to Air Live on NBC June 28
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TriCitiesSports.com
November 27, 2013
BLOUNTVILLE -- After a tremendously successful Built Ford Tough Tennessee Motocross National at Muddy Creek Raceway this past June, the prestigious Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship recently announced it would be returning to the legendary track.
The 2nd Annual Tennessee National is set to take place June 28, 2014 at Muddy Creek and will be Round 5 of the 12-round Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, which is sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The event will be broadcast live on NBC.
The inaugural Tennessee National marked the first time in 15 years that the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship had held an event in the Southeast region of the United States and Muddy Creek, riddled with deep ruts and right turns, didn’t disappoint. Nearly 25,000 fans jammed into the facility to watch some of the world’s finest professional riders attack one of the country’s most challenging tracks.
Sam Gammon, the four-time national promoter of the year who owns Victory Sports, which runs Muddy Creek, feels the popularity of this year’s race laid the groundwork for the 2014 event.
“Honestly, for a first-year event, you couldn’t have asked for much more,” he said. “We knew it was going to be pretty big but I have to admit, we really had no idea just how successful it would be. We weren’t sure what kind of crowd we would have but that weekend the fans started coming and they kept coming.
“It was extremely gratifying for us to have that kind of turnout and I feel like they got their money’s worth because there was some really great racing from some of the sport’s biggest names. With any event, you expect it to grow every year and we’re certainly planning on that happening.”
With NBC broadcasting the event live, Gammon knows the spotlight will shine brightly on Muddy Creek, which was profiled in Sports Illustrated a few years ago.
“We’re really excited about that,” he said. “And it’s NBC, not just NBC Sports. Obviously, we’ve had events broadcast here before – this year’s Tennessee National aired on SPEED but when you’re able to make it on one of the big national networks, that’s pretty impressive.
“I would like to think that this year’s event and its success – and the fact that the riders really enjoyed racing here -- had a lot to do with that. And we’re going to be ready for it. We’re making plans to add more concessions, more parking, just really doing whatever we can to give the fans another big show and the riders a great track to race on.”
Gammon’s main goal, as always, is to take care of the fans and the competitors, not just at the Tennessee National but all events held at Muddy Creek. He says to make that happen you have to have a lot of support from the community.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind that no other Pro MX National got the kind of help and local support that we had at Muddy Creek,” he said. “From the media to the chambers to a number of other companies in the area and a lot of individuals, it was all about making that race a success. It takes a community to make this kind of event happen and I can’t say enough about all the backing we have.”
Muddy Creek is again the lone stop in the South on the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship schedule. The season opens in California in May and includes events in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Indiana before ending the season in Utah in August.
Tickets for the Tennessee National are on sale now and can be purchased online at http://www.victory-sports.com/site/upcoming-races/11/tennessee-national/.
November 27, 2013
BLOUNTVILLE -- After a tremendously successful Built Ford Tough Tennessee Motocross National at Muddy Creek Raceway this past June, the prestigious Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship recently announced it would be returning to the legendary track.
The 2nd Annual Tennessee National is set to take place June 28, 2014 at Muddy Creek and will be Round 5 of the 12-round Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, which is sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The event will be broadcast live on NBC.
The inaugural Tennessee National marked the first time in 15 years that the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship had held an event in the Southeast region of the United States and Muddy Creek, riddled with deep ruts and right turns, didn’t disappoint. Nearly 25,000 fans jammed into the facility to watch some of the world’s finest professional riders attack one of the country’s most challenging tracks.
Sam Gammon, the four-time national promoter of the year who owns Victory Sports, which runs Muddy Creek, feels the popularity of this year’s race laid the groundwork for the 2014 event.
“Honestly, for a first-year event, you couldn’t have asked for much more,” he said. “We knew it was going to be pretty big but I have to admit, we really had no idea just how successful it would be. We weren’t sure what kind of crowd we would have but that weekend the fans started coming and they kept coming.
“It was extremely gratifying for us to have that kind of turnout and I feel like they got their money’s worth because there was some really great racing from some of the sport’s biggest names. With any event, you expect it to grow every year and we’re certainly planning on that happening.”
With NBC broadcasting the event live, Gammon knows the spotlight will shine brightly on Muddy Creek, which was profiled in Sports Illustrated a few years ago.
“We’re really excited about that,” he said. “And it’s NBC, not just NBC Sports. Obviously, we’ve had events broadcast here before – this year’s Tennessee National aired on SPEED but when you’re able to make it on one of the big national networks, that’s pretty impressive.
“I would like to think that this year’s event and its success – and the fact that the riders really enjoyed racing here -- had a lot to do with that. And we’re going to be ready for it. We’re making plans to add more concessions, more parking, just really doing whatever we can to give the fans another big show and the riders a great track to race on.”
Gammon’s main goal, as always, is to take care of the fans and the competitors, not just at the Tennessee National but all events held at Muddy Creek. He says to make that happen you have to have a lot of support from the community.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind that no other Pro MX National got the kind of help and local support that we had at Muddy Creek,” he said. “From the media to the chambers to a number of other companies in the area and a lot of individuals, it was all about making that race a success. It takes a community to make this kind of event happen and I can’t say enough about all the backing we have.”
Muddy Creek is again the lone stop in the South on the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship schedule. The season opens in California in May and includes events in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Indiana before ending the season in Utah in August.
Tickets for the Tennessee National are on sale now and can be purchased online at http://www.victory-sports.com/site/upcoming-races/11/tennessee-national/.
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