Dade City MX

If you have been around Florida moto for more than five minutes, you already know that Dade City is the place to be when the weekend hits. It is tucked right into the Pasco County Fairgrounds, and they have been running championship night racing here for 47 years. That is a crazy amount of time for any track to stay relevant, but they have done it by keeping the atmosphere exactly what a local race should feel like. It is loud and the lights are bright, so the energy in the air when the sun goes down is something you just do not get at a Wednesday practice session.

The layout itself is definitely on the tighter side, which I personally love for actual racing. The dirt is that classic Florida sand mix that gets really technical as the night wears on. You are going to see some deep ruts developing in the bowl turns, and you have to be smart about how you carry your speed through the rhythm sections. It is not a wide open track where you can just hammer the throttle and hope for the best. You need to have your timing down perfectly, or you are going to lose time to the guys who know how to flow through those tight transitions.

Training here with someone like Kyle Swanson would be all about the intensity and the mental game of racing under pressure. Kyle would definitely focus on our starts and how we manage the first two laps. Since the track is more compact, your positioning off the gate is everything. We would be working on short, high-intensity sprints to mimic the race pace and focusing on being precise with our line choices. You have to be able to make quick decisions when there is a bike right on your rear wheel and very little room to breathe.

Anyone from a beginner on a 50 to the fastest guys in the state should make the trip out at least once a season. It is a true institution in our sport. Before you load up, double check your bike and make sure your cooling system is solid because even at night, Florida is no joke. Bring some clear or light tinted lenses for your goggles since the lights are good, but they are still different than daylight. This place has survived nearly half a century for a reason, and you can feel that history as soon as you pull through the gate.