PORT ANGELES — One of the biggest weekends of the year is coming up for the Port Angeles BMX track.
Located between the Clallam County Fairgrounds and Lincoln Park, the track will be hosting the charity event Race for Life on Saturday, and the state championships Sunday.
The big weekend attracts many riders from out of the area.
“I had 350 riders last year on my state race, and then you put [the riders’] parents in there and everything else, and it gets to be that the whole thing is packed,” Geri Thompson, owner of the Port Angeles BMX track, said.
Many of the out-of-towners bring RVs, campers or trailers and camp at the Elwha area campground, which gives a discount to participants.
“This is where we get our money to survive and exist, and buy more trophies and all that kind of stuff,” Thompson said.
There’s one state race for each of the 10 tracks in Washington.
“They used to be called qualifiers but now they are called state championship races,” Thompson said.
Racers have to do at least three of the state races to qualify for the final state event in SeaTac in September.
Riders have the choice of doing all 10 state races but the best three of those races goes toward state points.
On Saturday, riders raise money in the Race for Life event for blood-related cancers.
