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Date: 6/1/2021
SOUTHWICK – The Select Board approved the schedule to allow The Wick 338 motocross track to host the Nationals event on July 10, rather than June 26 as it had originally been scheduled.
The amendment will allow the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship Nationals to take place when a few months ago The Wick owner Rick Johnson thought it would be cancelled. Southwick Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said that he had spoken to Johnson, who he said was “half scared, half excited” about the event being able to take place.
Johnson did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The new schedule and ticket information was posted on the website for The Wick 338. According to the site, the event was able to reschedule after the recently announced relaxing of Massachusetts COVID-19 restrictions on May 29.
“The annual visit to New England was originally scheduled for June 26 but will now commence on July 10 as the fifth round of the 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing,” states the website.
Tickets that were purchased for the 2020 National will be honored for the 2021 event. The 2020 National was outright cancelled in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson had told the Board of Health as recently as April 15 that he did not expect any major events to take place at The Wick 338 in 2021. At the time, it was unclear when the remaining COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted, and Johnson did not think he would even have time to plan for such events.
“Normally the prep for this event takes place last October,” said Johnson April 15, “I could not go much more than 10 days from now and still be prepared to do the National properly.”
The Select Board did not address the other major events that take place later in the year at The Wick 338, such as J-Day and the Rugged Maniac obstacle course. It is unclear if or when those will be able to take place.