COSTA MESA, Calif. – MotoAmerica will travel to the Pacific Northwest for the first time next year to compete at Ridge Motorsports Park near Seattle, Wash., on June 26-28.
The rest of the provisional 2020 MotoAmerica schedule in the near future.
Ridge Motorsports Park was designed by Steve Crawford, the man who also designed Thunderhill Raceway Park in Northern California. It’s nestled in a picturesque portion of Washington State with views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens. The circuit blends with its surroundings and features 16 turns with more than 300 feet of elevation, including a 50-foot plunge down the Ridge Complex. The track opened in 2011 but has recently undergone upgrades to allow it to host large spectator events, such as MotoAmerica.
The track is centrally located in Shelton, Wash., roughly 90 miles from Seattle, 140 miles from Portland, Ore., and 60 miles from Tacoma, Wash., in Mason County. Having a round at The Ridge will also please MotoAmerica’s Canadian fans as it is just a four-hour drive down the I-5 from Vancouver, British Columbia.
“We’re excited to be taking the MotoAmerica Series to the Pacific Northwest next year,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “We know we have a lot of fans up there who haven’t had the chance to see Superbike racing up close in a long, long time. This is going to be a great event and Tracie Schmitt and the staff at the Ridge Motorsports Park have welcomed us with open arms and are as excited as we are that we are going to be racing at their track. We know our riders, teams and fans will enjoy the circuit and the surrounding area. Riders always like the challenge of a new circuit and the layout looks to have very fast and technical sections that will be exciting for them to race on. It’s a beautiful place and it promises to have great racing. We can’t wait to get there in June.”
“This is a big moment not only for Ridge Motorsports Park, but for the Shelton, Washington, community,” said Tracie Schmitt, the general manager of Ridge Motorsports Park. “MotoAmerica will be the first nationally televised event for this young facility and the first nationally televised road course event that’s been held in Washington state in decades. We are proud of the relationship we’ve built with the MotoAmerica team. To finally make the announcement of the MotoAmerica Komatsu Superbike Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park is an exciting moment for everyone involved.”
Ridge Motorsports Park has been undergoing constant improvement and a grand opening of its 9,800-square-foot Performance Center is scheduled for September. Additionally, a spectator bridge will be constructed, among other on-going projects prior to MotoAmerica’s event in June of next year.
“Expansion projects to support the growth of the facility and the MotoAmerica Komatsu Superbike Championship at Ridge Motorsports Park have been strategically scheduled to ensure a successful completion before the June 26-28 event,” Schmitt said. “Pit entrance will be extended to provide additional track surface supporting the transition from turn 15 to 16; design has been completed to add another creative element to the already nationally recognized 2.47-mile road course; 100,000 square feet of paddock space will be added to tie in the current paddock to the pedestrian bridge; and a newly designed facility entrance is planned and the final highlight will include the new grandstands being installed to create the extreme fan experience from each viewpoint on the property. The recent teaser announcement of Ridge Motorsports Park being added to the already successful MotoAmerica schedule, has had an overwhelming response from the fans. This is going to be a great event.”