Freestone County Raceway

Freestone County Raceway is big-time Texas motocross, and they will tell you so themselves. "This is Texas Motocross" is the tagline, and it fits. Set on the historic 1,150-acre Miller Ranch in Wortham, halfway between Dallas and Houston, Freestone hosts some of the largest, richest amateur racing series in the country. It is really two tracks on one ranch. The amateur track (FCR), built in 2000, runs one of the best high-end lighting systems anywhere, which makes it a premier night-racing venue.

The national track (Freestone Raceway), built in 2007 purely for pro events, is a fast, purpose-built pro layout. And the dirt is a Texas anomaly: instead of the hard-pack clay you find across most of the state, Freestone is deep, loose loam and sand with zero rocks. It ruts up deep and pounds out brutal braking bumps that wreck riders who are not in shape. The pro pedigree is real. Freestone hosted the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship from 2007 to 2012, and the very first pro race on the national track, on September 2, 2007, went to Grant Langston in the 450 class and Ryan Villopoto in the 250s.

These days it is an event-driven place, open practice is rare and usually tied to a race weekend, but the calendar is loaded: the prestigious JS7 James Stewart Spring Championship in March, the FMF Texas Winter Series, the AHRMA Vintage National, and the Texas State Motocross Championship in the fall. Come for a major and stay the weekend: primitive camping is open during big events with water, permanent restrooms, and hot showers (no hookups), concession stands run full bore on race weekends, and pit vehicles like golf carts and pit bikes need an official event pit pass to roll on the ranch.