Organizers of Wolfe Creek BMX are looking for new peddallers.
The motocross track, located on Creek Road on the southeastern edge of Chatham, has about 50 regular members of all ages.
Tom Maciejowski, president of Wolfe Creek BMX, said the organization has been around since 2003, catering to the off-road pedalling desires of local children, teens and adults.
Wolfe Creek will play host to upwards of 150 out-of-town riders July 20-22, as kids from across the province come to town to take part.
Racing begins the Friday afternoon and continues through the weekend.
Maciejowski said Wolfe Creek replaced a BMX track that had been around briefly in the mid-1990s, located where RM Classic Cars is now, just off Communications Road south of Highway 401.
When RM moved there, the track soon shut down.
Maciejowski said he wanted to see BMX riders have an option locally.
“My son had raced there a little bit. I tracked down the former president and learned of the situation,” he said. “I took it upon myself to find a new place.”
His first move was to approach the municipality. After chatting with Deb Veccia of Parks and Recreation, Maciejowski said she pointed out a number of locations around Chatham-Kent that the municipality owned.
He said they just weren’t a good fit, and Veccia suggested he approach the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Area.
“This site was perfect,” he said of Wolfe Creek, which is located through the Leaf & Yard depot in Chatham. “I had no clue how to run a club like that, but I managed to pull it all together.”
Armed with a 20-year lease of the site, Maciejowski said he obtained a grant from the Trillium Foundation, which paid for the erection of fencing around the location.
Thanks to the generosity of the South Buxton Speedway, Maciejowski received the proceeds of a full summer’s worth of 50/50 draws at the races.
“We raised about $9,000 and paid for the excavation work,” he said. “Then we started trying to find members.”
He said it slowly took hold, and now between May and October of each year, the site hosts a practice night and a race night once a week.
When he said members are all ages, Maciejowski meant it. The youngest is age two, while the oldest is in his 50s.
As for the youngest participants, Maciejowski said the kids from aged two to five area in a special class and use a balance bike. It doesn’t have any pedals, but operates “Fred Flintstone” style – you push along with your feet and coast down hills.
“It’s a lot better way to learn than training wheels,” Maciejowski said, as it teaches better balance.
The oldest teen member is age 17, he added, but parents also take to the course.
“One fellow out of London, who’s been racing for years, is in his mid-50s,” Maciejowski said. “He’s a really aggressive racer and travels throughout the U.S. to race too.”
But the level at which members compete is entirely up to the individual. Ditto for how often they take part.
“It’s strictly however often you can make it. It’s up to you,” Maciejowski said. “We’re competitive, but we don’t stress the competitive part. It’s more participation. Get out and do the best you can and work on improving. You don’t have to beat everybody else; just beat yourself.”
The sport is all about inclusion. Wolfe Creek’s brochure states, “No one sits on the bench in BMX.”
Maciejowski said BMX is a great family sport.
“It really brings family together. They’ll come out while the kids are there and interact and support each other,” Maciejowski said. “A lot of the kids will want to visit other tracks. It becomes a family outing.”
Maciejowski said Wolfe Creek is part of the Ontario Cycling Association and is affiliated with other tracks across the province.
Membership fees at Wolfe Creek are $200 for the entire season for the first member of a family. There are discounts that apply for multiple family members, Maciejowski said.
He added the Wolfe Creek group is at work making changes to the track, reshaping some of the jumps. He added they are looking for additional support from local construction companies to “help us make some significant changes.”
Anyone interested in helping out, or becoming a member, can contact Maciejowski at 519-350-1953, or at wolfecreekbmx@gmail.com.
