Family rides dream to the finish line

JOHNSTOWN — For 15 years, the Leahy family searched for land where they could make their dreams come true. They found it east of Johnstown, where they turned an old farm into an off-road motorcycle and bicycling facility.

Ann Leahy and her two sons, Pat and David, opened Leahy Family Farms this January. They also started a second business, Two Rivers Racing, to promote the track.

The 91-acre facility sports a 1.7-mile motorcross track, a BMX track, a practice motorcross track for beginners, a mountain-biking area and 40 acres of wheat.

Leahy said she helped start the business because her sons had wanted to do it for so long. “If you have a dream and a chance to do it, life’s too short not to,” Ann said. “We all love it out here.”

Prior to opening the track, Ann’s only experience with motorcross was going to races with her sons. Pat and David have been riding motorcycles all their lives, she said.

“It’s always been a dream, and we’re lucky to be able to do it,” Pat said.

They bought the property in 1995 and spent the last three years cleaning up the land and building the track. In order to secure insurance, the entire property had to be fenced and gated, and everyone who enters the property must sign a release.

Insurance is a major cost for the Leahys, who are required to have one type of insurance for practice and another for competition. Each time they host a race, they must have insurance for that specific race.

“It’s been a lot more work than we imagined,” Pat said. “It’s starting to be gratifying, and this next year should be really good.”

Location of the land was a key factor in their search, because they didn’t want to be close to anybody and bother neighbors with noise, Ann said. Their land is designated industrial/commercial, and so far, the noise hasn’t caused any problems.

The track was designed by the Leahy boys and some friends, with one purpose in mind — to train for races. The course has three sets of whoops, which are short bumps, and corners that require the rider to shift gears.

“It’s more of a skill-building track,” Ann said.

To create dirt for motorcross racing, the Leahy’s use a lot of sawdust and lawn clippings. They keep the dirt soft by watering, prepping and disking the track. If you don’t take care of the dirt, it becomes like concrete, Leahy said. Hard-packed dirt not only wears out tires but also can be dangerous.

To promote their track, the Leahy’s joined the Rocky Mountain Motorcross Association — a club sanctioned by the American Motorcyclists Association — and hosted five RMXA-sanctioned motorcross races. The largest race had 435 participants.

Ann hopes to have more RMXA races next year. The motorcross racing season runs February through October, and their next RMXA race is scheduled for Feb. 28, 1999.

Races at Leahy Farms are divided up into classes according to age, ability and motorcycle size. The cost to enter is $20, but riders can enter more than one class.

Leahy also works with the Women’s Motorcross League and helps women get grants to race. She was instrumental in the first fund-raising effort for women in motorcross, an endeavor that netted $1,700.

In April, the Leahy’s will host a four-day training camp for the Women’s Motorcross League. At the end of the camp is the Ladies International Cup. Women from Italy, France, Japan, Canada and across the United States come to race motorcycles. The event will be the first time that the women’s race is not held in conjunction with the men’s in the United States.

The Women’s Cup started only five years ago. Historically, women didn’t participate in motorcross, and before last year, women weren’t given awards, Ann said. She estimates that between 30 and 35 women ride motorcross in Colorado.

The Leahy track gives 100 percent pro payback; the top 30 percent of riders in certain categories split all the money from entries in that class. Award money ranges from $1,200 to $1,500, and typically, about 30 riders win cash.

Riders at the track range in age from 3 to 55, but regardless of age, riders must have at least boots and a helmet. A regular visitor is a 4-year-old who has training wheels on his motorcycle.

Leahy allows kids from Johnstown and Milliken to use the facility for free.

“I’m real serious about watching the kids,” Leahy said. “I make sure they wear helmets and bring water.”

Bicycling is catching on at the farm, but motorcyclists hold the majority position, Ann said. In a database of about 1,400 names, she estimates that only 200 are bicyclists. Cycling teams from Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado have come to the track to practice.

On Oct. 25, a cyclocross race with 162 bicyclists was held at the facility. Cyclocross combines road and mountain biking.

“I think it’s a great location with a lot of possibilities,´ said Rogene Killen, who manages professional cyclists, runs a cycling club called Colorado Express and is the Rocky Mountain Conference Collegiate director.

“The sports complex is a really good addition to the cycling community,” she said. “We’re looking at having a mountain-biking series out there this spring.”

Colorado has about 10 motorcross tracks. Valley Dirt Riders in Berthoud is located closest to the Leahy’s.

The Leahy’s knew they had to be within an hour’s drive of Denver, but they’re surprised by the number of local riders they’ve drawn.

“There’s a huge rider base in Fort Collins, Loveland and Longmont, and now we’re pulling riders out of Boulder,” Ann said.

Dan Phee drives from Boulder to use the track because “Ann runs the best track along the Front Range,” he said.

Leahy Family Farms is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to dusk and the first Sunday of each month. From April 1 to Sept. 1, the facility is open Wednesday through Sunday 12 p.m. to dusk. The Leahy’s are working on extending these hours but must contend with county regulations. The cost to ride a motorcycle at the track is $6. To ride a bicycle, it’s $3.

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