Story by Matthew Thomerson/TheFourthTurn.com

CHESTERFIELD, SC – As the riders and teams of SuperMotorcross (SMX) World Championship prepare for the opening round of the Playoffs at zMAX Dragway on Saturday in Concord, NC, they enter a time of year where preparation meets execution. Those two formulas will combine, and whoever does it best will be the champion at season’s end. 

That’s where ClubMX, situated in Chesterfield, SC, comes into play. The 260 acres of land in the sandhills of South Carolina is home to one of the most high-profile and well-known Motocross and Supercross training facilities in the U.S. The facility opened in 2010 and has since changed the game of dirt bike racing. 

One of the riders, Ryder Malinoski, who competes in the 250 Pro Motocross, seems to reap the benefits of preparation at Club MX by virtue of the tracks on the property.

“They helped me prepare by just building great tracks,” Malinoski said. “Tracks that are pretty identical to the races that we’re going to go to. I would say.”

The complex features 10 different dirt tracks made of many natural materials that serve the purpose of riders working on their craft and also to prepare for upcoming events. The tracks vary from being shorter in length with more jumps, to being large and flatter, with some sharing both characteristics. Some of the tracks are primarily for practice and others simulate real races.

Malinoski believes the accuracy of the tracks lends itself to a benefit in being successful on race day. 

“I think it makes a big difference on the side of, like, how accurate these tracks are when we go to races,” Malinoski said. “I mean, like, the whole Supercross track, I would say, for Club MX, like, you go to any other Supercross race or any of the Supercross races, you know, to come. The tracks are pretty identical. Like, not exactly the same layout and all, but the same triple to triple, the same three-footer to five-footer, the same bold corners, all that is pretty identical, you know, and then you kind of just have to piece it together when you get to the races because the track’s obviously different, and the dirt may be different, but the actual build of the Club MX Supercross tracks are they’re pretty top-notch, I would say, yeah.”

Club MX also prides itself in having a tight-knit bond amongst the riders, which is something Greg Chidgey, a longtime crew chief and mechanic at Club MX, believes is very clear.

“A different atmosphere here than you kind of get in other teams and environments; we’re all together all the time, we train at the same spot, we ride at the same place, we travel together, we kind of all here as a team, as a community together,” Chidgey said.

Most of the riders live on the complex, as some stay in RVs or tiny homes built over the years. The riders that stay and compete at Club MX are tasked with the reality of a long and tiresome season that sees them going all around the country. Most of the riders are young, with some having moved to the area when they were in their early teens. For that reason, Club MX tries to give the riders time to relax and enjoy themselves while on the property. 

For the riders, the training aspect is key, as it is proper etiquette to be in shape but to again have fun.

“The fitness side and having that part here is part of their job,” Chidgey said. “So the training, the fitness, all that is linked into what they’re required to do for work. So the fitness center, it has, you know, all the equipment and everything they need to be the best athlete they can (there is also a nutritionist on staff full time that provides food grown on the complex).

“Outside of that, we are a community. Everyone kind of lives here. So then we have the pond, which has a cable park and a jet ski, and then the basketball court, which now is turned into the pickleball court. So that’s the outside work stuff, the time to step away and go play. That’s kind of got everything you need here to do your job, the best of your ability and then the stuff that helps you step away and be away from that stuff. And I think that’s key for a lot of the riders, no doubt, because a lot of them are very young, and it’s hard and probably in that profession to get in the right mindset; sometimes they would get away from that mindset of just the stress and stuff from each week.” 

While the riders are a major focus due to storylines they create, Club MX also features individuals who play a major role, more behind the scenes, such as Daniel Castloo, who is a longtime member of the Club MX team as a mechanic. For Castloo, the impact from Club MX has been great in giving him the tools for success.

“I would think from a mechanic standpoint, to give you the majority of all the tools to succeed, right,” Castloo said. “So there’s, obviously from a race game side, there’s the race shop here with dyno and parts room and all the necessities to be competitive.”

For Castloo, he also has a lot of belief in the family-like aspect at Club MX.

“It’s almost—I don’t want to say force, but you almost are family, you know,” Castloo added. “Like some of these guys, I’m a single guy, right? But you know, Dakota, shocks mechanic, he’s married with, you know, two kids, three kids now actually. So you know, we spend more time, probably, than he does with his family.” 

So the question that remains is what’s next for Club MX? For one, a new gym is currently under development, as well as more small homes to be added to the area. There is also a new pickleball court that was recently added and a new campground currently in progress. With space still available on the property, there can be more opportunities to grow. 

“If it has the same trajectory as it’s had the last 10 years that I’ve been here, it’s unknown.” Chidgey said. “It grows and grows insane every year. I know they’re doing more houses, more cabins, more living.”

As far as the riders go, the goal is for more riders to enter the system within Club MX and make their way up professionally through its program. 

Malinoski sees his future remaining with the Club.

“You know, they believed in me. In the last couple of years now and continued to believe in me for the next couple of years to come. I’ve been super grateful to be here and be a part of it.”