Gravity Park USA

Gravity Park USA is a motocross and Stock car racing facility near Chilton, Wisconsin in the Town of Chilton.[1] It hosts weekly motocross races between April and October, featuring motorcycles and quads. It also has a 1/3 mile stock car dirt oval which was enhanced in the middle of 2017. The world record for the greatest length traveled on a motocross track during 24 hours was set at the track.

Gravity Park USA
LocationChilton, Wisconsin, United States
Time zoneUTC-6 (UTC-5 DST)
Coordinates44°3′30.41″N 88°10′0.27″W
OwnerBob Schneider
Opened1999
Stock Car oval
Surfacedirt
Length0.33 mi (0.54 km)
Motocross
Surfacedirt
Websitegravityparkusa.com

History

Gravity Park opened in 1999 as a kart racing facility.[2]

Motocross / snocross track
A quad racing at Gravity Park USA in 2006

Gravity Park USA opened in 2000.[3] It was named Gravity Park until it was renovated in 2005.[3] When it originally opened, it held snocross races in the North American winter.[4] Flat track races were also held on an on-site dirt oval for several years before its 2017 renovation.[5] The track hosted the 2005 Kraft Amateur Stadiumcross Championship; 250 drivers competed in the event.[6]

The track has been used for special touring events, such as Badger State Quad Championship quad races.[7] The track has also been used for SCCA RallyCross and mud bogging.[8][9]

Stock car oval
Panorama for Gravity Park Speedway

The track has oval track at the edge of the site.[10] A front-stretch wall was built in 2012.[2] Owner Bob Schneider decided to not open a stock car track since he felt there were enough ovals operating in the area at the time.[2] Race tracks in Manitowoc and Oshkosh closed and he decided to work on the oval in 2017.[2] The oval's use was grandfathered in by the town board in May 2017.[11] New lights, concrete walls, retaining fences, and grandstands were built at the oval over the middle of 2017. The oval measures 1/3 mile around the outside.[2] A stock car "Mini-Invitational" was scheduled for the track's first stock car races on October 5, 6, and 7.[12] The races rained out and were rescheduled for a one day show on the following Saturday (October 14).[13] The day was also rained out and the inaugural stock car event was cancelled.[14]

Over the winter, a Friday night weekly racing schedule of six classes was developed (modified, stock car, sport modified, grand national, street stock, and 4 cylinder).[2] The first event was scheduled for May 4, 2018 but it was rained out.[2] A non-points opening event was scheduled for the following day. Two touring series are part of the inaugural season along with an end-of-season special event weekend.[2]

World record
Prichard during his world record attempt

On September 11 to 12, 2010, motocycle racer Perry Prichard attempted to break a world record at Gravity Park. He contacted the Guinness World Records to certify the record, and the attempt was to set "the most continuous laps on a motocross bike on a motocross track by an individual in 24 hours".[15] The record attempt was a benefit for Haitians.[16] He was allowed a 5-minute break each hour to refuel, refresh, and bike repairs.[17] Guinness certified the record 426.96 km (265.3 mi) distance as the "Greatest distance on a motocross in 24 hours (individual)".[18]

When asked why he did the record attempt, he replied "when I sat down to think of what I could do to raise money for Haiti, the first thoughts through my head were NOT to sell pizzas, Girl Scout cookies or anything like that, it was about, I love to ride motorcycles and how can I turn that passion into raising money?"[15]

Amenities

The track has a sports bar and lounge, called the Killsnake Clubhouse, that is open while there is racing on the track.[19] It features a Friday night fish fry.[2]

Images
  • Motocross panorama
  • Sign
  • Segments of the motocross track

References
  1. "Gravity Park USA". Travel Wisconsin. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  2. Verdegan, Joe (May 2, 2018). "Stock car racing returns to Chilton at Gravity Park USA". Post-Crescent Media. Appleton Post Crescent. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  3. "About Gravity Park USA". Gravity Park USA. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  4. "Gravity Park Host Their First PeeWee Oval ATV Racing Event". ATV source. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  5. "Gravity Park USA". NA-Motorsports. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  6. Emme, Pete. "Maier Slices Off Kraft Pizza Amateur Stadiumcross Victories". Cycle News. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  7. "Badger State Quad Championship - Round 4 - Gravity Park USA". ATV Riders.com. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  8. "Gravity Park II". Ralley-America.com. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  9. "Race Sept. 25 Chilton WI". Racing Junk.com. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  10. "Town Board minutes". Town of Chilton. April 10, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  11. "Town of Chilton Meeting Minutes". Town of Chilton. May 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  12. "Facebook Post-Mini Invitational". Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  13. "Mini Invitational Rescheduled". Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  14. "Mother nature wins again". Gravity Park Facebook. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  15. "About Us". 24 Hours for Haiti.com. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  16. Anderson, Cheryl (August 23, 2010). "A race to help Haiti has a motocross rider raising funds while attempting to set a world record". The Post Crescent.
  17. "Changing Lives One Lap at a Time". Motocross Action magazine. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  18. "Greatest distance on a motocross in 24 hours (individual)". Guinness Book of World Records. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  19. "Gravity Park USA". Chilton, Wisconsin. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
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