A new motorsports track for mud runs and truck pulls is scheduled to open this weekend.Hickory Ridge Motorsport Park on Highway B will host its first mud run Saturday, April 27. A mud run, or mud bog, is a race in which drivers compete to travel farthest and fastest across a 200-foot pit of mud.Two more mud runs are scheduled for June 29 and Sept. 14.The dirt track, with seating for several hundred spectators, is located about 10 minutes south of Pendleton on the west side of Highway B.Mud run and truck pull events can sometimes draw up to 100 racers, but it’s hard to predict what the turnout will be for the first event at a new track, said owners George and Dana Heath.The Heaths had initially planned to have the track ready for events in 2017, but had the project put on hold by a lawsuit from a group of residents along Highway B. An appeals court eventually ruled in favor of the Heaths in 2018, but little development had been done on the track for fear of time and money going to waste.After getting the legal all-clear, the Heaths expedited dirt work, concrete barriers, electric lighting spectator seating and an announcer booth to make the track operational this year.“It all had to come together within the last 3 months, really,” commented Dana Heath. “It’s been pretty crazy.”The track takes inspiration for its name from the name of the Heath family farm on Highway B. Several Heath family members are enthusiastic mud boggers, creating a personal motivation to get a new track up and running at a time when others are going quiet.“We’ve been involved with the sport since the ’80s,” explained George, going to tracks at Marthasville and the Warren County Fairgrounds, and many further away. “The sport used to be bigger back in the ’80s. But now it’s kind of progressed to where it’s faster. It’s not such a mud bog anymore, it’s built for time.”The change toward faster runs means tracks need more ground for vehicles to slow down, a requirement some former venues can no longer meet, he said. Prompted by friends in the sport, the Heaths devoted 20 acres of their land to the track.“We’re glad we’re fortunate enough to have a property where we can bring people together to race,” said George.Many of those racers are local Warren County residents, including second-generation participants raised into the sport. The Heath’s two sons, Austin and Sam, are among a community of regular participants.Mud run enthusiasts are often willing to travel long distances, so a number of participants could be coming from out of town, they said.The three mud run events this year are being organized and run by the Gateway Mud Racers Association, based in Marthasville.Association President Nick Bakameyer said organizers are hoping to have 50 to 75 trucks running in the first event. Because it’s a new venue, Bakameyer said the spectator turnout is unpredictable, but the more the better.“I think a lot of people from (Warren County) love racing,” he commented. “There’s always a decent turnout at the county fair, and out here it might be even better.”As an 11-year racer himself, Bakameyer said he’ll be glad to have another track close to home. He has traveled to Oklahoma and Kansas to race, driving as long as 6-8 hours to participate, so he said having a new venue close to home will be awesome.Bakameyer said he hopes to see as many people as possible turn out for the event.“We’ll be glad to see anyone from the area come out. It’s well worth the watch, especially if you’ve never been to one before.”This weekend’s races begin at 2 p.m. The gates open to participants at 8 a.m. and to the general public at 11 a.m. Admission costs $10 for adults aged 13 and up, $5 for kids aged 5-12, and no charge for those younger than 4.There will be Power Wheels competitions for children prior to the start of the races. Once the races begin, they will be split into nine classes based on the type of vehicle and modifications.No coolers are allowed at the event, but food and beverages will be available for purchase.Track oppositionA group of residents along Highway B battled in court for two years to prevent the motorsport park from being constructed. They collectively sued the Warren County government when it first issued a permit for the business in 2016, and again when the county renewed the permit in 2018.The initial lawsuit traveled all the way to the Eastern District Missouri Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the permit in June 2018. Opponents then later dropped their appeal against the extension of the permit.The residents opposing the motorsport track expressed concerns about having to share the rural highway with possibly intoxicated drivers and large trucks, as well having to deal with the aggravation of noise. They appealed on the grounds that the Warren County Commission had not given appropriate consideration to the evidence for denying a permit.The appeals court sided with the county, saying commissioners have the authority to choose a side when there is evidence both for and against issuing a permit.

Pictured, from left, Hickory Ridge Motorsport Park owners Dana and George Heath, and Trish Kohr, who was heavily involved in planning for the track’s opening, gather at the new track two weeks prior to its opening event April 27.

Record photo/Adam Rollins

The newly constructed Hickory Ridge Motorsport Park is opening for its first event Saturday, April 27, featuring trucks racing on dirt and mud tracks. The venue is located on Highway B, about 10 minutes south of Pendleton.

Record photo