The Pembroke based Johnson family was set to hold another MX National at The Wick in Southwick, (MA) on Saturday July 8. Promoter Rick Johnson had this to say about the event. “Our ticket sales were up by 27 percent over last year! Last year at this time we were up 21 percent!”
“We are proud to say that the top MX riders from the US, the world, including 13 other countries and all 50 US States, were among the participants for this event. We always had the outdoor and indoor events. Now combined are the top 20 finishers qualify for the World Super MX Champion in a three-race series for a $10 million purse. Our event is tied together with the new World SuperX event.”
“Some of our improvements over last year include a Back Drop Starting Gate built by Connecticut’s Dick Roy who built the first one at the original Southwick 338 track. We also added a new VIP overlook at the starting gate. Getting ready for this annual event required Rick and Gini Johnson to spend many weekends at their track.
Also involved in The Wick is their son Keith Johnson of Carver who is a former MX veteran who helped revive the venue when the previous management left MX338. Because they had a disagreement with the owners, a veteran’s group. Keith told me, “It took a lot of years to get the venue back into shape and to convince the sanctioning body we were serious.” NBC Sports aired the event live on Saturday, July 8.
The Endicott Estate on East St. in Dedham offered its 50th Annual Car Show under the organizing of the Bay State Car Club today, Sunday July 9. Last year they drew 300 entries. It starts at 7 am and ends at 2 pm.
Elsewhere in southeastern MA area the MA Cruisers offer Cruise Nights at Patriot Place in Foxborough on Thursday’s July 13 and July 27. Then Thursdays August 10 and August 17, September 7 and 21 followed by October 5 and 19 all starting at 4 pm and ending at dusk. All are said to be the biggest Cruise events in North America, drawing some 2,400 vehicles when the weather cooperates .
Other Cruise events locally go every Tuesday in Canton’s Cobb’s Corner starting at 5 pm through the end of October. On Wednesday nights you will find a Classic Car Cruise at the Lafayette Club on Bay St. in Taunton with Motorcycles going on Wednesday and Sundays at 4 pm. Alternating with the MA Cruisers, the Brockton Wheels of Time offer Thursdays at the Brewster Ambulance Headquarters on Rt.28 in Campello section of Brockton also at 4 pm.
Every Friday evening the Scituate Connecting Rods holds court at Walmart’s on RT. 106 in Halifax starting at 4 pm. Also, on Fridays the Pietro clan from Freetown offer a Cruise at the Episcopal Church at the foot of Big Blue Hill in Canton complete with a one-man band to entertain the guests. Sunday’s the South Coast Restaurant in Plymouth hosts a Cruise that starts at 7 am to 10 am under the direction of Rebels and Rods Club of Carver.