New England motocross track review: Southwick MX338

November 13th, 2008 • Comments Review
Tags: motocross, MX338, NESC, Review, Southwick, Track Review

Note: This is the first in a series of posts where I will be reviewing the motocross tracks of New England from my perspective. Remember, I am not an expert racer, but a newly promoted Amateur. These posts are my opinion, just because I like/dislike certain characteristics of a track does not mean riders of other abilities/preferences will like/dislike them.

MX338 in Southwick, Mass is by far the most celebrated track in New England. With its long history of AMA Nationals and its ominous deep sand layout, Southwick is a track all motocross riders should ride. The berms are deep, the braking bumps choppy, and the holes big. Southwick is one of my favorite tracks on the NESC circuit, its fun layout combined with great dirt and good lines make it a blast to ride and race on.

Dirt

By far, Southwick's most famous feature is its deep, cocoa brown sand. The almost beach like terra firma is known throughout the country as some of the best motocross sand around. Fortunately, the dirt at the 'wick does not disappoint, and fully lives up to it's reputation. In the morning the smoothed sand is a highway for riders of all abilities, but as the day progresses, the sand begins to break down. Great lines form throughout the track and huge breaking and acceleration bumps form which separate riders in almost every class. If you like sand, you'll love Southwick. The sand seems bottomless in places, and it definitely takes a certain type of riding style to master. Unfortunately, some of the newer sections of the track seem to have a harder base underneath them which aids in the formation of square edge bumps. These are not traditional for the track at all, and truthfully, I am not at all a fan of them. Overall, however, the dirt at MX338 is excellent. It is some of the most pure motocross sand in New England and the lines it forms make for great racing at the end of the day.

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