Introduction:

I think this is now (officially) a Thursday night newsletter. But hey Holbrook, can you feel that? Do you feel it in the air? It’s almost fair season. Nice.

In this newsletter you’ll find:

1. An updated list of upcoming events.

2. An interview with Rutz MX, a new dirt bike track business that will be built South of Holbrook.

Upcoming Events in Holbrook, AZ:

Don’t see your event listed? If it’s non-profit and for the whole community, we’ll probably list it for free*. Email us at [email protected]. *_{We do reserve the right to not list any event if we feel it does not belong in this section.}

A Q&A with the owners of Rutz MX

Reader, if you were ever to see me or meet me in person you would know right away that I know nothing about dirt bikes haha. There is not a dirt bike vibe to be found. So when we have a new business coming here to Holbrook, AZ that is all about riding dirt bikes…Well, I wanted to learn more! I am very ignorant to the sport and how businesses like that even operate. So I spoke with the owners of Rutz MX, Daniel and Hailee Hutchens, (in the Wayside Soda Shop by the way, shout out to them) and maybe, just maybe, got some answers to questions you might have had too. 

Full disclosure: this breaks down about a 35 minute conversation into the 4 questions below. A LOT of summarizing has happened in what was written below. I’m also going to add that it was great to sit and and chat with this young family from Joseph City, they are genuinely creating something great.  If you have any questions, I recommend reaching out directly to them through Facebook here or by emailing them at [email protected]. 

 Q: I’m excited that your dirt bike track is coming to Holbrook - congratulations! I don’t know much about dirt bike tracks - how does this all work? Are tracks open every day? How does pricing work? Is it just for dirt bikes? 

A: Well, we’re modeling our track off of others we’ve visited ourselves. Typically on a track like we’re building, being open on weekends is the best model. We’re still debating on exact days and hours, but we want to make sure we’re open when there is the highest demand to ride. Tracks like ours usually have a flat rate per day. $35/day is just about the standard rate everywhere, but we also want to give our frequent visitors a break too. We’re planning on launching a discounted club membership program that would have a discounted rate. We’ll also have a PeeWee/Beginner Turn Track that will be cheaper as well. 

And yes, we want to focus on just dirt bikes for right now. Currently our plans would allow us to integrate a side-by-side or 4-wheelers on the track, but but we feel it would be best to integrate those farther in the future if needed. We’re also looking into a pump track to build around the property but that’s pretty far into the future too.

Q:  At a City Council meeting you mentioned that this is more than a track, that this can be a larger economic opportunity for Holbrook as a whole. Could you expound on that? 

Sure, with dirt bikes, especially with events, it’s a lot more than individual riders. Riders usually travel together as families - families that are wanting to travel together, visit the track together, and eventually stay the weekend together. We see this boosting the restaurant businesses in Holbrook, the hotels, RV Parks, gas stations, the grocery store, these families need to shop somewhere and one of the reasons why we picked Holbrook is that all these businesses and amenities are nearby. We’re even open to the idea of partnering with other local businesses and sending our visitors their way for a discount or some kind of rewards program. 

Q:  So how did this all happen? Why Holbrook? 

I actually just started riding dirt bikes a few years ago and quickly fell in love with the sport. Our family started to travel and go to tracks and we were surprised at the demand for official tracks in Arizona. We were visiting a track in the valley and started connecting with other riders and found that many were from Show Low, Flagstaff and from all over Northern Arizona. We like to solve problems through business and we saw that there was a demand for a track in our area that could help a lot of families in Northern Arizona. 

Holbrook has been fantastic. Everyone we’ve been in contact with; the city, the community support, it has all been amazing. We explored other areas first, Winslow, Joseph City, Woodruff, but Chris from RealAZ prompted us to check out Holbrook and when we did that, everything fell into place. The location is also great, it’s not often a track can be so close to other businesses like what we have in Holbrook. We’re just excited to be able to contribute to this welcoming community. 

Q:  Last thoughts - what are some things that would be helpful for people in Holbrook to know? 

We’re also excited that we get to a provide an opportunity for riders to practice and improve their riding abilities. If you want to practice riding a dirt bike in our area currently,   right now we’re just limited to trails. When riders are able to experience a track, they are able to work on other skills and be a better developed rider. I like to say that the better you get, the more safe you become. Yes, there are trails in Flagstaff and Gallup, but it’s going to be a different experience for those looking to be on a track.

[End of Interview}

The Hutchens mentioned that they are looking to start construction next week and, if all goes smoothly, hope to have a grand opening in October. The track will be located near the 377 turnoff and the county complex area. To stay connected, follow them on Facebook here. How exciting to see new and unique businesses come to Holbrook!

[END]

Thank you for reading! Have any feedback for me? I try and listen! Just reply to this email or you can always reach us at [email protected].