The Deseret Peak Complex’s Motocross Track has sprung to life this year after slumbering for a season.
The Tooele County Commission approved a three-year deal with Steadman’s Recreation of Tooele for naming rights for the motocross track at Deseret Peak during their meeting Tuesday night.
Steadman’s will pay $10,000 a year for the next three years to the county to put a “Steadman’s Motocross Track” sign over the track. Steadman’s will also recruit and train volunteers to help operate and maintain the track.
“We are able to open the track through the generosity of Steadman’s and their commitment to improve the sport of motocross riding in Tooele County as well as the volunteers that Dave Steadman has been able to pull together and train,” said Isaac Astill, Tooele County facilities management director.
When financial trouble hit the county in 2013, the county commissioners pulled support for the motocross track from the budget.
An agreement with Throttle 215 MX Park in Salt Lake City kept Deseret Peak’s track open in 2013. Under the contract with the county, MX 215 shared a portion of its revenue with the county, according to Astill.
In 2014 the motocross track at Deseret Peak was still under lease to MX 215, but they didn’t open the track.
“People weren’t able to use the track and the county missed out on the opportunity for revenue from the track,” Astill said.
Dave Steadman, an owner of Steadman’s, said he didn’t want to see the track idle for another year.
“It just needed to be open,” he said.
Steadman said he went to the county commission in 1999 and asked them to build the track.
“It seemed right that we step forward and help keep the track open,” Steadman said.
The track will be open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The operation time will vary depending on the time of year.
Currently the track is open from 2 p.m. until dusk on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, Astill said.
The track has already been open for seven days and has been profitable.
“It costs $330 a day to open the track and we have brought in $9,100 in revenue so far,” Astill said.
The motocross track has proved to be a successful tourist attraction with 70 percent of the users so far coming from outside the county, according to Astill.
Under the agreement with Steadman’s, the county is responsible for covering the costs of maintaining and operating the facility, including insurance and permits.
Steadman’s obligation is to provide volunteers to assist in keeping the track in good working shape.
The county has hired three part-time employees to help with maintenance and they will collect fees for using the track, Astill said.
Money from the name sponsorship not used for maintaining the track will become prize money for two or three large race events that will be scheduled at the track, according to Astill.
“On behalf of the commission, I would like to thank Dave for coming forward and helping get the track open,” said Tooele County Commissioner Myron Bateman. “It has been very successful already in the short time it has been open.”
The pool at Deseret Peak Complex reopened in 2014 after a year of being shutdown for financial reasons under the name “EnergySolutions Aquatics Center.”
EnergySolutions agreed to pay the county $35,000 a year for the next three years for naming rights to the pool.
US Magnesium, Rio Tinto, Utah Fabrication, Allegheny Technologies, the Tooele County Recreation Service District and Beehive Broadband also contributed to the pool opening in 2014.
“We’re looking for additional sponsors that want to buy naming rights for other facilities,” Astill said.
Steadman’s, located at 916 N. Main Street in Tooele, is a local family-owned business that sells a variety motorcycles and outdoor recreational vehicles and accessories. They also carry generators, snow blowers and lawnmowers.