The brisk chill in Sunday morning's air didn't deter more than 500 off-road racers from participating in the Eagles Nest GP Motocross held on the Wentz property in Upper Hanover Township.  With more than 1,000 people in attendance, the hills and valley of the 2-1/2 mile off-road course came alive with the buzzing of the knobby-tired motorbikes.

Motorcross riders race from the starting line in one of 12 events on Sunday at  Wentz's Training Facility in Upper Hanover Township.  Temple Off-Road Racing sponsored the Eagles Nest GP in which 500 plus riders took part.

            Participants and spectators came from as far away as Maine and Texas.

            The exciting event dubbed the Eagles Nest GP was preceded on Saturday afternoon with a few races that featured Pee Wee, Tykes on Bikes, and Pit Bike race classes for the younger riders.

            The entries feature all classes and models of bikes and riders from age two on up.  The younger riders were 

Landon Wentz negotiates his bike through a rocky portion of the course.

featured on Saturday afternoon's schedule with the races for the more seasoned, and amateur, riders hitting the track from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Sunday.

            Professional, Veteran, Master, and Senior were among the many classes of riders taking to the jumps, curves, and straightaways of the challenging course that created a thrilling day for race watchers.  Local vendors set up between the parking area and the off-road competition made for an easy stop to grab a souvenir or something to eat or drink.

            Watching 20 or so bikes start up and shoot off the starting line at the drop of the green flag became interesting early on with the first turn just about 40 feet away and only room for a few bikes at a time to make the turn.  But, incidents were few and skill was plenty as the riders carefully made their entry to and exit from the early challenge.  It was all off-road racing from there.

            A local Pennsburg boy who has been competitively racing dirt bikes as his

Professional riders maneuver their way through a portion of the stream on the course for the Eagles Nest GP in Upper Hanover Township.

sport for the last three years. Landon Wentz, age 15, has put his heart and soul into doing something he has grown to love, traveling from New York to Florida for different types of dirt bike races including hare-scrambles and, most recently, a new racing format called GP Racing.  Landon has won the AMA East and the D6 Super Mini Championship in the last three years.

            The Wentz family loaned their beautiful 63-acre property to Temple Off-Road Racing (TOR) for the Veterans Day weekend. The race consisted of two 30-minute races on the course. Races were held for riders ranging in ages from two years old to 70 plus. This ensured every rider was able to be in on the action. Over 40 volunteers were on site to prepare the facility for the event.

            Tegan Temple, the owner of TOR, has been racing dirt bikes since he was three years old. He has traveled the country racing multiple racing series including GNCC, JDAY off road, along with local events, such as ECEA, any NEOC and other motocross events. He has secured multiple youth and amateur championships along with pro championships.

The JDAY Offroad series out of the New England region offers a format that combines, motocross, woods racing, and Enduro cross. These events have always been a favorite format of racing for Tegan. Unfortunately, this format was not offered locally, which sparked his desire to start this series.

            A Cornhole Tournament fundraiser was held as part of the event to support a

McKenzi, 10 years old, and Rylie Miller, 5, old from Lancaster, cheer on their dad during Sun- day's race.

racer's father, Tom Smith, who is battling brain cancer.

            The event provided generous revenue to many local vendors, including restaurants, retail and hotels.

            Business and vendors playing a part in the event included: Sands Ford, JK Industrial Fabrication, T&K Excavating, Tbolt USA, Crossroad Powersports, Mile Hill Cycle, Phase Moto, DELB Lifestyle Apparel, Stacyc, port-a-pottys provided by Robbins Septic, and trash removal by Risbon Trucking.  An emergency medical services unit from the Upper Perkiomen Valley Ambulance Association was onsite to help ensure the safety of the riders.

            The Wentz family offered special thanks to their neighbor, the family-owned WOW Wagon, who provided wonderful food and service for the event.

            The overall winners of the weekend events were, Peewee: Preston Siniavasky, Millville, NJ; Youth: Ryder Sigety, Kinnelon, NJ; C class:  Evan Moyer, Perkasie; B class:  Landon Wentz, Pennsburg; A class: Zachery Kropp, Oley; Vet:  Jerod Stoner, Lewisberry, PA; Womens Pro: Cara Langenbach, Newtown, NJ; and PRO: Craig DeLong, Morgantown, PA who is the 2023 Grand National Cross Country Champion (GNCC).

On Saturday afternoon a few races were held.  One featured a Tykes on Bikes race for children to participate in.