Location: Sunday Creek Raceway at Millfield, Ohio
Mullins showing winning MX form on the Sunday Creek MX track.
The John Penton is one of the longest-running GNCCs around, and it's held at Sunday Creek Raceway, a popular motocross track in Southern Ohio. The event is named after one of the pioneers of off-road motorcycle racing in America, as John Penton is the man who originally imported the KTM motorcycle from Austria into the United States. In fact, they even called them ‘Pentons’ back then, since John created so many improvements for the machines.
You must plan for the weather at this event. It's an awesome place to race, but it's often either bone-dry and dusty or covered in sticky Ohio mud. And sometimes it's both! That slick Ohio clay will provide little traction if it’s wet, and it will stick all over your gear and your machine. You’ve got to be tough to survive this one if it rains.
If the weather holds, the track is great, with a nice mix of fast trails with some fresh, tight stuff thrown in. There’s nothing too difficult here as far as hills or mud bogs, even when it’s muddy.
The Sunday Creek motocross track is a fun one too, with a few simple jumps, one nice step-up and plenty of wide open corners for flat tracking (and passing).
If it does rain again, make sure you have extra goggles and gloves ready because they will get thrashed.
2008 Winners: Bike: Paul Whibley ATV: Bill Ballance
Special Info:
AMA District 11 points event Hare Scramble Series
Directions: From Athens: Take Rt. 33 W. 1 mile to 13N (Chauncey Exit) Go 3 miles into Chauncey. Turn right—staying on Route 13 North. Continue for 10 miles to Jacksonville. Go right on Sixth St. for 2 miles, then turn left.
Sunday Creek Raceway
17270 South Wemer Road
Millfield, OH 45761
Where to Stay:
Our Host Hotel:
Burr Oak State Park 800-282-7275 use code "GNCC"
Special room rate: just $79!
Just 13 miles from Sunday Creek Raceway. Lodge, cabins and camping.
Holiday Inn Exp (host) 740-592-4640 Rt 50 to E. State St
Hampton Inn 740-593-5600 Rt 50 to E. State St
Budget Inn Exp * 740-593-5565 Rt 50 to E. State St
*Special Rate: $55 a night for racers mentioning the GNCC
Super 8 740-594-4900 Rt 50 to E. State St
Ameri Host 740-594-3000 Rt 50 to E. State St to Home St
Budget Host 740-594-2294 Rt 50 W *$75/single and $95/double
Ohio University Inn 740-593-6661 Rt 682, Richland Ave.
Hospitals:
O’Bleness Memorial Hospital
550 Hospital Dr, Athens OH
740-593-5551
Directions:
From the main gate, turn right onto South Wemer Rd. for (0.1 mi) to end of road.
Turn left onto Concord Church Rd (CR-37) and go (0.2) to intersection.
Turn right onto Jackonsonville-Millfield Rd (CR-27) (2 mi) to Jacksonville
Cross RR tracks. CR-27 becomes Sixth Street
Turn left onto Rt. 13 S. to Chauncey (10 miles)
Turn right onto OH-682 (5.1 mi)
Turn left onto W Union St (0.7 mi)
Turn right onto Hospital Dr
Grant Medical Center
111 S Grant Ave, Columbus OH
614-566-9000
Directions:
From the main gate, turn right onto South Wemer Rd. for (0.1 mi) to end of road.
Turn left onto Concord Church Rd (CR-37) and go (0.2) to intersection.
Turn right onto Jackonsonville-Millfield Rd (CR-27) (2 mi) to Jacksonville
Cross RR tracks. CR-27 becomes Sixth Street
Turn left onto Rt. 13 S. to Chauncey (10 miles)
Turn right onto OH-682 (1 mi)
Bear right onto US-33 West (63.3 mi)
Take I-70 West (4.6 mi)
Take Exit 100B (0.2 mi)
Turn right onto US-23 N. (0.2 mi)
Turn right onto E Main St (0.3 mi)
Turn left onto S. Grant Street (0.3 mi)
Things to Do: Actually, there’s nothing to do in Millfield. Jacksonville is the closest town to the track, but we give the location as Millfield since that is where our Trail Boss, Jeff Russell, is from and his family still owns the farm.
However, the town of Athens lies just 20 minutes away. As the home of Ohio University, there's plenty to see and do there. Run a quick Google search on Athens, Ohio and get ready for fun.
There is a bit of tragic history to the area, though. The Millfield Mine disaster, Ohio's worst mine disaster, occurred November 5, 1930, in a Sunday Creek Coal Company mine one mile from the track. According to the historical marker at the site, the explosion killed 82 people, including the company's top executives who were in the mine inspecting new safety equipment. Nine hours after the explosion, rescuers found 19 miners alive underground, three miles from the main shaft. The disaster attracted national press coverage and international attention, and it prompted improvement of Ohio's mine safety laws in 1931. Now you know where we got the name for the racetrack, too!
If you want to see what the area looks like now, check out Millfield Coal Mine Disaster on www.myspace.com. But turn off the sound. The videographer has a potty mouth!
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