MOSES LAKE – On Wednesday, Moses Lake BMX announced on their Facebook page that they were making changes to their track. According to track operator Jeff Niehenke, they are adding a patio cover to the snack shack and ADA sidewalks.  

“Having this has always been the vision for the facility,” Niehenke said. “All the other tracks in the state have concessions. We're trying to take it a step above and put it in some shade and paved sidewalks and patio. So, it's really going to make the facility look a lot nicer and just add so much more atmosphere to the facility, where people want to come and hang out in the evenings and race and grab some food.”  

According to Niehenke, the additions to the track are thanks to the Rotary Club of Moses Lake’s contributions. The club received grant funding and matched it to cover the costs of the track’s two new additions.  

According to Rotary Club President Tori Douglass, when she heard about the track project ideas, she jumped at the opportunity.  

“When I found out that I needed to do a project, the very first thing that popped into my head was how to help the BMX track. So not only does it help the community, but it makes it better for the families and makes it better for the kids,” Douglass said.  

According to Douglass, her daughter, Harley, has raced at the track since 2021, and she volunteers with her husband during their events.  

Niehenke said attendance at the track has continuously grown in the last couple of years. With these new additions, he hopes the improved quality of the experience at the track draws more people in.  

“We're seeing more and more people all the time, and when people are coming down and having fun, and you have more amenities, it just makes the experience that much better,” he said.  

Douglass also hopes the improvements to the track will bring more attention from community members. Seeing more people supporting the riders is something she would like to see, she said.  

“I just look forward to seeing how it impacts the community. I look forward to seeing our older generations be able to come and watch their grandkids or kids. I just think it's a really beautiful,” she said.  

Niehenke spoke about the long-term goals of Moses Lake BMX and future additions to the track. In the future, they plan to add retaining walls near some of the turns on the track and erosion control to increase space for spectators, he said.  

“Any viewing space is highly sought after, because we have tents down each side of the track, and so having that extra viewing area up on the turns just gives a lot of room for people to go and see the race and not fight for a viewing spot to watch,” Niehenke said.  

They also hope to get the facility up to a standard where they can start hosting national events. According to Niehenke, hosting one of those requires a financial commitment from them and a Sports Commission, which he said the city does not really have.  

However, he said the only thing left to work toward is a timing system and a parking plan, he said. Hosting a national race may take some time to organize, but Niehenke is hopeful to pull it off someday. In May, Moses Lake BMX hosted a regional race called the Gold Cup, which hosts riders from all over the Pacific Northwest.  

“Typically, there'll be three nationals in the Northwest region every year,” Niehenke said. “So instead of having 400 riders like we do at our state or Gold Cup race, we're looking more like 800 riders at a race, so a massively large event, and that's why there's a (request for proposal) process for the cities to compete to bring that size of event to their town.” 

Aside from their aspirations for the track, Niehenke said their bottom line remains community-focused. They plan to continue creating a fun environment for riders of all ages and their families.  

“I just see nothing but a bunch more kids out there smiling and riding their bikes and having a good time and just making an awesome environment for families to come and have a good time watching the kids grow and find their best selves and just seeing what they're capable of,” he said.  

    Crew members pouring concrete for posts at the Moses Lake BMX track. Track operator, Jeff Niehenke, said they are hoping to create a shaded eating space in front of their snack shack.
  

    Crew members from McBoyz Contracting set up the patio area in front of the snack shack at the Moses Lake BMX track. Track operator, Jeff Niehenke, hopes new additions to the track will draw more community members to the track for their events.
  

    Moses Lake BMX snack shack is receiving some new additions with a shaded patio and ADA sidewalks. According to track operator, Jeff Niehenke, they hope to complete more projects in the future to improve the track and bring bigger events to Moses Lake.