After five years of slog, the Tauranga Motorcycle Club is welcoming motocross riders into its new home venue today.

It is with absolute pride the club announces the return of its five-round Club Champs, which gets underway at its new home in the TECT All Terrain Park today.

After a five year hiatus the Tauranga Motorcycle Club is pleased to announce the return of its five-round Club Champs, which kicks off this Sunday. Photo: Jody Beattie.

'This is the first time we've had our own home track,” says club member Bridgette Tolfrey. 'We used to rent Maddix Park before so we are over the moon, this is a huge milestone for our club.

'So far about 50 riders have said they'll compete, but we want as many as we can get because all the money raised through the entry fees the series go back into the track to keep making it better.”

HOME IS WHERE THE DIRT IS

The club spent two years planning and developing the track after signing the lease for the 40-hectare section in February 2013.

Bridgette says their vision was twofold: give TMCC a home venue and create a premier motocross venues for New Zealand.

'This track is the new kid on the block so to speak and the talk of the town in the motocross world,” she says. 'Everybody rides the same tracks – Taupo, Tokoroa, Rotorua.

'But in saying that, there's still a lot of work we need to do at TECT Park to get it up to the same level as those tracks.”

Since 2013, TMCC members, supported by members of the community and organisations like the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, have toiled away building the track and its accompanying facilities.

This has included using bulldozers to clear scrub and push out dozens of stumps, building start lines, rollers sections, drop offs and table tops, along with 'an awesome mini track”.

In February of this year the club hosted a special open day down at the track, which saw about 175 riders testing out both the purpose-built mini and senior motocross tracks.

BRRRRRRAP!

Bridgette says this Sunday meet will be the first of five monthly races which makes up the TMCC Club Champs.

On the day there will be a mini, junior and senior sections, which are then separated into age group and CC rating classes.

'Riders will gain points, which will accumulate over the five rounds,” explains Bridgette. 'At the end of the champs we'll then hold a fun day down at the track and hand out trophies to the winners.”

You don't have to be a member of TMCC to ride in the series, but you do need to be a member to collect race points. And because Tauranga Motorcycle Club is a member of Motorcycling NZ, all riders will also need a Motocross NZ Licence.

If you don't have a license but want to ride on the day, day licences will be available which will cost $30.

'All riders are absolutely welcome to take part in the champs, and the club would love to show you all our new home at the TECT All Terrain Park.”

The first round of the Tauranga Motorcycle Club Champs takes place at TECT All Terrain Park today. Sign starts at 7.30am, with racing at 9am.

If the first round has to be cancelled due to bad weather, the next round is on Sunday, October 4. For more information visit www.taurangamcc.co.nz or the club's Facebook page.