Teams, fans and top riders are arriving as the 57th running of the Hangtown Motocross Classic brings racing, tourism and tradition to Prairie City
The trucks, trailers, race rigs and factory teams are already rolling into the Folsom and Rancho Cordova region this week as one of Northern California’s most iconic sporting traditions returns to Prairie City State Recreation Area.
The 57th running of the Hangtown Motocross Classic, presented by Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza and Desri, is set for Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, bringing the Pro Motocross Championship back to the rugged hills and hard-packed terrain just off Highway 50. By the time the first gates drop, Prairie City will again be transformed from a regional off-highway recreation area into a national motocross village, drawing elite riders, team crews, vendors, sponsors, campers and thousands of fans to the Folsom region for one of the biggest outdoor racing weekends of the year.
For Folsom and Rancho Cordova, Hangtown is more than a race. It is a longtime regional tradition, a tourism driver, a charitable fundraiser and a national showcase for a community that has become closely tied to the event over decades. With many competitors and teams already arriving ahead of race weekend, local hotels, restaurants, gas stations, retailers and small businesses are beginning to see the familiar race-week surge that comes with one of the oldest and most respected stops on the professional motocross calendar.
The race week atmosphere builds as the sport arrives fresh off its outdoor opener at Fox Raceway in Pala, where Hunter Lawrence swept the 450 class with a 1-1 performance on the Honda CRF450R Works Edition. Jorge Prado finished second overall aboard the KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition, setting the tone for a championship fight that now moves north to Prairie City. With former champions and top contenders such as Tomac, Sexton, Cooper, Hampshire, Ferrandis and Jett Lawrence all chasing early momentum, Hangtown enters the week carrying all the weight of a national title battle just beginning to take shape.
The Saturday program will feature qualifying, pro practice and full 250cc and 450cc racing, along with the sound and spectacle that have made Hangtown one of the most recognizable names in American motocross. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 12:30 p.m., followed by the afternoon motos that will bring the sport’s top riders to one of its most demanding circuits. For fans, the appeal is not only the racing itself, but the full race-day experience: the factory paddock, the roar of 40 four-strokes launching off the line, the dust, the crowds and the close-up access to a sport that remains one of the most physically demanding in motorsports.
This year’s event also arrives with a clear message from organizers: tickets are moving quickly, and fans are encouraged to purchase early. Discounted Two-Pack and Four-Pack ticket options remain available in limited quantities, with the Two-Pack priced at $125 and the Four-Pack priced at $256. Organizers are encouraging families and groups of friends to take advantage of the discounted options while they remain available. Tickets and event information are available atwww.hangtownmx.com, with ticket questions directed totickets@hangtownmx.com.
Fans looking for a closer look at the sport’s elite teams can also purchase Pro Pit access for Saturday morning. The Pro Pits will be open from 9 a.m. to noon, giving attendees the chance to walk through the paddock, meet riders, see the motorcycles up close and watch teams prepare before the main racing program begins. Pro Pit passes are available for $30.
The weekend starts before Saturday’s pro program, with the Hangtown Amateur Program taking place Thursday and Friday, June 4-5. Amateur racers from mini classes to rising future pros will take to the Hangtown track in a program that has long been part of the event’s broader identity. Online registration for the amateur program closes at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, with post-entry race registration and rider sign-ups available at the track Thursday and Friday beginning at 6 a.m. and continuing until one hour after the last moto each day.
Friday also brings added attention to the Women’s Motocross Championship, with the first moto of the WMX season set to take place at Hangtown. The women’s field is expected to include WMX Champion Lachlan “LaLa” Turner and Charli Cannon, adding another high-profile layer to Friday’s racing program. Fans attending Friday will also be able to watch select factory pro riders on the Hangtown track ahead of Saturday’s national racing card. Tickets for Thursday and Friday can be purchased at the gate.
While the national racing story is centered on championship points and podiums, the local story is just as significant. Each year, Hangtown brings more than 20,000 attendees to the region, creating a measurable impact for local hotels, restaurants and businesses in Folsom and Rancho Cordova. Choose Folsom CEO Joe Gagliardi previously described the event as a proud local tradition that extends well beyond the track.
“The annual Hangtown Motocross event is a proud Folsom tradition,” Gagliardi said. “The competitors and fans add to our economic vitality as they eat and shop in our Folsom businesses and support our lodging partners. Hangtown’s well-known brand offers Folsom national visibility.”
That visibility is especially important during race week, when the national motocross community descends on the region. Teams arrive with large transporters and support crews. Families travel in for camping and race-day activities. Fans fill hotels and dine locally before and after the event. For many visitors, Hangtown is their annual reason to spend a weekend in the Folsom and Rancho Cordova area, and for the host region, it is one of the most recognizable sports tourism events of the year.
Rancho Cordova shares that spotlight as the home of Prairie City SVRA, where the park’s off-highway facilities transform each spring into a professional racing venue. Campers arrive days ahead of the main event, building a temporary motocross community around the course. What is normally a public riding area becomes a race-week destination, with teams, spectators, vendors and volunteers filling the site in preparation for one of the most anticipated stops of the outdoor season.
Prairie City SVRA, located at 13300 White Rock Road, is closed to general public riding during race week as preparations and event operations take over the facility. The closure, which runs through the event period, underscores the scale of what Hangtown has become: not just a race, but a full-scale regional production requiring days of setup, volunteer work, safety preparation, track construction and event coordination.
At the center of that effort is the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club, the volunteer-based organization that has long managed the Hangtown Motocross Classic. Since its move to Prairie City in 1979, the club has helped build the race into one of the most respected and enduring events in the sport, while maintaining its charitable mission and local community focus.
The event’s proceeds help support local causes, with Friends of Folsom among the chief beneficiaries. The nonprofit provides critical support services to underserved families and has become closely tied to Hangtown through its volunteer work and annual fundraising connection. Volunteers assist with many aspects of the event, from preparing the venue to managing hospitality, logistics and race-day support.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds we receive from this event go toward our turkey drive in November,” Friends of Folsom Vice President Sarah Woods said following last year’s event. “Historically, the funds from this event alone make up about 40 percent of our annual fundraising goal. We are grateful to have this opportunity and to be part of such an amazing event each year.”
That turkey drive serves more than 10,000 local families, making Hangtown’s impact felt months after the final moto is complete. Additional proceeds are also reinvested into the Prairie City facility itself, helping support improvements that benefit amateur riders, professional competitors, spectators and the wider off-road community.
After last year’s race, Friends of Folsom President Jeff Garcia praised the volunteers who endured the heat, fatigue and demanding work required to build and tear down the event site.
“Thanks to all of the volunteers from Friends of Folsom that withstood the heat, the fatigue, and the hard work and made sacrifice for others,” Garcia said as volunteers prepared to complete tear-down work the morning after the race. “Thanks to Dirt Diggers North for providing us the opportunity to do so. As they say, it’s a sadistic pleasure. But, it proves that the folks that are in it believe in the mission and that’s special.”
Last year’s Hangtown Classic delivered both the excitement and adversity that have long defined the event. Thousands of fans poured into Prairie City despite triple-digit temperatures during a punishing heat wave that forced shortened motos as a safety precaution. The conditions tested riders and spectators alike, but the event still produced a memorable day of racing.
In the 450 class, Jett Lawrence prevailed with the overall win after making a statement in the final moto. Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Lawrence used a strong start and a dominant early sprint to control the race, later explaining that the heat was the main obstacle and that his plan was to get the start, build a gap and manage it to the finish. The 2025 race also featured a strong showing from Eli Tomac, who won the first moto after a late charge, and Justin Cooper, who captured another podium result during a day in which riders were pushed to their limits.
In the 250 class, Haiden Deegan continued his title defense by remaining unbeaten through the early portion of the season. Deegan swept both motos at Hangtown, battling through illness and brutal heat to extend his dominance. Jo Shimoda and Levi Kitchen also factored heavily into the podium battle, but Deegan’s performance remained one of the defining stories of the day.
The memories from last year’s race now feed into this year’s anticipation. Hangtown has always had a way of producing dramatic racing, whether through weather, track conditions, championship pressure or the unforgiving nature of its terrain. Riders must balance speed with endurance, precision with aggression and strategy with survival. That combination is part of what has made the event a fixture in the sport for generations.
The Hangtown name itself reaches deep into Northern California motocross history. The first Hangtown race was staged by the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club in 1969 on the dusty trails of Murray Ranch in Placerville. The name came from Placerville’s Gold Rush-era nickname, and the early event was a grassroots gathering compared to the national production it is today. About 150 sportsman riders and 30 pros competed for a $600 purse, but the race quickly gained a reputation for toughness, atmosphere and competition.
As the event grew, it outgrew its original Placerville location and later moved through Plymouth before finding its long-term home at Prairie City in 1979. Since then, Hangtown has become one of the signature races in American motocross, attracting many of the sport’s greatest names and most passionate fans. Over the years, legendary riders including Bob Hannah, Ricky Johnson, Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart have battled on the Hangtown course, helping cement its reputation as one of the most challenging and exciting stops in the country.
That legacy is part of what makes this week different from an ordinary motorsports weekend. For longtime fans, Hangtown is a tradition. For riders, it is a test. For local businesses, it is a valuable tourism weekend. For volunteers and nonprofits, it is a major fundraising engine. For Folsom and Rancho Cordova, it is a national event that brings attention, visitors and economic activity to the region.
As race week unfolds, the signs are already visible. Team rigs are arriving. Hotel rooms are filling. Race fans are making their plans. Amateur racers are preparing for their chance to ride the same historic course used by the professionals. Women’s motocross competitors are readying for Friday’s opening moto. And by Saturday, the full force of Pro Motocross will be back on the gate at Prairie City.
The 57th running of the Hangtown Motocross Classic takes place Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, at Prairie City State Recreation Area, 13300 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova. Amateur racing is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, with WMX action and select factory pro riders on track Friday. Saturday’s program includes pro practice, qualifying, opening ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. and the 250cc and 450cc motos. Pro Pit access runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Tickets, discounted ticket packs, Pro Pit passes and full event information are available atwww.hangtownmx.com.
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