At the Last Chance Raceway, riders fly through a track that club members have spent decades building and improving. What started as a small local motocross course has grown into a destination for racers across the northwest to circle on their summer calendars.
WATCH: Last Chance Raceway in Helena is a nonprofit, volunteer-run motocross facility that has built a statewide reputation since 1991. This weekend, it hosts hundreds of racers for the Central Montana Motocross Series
“We put a ton of effort over the last 20 years in trying to make this the best-run track in the state,” said Last Chance Raceway vice president Bryan Demaray.
The Last Chance Riders Association was formed in 1991, building the Last Chance Raceway off York Road.
What started on about 40 acres has now grown into a 70-acre facility that draws riders from across Montana, the Dakotas, Idaho, and eastern Washington.
This weekend alone, the club expects around 450 race entries each day as part of the Central Montana Motocross series. Club members say what really sets this place apart is the work happening behind the scenes.
“The members of the club have been so good; they put in a lot of effort, especially the ones now,” said Last Chance Raceway founding member Dean Olsen. “It takes a lot of time and effort to put on these events and keep the place going.”
From four-year-old beginners to riders in their 70s, the track is about a lot more than racing. Volunteers here spend countless hours grooming jumps, watering corners, and maintaining every inch of this course — all to create the kind of experience that keeps riders driving hundreds of miles just to race here in Helena.
“I think it says a lot about the facility and the series in itself, which is based out of Helena here,” said professional motocross racer Daniel Schmid. “These guys work really, really hard. They try their best to put on a good track, a fun track for everyone, all skill levels.”
The nonprofit club has continued reinvesting money from races and memberships back into the track — building up facilities, adding a sprinkler system, and buying other equipment to keep improving the facility.
The track has been named Montana track of the year more than 20 times — a reputation racers say is well earned.
“They do a really good job of track prep,” said 14-year-old racer Ryder Swenson. “Probably one of the best tracks that they have running here. I'd really like to thank them for it, and they're really good people out here, really good family. They put on a really good show.”
For the volunteers behind Last Chance Raceway, the goal has never just been putting on races. They say it’s about building a place where generations of riders and families can come together — and keep Helena on the map in the motocross world.
