If you were to make a bucket list of tracks in the US that you’d like to go and ride, we’re pretty sure that GPF in Cairo, Georgia would be on your list. The GPF track and training facility has been around for 25 years. Through their vision and hard work, the Woods Family have made sure that whenever a rider or family spends time there, they have everything they need. Over the years, top Canadian riders like Colton Facciotti, Jess Pettis, Dylan Wright, and Kaven Benoit have chosen GPF as their home base for their off-season training. With a great track, a good family atmosphere, and very nice surrounding area, GPF is the perfect place to spend time. We caught up with Josh Woods to see how he’s doing and what Canadians can expect this year at GPF.
MXP: Hey Josh! With almost all of Canada experiencing a real old fashioned winter, the thought of heading south to ride, seems like a great idea right now. How are things at GPF?
JW: Everything is going really well at the moment. We have our Supercross race this weekend, so we’re excited about that. We’ve worked hard to expand that event from last year with a few track changes, as well as allowing the Open A riders to sign up for free and race for some decent money.
That does sound exciting, and from what we heard last year, this event was a big success.
For sure! With so much attention now on SX and the skills it takes to ride a SX track safely, we felt it was important to build a tamed down version of a Pro SX track so everyone could practice on it. Then, we came up with the idea to have this race, so it’s pretty cool and everyone seems to like it.
This project appears to fall right in line with the evolution of GPF and how it changed over the years. How long have you and family been running GPF?
It’s been 25 years which is crazy to think it’s been that long. We bought the property in late 1999, so yeah, it’s been a few years.
Wow! 25 years! That was the same time that we were teammates on the Two-Wheel Kawasaki Team. That was quite a season, and one that brings back some good memories. Especially for you as you won the 250 East Championship.
That was a good year and it’s crazy to think just how young I was back in 2000. That was the year that the Canadian Nationals really exploded with new teams and a lot of USA riders coming up to Canada. The racing was great, the tracks were fun, and it was good to work with Ron Ashley and the Two-Wheel team, they treated my family and I really well.
Ron and his crew certainly ran a good team and they were really pioneers of the sport in Canada. They were the first to get a big trailer and have that type of team presence at the track. But, you’re right, that all changed in 2000 as the sport in Canada grew by leaps and bounds. Obviously, with having the GPF Facility up and running for so many years you’ve seen a lot of riders come through there. Some are just riding for fun, but a large group are training for success in our sport. What are some of changes you’ve witnessed firsthand over the years?
Good question! How long do I have to answer that question (laughs). I think, like any sport, motocross has evolved and young riders and their families have a lot more tools at their disposal now. When I was young there weren’t trainers or training facilities and everyone kind of did their own thing. Yeah, you would ride with other guys sometimes, but not every week or every day. There are good and bad habits that come out of either process, but what works for one rider, may not work for the other. Now, most young riders are put on the clock every time they throw a leg over a bike, so lap times during the week have become way too important. Also, things like kids thinking they have to run race gas during the week when they practice. I get it if your bike is modified and you have to, but to run race gas simply because you think it makes your kid faster during the week is ridiculous to me. At the end of day, I preach balance and working on all parts of your riding. Yes, it’s good to know your lap times during the week so you know how hard you’re pushing, but not every day. There are days when you just need to slow things down and work on technique.
I completely agree with you. Honestly, I understand the benefits of training every day with a group of fast riders, but I can also see how that could quickly lead to your riding becoming stale. I think its unhealthy for an athlete to be under that type of stress daily at the practice track. If we look back at some of the most successful riders in our sport, most of them spent a significant amount of time riding and training by themselves.
It’s funny you say as a couple of weeks ago we had Chad Reed and his family come up and ride for a day. He was saying that this was his first time ever coming to this area as back in his day the Tallahassee and Cairo area was considered “Carmichael Country.”
That is funny, just as I’m sure Reedy never ventured over to Haines City either. Okay, so this the time of the year when Canadians start to flock south to ride! There are more options for riding and training than ever before, why should they chose GPF as their home base?
Well, overall it’s the best place to both ride and spend time in my opinion. The surrounding area is really chill and fun to hang out in, and the track here is great for training. There is a reason why top Canadian riders like Jess Pettis, Dylan Rempel, Kaven Benoit, and even Colton Facciotti years ago chose GPF. We keep the track watered and prepped so it’s always good for training. The dirt is the best in the area, there is gym here, it’s family friendly, and like I said, the surrounding area is great.
Last year when I took my son <Ayrton> there I was amazed at how cool the track was, and how relaxed it felt to be there. I actually remember thinking that even if the track wasn’t there, your property is beautiful.
My Dad and I were talking the other day and we both said that even without the track, this would be a great campground.
So, if a rider or a family would like to come to GPF to ride for a day or a week, or even longer, what is the best way for them to find out all of the information needed?
They can go to our web site at www.gpfmx.com and find out everything they need to know. We are starting to get busy now, and I know in March we’re going to see a lot of Canadians here. I have to go Texas in early March, but Kyle Keast and his family are coming down and are going to take care of the track while I’m gone. They will do a great job and everything will continue to run smoothly.
That is great news! The Keast’s are awesome people. Final question for you. Are we going to see you again this summer at the Walton TransCan.
I hope so as it was great to make it back up there last summer. With Covid and things being busy down here, it had a been a few years since I’d been to Walton. I had a lot of fun there last year, it was good to see my Canadian friends, and I enjoyed helping out with the track. It’s such a great event with so much history to it. Brett and Mel and their crew do such a good job. Yeah, hopefully we’ll see everyone again in August.
That is great news Josh! It was great to see you and the work you did on the track was much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. We will see you in a few weeks!
Sounds good Palms! Thank you for calling and we look forward to seeing you and the rest of Canadians who are heading our way.
