JCB hosts customer ride and drive at championship motorcross training facility
JCB, hosted “Get in and Get Dirty” a customer ride-and-drive event at The Baker Factory in Center Hill, Florida on October 15. The event offered attendees the opportunity to test some of the most innovative construction equipment on the market on one of the Baker Factory’s five purpose-built motocross and supercross tracks.
On hand was a JCB 300T compact track loader, 3CX-14 backhoe, 525-60 telescopic handler, 85Z compact excavator, JS190 excavator and a 427ZX wheel loader. All of these models were used during the original construction of the Baker Factory tracks last year. They continue to be used during the day-to-day operations of the facility to maintain and upkeep the tracks. Tracks are constantly rebuilt to simulate the next race course circuit the riders will compete at.
The Baker Factory tracks spread over the 90+ acre facility, a training center for the sport’s most elite riders, who are put through a personalized training regimen by owner Aldon Baker. The Baker Factory also includes meeting spaces, indoor training areas and athlete accommodations.
“The Baker Factory provides a unique environment for customers to put our machines to the test," said Shane Coates, JCB General Manager Sales – East. "Construction and maintenance of the tracks directly correlate to the rigorous workload our customers face on a daily basis. We’re extremely grateful for our partnership with the Baker Factory and look forward to more events such as this one.”
The training facility was named after its owner Aldon Baker, a former professional mountain bike racer turned motocross and supercross trainer. Baker, a decorated athlete himself, is arguably the most successful trainer in history having trained riders including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto. His athletes have gained global attention for winning the previous two world and U.S. titles, as well as several other championships. In 2015, Baker-trained athletes Ryan Dungey and Marvin Musquin have seen great success. Dungey is the reigning Monster Energy AMA Supercross 2015 Series Champion and Musquin won the 2015 Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship and Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Shootout.
Several JCB dealerships including MacKinnon JCB and JCB of Miami attended the event along with customers from across the Southeastern region. One such customer, Nicolas Stankov, Certified Motocross Trainer with FIM, was very particularly impressed with the 300T compact track loader.
“Having the chance to get in a JCB compact track loader in an environment like this is really important to me,” says Stankov. “I run my own training facility in South Florida and it’s easy to see why the Baker Factory chose to build with JCB. The visibility and side door entry are exclusive features which deliver added safety and comfort without sacrificing productivity. In this type of environment where there’s constant pedestrian traffic on site, the class-leading visibility ensures both the operator and our athletes remain safe, a top priority for us all.”
JCB plans to host “Get in and Get Dirty” annually.
