The Last Hurrah
Owyhee Motorcycle Club strives to protect its longstanding history
Sept. 20, 2022
By Keaton Maisano
The Owyhee Motorcycle Club (OMC) has quite a history — one that has impacted legendary riders and the Northwest region as whole — and yet its future is not certain.
OMC, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, is located on 80 acres near Boise, Idaho, and its over-80-year history makes it the longest-running motorcycle club in Idaho and the first to charter with the AMA. Throughout its history of helping off-road racing develop and grow in the area, OMC has hosted several significant events including Idaho State Championships, Northwest Tourist Trophy races and a 1972 Inter-Am motocross event where AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gary Jones became the first American to claim an overall win in an international motocross held Stateside.
Hosting motocross events, hare scrambles and trials, OMC has had many legendary riders roll through and compete on its grounds, including AMA Hall of Famers Bob Hannah, Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Mert Lawwill and Ryan Villopoto.
Michelle Webb, Public Relations and Advertising Coordinator, said it is the very history of OMC that continues to draw people back to Boise.
“I literally have seen this place bring grown men to tears when they think about the history they have, their families, and the events that have taken place there,” Webb said. “OMC is hugely significant to the Northwest region of the country. It was instrumental in bringing different types of riding and racing to this region.”
Despite OMC’s deep roots in the area and popularity throughout the motorcycling community, its future is not guaranteed. Required to complete some extensive and costly erosion-prevention work on the land the club calls home, OMC is trying fund the treatment and move on to a brighter future.
“It’s going to ultimately be positive for the club and benefit the grounds, but the second phase is extraordinarily expensive for the club, particularly a nonprofit club,” Webb said. “We did launch a sweepstakes to start gathering the funds for that, because if we don’t get this work done, then the club will go bankrupt, more than likely, and be gone. It’s kind of a last hurrah to save this historic club.”
Hoping to prevent a scenario where it would have to give up the land, OMC has launched a bike giveaway fundraiser for a 2022 Husqvarna FE501 customized as an OMC Edition.
Those interested in participating in the giveaway can visit HERE. The fundraiser ends Nov. 12.
