Eric Brady | The Roanoke Times

Stephen Edmondson rides the trail at Don Palmer's farm in southeastern Franklin County. He was trying to gauge how long it would take to make it around the 9-mile-long race track, which will help in setting the number of laps for each race.

PENHOOK -- Farmer Don Palmer estimates his spread in southeastern Franklin County has been in his family for more than 150 years. For most of those, the Palmers and their ancestors farmed tobacco and then later, cattle.

But they will be herding more than cattle this weekend as dirt-bike and four-wheeler racers of a variety of ages haul their machines to the newest race track in Franklin County.

With nine miles of dirt track winding through more than 200 acres, Palmer will sponsor a Virginia Cross Country Series (VXCS) race on his family farm, bringing the sport closer to home for many families in Southwest Virginia.

The Palmers expect that more than 200 dirt bikes and 80 four-wheel all-terrain vehicles will be revving their engines on the farm Saturday.

About four or five years ago, Palmer's son Logan, who's now 11, began racing dirt bikes. The entire family would sometimes travel more than 200 miles to attend an event.

It was around that time that Palmer began thinking about a dirt bike track closer to home, literally.

Why?

"It's been getting harder and harder for young people to find a place to ride," he said.

Once he had decided to build a racetrack, Palmer talked with officials from the VXCS to see if his farm would match their needs. They visited the farm and were thrilled to find such a great property for a racetrack, Palmer said.

No small amount of volunteer effort went into the farm's transformation.

About 25 volunteers worked from dawn to dusk over the past four weekends. They brought their own power tools and used their own fuel while creating the race track. Covering more than 200 acres, or about 57 percent of the Palmer farm, the quad track will stretch seven miles and the dirt bike track, nine.

The courses cut through woods and cross a creek. Don Palmer's wife, Patti Palmer, was surprised to see the farm's landscape has changed very little.

"They used what was already there," she said.

Don Palmer noted bales of hay were placed to border the track for riders in the open field.

Palmer estimated the volunteers put 4,500 hours into the project.

Some traveled from Roanoke, Fredericksburg and even Virginia Beach. A few were able to make the commute back and forth each day, but most camped overnight so they could begin and end each workday with the sun.

Don Palmer raved about one volunteer. "He rode 243 miles on his bike [motorcycle] from Fredericksburg, near the Potomac [River], with a tent, to work," he said.

There were obstacles, too.

Palmer waded through a pile of paperwork from Franklin County so the track would be legal. Insurance was much easier. All VXCS races -- there are eight each year in Virginia -- are American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned events, and because of that the necessary insurance is automatically provided.

The track should have been completed last weekend but was delayed a few extra days, thanks to a swarm of bees.

There were also ticks and chiggers, and the latter caused the most problems for the volunteers. Palmer said it could have been worse: "We only found two black snakes ... and we didn't find much poison oak."

The Palmers expect more than 300 spectators -- some arriving Friday night and the rest Saturday morning -- and they're prepared for a few campers, too.

There will be food and drink available for sale. Palmer's daughter, Elizabeth, will sell snacks and drinks during the day with her soccer team from Franklin County High School. Profits from those and a spaghetti dinner Saturday night will go to the FCHS girls' soccer team. Asked whether he plans to host a race next year, Palmer paused for a minute.

"We'll see how it goes," he said. "But ... probably."