Appeared on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's multiple news platforms in August 2021. The Post-Gazette's site is paywall activated and imposes a limit of free stories per month. This is the story as published. It can also be found on the Post-Gazette's site here. This is just one of many stories I wrote covering MotoAmerica's series, and I'm including this here as it's the most recent.

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BY ANTHONY CONROY

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For motorsports fans, there’s something special about waking up to the sound of a race-prepped engine whizzing by doing well over 150 mph.

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“You don’t need to set an alarm clock,” said Lisa Wix, 49, of Parkersburg, W.Va. “When it hits 8 a.m., you hear them coming by, and it’s time to get out of bed.”

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Such is life for the RV crowd, who made up a good number of the thousands who arrived this weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The track that straddles the Lawrence and Beaver county line near Wampum hosted the latest round of the MotoAmerica championship, the nation’s premier motorcycle road racing series.

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Ms. Wix, her husband, Craig, and son, Bear, were among the families whose RV was parked along the fence line on one of the straightaways, where motorcycles in the top class — Superbike — can reach speeds of 170 to 180 mph.

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At PittRace, where temperatures were well into the 90s during the weekend, arriving in an RV has its advantages.

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“It takes a little work to RV camp, but we just hook up our generator and can go inside and enjoy some air conditioning,” said Mr. Wix, 51, whose family drove to the track in their Georgie Boy Cruise Master motor home. “We like it here. It’s a good crowd and there’s a nice, small-track feel. It feels nice. It’s manageable.”

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Josh Brown, 42, of Waynesboro, Pa., said he and his family can set up their toy hauler in about 20 minutes.

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“Everyone has their job, so you do your thing and they do theirs, and you can be ready with no problem,” said Mr. Brown, who hauled his Salem FSX 190RT toy hauler in his Ford F-250. “It’s nice to have your family here. Everyone’s already here. We can get up and have breakfast together. You don’t have to leave the track for anything. Everything we need is right here.”

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Behind the Wix and Brown families at the RV section of the track were the McLarens of Hermitage, Mercer County. Larry and Joni McLaren have been visiting PittRace at MotoAmerica since its first year in 2017. The couple, both 64, are usually among the first to be at the track when they pull in with their trailer.

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“It’s like being at home, but meeting friends you haven’t seen in a while,” Larry McLaren said. “It’s almost like a class reunion.”

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After they arrive, the McLarens’ stake a spot atop Spectator Hill, a popular location for the fans. Then they try to hold a few seats for friends that can’t arrive until Friday or Saturday.

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“Larry’s always looking out for the working man,” said Keith McCowim, of Warren, Ohio.

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Of course, there are those who don’t have to work at all. Greg Carlson, 74, a retired chef from Oxford, Pa., in Chester County, said he goes to each stop on MotoAmerica’s nine-city, 20-race calendar.

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“I love it, and if it gets too hot, I can just go inside and watch. You don’t have to die,” he said. “But I’ve been on the road for six months. We’ll see if the wife recognizes me [when the season’s over].”

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Following up on the Davis brothers

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Ryder Davis, 11, of Kittanning, won his first race in the Mini Cup class on Saturday.

“The hard work finally paid off,” said Casey Davis, Ryder’s father. “We’re relieved.”

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During last year’s race, Ryder was hit from behind by another rider ending his race — and weekend — in the first turn at his “home” event. On Friday, the bad luck continued when Ryder crashed during practice.

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“I’m glad he got it out of the way on Friday,” Casey Davis said. “[On Saturday] he got a good start and hit all his marks. It was a good race and he passed another rider in the second-to-last lap. I knew he could do this.”

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On Sunday, there were no races in the Mini Cup class, so the Davis family was just enjoying a day at the track.

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“He gets to have fun [on Sunday],” Casey said. “He gets to wander around the paddock and hang out with his friends and be a kid.”