VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In the heart of Pungo, the sound of dirt bikes revving and tires spinning through dirt signals more than just family fun — it's the beginning of what could become Virginia Beach's newest community resource.
Mark Brown, a Virginia Beach father who has been riding dirt bikes for 30 years, is working to transform his backyard track into a formal youth training facility. Alongside his wife Somer, Brown wants to create a safe space where children ages 4 to 8 can learn proper riding techniques before heading to larger, more dangerous tracks.
"I've been riding ever since I was seven, so I've been riding for 30 years now," Brown said.
The idea grew from watching his son Dayton, who has been riding since age 2, navigate the sport with natural ability.
"He's never used training wheels or anything. His balance has just always been from the start — little balance bikes — and it's kind of like a natural thing to him now when he's riding. It's his track now," Brown said.
The Browns' vision extends beyond their own family. After coaching their children's T-ball and softball teams, they recognized a gap in youth dirt bike instruction in the area.
"We taught his T-ball team and our daughter's softball team, and we were just sitting there thinking one day, you know, we should do this with the dirt bike stuff," Brown said.
Currently, most local tracks mix young riders with adults on larger bikes, creating safety concerns for parents.
"A lot of the practice tracks we'd go to with him, it's all size bikes. He's riding with adults on bigger bikes — and I don't feel safe with that. I really wanted a spot just for the little kids," Brown said.
The family's proposed training program would focus on safety fundamentals, teaching young riders proper techniques for turns, corners and basic riding skills in a controlled environment.
"Take mainly kids like within the 4 to 8-year-old range — kind of almost like T-ball. You have a group of them out here, be able to work with them individually — turns, corners, teaching them safety," Brown said.
The response from local families has exceeded the Browns' expectations.
"When we started, it was just an idea. Then people were like — please do this, my kid needs somebody to help," Brown said.
The family is currently working with Virginia Beach city officials to obtain a conditional use permit that would allow them to convert their agricultural land into a small training facility.
"Yeah, I've spoke with a couple people, and so far I feel like it's pretty positive," Brown said.
If approved, the Browns hope to welcome young riders from across Virginia Beach, building both safety skills and confidence in the next generation of motocross enthusiasts.
