Dealer hosts Pro Watercross Championship party

Hidden Trails Motorsports celebrates with racers

For the past three seasons, Hidden Trails Motorsports, of Charleston, West Virginia, has hosted an annual racer party open to all competitors, families and friends, to celebrate the Pro Watercross National Tour. 

“We have long been a supporter and sponsor of the Pro Watercross National Tour,” said Trey Frame, president at Hidden Trails Motorsports (HTM). “Deciding to host the racer party was an easy choice for us. I have been around the sport for many years. My brother Cameron and I have had some success as racers, but I guess it’s just a way for us to give back to the sport of PWC racing.”

The dealership has a history of supporting the tour. In 2015, HTM partnered with Yamaha to co-op on the title sponsorship, and in 2016 the dealership partnered with Sea-Doo to do the same.

“We sell both brands of PWC, so it was good to get the financial support needed to make this happen,” said Frame. “In 2017, the Pro Watercross Tour was able to achieve some outside sponsorship with Heyday Wake Boats, and although we are not the title sponsor of the tour this season, we continued to support this national series as the premier PWC racing series in the U.S.”

HTM set up its showroom and parking lot to accommodate this year’s racer event. The party was catered and featured local blues band the Outdoor Cats for entertainment. 

The dealership partnered with Sea-Doo to host the event and was able to showcase new Sea-Doo products and models on display in the showroom. Outside, the dealership set up tables and chairs for racers and their families to enjoy the atmosphere. “Fortunately, we had great weather, and the awards stage was set up outside, so everyone could mingle and take part,” added Frame.

This year the dealership was able to host the Pro class awards as part of the racing party. “Due to CBS filming the pro classes, all motos for the Pro classes were complete on Saturday. Overall points would be tabulated, and I thought it would be cool if people could celebrate the Pro class awards at the racer party. I believe it was a good fit,” said Frame. Amateur racing continued at the event through Sunday.

Another unique highlight from this year’s event was the Hot Wheels race-off, with the grand prize of a Haibike performance e-bike. Participants could buy toy cars and race against each other to win money and prizes. A portion of the proceeds went to the local “Rock the Park” event, which is a hot rod/music show that in return raises money for the Kanawha State Forest Foundation. 

“Every year we’ve tried to up the ante for the racer party. We put some thought into it and wanted to focus on something that would really excite the competitors. Racers always need a way to travel around the pit areas, either by ATV, UTV or bicycle,” said Frame. “Earlier this year we took on selling Haibike performance e-bikes, which are basically electric assist performance mountain bikes.”

During the party, four names were drawn, and the four racers competed for the Haibike, racing head-to-head on the Hot Wheels racetrack in the dealership. “It ended up being a really cool aspect of the event, and I think everyone enjoyed it,” said Frame. “Sammy Nehme, one of the tour’s standout Junior Ski racers, won the bike. He was stoked, and we were stoked for him!”

Sponsoring the tour and hosting the racer parties over the years has had a positive effect on sales. “There have been many unit and product sales directly related to this sponsorship,” he said. “Although Hidden Trails Motorsports is a smaller dealership in the mountains of West Virginia, it’s great to see the national exposure we have been getting, and it helps boost our efforts for continued growth.”

For Frame, it’s all about supporting the sport that brought him and his family into the powersports industry. “Becoming a pro racer and one day owning my own dealership was all I dreamed about. Now I’m still racing competitively, and Hidden Trails Motorsports is a huge part of my life, so I guess you could say I’m living the dream.”