Ok I will chime in....
1st. Soboba is an amazing venue and as a person who goes to just a couple races a year let me tell you why. #1, you can drive your UTV around. #2 you can camp whether your racing or not. While the upper camping parking lot for LaFamilia was rather small, the lot below where I was is HUGE and has PLENTY of room. Remember, this is not a desert race where you can go out and away and just post up and have a huge circle. #3, you are still within close driving distance of stores, food, CASINO, etc etc. #4, while the course may be difficult to see remember this is a 6.2 mile course. This isn't a short course race where you sit shoulder to shoulder with a ton of people and watch the same roundy round for 15 minutes at a time. There is no way to accomodate everyone in terms of watching. Your best way to see the whole track is to RACE! Which anyone can do, another huge positive of Soboba! Soboba IMHO is one of the LAST great UTV races. Its not overrun by rules, its still affordable to get into the race, its a great family atmosphere, and HUGE payout! Another thing about Soboba is the course. Mnay in the area will tell you that Soboba has some of the best off-road trails and dirt of anywhere in the world. We need to continue to support Jacob and this race cause I have a feeling that once its gone again, its gone for good.
2nd. You have to ask yourself, what makes a great race venue? Personally I love to be at the track for the whole weekend hanging with the racers and getting to know the organizers. Thats what I love. I love camping on Blacktop too! Keeps things clean and its easier to get around without a ton of DUST hanging in the pits or campground all day. You also have to ask, how do we get the racers here? Well the GP's seem to get the best car counts, KOH's will get a solid turnout finally this year also. The reason I see GP's do so well is the relaxed rule book, the run what you brung formats, and the welcoming of the weekend warriors. You don't have to be a pro racer to compete so its cool to see guys/girls who normally only ride in the deserts get a chance to compete and in many cases catch the competition bug.
I love GP style races that are held in areas not normally accessed by the general public. It makes Soboba and Lake Elsinore a ton of fun. Adelanto is coming up and I hear that too is a fun venue.
With all that said. I would love to see some sort of "Underground" race held in Ocotillo Wells or Glamis where its like "oh hey, we all just showed up, same place same time, and we all happen to want to get over to China Wall then Patton Valley, and we all just happen to like to ride fast, last one there is a rotten egg!"
