The phrase “motorcycle club” might conjure unsavory images of rough-and-tumble bikers, but spending a little time with members of the Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club will quickly dispel such impressions.

Formed in 1934, the club is the second-oldest in the nation chartered by the American Motorcyclist Association. It’s a family-oriented organization that promotes togetherness as much as competition. Located near Hallsburg, the club’s facilities feature a number of tracks, including a peewee beginner’s track, two motocross tracks, flat tracks, a heavily wooded, cross country trail section and one of the only half-mile oval tracks in the area.

Riders compete in a "quad class" (four-wheeler) race at the Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club near Hallsburg. Classes are determined by riders' ages, abilities and the type and size of motorbike. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Sailing over the hills on the motocross course are Curt Stevens (No. 26) of Hewitt and Doug Holy (No. 88) of Ennis. Getting airborne off the hills is one of the appealing thrills for motocross riders. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Jeff Gilbert, who is the club's president, got involved with Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club in 2000 when his daughter Hailey was 8 and showed interest in the sport. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Garrett Alumbaugh, 6, sweeps dirt off the concrete pad at the starting gate so riders can get a good start without the back tires spinning. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Mike Abbott and his son, Luke, head over to check on results from an earlier race. (Jerry Larson photo)

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Mike Haynes has seen a lot of change with the club over the years, including a shift to motocross. (Duane A. Laverty photo)

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Mike Haynes, who describes himself as “one of the club’s old guys,” has witnessed the group’s major changes over the years. Haynes started racing as a teenager in the 1960s. Back then it was as much a street club as it was an off-road outfit, he said. But as motocross grew in popularity during the early 1970s, more dirt racers got involved, and the club shifted its focus from flat track to motocross, which has riders on a rougher terrain that features hills and sharp curves.

Haynes and Glenn McNamara were two riders at that time who saw change coming and embraced it. They were among those who decided to look around the property for the best location for a motocross track, and while they were scouting places, they hit paydirt, so to speak, discovering a sandy area of acreage that Haynes figures was once part of the Brazos River. The group was ecstatic when it found the sandy ground, Haynes said, because motocross racers love to ride in sand — it doesn’t wear out tires as quickly, isn’t as slick, and it’s just more fun.

The crew used heavy equipment to push the mesquite down and scratch out the club’s first motocross trail, a track that has been constantly changing over the years.

But through all those changes, some things have remained steady. Waco Eagles Motorcycle Club is a good place with good people. The club’s family-oriented approach has kept folks coming back for generations.

McNamara got away from the sport for 25 years before being drawn back into the club after his son developed an interest in racing bikes. Now 60 years old and with five kids, all of whom have been involved with the club, McNamara is not only the group’s vice president, he’s still strapping on the racing gear.

Sometimes, people get pulled into the club unintentionally. Waco Eagles president Jeff Gilbert joined in 2000 because of his then-8-year-old daughter Hailey’s interest in motocross.

“I noticed her spending a lot of time playing a video game on the PlayStation that I hadn’t seen her play before,” Gilbert said, “and when I asked what it was, she told me it was Jeremy McGrath’s Supercross ’98. I had bought the game for her as a Christmas present a couple years before without paying much attention to what it was.”

It turned out to be the gift that kept on giving. It had been more than 25 years since the 41-year-old single dad had thrown a leg over a motorcycle, according to Gilbert, and he was more a recreational rider rather than a competitive one. “I had never dreamt of racing when I was younger, nor had I any plans of ever riding again,” he said, adding “my 8-year-old daughter would change all of that.”

After months of Hailey saying she wanted her own motorcycle, her dad finally relented and took her on a “just-looking” trip to local motorcycle shops. Later that afternoon, two bikes were sitting in their garage. “Her goal was to be a famous motorcycle racer and mine was to follow her on a bike so I wouldn’t have to walk,” Gilbert said.

Finding suitable places to ride was tougher than finding good bikes, but Gilbert soon located the Waco Eagles, which he discovered was a private club. At the time, he reluctantly forked over the money for a family membership, but it was an investment that would pay big dividends.

“We found ourselves heading out to the track every chance we had over the next few months,” he said. “Our favorite time to go was right after I got off work because there was usually a small group of people at the track and we could learn how to ride without being laughed at.”

Being new to the sport, they were a little intimidated at first, but soon learned that stereotypical hell-raising biker behavior isn’t condoned by Waco Eagles. “It’s a very family-oriented place,” Hailey said. “There’s always someone around to help somebody else. It’s just an all-around good place to be and you don’t even have to be a rider to fit in.”

Haynes agreed.

“Something that sets this club apart is that it’s a place where you can buy your kid a dirt bike, join up, and you can bring them out 365 days a year,” he said. “There will always be somebody out here willing to help them with their jumping, cornering and other riding skills.”

The approach of offering family memberships instead of individual ones greatly contributes to the club’s positive atmosphere. If kids or spouses aren’t interested in racing — or even riding — there’s still plenty to keep them busy and opportunities to strike up friendships. Some families bring their RVs and set up camp for the weekends.

“This club attracts people with a real passion for motorcycle racing,” Haynes said. “It offers healthy competition, but there’s as much emphasis on development of skills as bringing home a first-place trophy.” Awards are given for five divisions, and class groupings are determined by skill level instead of by the kind of bike — so racers are competing against others with roughly the same experience and expertise.

As Hailey and Jeff Gilbert became more comfortable riding and learned more about racing, they both decided to give it a shot. Although they found that some racers take things seriously, they also encountered many who race simply for the excitement, exercise and fun of roaring around the track.

One of the most enjoyable things for Gilbert is watching the youngest riders, some of whom are as young as 4. “We’ve got kids with training wheels on their bikes.” he said. “When they race for the first time, it’s the biggest thrill. The parents, of course, are scared to death. They all get a lot of exercise running behind their kids for the first race or two.”

Many parents in the club discover that getting their kids involved with riding has benefits beyond recreational ones. “I found that allowing Hailey to ride her dirt bike could be used as an incentive to get her chores done,” Gilbert said. “Other parents use it to encourage good grades and good behavior. It gives kids something fun to do and keeps them off the streets.”

Parents also say that when their kids reach driving age, they have a better understanding of judging speed and braking power, watching out for other drivers, handling unexpected situations and knowing other skills that keep them safer and parents’ insurance rates lower.

“Waco has produced some pretty doggone good riders through the years,” club veteran Haynes said, “including Adam Mennenga and his younger brother Alex, Billy Dicorte, Jason Rich and Bryan Burnett.”

The true test of an organization is staying power; not only has the club been around for 75 years, but many members have been with the club for generations.

“Kids who were running around here 30 years ago are joining and bringing their own families out to ride,” Gilbert said. “I ran into a guy who was 15 years old when my daughter started riding, and he can’t wait to get his new baby on a bike. Racing gets in your blood and you never get away from it totally.”

Haynes says he began racing at age 14 and quit when he was 51 as he found his body didn’t recover from races as quickly as it used to. Now, as a drummer, he spends a lot of time on his passion for music. He’s still around cycles all day as a Barger’s Allsports employee, and he continues to ride and stays involved in other ways. He and his wife, Paula, were some of the first race directors, handling money, signing up people, lining up racers for competitions, and helping get the club computerized. While serving in this role, their son was catching the racing bug and continuing the tradition.

The Waco Eagles is member-owned and operated by volunteers. All the money brought in goes directly into maintaining and upgrading its facilities. It’s a place where people will share their racing secrets — even with their competitors.

Haynes takes pride in the family-oriented philosophy and, along with Paula and other club leaders, was involved in establishing a Christian atmosphere. “We wanted to make it a place where folks can set good examples for kids,” he said.

But they don’t just talk — they also act on their words by giving to the community through support of Compassion Ministries and holding fundraisers to help needy families at Christmas, according to McNamara.

And when things go awry, like when Christmas presents in 2008 were stolen from the club, the Waco Eagles received the love back. After word of the theft spread, area families and businesses donated to replace the stolen presents, and the club was still able to help 16 families have a merrier Christmas.

A motorcycle club isn’t for everyone, but it’s a big part of life for Jeff Gilbert and his daughter.

“Not only did we make a lot of new friends, we also discovered that the folks we met were from every walk of life,” Gilbert said. “Members ranged from doctors to lawyers to police officers to mechanics to construction workers to insurance salesmen and everyone in between.”

Hailey Gilbert has built many friendships, too, and being part of the club helped develop her self-esteem, she said.

“I’ve gotten a lot of good things from motocross, but mostly I’ve gained confidence both on and off the track,” she said. “Anyone who is interested in motocross should start out at Waco Eagles. There’s almost always something being tweaked to either make the track more challenging or more interesting. It’s definitely not boring.”

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Regularly scheduled motocross races are held the third Sunday of each month, excluding December. Hare scrambles (off-road races through rugged terrain) and flat-track races are scheduled throughout the year.

Schedule of upcoming events that are open to the public:

1st week in April — a Vintage Dirt Track Race Association national competition

2nd week in June — a short track race (Saturday night under the lights and Sunday during the day)

2nd weekend in September — a short track race (Saturday night under the lights and Sunday during the day)

1st weekend in October — half-mile races

For more information, visit www.wacoeaglesmc.com.