GREEN RIVER - Motocross racing fans at the Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs have always been close to the action on the track - maybe a little too close for their own comfort.

A huge new cargo net ought to keep them a little safer, county officials said this week.

County commissioners approved a $48,500 appropriation to fund several measures aimed at ensuring spectator safety for indoor motocross racing events held throughout the year at the complex.

Larry Lloyd, events complex executive director, told commissioners motocross events are growing larger and more popular each year.

He said when the complex's indoor arena was constructed nearly three decades ago, it was never intended for motocross events. Lloyd said there have been some concerns from fans and participants in recent years about how close spectators were to the racing on the track.

"The building was never designed for these kinds of events … and there's safety issues that need to be addressed," Lloyd said. "We can't simply do away with motocross, so we've got to accommodate it the best we can."

Lloyd said the complex plans to move the spectator bleachers farther behind the track's retaining fence and then install the "catch net" between them.

The net should adequately contain an out-of-control motorcycle or rider, and can catch flying parts from crashes, officials said. "This will give us a good safety barrier between the spectators and events," he said.

Lloyd said the net will be custom built for its specific application in the arena.

The 29-year-old events complex is located a few miles north of Rock Springs and includes the Sweetwater County Fairgrounds, home to the county fair - "Wyoming's Big Show" - which runs the first week of August each year.

Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.