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The Future of BMX Today is now the BMX Nation of tomorrow
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profileracing.comSend $3.00 for a Sticker Pack to: Profile Racing, 4803 95th Street North, Saint Petersburg, Florida, 33708Phone: 727-391-7370 – Fax: 727-398-2153 Email: [email protected]
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profile_bmx_nation_day.indd 1 17/12/2010 15:19
IN THIS ISSUE
contents »06
» 16-19 THE NBL THaNkSgIvINg CLaSSICMost racers look forward to Thanksgiving weekend, not because of the turkey and pumpkin pie, but because this weekend the toughest competitors make the yearly pilgrimage to Morristown, Tennessee for the NBL’s Thanksgiving Classic.
» 22-25 2010 CHrISTmaS CLaSSICAfter some years at other locations, the premier winter race for the NBL returned to Columbus, Ohio in grand style. The top amateurs showed up in full force. Some, who made the main at the Grands, didn’t make it here. It was that tough. The talent displayed in both the male and female Elite Open races had fences around the track packed with spectators.
» 26-29 FEaTUrE INTErvIEwAbout fifteen years ago, this little kid from Dayton started turning heads in the BMX world. His talent and skill impressed people, almost from the moment he began racing. He had a style all his own, and he had the drive and determination to match. Meet Jeff Upshaw.
» 30-31 INdUSTry ProFILEIn an age where the convenience of internet sales seem to be overshadowing the personal service of local shops, it’s good to know you get the best of both worlds with J&R Supercenter. J&R stays true to the roots of BMX by bringing out their trailers to events all across the country, but they’ve also embraced the e-commerce side of things by setting up one of the best internet BMX shops, which makes them available across the world.
» 9 NBL Schedule
» 12 Road to Glory
» 13 Down in the Dirt
» 14 Champion’s Corner
» 15 Rider Spotlight
» 36-37 NBL Track Directory
» 32 Products
» 38 Icon
Cover Model: Jeff UpshawPhoto:
bmxnat.com
IN EvEry ISSUE
Publisher Mike Floyd
Office Manager Dede Floyd
Sales Derek Floyd
Art Director Joel Cook
Production Tony Cartagena
MultimediaAnthony SassanoBrandon Hyde
DistributionDoug Mcgee
PhotographersJerry LandrumJarred Huffman
ContributorsJenn SheppardChase CampbellHarrison BrittJerry LandrumRhonda KoulermosAl RoybalJustin TravisCarly Young
NBL Office & Field Staff
CEOGary Aragon [email protected]
Director of Marketing & Public RelationsJess Moore [email protected]
Director of Planning & InnovationsErma Miller [email protected]
Director of National Field OperationsDon Wagner [email protected]
Director of OperationsConnie Shepler [email protected]
Director of Track Operations & DevelopmentDonna Smith [email protected]
Director of MembershipAngel Dorr [email protected]
Director of AccountingJan Moore [email protected]
Director of West Coast Track DevelopmentCody Wilson [email protected] BMX NATION Magazine is published monthly 10 issues with Sept/Oct and Jan/Feb combined issues.
Letters, Questions and Comments can be sent to us at: 101 E. J. Arden Mays BlvdPlant City, FL 33563 or email them to [email protected].
Advertisers warrant and represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. BMX NATION Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All letters and their contents sent to BMX NATION Magazine become the sole property of Floyd Publications, Inc and may be reproduced thereof. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Floyd Publications, Inc. Use or duplication of material used in this publication is prohibited without approved written consent from Floyd Publications, Inc.
credits:products »8
RIPXX BMX
TRAINING APP
ON THE MARKET
About Ripxx
For the first time ever, a smart phone application created just for serious BMX riders. This is an app created for BMX athletes who want to train harder and get better.
The creators of the Ripxx Sports Performance Measurement Device have made BMX training more simple and convenient. No need for stop watches and video cameras. Everything you need for training is now available on your phone. Just tap the record button, and Ripxx does the rest.
The Ripxx BMX app includes an audible tone that beeps for a random start, much like the start at any BMX race. During the run, Ripxx will record stats such as reaction time, acceleration, top speed, pedal count, and so much more. Save, share, and compare results to see what improvements to make.
“After spending time with our BMX team and talking with several athletes, we decided that a BMX start app would be a great way to add fun and convenience to training. We have the knowledge to compile data that BMX riders need, so why not give them the ease of getting results from their phone?” said Dr. Kurt Nichol, Ripxx President and CEO.
The Ripxx BMX app will debut this weekend at the Florida State BMX series qualifiers in Miami. Ripxx riders will be on hand to provide more information and details. The Ripxx BMX team consists of 24 top-notch athletes, including elite BMX racer, Amanda Carr.
Ripxx is constantly striving to top the charts, and the podium. Keep an eye out for the Ripxx BMX team, and the newly released BMX smart phone app. Stop by the Ripxx tent this weekend to find out more.
Ripxx BMX app available for iPhone and Android.
Ripxx was designed by EDAS, a supplier of high-end vibration testing solutions for jet engines and other high performance industrial applications with a low tolerance for error. Basically, they’re rocket scientists! The same level of technological knowhow has been poured into Ripxx. We came up with Ripxx because we love outdoor sports; skiing, snowboarding, cycling, running, motocross, BMX, kayaking, motorsports – all of it. Ripxx records your movements while you’re doing what you love.
Creators of the original sports performance measurement device
have released a smart phone application that provides the same
detailed results.
nbl » 9
November 27-28 Thanksgiving Classic Morristown, TN Elite Open
December 27 President’s Cup Columbus, OH
December 28-29 Christmas Classic Columbus, OH Cat 2 Elite Open
January 29-30 Indy Indoor Indianapolis, IN Cat 3 Elite Open
March 5 NationsTour #1 Primm, NV
March 6 Stateline National Primm, NV Cat 4 Elite Open
March 19-20 Georgia Peach Nationals Peachtree City, GA Cat 2 Elite Open
April 2-3 Roadrunner Nationals Las Cruces, NM Cat 3 Elite Open
April 2-3 Freedom Nationals Petersburg, VA Cat 1 Elite Open
April 23 NationsTour #2 Sarasota, FL
April 24 Easter Classic Sarasota, FL Cat 4 Elite Open
April 30-May 1 Gator Nationals West Palm Beach, FL Cat 3 Elite Open
May 14-15 Dixieland Nationals Clemmons, NC Cat 1 Elite Open
May 14-15 All-American Nationals Fresno, CA Cat 2 Elite Open
May 28-29 Memorial Classic Pottstown, PA Cat 2 Elite Open
June 11-12 Empire Nationals New Paltz, NY Cat 3 Elite Open
June 11-12 SoCal Nationals Lucerne, CA Cat 1 Elite Open
June 25 NationsTour #3 TBA - Midwest
June 26 Midwest National TBA - Midwest Cat 4 Elite Open
July 9 NationsTour #4 Pittsburgh, PA
July 10 Stars N Stripes National Pittsburgh, PA Cat 4 Elite Open
July 16-17 Hoosier Nationals Evansville, IN Cat 1 Elite Open
July 30-31 Great Lakes Nationals Waterford, MI Cat 2 Elite Open
August 13-14 Catskill Mountain Nationals Kingston, NY Cat 1 Elite Open
August 13-14 Golden State Nationals Prunedale, CA Cat 3 Elite Open
September 3-4 Grand National Louisville, KY Cat 4 Elite Open Category 1: Mixed Doubles - The virtual teamsheet will pair every boy with a girl to form “fantasy mixed doubles” teams of a varying number (probably 7 or 8). The winning virtual team will receive a prize of $2000 or almost $300 per rider. Category 2: Team Spectacular - No virtual teamsheets. Top teams will share a bulked-up purse.
The Thanksgiving Classic & ECDV Regional will fall under the New NBL. If you convert your membership at or before those races, you get that race free along with the President’s Cup and the Christmas Classic – a $300 value, FREE!
November 6-7 Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert Fort Walton Beach, FL SE
January 15-16 Virginia Horse Center Lexington, VA NE
February 26-27 Lexington BMX Lexington, SC SE
April 9-10 Virgin Regional BMX Virgin, UT W
April 16-17 Morristown BMX Morristown, TN SE
April 16-17 Winchester BMX Winchester, VA NE
May 7-8 East Moline BMX Speedway East Moline, IL MW
May 7-8 Central Jersey BMX Howell, NJ NE
May 7-8 Nellis BMX Las Vegas, NV W
May 21-22 Waukegan BMX Waukegan, IL MW
May 28-29 Air Time BMX Reedley, CA W
June 4-5 Cleves BMX Cleves, OH MW
June 4-5 Sandy Ridge BMX McDonough, GA SE
June 4-5 Catamount BMX Bennington, VT NE
June 18-19 Columbus BMX Columbus, IN MW
July 2-3 Livermore BMX Livermore, CA W
July 23-24 SE Challenge Championships Pelham, AL SE
July 23-24 NE Challenge Championships Bethel, CT NE
July 23-24 MW Challenge Championships Grand Rapids, MI MW
July 23-24 West Challenge Championships Kernville, CA W
EXPLANATION OF NATIONAL CATEGORIES
The Sunday race (July 24th) after the Challenge Championships will be a bonus National in each region. The race will be run like a normal National with no virtual teamsheets and will count towards the rider’s National qualifying races.
At the root of the new categories is the idea of a “virtual teamsheet”. Every rider at the race will be randomly placed on a team. This team will be separate from normal teams. Each rider will still be scored normally for National points. The virtual team will give every rider in attendance a chance at an additional award of the day.
Category 3: ProAm - The virtual teamsheet will pair every Am regardless of proficiency with a Pro rider. The winning virtual team will split a prize valued at $2000.Category 4: Super ProAm - One-day events held on Sunday after the NationsTour Pro races. Worth double National points. The virtual teamsheet will work the same as at ProAm races but with a $4000 prize.
EXPLANATION OF ELITE OPEN SERIESThe Elite Open Series will be a Pro Series completely separate from the NationsTour races. Elite Open classes will be offered at every National for AA-Elite Men, AA-Elite Women, A-Elite, Masters & SuperEx riders.
www.nbl.org
November 27-28 Thanksgiving Classic Morristown, TN
December 27 President’s Cup Columbus, OH
December 28-29 Christmas Classic Columbus, OH Cat 2
January 29-30 Indy Indoor Indianapolis, IN Cat 3
March 5 NationsTour #1 Primm, NV
March 6 Stateline National Primm, NV Cat 4
March 19-20 Georgia Peach Nationals Peachtree City, GA Cat 2
April 2-3 Roadrunner Nationals Las Cruces, NM Cat 3
April 2-3 Battlefield Nationals Petersburg, VA Cat 1
April 23 NationsTour #2 Sarasota, FL
April 24 Easter Classic Sarasota, FL Cat 4
April 30-May 1 Gator Nationals West Palm Beach, FL Cat 3
May 14-15 Dixieland Nationals Clemmons, NC Cat 1
May 14-15 All-American Nationals Fresno, CA Cat 2
May 28-29 Memorial Classic Pottstown, PA Cat 2
June 11-12 Empire Nationals New Paltz, NY Cat 3
June 11-12 SoCal Nationals Lucerne, CA Cat 1
June 25 NationsTour #3 TBA - Midwest
June 26 Midwest National TBA - Midwest Cat 4
July 9 NationsTour #4 Pittsburgh, PA
July 10 Stars N Stripes National Pittsburgh, PA Cat 4
July 16-17 Hoosier Nationals Evansville, IN Cat 1
July 30-31 Great Lakes Nationals Waterford, MI Cat 2
August 13-14 Catskill Mountain Nationals Kingston, NY Cat 1
August 13-14 Golden State Nationals Prunedale, CA Cat 3
September 3-4 Grand National Louisville, KY Cat 4
November 6-7 Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert Fort Walton Beach, FL SE
January 8 - 9 Virginia Horse Center Lexington, VA NE
February 26-27 Lexington BMX Lexington, SC SE
April 9 Virgin Regional BMX Virgin, UT W
April 16-17 Morristown BMX Morristown, TN SE
April 16-17 Winchester BMX Winchester, VA NE
May 7-8 East Moline BMX Speedway East Moline, IL MW
May 7-8 Central Jersey BMX Howell, NJ NE
May 7-8 Nellis BMX Las Vegas, NV W
May 21-22 Waukegan BMX Waukegan, IL MW
May 28-29 Air Time BMX Reedley, CA W
June 4-5 Cleves BMX Cleves, OH MW
June 4-5 Sandy Ridge BMX McDonough, GA SE
June 4-5 Catamount BMX Bennington, VT NE
June 18-19 Columbus BMX Columbus, IN MW
July 2-3 Livermore BMX Livermore, CA W
July 23-24 SE Challenge Championships Pelham, AL SE
July 23-24 NE Challenge Championships Bethel, CT NE
July 23-24 MW Challenge Championships Grand Rapids, MI MW
July 23-24 West Challenge Championships Kernville, CA W
The Thanksgiving Classic & ECDV Regional will fall under the New NBL. If you convert your membership at or before those races, you get that race free along with the President’s Cup and the Christmas Classic – a $300 value, FREE!
At the root of the new categories is the idea of a “virtual teamsheet”. Every rider at the race will be randomly placed on a team. This team will be separate from normal teams. Each rider will still be scored normally for National points. The virtual team will give every rider in attendance a chance at an additional award of the day.
The Sunday race (July 24th) after the Challenge Championships will be a bonus National in each region. The race will be run like a normal National with no virtual teamsheets and will count towards the rider’s National qualifying races.
Category 1: Mixed Doubles - The virtual team-sheet will pair every boy with a girl to form “fan-tasy mixed doubles” teams of a varying number (probably 7 or 8). The winning virtual team will receive a prize of $2000 or almost $300 per rider. Category 2: Team Spectacular - No virtual team-sheets. Top teams will share a bulked-up purse.
Category 3: ProAm - The virtual teamsheet will pair every Am regardless of proficiency with a Pro rider. The winning virtual team will split a prize valued at $2000.Category 4: Super ProAm - One-day events held on Sunday after the NationsTour Pro races. Worth double National points. The virtual teamsheet will work the same as at ProAm races but with a $4000 prize.
EXPLANATION OF NATIONAL CATEGORIES
TWO WHEEL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS
A FUSION/MKBRAINCHILD/POST HOUSE PRODUCTION “JOIN THE NATION”MIKE KOULERMOS STEVE HAMM TIMOTHY M. FLAHERTY TIMOTHY M. FLAHERTYPRODUCED
BYDIRECTED
BY
ROYNUTS »12
road To gLory t
his month I’m going to share with you a honest to goodness true story of my first road trip. I believe that the road is where you can learn, grow and show the world that you’re not just a knucklehead punk on a BMX bike pedaling toward the jumps with
seven other fools. I’ve traveled the country and world with BMX, and it all started when I met the Garcia family!
This Garcia family was straight out of “Leave it to Beaver” (the Mexican edition) complete with Grandpa and a closely knit family. The youngest son, Joey, was pretty good on a BMX bike but was just a little grom who always wanted to tag along with us. We would ditch him every chance we got. The older son Jimmy (my age), went to high school with me and as soon as we met, we hit it off and and were BMX buddies for years to come. Their parents were school teachers (Mary & Jim) and I will never forget the first race I went to with them.
It was 1987 and I was a long-haired, breakdancing cholo! Now, I wasn’t necessarily the best student or bike racer at the time, I was more of the “go out and party every weekend while chasing some hottie from history class” type of high schooler. I never carried a backpack, or took books home from school. My grades were “passing” at best. I had a couple of girlfriends, and hung out with more than one troublemaker. We had a small tight crew and out of the five of us, one is dead (gang affiliation), one is in prison for life, one is in a wheel chair (shot in the back), and one disappeared when his mom sent him back to Arizona. I’m the fifth.
One Friday afternoon this big, old motor home comes rolling up my driveway and out jumps this round Pancho Villa-looking guy I barely know and starts telling me to get ready for the state qualifier in Sanger! He had already talked to my mom and we were to be on the road in five minutes. In straight
BMXer fashion, I grabbed my bike and clothes while Jim reminded me to grab my backpack so I could do my homework on the way. “Homework? Who does homework?” I thought. Needless to say, I wanted to BMX and going away for the weekend sounded like heaven on earth. Joey was yelling at me to hurry up and Jimmy was nose deep in an English book from Mr. Barnes’ class. I stole my sister’s backpack to make it look like I owned one, fed the horses real quick, and five minutes later we were on our way.
Spanish music wasn’t my favorite but Jim Garcia sure does love it and I recall singing something about “Volver”, although I had no idea what the word meant. I heard some Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings along the way too. I figured Mr. Garcia was fresh from the border and still wet behind the ears, but at least his boys could ride.
Two hours later we arrived at Apache Land BMX with my homework completed and checked by big Jim (he had a rule that if you couldn’t finish your homework you couldn’t practice). I had never been to a state race and this was only the second track I had ever ridden. I couldn’t wait to see the track, hear the gate starter and smoke some fools down the first straight! My heart was thumping through my chest with excitement. I recall getting snapped by some 10-year-old named Randy Stumpinjumper and meeting one of Jimmy’s friends named Riofrio. I raced Novice and got smoked every lap. Needless to say, it was rad! We camped at the track and had burnt BMX BBQ with plenty of laughter for dessert.
Driving home was full of Jim Garcia fables of the Olympics’, western movies and how he use to be a Mexican-American cowboy on the prairie. I was sad driving home knowing that the weekend was over and that I had school the next day. But I knew how to sing in Spanish and do my homework -- two things I had never done before. Joey Garcia went on to win a couple National titles and X-Games gold medals while Jimmy Garcia became National #1 and raced AA-Pro for a bit. Jim still watches country movies and sings in Spanish while Mary is the NBL California State Commissioner to this day. Stumpfhauser just retired after becoming the Greatest of All Time, and I’m still at it, pedalling toward the jump with seven other fools (Riofrio included).
by Al “Roynuts” Roybal
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We are the safest and most reliable producer of BMX + MTB start gate equipment in the WORLD. We are
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the holiday break is over and everyone that went to the Christmas Classic & Presidents Cup have recovered from their 12 hour race days and should be looking toward their local track time to get ready for the next national coming to your
area. Christmas Classic was an amazing race for the NBL. Walking into registration and seeing 360 motos on the screen is a great thing for BMX. You will soon see this same growing effect at your local track; and with all the excitement from the local tracks during December you should be running out your front door with your bike.
Just days before Christmas the riders from Punta Gorda, FL got an early Christmas gift as Amanda Carr and her hard working crew went “90’s” during the track rebuild. If you make a trip to Charlotte BMX you will see a similar layout from the 1990’s thanks to Tommy Cross & Mitch Home’s track building expertise. Along with Tommy & Mitch the Adams family played a major role in supporting the build. Amanda Carr makes it all happen
while she trains with the goal of becoming an Olympian, hits the schools with her Cycles & Strides program and makes a big impression on the track program. Hats off to Amanda and the entire crew at Charlotte BMX! Check them out at www.charlottebmx.net
Over in Connecticut the crew at Foothills BMX dug deeper than moving dirt. The day before Thanksgiving, Motocross champion Doug Henry had a fire at his home in Torrington. When Foothills BMX got word of the home being destroyed in the blaze, they immediately rallied a fundraiser that was held December 5th with a silent auction, bake sale and benefit race.
On December 18th Michigan got an early gift for the holidays by having the opening of Thrifty Acres BMX Indoor Facility. Greenville, Michigan is now home to a track in the 90,000 square foot Meijer building that played host to 16 Men & Women Elite riders racing for $2500 in prize money. Along with the pros racing there were 158 amateur riders that came from as far away as Colorado. The track was built using 10,000 cubic yards of dirt acquired from the Meijer Heartland Trail pedestrian tunnel construction project. The name Thrifty Acres BMX pays tribute to Meijer and their support of the youth and healthy life styles. Lets all welcome Doug Doerr, Herschel Brown and Paul Maycroft to the NBL Nation and pay a visit to their new facility. Check them out at www.taibmx.com
In just a couple of weeks Indy Indoor will be ready to host their national before the National Championship tour takes a quick 1 month break and gears up for the NBL Nations Tour Kickoff out west in Primm, NV where the smarts of the Nevada BMX crew is already starting to set the stage for the weekends’ events. If you’re heading out to Buffalo Bills Casino you can catch a deal on the room by calling 1-888-Fun-Stop and using “scb0481” as the BMX Discount Code.
If your local track has something great to share with the nation please e-mail the details so your items can make this monthly column. Each month the latest and greatest items happening around the country with the NBL family of tracks will be featured. Please send me a shout at [email protected] and I will help you spread the word about your programs.
track dirt » 13
dowN IN THE dIrT by Cody Wilson
riding tips »
CHAMPION’S CORNER: This month we are going to move on to a different type of skill, there are a few more advanced manualing techniques left to go over but we will get to those later, for now we are going to focus on every
ones favorite skill; Jumping.
Jumping is probably the root of what makes BMX Racing so fun, there is nothing quite like the feeling of clearing our first table top and then whenever we get to a new track the talk in the pits is always “did you hit the dub on the second straight; was it easy?” “Did you see the pro jumps; do you think they are faster?” It’s in our nature to look for reasons to jump, jumping is exciting. This month we are going to cover the 3 basic parts to jumping, so if you want to learn to get both of your wheels off the ground read on and then head to www.bmxnat.com to watch the video.
by: Justin travis
Start by finding a small to medium sized table top.
Approach the jump at a speed that will allow you to focus on just getting your wheels off the ground and landing safely
Keep your body tall and over the center of your bike to start. As you approach the jump give yourself set up time (set up time is more important than an extra pedal when you are learning)
Right before you get to the jump compress on your bike just like you would as if you were doing a bunny hop.
At the top of the lip, when your front wheel is about to go off the jump, EXPLODE up with your entire body (just like a bunny hop) this is your boost.
CONTROL your bike; keep relaxed and try and keep your front wheel a little higher than your back wheel until you know you have cleared the jump, this way if you come up short you will be able to absorb the landing with your legs and body.
Practice going as high as you can and practice going as low as you can, you will need to know how to do both someday to win a race.
Remember, the faster you go the less boost you need to clear a jump.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Jumping is about progression, so before you blast off full speed at any random table top or double, take the time to learn the three parts of a jump; SPEED, BOOST, and CONTROL.
» step 4
vaughn is com-pressed before the Jump, his arms are bent and his body is down.
14
» step 5
vaughn exploded his shoulders up as hard as he could pulling his bike up with him
» step 6
vaughn controls his bike through the air over a progressive table top at ohio dreams race training facility
skillbasic Jumping
bmxnat.com
eight steps to basic Jumping
if you are from Florida then you are probably used to hearing the name Kody Wong over the loudspeaker every race weekend. But if you are from anywhere else, it may not sound too familiar…for now.
This season, Kody is completely focused and has a new team backing him for state and nationals. Team Manager Todd Lackey of the Intense/Monster team recognized his talents on a bike, saw his determination to win and made a quick decision to add Kody to the team.
I was surprised to find out that this was Kody’s seventh season racing. Back in June of 2004, Kody started racing at Sarasota BMX with his two younger brothers Kenyon and Kendal Wong. It only took him a year an a half to turn expert after his first race, but that is typical Kody. He has been competitive from the day he was born. Being the middle child in a large family pushed him to try harder at everything he does. Kody doesn’t even let injuries get in his way of accomplishing what he wants. Even after breaking his wrist recently, he didn’t even think about missing a snowboarding trip.
He also gave me some insight on his goals for the future and why it is he excels at this sport. His overall goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, but he has some lesser goals as well. One of them is to turn pro at age 17, and he attributes a lot of his motivation for this goal to gate practice at Sarasota BMX.
“With so many pros out there, I try and compete with them every night,” Kody said. “When I first started getting gates with them two years ago, I would see how close I was to their back wheel. I noticed myself getting closer and closer to them, and now on a good night I can beat some of
them to the first corner.”
Kody uses that progression as motivation and as a proof that he can compete at the next level.
As far as training goes, Kody is always doing something. He trains every day of the week. He does all kinds of training, but mostly sprints about 20 pedals long. And when he’s not doing sprints, he does everything from legs at the gym to P90X at home.
Karate is also a big part of his training. He is currently a brown belt, just two levels away from a black belt.
“It helps my core muscles along with my concentration and focus,” he said. “I have had trouble with focus in the past. I was putting in all the work training before races then put too much pressure on myself to do good when I got to the race. I ride best in practice when I’m relaxed, so now I really try to relax when I race.”
With his competitive drive and devotion to hard work, Kody has been able to accomplish a great deal even though, comparatively speaking, he has not been in the sport for very long. With only 5 years of racing experience, Kody has already earned a much coveted Florida State title and two World #8 titles.
Keep your eyes on this rising star in 2011, and don’t blink. He’ll be leading the pack for the National title this year.
rider spottlight » 15
Kody wong An “Intense” Expert in BMX Racing for 2011
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every November, serious BMX racers look forward to Thanksgiving weekend, not because of the turkey and pumpkin pie, but because that’s when the toughest competitors make the yearly pilgrimage (no pun intended, as far as you know) to Morristown, Tennessee for the NBL Thanksgiving Classic.
November 2010 marked the first Thanksgiving race for the New NBL, and that meant there were some key differences.
The 2010 NBL Thanksgiving Classic was the first big race in the new season and under the newly revamped membership system, so there was a new sense of excitement in the air even if the surroundings were familiar.
The turnout was certainly a reflection of the members’ enthusiasm, and their competition made for some challenging battles even in the quarter semis and semis, making the mains that much more action-packed for everyone.
This year’s great new track design helped make the race even more exciting. Even with a small soft spot just out of gate seven, the first straight was fast and launched riders quickly into the first turn. Once out of that turn, racers could take advantage of multiple lines through the second straight, but they were all very fast. The third and final straights were marked by well-designed rhythm sections, which made for a really great competition for riders and spectators alike.
Saturday: The Elite Open class turned out in full force, including Phil Delizia, Riddell, Matt Beatty, and Moses who all looked tough to beat. Mike Gentilcore and “2X4” Tommy Board inspired the more seasoned racers in the audience, proving it can still be done well into their second decade of life.
When the Elite Open class lined up for the main, the Black Crown team was certainly well represented. When the gate slammed down, Moses had the pop and led most of the way around, until a crash in the last corner allowed Riddell to take the lead with Delizia pulling hard just behind him. The rest of the field crossed the line: Beatty, Murphy, 2X4, Woodruff, Moses, and Caldwell.
Lee Moses emerged from the crash largely unscathed.
“I was leading until the last corner, and then mass carnage.” He said. “Riddell won.” by G
reg
Davi
s
He then added, “It was a good way to start off the season. It was good competition, and it was good to see old faces and new faces.”
The older expert classes had a pile of competition at Morristown, as well. The 41 Expert class was stacked. Aubrey Jacobson, Joel Clark, Keith Bohne, Linwood Christopher, Frank Young, Ken Robinson, and Jay Kerns each won their motos. But the semis trimmed even some of the moto winners from the field unexpectedly: including Dominick Coates who had a crank arm flop off with a spindle bolt mishap, while he was still clipped in, down the second straight during one of his motos.
When the gate popped on the main, Christopher emerged with the holeshot and held the lead, pretty much from start to finish. Greg Lilly, Jason Morgan, Frank Young, Joel Clark, Keith Bohne, Mike Higdon, and Tom McMannis finished behind Christopher. After the main, Christopher said, “[It was] fun! Good racing. It was my first win at a national since 2004 – since racing expert. Here, there were [sic] lots of good comp – the semis were good.”
The 35-39 Expert class descended on Morristown, and landed hard. Many were surprised when Steve Smith showed up and raced 20 along with his cruiser. He dominated his motos, but had a bad crash in the main.
“…[It was] kind of not the greatest start,” he said. “I was coming back, and I got tangled and pretty much knocked out.”
Another Steve, however, Steve Sherman grabbed the win, with Drew “Motley Drew” Motley hot on his heels. And, while the medics attended to Smith, Rickey White, James Nabors, Scott Mechler, Shawn “McGroovin” McGovern and Timothy Brown crossed the line, in that order. Look for JW’s Smith to be a force on 20 in 2011.
Perhaps the closest race of the weekend took place in the sick-fast, 26-34 Expert class. Former Elite Pro, Lance McGuire looked unstoppable, but in the main, Frank “The Tank” Hoskins came up with the holeshot, in spite of a game knee that was scheduled for surgery within a few days. Coming out of the first turn, McGuire pulled hard and got ahead of Hoskins just as they both jumped into the second corner, with Hoskins pulling even as they emerged from the turn. But through the rhythm, McGuire edged him out
again. As they sped down the final straight, McGuire held his lead to the line. Behind them, Dusty Means, Jeff Holtz, Kris Creech, Arthur Gore, William “Petey” Peters, and the super smooth Thomas Truxel, crossed the line in that order.
Two words best describe the 19-25 Expert class at Morristown—“big” and “fast.” The weekend’s line-up was a real who’s who list of that class. The crazy-hard quarters and semis eliminated several of the top contenders. In the main, Niles Austin emerged in the lead with Brandt Kinder and Tom Parry trailing hard. Max Eden and RJ Livesay tried to battle their way up in the pack, but at the line, it was Austin, Kinder, Parry, Eden, Livesay, McDermott, Calvin and Dixon.
Daniel Birmingham was on the gas at Morristown, but on Saturday in the 17-18 Expert class, he had to take second behind Geoffrey Banser. If the officials shot radar on the mains, who would show higher MPH would be a toss-up between the 17-18 Expert class and the Elite Open class. At the line, it was Banser, Birmingham, Sinauskas, Grant, Pfender, Wedge, Porter, and Zell.
In the 16 Expert class, Cody House and Evan Eisenhard dominated their motos, but a tangle-up in the main held Eisenhard back, and Behm grabbed the lead and the win with House, Robinson, Elderkin, Johnson, Dutton, and Widdows following close behind.
Tyler Heinrichs and Austin Johnson both perfect-ed their motos, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that when the gate slammed down, it was Johnson and Henrichs dicing it up down the first straight. Heinrich edged out Johnson for the win, with Smith, Klien, Berg, Nelson, Rothmann, and Bisson finishing close behind them.
Perhaps one of the most impressive amateurs at Morristown was 14 Expert Andrew Townsend. The 14 Expert class was huge at Morristown with 25 riders, and loaded with tough competition. In dominating the way he did, Townsend really showed his great potential to everyone watching. Four 14 Experts survived the quarters and semis with perfect moto points, and in the main, aside from Townsend, Knapper, Shaw, and Pletscher, each lined up on the gate with all ones behind their name on the moto board. When the gate popped, Townsend shot to the first corner in the lead and held on to win. Knapper, Takamasa, Hardy, Bradner, Shaw, and Pletscher followed Townsend across the line.
Sunday: On the second full day of racing the Elite Open was minus 2X4, but Jason Sherrill arrived as if to fill the void. In the motos, Riddell seemed poised for another win, but Delizia looked part rocket-man on the day. Moses and Beatty also snapped up moto wins and the Elite Open looked super-evenly matched going into the main. Out of the gate, Delizia shot to the lead, with Riddell on his back wheel. Beatty got balled up in the corner with Moses. Riddell tried to reel Delizia in but couldn’t catch him before the line. Sherrill grabbed the third place bucks.
The 40-44 Cruiser class at this year’s T-day race was HUGE and stacked with the top riders. When the dust from the quarters and semis settled, the main looked pretty intense. More than half of the men who lined up on the gate had perfect-ed their motos. Incredibly, however, in his first national after a break that lasted a couple of decades, Nate Chever shot out to the front before Zizzo and McAllister slid by. Chever got a little crooked, allowing a few more riders to get past him. At the line McAllister gave Zizzo a challenge, but Zizzo held on to the lead leaving Motley to grab third, with Bell, Bramer, Lilly, Chever, and Sherman crossing in that order.
On Sunday, Steve Smith was still a little banged up from his brief, but intense, romance with the track surface. In fact, he had given some serious thought to not racing at all, after having to ice down his knee following Saturday’s 35-40 Expert main crash. At the last moment, he decided to race cruiser, and then promptly dominated his motos. By the main, Lackey and Hurley had also turned in perfects. When the gate slammed down on the main line-up, Smith shot out to the lead. By the time he crossed the line, that lead had widened to a couple of bike-lengths. Lackey, Carloss, Hurley, McGovern, Palugi, Wade, and Kuehn eventually crossed the line behind him.
In 30-24 Cruiser, Mike Peters pulled an almost identical move in the last corner of each lap during his motos, going from second to first by hugging the line and edging out the leader. In
the main Sunday, however, it didn’t work for him and Peters had to settle for second behind Macheska.
The 41 Expert races ended up looking a lot like Saturday’s results. With Christopher leading in the main, Kerns passed him, but Christopher didn’t give up. At the line, he passed Kerns for the win and his second perfect of the weekend. Finishing behind Kerns were Jacobson, Robinson, Davis, Coates, Bohne, and Lilly in that order.
Sunday’s 35-40 Expert main offered a bit of excitement when McGroovin’ McGovern shot out to the lead with Motley Drew on his tail, while somewhere behind them, Aussie-transplant Mark Wheeler blew off his chain and crashed. McGovern held on for the win.
Frank “The Tank” decided not to race both days, so McGuire dominated the 26-34 Expert class, winning all of his motos and the main from start to finish.
In the 19-25 Expert class, Steven Penland put it this way.
“Well in class main, I … [drew] gate 2, which…this weekend was definitely a great gate.” He said. “I had Niles Austin next to me in gate 1,” he continued, “…so I knew it wouldn’t be too much of a cake walk…”
He went on to describe, “I went into the first turn in 3rd behind Niles and RJ. The rest of the lap, until the last turn, I cruised behind them. I saw RJ going on the inside on the last turn and knew something was going to go down. RJ ended up going down trying to pimp Niles and I went around him following on the outside and ended up with a 2nd.”
RJ Livesay saw it slightly differently.
“After my fall in the main on Saturday, I wasn’t feeling 100%, but I got a good pop out of the gate [on Sunday’s main] and was running 2nd out of the 1st turn. Going through the rhythm, I set up a last turn pass for the lead but bonked the rollers and had to carve a little harder than I wanted to and just lost the front end. I ended up 5th for the day.”
He added, “Overall it was a great weekend. Fun track, and I was very impressed to see almost 200 motos!”
The Banser/Birmingham battle in 17-18 Expert was repeated Sunday, with the same result. Banser edged out the super quick Birmingham.
Victor Behm won every lap in the tough 16 Expert class. Other Expert perfects included: Andrew Townsend in 14, Luca Shaw in 13, Nick Connelly in 12, Erik Meyer in 11, and Ethan Banks in 6.
The new Challenger classes for the Women in the New NBL proved a great success at Morristown. Many of the ladies who had formerly only raced cruisers, diced it up on the 20s this weekend. Many displayed great skill down the second straight, even boosting some of the doubles.
In the 41+ Challenger Women, Christine Gurley perfect-ed, while the super quick Lisa Motley and Patricia Gonzales fought it out behind her.
Jessica Baker dominated the 19-25 Challenger Women class with Alicia Allen and Jaime Harmon trading off seconds and thirds.
In 17-18, Michelle Lehman went undefeated. Other lady perfects included, Kyla Reed in the 16-29 Open Wheel, Bethany Kludt in the 16 Challenger Girls, Mackenzie Erickson in 15, Rochelle Wooding in 14, Elida Beeman in 12, Tarah Wagner in 11, McKhenna Calhoun in 10, Victoria Brain in 8, and Kaitlyn Wightman in 5-7 Challenger Girls.
Overall, everything about the 2010 Thanksgiving Classic in Morristown highlighted the energy and excitement that is characterizing the new and newly energized NBL. The moto count, attendance, competition and the excitement were all through the roof.
The New NBL is proving to be the new leader in BMX racing… again. It’s like déjà-vu, all over again, only better.
So hold on to your racing profile, titanium rail saddle and get ready for everything the New NBL has to offer for 2011; including next year’s Thanksgiving Classic. It’s going to be epic.
after some years of hosting the Christmas Classic at a variety of locations, the premier winter race for the NBL returned to Columbus, Ohio in grand style; and for those who were in attendance (and there were a great number of you) two words immediately came to mind: BIG and TOUGH.
Everyone involved in this remarkable sport knows that BMX racing requires great sprinting ability. But this year’s Christmas Classic also tested every racer’s endurance. Some classes
fought through eighth-semis, many classes struggled through quarters, and virtually every class had at least semis to contend with to get to the main. In fact, there were well over 350 motos on each day of the Christ-mas Classic this year. When the competition was finally over, many riders had taken more trips around that track than they normally would at a couple of nationals combined.
This year’s race had the moto count and festival atmosphere of a Grand National event. If this had been a Pro Series race, as it used to be, it would have been even bigger; possibly topping 400 motos. But even without the pros, the top amateurs showed up in full force, and the competition was fierce. Some of the racers who made the main at the Grand Nationals this year, didn’t make the main here. It was that tough. The talent displayed in both the male and female Elite Open races had the fences all the way around the track packed with specta-tors.
The track itself featured a long first straight—much longer than most indoor tracks. This made it possible for racers to drag race to the first turn. Coming out of the gate, racers cranked up to a step-up, then a double, and finally a big tabletop into the big first turn.
That first turn shot racers into a decision maker with a huge pro section on the left that was optional and only slightly quicker than the right side. On the right, out of the turn, was a step to a mid-sized double then to a large double going into the second turn. The final two straights were made up of rhythm sections. Track builder, Tom “Ritz” Ritzenthaler, put in some overtime on those rhythm sections, and the final two straights further tested rider endurance because racers had to dig deeper on the second half of the track in order to finish well.
But the ‘big’ part of this event was not limited to the track… The pits brimmed with vendors and product manufacturers displaying a variety of BMX merchandise. And, if you looked twice, you saw a few super quick riders in the pits who, for one reason or another, weren’t racing. Frank “The Tank” Hoskins was out for the weekend having recently had one of his knees worked on. A separated shoulder forced Elite rider, Marty Wisehart, to watch from the sidelines. Former pro rider Dustin Vogler was in the stands—plotting his return to racing after two major knee rehabs; and full-time student and Elite female rider Rachel “Thunder” Smith checked out the action at the Christmas Classic as a spectator—just to name a few.
Day One: In the Elite Open motos, all the riders looked strong, but several stood out. Jeff Upshaw, Justin Riddell, and Michael Kapes looked to be the three to beat in the main. After a roll out in pro style, the Elite Open main event lined up on the hill. When the gate slammed down, Upshaw had the inside, but Kapes grabbed the holeshot. Bad luck for Benny Wright who snapped his chain, just out of the gate.
By the second straight pro section, Kapes had a couple of bikes on Upshaw. Upshaw is famous for pulling into first just before the line, but from the infield it looked like too big a gap to overcome, even for Upshaw. Since Kapes didn’t seem to be making any mistakes, Upshaw looked like he’d have to settle for second. Then Upshaw gained a little on Kapes in the rhythm, but it didn’t look like enough, until Kapes left the door open in the final corner giving Upshaw the space to dive in and pass Kapes… just before the line. The pass was so tight, Kapes nearly came out of his pedals, but he stayed up, and both riders were far enough ahead of the pack that Kapes held second place position. At the line it was: Upshaw, Kapes, Daniel Smith, Riddell, Travis Woodruff, Michael Caldwell, Josh Smith, and Benny Wright.
Afterward, Kapes said, with a grin, “Watch the inside at the corners. Don’t leave your inside line open.”
There were a number of surprises on day one of the Christmas Classic this year. Crazy fast CJ McGuire felt under the weather and didn’t dominate the way spectators have come to expect. In 26-34 Expert the three men who conquered their motos went down in the main, one of them hit the ground so hard they likely felt the impact at NBL Headquarters in Gahanna, Ohio. The ever-dominant Chase Hines was forced to watch from the sidelines after breaking his collarbone and wrist, and in the Elite Women class, Felt’s Alaina Henderson went down so hard she needed surgery.
BMX Nation caught up with her once she was well on the road to recovery and got the chance to ask, “What happened?”
Henderson: “I didn’t get out of the gate (well), so I was coming from behind in the middle of the pack. I got tangled up with one of the girls, and my front wheel just slid out. I’m still trying to figure out what happened, but I think it was my brake lever that did it.”
“I remember… just lying there, and I couldn’t move, and I didn’t know why. The medics sat me up, and then Carlos came over and… I looked down and saw a huge gash. When I got (to the hospital) I was immediately transferred, and they did emergency surgery.”
“I damaged three spots in my intestines, [but] they took very good care of me at the hospital, and it was awesome to know everyone back at the track was thinking of me. The support helped a lot and is going to make it that much easier to get back out there in eight weeks. Thank you everyone for all the love!”
Back at the Christmas Classic, Henderson’s friends and competitors in the Elite Women class had a great main event. Frances Maycroft came out of the gate with a real purpose and snapped the holeshot, then opened up her lead. Crystal Kalogris cranked into second behind Maycroft and put the pressure on, but behind Kalogris, Danielle Parish was putting an equal amount of pressure on her. Kalogris pulled even down the second straight, but Maycroft regained the lead. By the line, it was nearly a photo finish, with Maycroft narrowly holding onto first, Kalogris in second, and Parish in third.
Afterward, Maycroft said, “I almost lost it, but had a good first straight. I’m just glad there’s a full rack of girls.”
Crystal Kalogris added, “Coming onto the gate… running through my mind [were] my little say-ings to myself for how my gate and first straight should be. Once the gate dropped I had the gate I needed and first straight pull as well. Then, Frances and I were battling the rest of the track side by side…. All that kept running through my mind was how and when I was going to try to pass her.”
“Down the last straight I was coming on strong to Frances’ inside, so she moved over to close the door, and we continued to drag race to the finish line. I ended up second by mere inches, and I would love to see the photo finish picture to just see how close 1st, 2nd, and 3rd actually [were].”
“I definitely had fun during that main event,” Parish said. “I was really happy about getting a podium spot at my first pro race. I just hope I can do the same thing against the long time pro women.”
Meanwhile, the men’s racing was just as hotly contested. The 41 and Over Expert class is big and tough. Many of the men in the main that day have been racing in NBL nationals longer than most of the Elite Men have been alive. Several riders who won motos didn’t make it through the daunting semis that day.
Out of the gate, Darin Houston grabbed an early lead. Hector Mendez, who usually only races cruiser, pulled into second after passing John Sabatini, and Rennen’s London Wilmot pulled in just behind Sabatini. At the finish it was, Houston, Mendez, Sabatini, Wilmot, John Pringle, Coates, Dugan Neil, and Jim Wahl.
In the pits after his main, Houston said, “I don’t know how I did it. I was sick as a dog, but I had some pull and pedaled where others weren’t.”
Houston went on to double, winning the insanely fast 40-44 cruiser main also.
Perhaps one of the best mains of the day was the 35-40 Expert class. The biggest surprise wasn’t that big Shawn DiPrete grabbed the holeshot. Most would be surprised if he didn’t. The biggest surprise came when Weird Al Roybal (Announcer Extraordinaire) pulled even with DiPrete down the second straight, high-lowed DiPrete in the second corner, and then got a little ahead of him down the third straight. DiPrete, however, returned the favor in the third turn and Weird Al went over the berm.
When Roybal went over the turn, JW’s Steve Smith slid into second with Todd Lackey and Coastal’s Ricky White in tow. Behind them Mark Davis, Shawn “McGroovin” McGovern, and Shawn Moore crossed the line as Roybal picked himself up and dusted himself off.
Later, DiPrete said, “Good holeshot. Roybal pulled up next to me, and I had a good line in the last turn. I gave him a little bit of an elbow, and he went over the turn. Fun race!” Roybal added, “Physics sucks,” with a big grin on his face.
In the insanely fast 26-34 Expert class, carnage erupted almost as soon as the gate slammed down. Dusty Means came out fast, but over the first jump it all went wrong, and he hit the dirt hard. The crowd held their collective breath as Means stayed down and the EMTs rushed over. While Lance McGuire, Pat Parker, and Means, the three riders in the main who had dominated their motos, tangled up, Moley Gosh’s Garret Rosh emerged from the chaos with the lead but John Salzmann and Tom Truxell were close behind. They stayed that way with Santos and Mabin close behind.
A week later, Means said, “I remember holeshotting on the outside and having about a tire on everyone. By the 1st hill, I knew I needed to cutover and shut everyone down. (Afterward), all I remember is cutting over and smashing my head into the ground. When I regained consciousness, I was like blind on and off for at least 45 minutes. I ended up having a critical concussion and broke my back....it’s the wreck that put me in the trauma center for 4 days.”
Serious injuries, but Means will be back in no time. Count on it.
When it was time for the 19 – 25 Expert main, the gate lined up with a veritable who’s who of BMX. The class was quite simply packed and stacked with talent. Rennen’s Egdorf had a great gate and led the pack, but all seven of the other riders were within striking distance when they entered the rhythm section, where a few riders, including crazy fast Seth Utz went down. Egdorf went on to win with Standard’s Adcock and Moley Gosh’s Robinson in tow. Behind them, Knap-per, Hattat, Utz, McDermott, and Austin followed.
Kody Wong opened up a huge lead in 16 Expert, but the race for second tightened up fast. Behm and Hootman battled back and forth, with Hootman staying in second until the last corner where Hootman got pushed over the turn and Behm pulled into second for good. The finish looked like this: Wong, Behm, Struna, Roharik, Eisenhard, Robinson, Deroche, and Hootman.
15 Expert almost looked like a replay of 16, with Byndloss playing the part of Wong. Byndloss grabbed a big lead early, and then in the first turn, a bunch of riders went down. Byndloss stayed in front with Ceslok and Smith in tow all the way to the line.
Afterward, Byndloss said, “Christmas Classic in Ohio was one of the BIGGEST NBL races I have been to in a long time. The atmosphere was crazy! The older expert class races were aggres-sive and entertaining. Watching had me pumped for my main. I was racing some fast kids, and I had to stay focused on getting a good gate. …I gave it all I had and pedaled everywhere I could. When I came out of the last turn I was surprised that I still had that much power left in my legs after 4 days of racing. After I crossed the finish line I was happy to come away with another main victory.”
In 14 Expert, Justin Knapper grabbed a big lead early and made it across the line first, but the three riders behind him hit the line at almost the same moment. When the dust settled, and the scorers made their final judgment, it looked like this: Knapper, Pita, O’Conner, Roarty, Kulp, Shaw, Takamasa, and Conklin.
Day Two: Many felt the full effect of racing eighths, quarters, semis, and mains in multiple classes the previous day. By the time the mains rolled around on Day Two, most of the riders were tired and sore. Akron local, Tom “The Cowboy” Wagner raced three classes throughout the entire event. When asked about how he did it, he simply shrugged, and said, “Stamina and endurance.”
Sunday’s Elite Open main event shot out of the gate at mach speed, and they hit the first jump almost eight wide, with Kapes and Upshaw less than a wheel-length ahead of the pack. Leroy Moses, in his first Elite main event, went down over the first jump. Kapes may have had a few inches on Upshaw over the step, but Upshaw emerged from the first turn with a slight lead. They hit the pro section almost side by side, and it looked like Kapes had to slow a bit to avoid a full-on mid-air collision, allowing Jason Sherrill to pull into second. Sherrill stayed there, despite a hard charge from Jared Becker. Behind Becker, Wright, Smith, Riddell, Kapes, and Moses crossed the line in that order.
BMX Nation caught up with Masters class rider Jason Sherrill, who’d grabbed second, to get his take on the main.
“It was the best first straight all weekend. I had the inside on the first turn and capitalized on the speed of Upshaw and Kapes, who hit the left (pro section). By far, it was my best lap of the race.”
And Sherrill had led some impressive laps in Columbus.
In the Elite Women main event, Maycroft again grabbed the holeshot and widened her lead out of the first turn. Young emerged with a clear second, while Parish and Kalogris fought for the third. Down the third straight, they remained like that, but out of the last turn, the pack gained on Maycroft. At the line, however, it was Maycroft, Young, Parish, Kalogris, Bontorno, Dragoo, and Hayer.
“The girls all get to the first jump at the same time,” Carley Young said. “So experience and bike control matter, because it’s who powers through the crowd makes [sic] it to the first turn first.”
The 41 Expert class came out of the gate like a shot and Houston again took an early lead. Wilmot emerged from the first turn in second, but he couldn’t catch Houston. By the finish line, Mendez had slid into third with Neil, Pringle, Wahl, Kerns, and Coates close behind.
“I didn’t really get a good start,” said Pringle. “I saw Darin (Houston) take off, but I was stuck in the pack.”
Wahl put it this way, “Passing was a challenge. It was tight everywhere.”
The rematch between DiPrete and Roybal took place on Day Two in 35-40 Expert as Weird Al tried to swoop DiPrete in the second and in the final corners. On the last straight he pulled almost even but got a bit crooked and shut it down. Riofrio picked up the third place spot.
“The race for first was between Shawn and Al,” Riofrio said. “Those two were on another level. Lackey was going super fast and was the only other guy who had a shot to compete with them. Considering who finished in front of me I was happy with my 3rd place finish on day 2.”
Shawn “McGroovin” McGovern, who finished sixth in the main described it this way, “Tough class. There’s [sic] a lot of heavy-hitters. It was a tough three days with a lot of guys stepping up their game.”
Moving down the line to the next class, Patrick Parker edged out Garrett Rosh down the first straight after the gate, but McGuire pulled Rosh and slid into second in the final turn. At the line, however, it was Parker for the win in 26-34 Expert. National number one, Truxell followed close behind Rosh with Mellone, with Moberly, and Holtz hot on his heels.
In the huge and talented 19-25 Expert class, Egdorf repeated with Adcock fighting off Penland for second.
In pro practice on Day One, Jacob Sherbno threw down some mad style over the big pro section, but a crash hurt him. On Day Two, he’d put it behind him and won start to finish in the, very “pre-pro–like” 17-18 Expert class. Loebe, Benoit, Ryan, Smith, House, Zell, and Banser followed.
In 16 Expert, Behm, like Sherbno from the previous main, grabbed the lead and held it, start to finish. Smith, Roharik, Wong, Eisenhard, Mojica, and Montgomery tried to chase him down, but no one could catch Behm that day.
The cruiser classes were double extra-large and triple quick at the Christmas Classic this year. In the 35-39 cruiser class DiPrete drag raced Lackey to the first turn. Riofrio, on the inside, held Steve Smith and Roybal to the outside. McGovern, Frank, and Carroll followed, and that was how they finished.
Completely happy with his eighth, Carroll said, “I made my main in cruiser my first race back in a decade, and it was stacked!”
Mike Peters won every pre-main lap in 30-34 cruiser, but so did Moberly and the main looked to be a great one. Peters led to the first corner, but Moberly was on his back tire by the final turn. They drag raced to the line, but Peters kept hold of the lead and the win. Lewis, Macheska, McGraw, Hall, and Gilliland rounded out the pack.
Four men entered the 25-29 cruiser main with perfect moto points: Gore, Rosh, Pettinelli, and Parker. When the gate slammed down, Parker pulled the pack to the first turn. Rosh and Gore, pulled in behind, but Pettinelli was bunched up in the back. Parker held on for the win with Rosh and Gore for second and third place. Behind them, Rincon, Bryan, Petinelli, Baker, and Bissell finished out the rack.
The new Moley Gosh colors captured ample wins at the Christmas race, including the 17-24 cruiser main. Kyle Robinson is always fast, but he’s stepped it up a lot, and it shows. He and his UPS brown SE pulled the pack of impressive racers like Birmingham, Knapper, and others. At the finish, it was Robinson, Birmingham, Penland, Parry, Beale, Calvin, Knapper, and Grant.
The team award for the Christmas Classic went to Rennen/Intense.
Team manager London Wilmot said, “It felt good. We had a LOT of good guys here. It’s a great way to start off (a new season).”
The New NBL is really taking hold, and nowhere was this more evident than at the 2010 Christ-mas Classic. There are obviously big things in store for 2011.
If you missed this race, make plans to be at the next one.
About fifteen years ago, a little kid from Dayton, OH started turning heads in the close-knit subculture that is the BMX world. His talent and skill impressed everyone
in the BMX community, almost from the moment he began racing. He had a style all his own, and he had the drive and determination of a winner.
As he grew, so did his considerable talent and skills, and as he quickly moved up among the expert ranks and began to dominate, sponsors and publications noticed. Many compared his smoothness to the late Mario Soto and the way he seemed to absorb almost any obstacle and manual it smoothly prompted the once popular website, BMX Basement, to dub him “Rubber Band Man.”
Upshaw quickly developed incredible power and speed to compliment his smoothness, and he soon achieved what everyone who had ever watched him race and marveled at his skill knew he would: He became a top Elite Pro. Even before he had a single sponsor, there was one man who never doubted just how far Upshaw would go on his bike. Upshaw’s dad, “Big” Jeff, has been a constant presence and the primary supporter in his son’s BMX career. More than anyone, “Big” Jeff has helped his son attain his dreams. Upshaw and his dad, like another famous pair of Dayton men you may have heard of, achieved their dreams of flying. But Jeff Upshaw is not done, not even close. In 2008, following an almost 10 year hiatus from the world of BMX racing, CycleCraft Bicycle Company, a BMX mainstay in the 80s and 90s, was preparing to hit the tracks once again. In September of that year, a group of Central Florida investors, who happened to be BMXers and businessmen, purchased the company from Terry “Shag” Shaughnessy, who had been the heart and soul of CycleCraft for the last 20 years. The new owners had one primary objective: to get, CycleCraft back in BMX.
Following the development and introduction of a high quality, “Made in the USA” line of aluminum frames and the re-introduction of Fred’Z Handlebars, it was time for CycleCraft to put a strong team together. For the CycleCraft ownership group, signing Upshaw to lead the charge to return the company’s frames and parts to the front of the BMX racing scene was the obvious choice. We caught up with Jeff “Upshizzle” Upshaw to talk with him about his career and what he sees ahead.
Vitals: Age: 23, years racing: 15, current sponsors: CycleCraft, Alienation, Answer, Fly Racing, JW Products, Moley Gosh, Kenda, Vans, and 43 Bolts.
BMX Nation: You have been in BMX a while. What kind of an impact has your father had on your racing career?Upshaw: Dad got me started in this sport and has pushed me to be the best I can be ever since. I remember these words like they were just said, “You get out what you put in.” Those words will take me to the top.
BMX Nation: There are a lot of guys out there who look up to you today. Who are the BMX pros you look up to the most?Upshaw: Denzel Stein is an amazing young man with a good heart and major drive for this sport. “Big ups Champ.” I have loved Kyle Bennett’s riding since day one. He is “one off” on a bike. Also, he has come off several injuries and every time shows that he is the man to beat.
BMX Nation: Do you have any favorite tracks? Upshaw: The OTC, the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and South Park, Pennsylvania.
BMX Nation: Who are your favorite people to ride with? Upshaw: Really just anybody trying to take it to the next level above and beyond, but if I had to name a few, Tommy Zula, Bubba Harris, and long lost Mike Lundy.
BMX Nation: What are some of your favorite things to do when you’re not riding? Upshaw: Working out at the gym, shopping, and I love to go fishing. So if I’m not at the track or at the gym, you can catch me lakeside.
BMX Nation: A couple of years ago, you had a vicious crash and had to rehab your knee pretty extensively. How tough was it to come back from that injury? Upshaw: The physical aspect of it was tough, just like everyday training but with more pain. I wanted back in the sport, so I made goals and met those daily. With injury, I think the hardest part on you is mental. I’m going to go on to say this season has been a challenge.
BMX Nation: You have a reputation for your smoothness and ability in the rhythm sections. Is there anything you’ve done to develop this? Upshaw: That has always been most fun for me. Over time, I just became one of the best in that area. I spend a lot of time seeing how fast, or seeing what’s the least amount of jumps it would take to get through the rhythm. “Practice makes perfect.”
I uSED TO RIDE My BMX BIKE TEN MILES OR SO TO SPEND THE DAy RIDINg TRAILS OR TRACKS wITH fRIENDS wHO DIDN’T LIvE CLOSE. I wOuLD BE OuT ON My BIKE fOR HOuRS NONSTOP, AND THAT LET ME BE A LOT STRON-gER ON THE SEC-OND HALf Of THE TRACK.
BMX Nation: You are still so young. Where do you see your career in BMX in say five years or ten years?Upshaw: I still have room to grow in the sport. In five years, I believe I will still be able to hold my own, and hopefully in ten years I can still compete in one way or another.
BMX Nation: What does a day in the life of “Upshizzle” look like?Upshaw: I wake up and cook breakfast, hit the gym, eat lunch, take a nap or sneak in some fishing. I do sprints in the evening or track, then cook dinner, stretch, sleep, and get back up to do it all again.
BMX Nation: Do you mind sharing some of your goals for the next five or ten years outside of BMX? Upshaw: I plan on getting into college within the next year and working on becoming a personal trainer. I would also like to get involved in some things that can keep me around the sport for many years to come. I plan to have a family and kids and hopefully my passion for BMX will run through their veins.
BMX Nation: What’s in your iPod/MP3/CD player right now?Upshaw: Wiz Khalifa “Youngin on His Grind.”
BMX Nation: Any thanks?Upshaw: Yes. I would like to thank, first and foremost, the man above: Jesus Christ, for letting all things be possible; Mom and Dad for supporting me through my career—if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here; J-Rich, and the Stein family, my hometown—the 937 [Dayton, Ohio]; my sponsors: Darin at CycleCraft, Zach at Alienation, Ryan at Answer, Ray at Fly Racing, Jeff at JW Products, Mike and Bill at Moley Gosh, Tony D at Kenda, Alex at 43 Hardware, and also all my fans out there—much love.
BMX Nation: You seem to excel, perhaps more than any other pro, at coming from behind to pull into the lead at the end of the race. Are there any techniques you have used to help you get so good at this? Upshaw: I used to ride my BMX bike ten miles or so to spend the day riding trails or tracks with friends who didn’t live close. I would be out on my bike for hours nonstop, and that let me be a lot stronger on the second half of the track.
BMX Nation: Do you spend a lot of time training? Do you do so mostly by yourself, or do you have people who you consistently train with? Upshaw: I am training anywhere from two to five days a week, either in the gym, sprints, or track. I train alone for the most part, but I will have a few sessions where I will train with a few kids I work with like, Dylan Cooley, Ashley Cooley, and Jacob Hootman.
BMX Nation: One of the most amazing things about you and Matt Pohlkamp is how you two have risen to greatness in the relative isolation of an area of the country that’s pretty inhospitable to BMX in the winter and often uncomfortable in the summer. Do you find it difficult to stay at the Elite level living where you do? Upshaw: It gets tough in Ohio in the winter months, that’s for sure—bye-bye sprints. The good thing is we have an indoor track and everybody shows up because it’s the only place to pedal within a two-hour drive. So we get to ride that for the cold months, but it definitely slows things down. We make the most of it.
INDUSTRY PROFILE »30
J&rIn an age where the convenience of
Internet sales seems to be overshadowing the personal service of local shops, it’s good to know you get the best of both worlds with J&R Supercenter. J&R stays true to the roots of BMX by bringing out their trailers to events all across
the country, but they’ve also embraced the e-commerce side of things by setting up one of the best Internet BMX shops, which makes them available across the world. Some of my earliest BMX memories are staring wide-eyed into a brightly lit trailer with every bicycle part of my dreams shining back at me.
As amazing as their set up is at one of the races, nothing compares to the actual store located in Largo, FL. Once you set foot inside their
warehouse-sized space, you are immediately overcome with the amount of complete bikes hanging up in front of you. There are more race pants and jerseys than you have ever seen; for a second, you feel like you are in a department store with all of your choices. After passing by stacks of carbon fiber helmets, you finally get into the glass cases for all of the expensive parts. It might as well be bicycle jewelry, because every bit of shine catches your eyes and you are immediately drawn towards it. Just past there is the bike mechanic area, but this is no everyday set up. This is more state-of-the-art than you thought possible for bikes and boasts enough skilled mechanics to make Joe Gibbs want to step up his NASCAR pit crew.
I had a chance to ask Kirk Morrison, the guy some
would call the heart of J&R, a few questions.
When did J&R officially start?
J&R was a typical family bike shop started in the 1970’s. In 1984 the Morrison brothers started racing at the local BMX track, and a year later were invited to join the J&R BMX team. 5 years later, the owner of the shop was retiring and selling the store.
Myself, the oldest of the 3 brothers and just 15 at the time, quickly decided that working in a bike shop while in high school was way better than bagging groceries and talked my parents into making the purchase. This was the week before Christmas in 1989. We called J&R to buy me a new helmet for the Christmas Classic
bicycles by Harrison Britt
National when a chance conversation was struck up about the opportunity. I still can’t understand how I managed to be so convincing that buying a business that none of us had ever worked in prior to that day was a good idea.
The Morrison family took over J&R Jan 1, 1990 and has built it into the BMX only store that it is today. All of the family is still involved in the company in some capacity.
Describe the first few years.
Lean and mean. Lots of fun, and unfortunately, not very profitable. It took years, and a lot more investment than was ever expected to keep the store from collapse in the first 5 years. There was tons of learning about the business and the early 90’s were a challenging time for BMX as it grew and shrank quickly in those years. Some call it the good old days. I think the best is still to come.
Lots of BMX shops have come and gone while you guys seem to keep getting bigger. Why do you think that is?
Dedication to the sport. We were sponsoring local, State and National events when few else would. Provided pro purses when the industry money slowed down. Set up shop at small nationals when it was not profitable. We just outlasted, and out worked, some others.
J&R has a great staff including former pro racers and even track directors. These are people who love the sport and really get their hands in the dirt. We sincerely enjoy what we do and hope it shows each time we help our customers.
J&R has a huge inventory of the best products from all of the top brands. We work hard to have all of the items a racer would want, in stock, at all time. That consistancy has paid off in the long run. 21 years now to be exact! Wow, I don’t feel that old. Must be the BMX.
What do you think the future will hold for you guys, any goals?
I have so many goals and things are always changing. Maybe we open a killer indoor track as a way to keep the sport exciting in our area?
Sponsor the next Olympian? Maybe a simple high five to the 5 year old who just won his first race? The little dudes are where the future is right? The sport of BMX has such potential at every level. J&R will be there for the ride. Count on it!
Who would you like to thank?
There are tons of people throughout the industry and BMX sanctions who have been great to work with. It is nice to know I have friends in every corner of the country through this great sport. With that list being too long to count, I will get right down to the #1. My family. They have put their trust and financial well being behind me from the first time I cut the neighbors yard for 10 bucks to starting and running one of the largest BMX outlets in the world. It doesn’t get better than that.
Thanks Mom, Dad, Bert and Scott for all that you have done to make me and J&R what it is today.
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from the fence »32
State final Standings:
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1. Florida 2422. Ohio 2373. Michigan 2344. Georgia 2185. Virginia 2156. Illinois 2157. Indiana 2148. Pennsylvania 2109. New York 20210. Kentucky 18811. California 18812. New Jersey 18613. Connecticut 17214. North Carolina 14515. Alabama 8416. New Hampshire 29
33FROM THE FENCE »
TRACK LIST »34
NBLTraCk dIrECTory 1
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PUErTo rICo
ANGEL PEREZState Commissioner(787) [email protected] WWW.TROPICALBMX.COM
Barceloneta 1340Barceloneta BMX ParkJose Baez(787) 640-5595 (track)
Hormiqueros 1324Tropical BMX ParkAngel Perez(787) 636-4578
aLaBama
ROBERT WIGINTONState Commissioner(205) [email protected] WWW.ALABAMABMX.COM
Pelham 0102Oak Mountain BMXRobert Wiginton(205) 802-8656 (track)(205) 680-5827 (home)(205) 527-0989 wwww.oakmountainbmx.com
Prattville 1368Fountain City BMXJim Rempkowski(251) 593-9193 (track)(732) 330-5954 (home)www.fountaincitybmx.com
arIZoNa
Safford 1414Outer Limits BMXJeff Faunce(928) 792-8366 (track)
CaLIForNIa
MARY H GARCIAState Commissioner(408) [email protected] WWW.CALBMX.COM
Fresno 1349Woodward Park BMX/FBXBrett Riley(559) 709-3530 (track)www.fresnobicyclecross.com
Kernville 1415KV Bike ParkChristopher Brayman(760) 223-6165 (track)(760) 223-6165 (home)(760) 376-4902 FAX
Livermore 1293Livermore BMXNick Valencia(408) 910-0143 (track)www.facebook.com/pages/Livermore-BMX/106308531190
Lucerne Valley 1374X Roads BMXDiego Lopez(760) 964-9957 (track)www.xroadsbmx.com
Orange Cove 1380Orange Cove Ultimate BMXMichael Montanez(408) 607-5095 (track)email: [email protected]
Prunedale 1093Manzanita Park BMXGavin Lubbe(408) 489-1358 (track)www.manzanitaparkbmx.org
Reedley 1118Air Time BMXPaul Huebert(559) 696-0561 (559) 859-0949 (track)airtimebmx.moonfruit.com
Santa Maria 1396Santa Maria BMXMike Porter(805) 868-4762 (home)www.santamariaelks.com
CoLorado
Steamboat Springs 1417Steamboat Springs BMX ParBrian Deem(970) 871-9500 (home)Track InfoConstruction complete will open next spring!
CoNNECTICUT
LISA KNOWLTONState Commissioner(203) [email protected] WWW.NUTMEGBMX.ORG
KATHY OLSONState Points Clerk(203) [email protected]
Bethel 0413Bethel Supercross BMXDon Olson(203) 744-7962 (home)(203) 798-6373 (track)www.nutmegBMX.org
Meriden 0410Falcon BMXKerry Kuhn(203) 630-2240 (track)www.nutmegBMX.org
Torrington 1095Foothills BMXRoger Plaskett(860) 626-1BMX (track)(860) 485-9636 (home)www.foothillsbmx.com
Trumbull 0412T.R.A.C.K.Jeff Topolski(203) 452-0879 (home)(203) 452-0315 (track)Check out Trumbull BMX (T.R.A.C.K.) on Facebook!
FLorIda
JOHN PINGOLState Commissioner(561) [email protected]
KATHY BOSTROMState Points Clerk(941) [email protected] WWW.FLORIDABMX.COM
ALICE BIXLERState [email protected]
Avon Park 1294Highlands County BMX(863) 452-9995 (track)www.highlandsbmx.org
Cape Coral 0109Cape Coral BMXPaul Rieger(239) 283-1614 (home)(239) 458-1943 (track)www.capecoralbmx.org
Fort Walton Beach 1295Emerald Coast BMXBill Madden(850) 796-2326 (track)850-796-2326 FAX
High Springs 1335High Springs BMXRick Gayheart(352) 514-9735 (track)(386) 497-1275 (home)www.hsbmx.com
Jacksonville 0716Jacksonville BMXDonell Wright(904) 751-6778 (track)www.jacksonvillebmx.com
Miami 0112Miami South BMXBrian Loy(305) 248-9442 (track)www.miamisouthbmx.com
Naples 1337Naples BMXRay Coriano(239) 252-4184 (work)(239) 252-4188 (track)(239) 877-1053 (home)www.naplesbmx.com
Palm Bay 1378Palm Bay BMXJason Jones(321) 676-8938 (track)www.getintheaction.org
Punta Gorda 1034Charlotte BMXAmanda Carr(941) 637-1676 (track)www.charlottebmx.net
Riverview 1381USA Official BMX T.F.Stephen Gerardi(813) 957-7647 (track)www.usabmxitf.com
Sarasota 0110Sarasota NBLKelvin Yow(941) 343-0395 (home)www.sarasotabmx.com
St Cloud 1119St Cloud BMXTim Howard(407) 891-0930 (track)www.freewebs.com/stcloudbmx/
St Petersburg 0997St Petersburg BMXPaula Rothman(727) 556-0284 (track)www.stpetebmx.com
Tallahassee 1154Capital City BMXMatt Lindley (850) 528-2463 (track)www.capitalcitybmx.net
Tampa 1031Tampa BMX RacewayArthur Heinrichs(813) 265-1269 (track)www.tampabmx.com
West Palm Beach 1017Okeeheelee BMXTommy Cross(561) 642-6774 (track)www.okeeheeleebmx.com
gEorgIa
SHAYNE ROBINSONState Commissioner(678) 770 - 1750 [email protected] WWW.GEORGIABMX.ORG
LAURIE COLEYState Points Clerk(706) 333-9354
Albany 1182Parks at Chehaw BMXTommy Knight(229) 347-2137 (229) 894-4745 (track)www.chehawbmx.com
Augusta 1186Augusta BMXMitchel Moon(706) 421-9892 (678) 318-1881 (track)www.augustabmx.com
McDonough 1266Sandy Ridge BMXJim Joyce(770) 288-7316 (track)(404) 831-9740 (work)www.sandyridgebmx.com
Peachtree City 0118William L Davis BMXAnthony Robinson(678) 770-1750 (home)(404) 451-7937 www.ptcbmx.com
ILLINoIS
CARRIE STRANGEState Commissioner(309) [email protected]
SANDY GLATZState Points Clerk(217) [email protected]
East Moline 1075East Moline BMX SpeedwayPaul DePauw(309) 796-9644 (home)(309) 796-4455 (work)(309) 792-9407 (track) www.embmx.com
Farmer City 1022F.C.R.A. BMXRich Voyles(309) 275-5798 (home)(309) 928-2046 (track)www.fcbmx.com
Peoria 1086Detweiller BMXMichael Hofmann(309) 202-7591 (home)(309) 383-1222 (work)www.detweillerbmx.com
Rock Island Indoor BMX 1421Rock IslandPaul DePauw(309) 796-9644 (home)(309) 796-4455 (track)
Springfield 0971Springfield BMX ClubRick Rees(217) 522-8227 (track)(217) 361-7462 www.myspace.com/riversidebmx
Waukegan 1363Waukegan BMXHector Mendez(224) 430-4762 (track)(847) 863-8679 (home)www.waukeganbmx.com
INdIaNa
GREGG SEALState [email protected]
WENDY SABATINIState Points Clerk(574) [email protected]
Columbus 1310Columbus BMXScott Brown(812) 350-8172 (track)www.myspace.com/columbusbmx
Evansville 0255G. Mason Burdette BMXAngie Almond(812) 422-9125 (track)www.burdetteparkbmx.org
Hire Park 0933Hire Park BMXDanny Rumple(574) 268-7433 (home)(574) 268-RIDE (track)www.hireparkbmx.com
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35TRACK LIST »Indianapolis 1149Lake Sullivan BMXKyle Robinson(317) 489-8825 (home)www.lakesullivanbmx.com
Indianapolis (Indoor) 1255Indy IndoorDave Reid(317) 538-7697 (track)www.crossroadsindoorbmx.com
Marion 1376Hogin Park BMXBelinda Hussong(765) 662-9931 (track)(765) 668-3698 FAXwww.angelfire.com/planet/hoginparkbmx
Richmond 0688Rose City BMXKirby Bales(765) 993-1961 (home)(765) 969-6606 (track)www.rosecitybmx.org
kaNSaS
Park City 1418Park City BMXRaylee Jones(316) 516-9046 (home)
kENTUCky
CHAD GINGRICHState Commissioner(502) 471-7831 WWW.KENTUCKYBMX.ORG
CINDY FULMERState Points Clerk(502) [email protected]
Louisville 0446Derby City BMX(502) 499-6299 (track)www.derbycitybmx.org
maryLaNd
RUSSELL KELLERState Commissioner(301) [email protected]
Cumberland 1336Riverside BMXRuss Keller(301) 707-2823www.riversidebmx.org
Hagerstown 1219Hagerstown BMXBrian Caron(301) 582-1452 (track)www.hagerstownbmx.com
maSSaCHUSETTS
JOHN BONTORNOState Commissioner(978) [email protected]
Wakefield 0449Wakefield BMXAJ Bontorno(978) 352-6427 (home)(978) 766-2514 (track)www.myspace.com/wakefieldbmx
mICHIgaN
HERSCHELL BROWNState Commissioner(616) [email protected] WWW.MIBMX.COM
Goodells 1164CAN-AM BMXChad Noetzel(810) 984-4258 (home)www.canambmx.com
Grand Rapids 1394GRBMXPaul Maycroft(616) 745-4863 (track)www.grbmx.com
Greenville 1420Thrifty Acres BMXHerschell Brown(616) 915-2407 (track)
Ionia 1338Backwoods BMXAndrew Rice(616) 915-2407 (track)www.freewebs.com/backwoods-bmx
Lansing 1267Capitol Area BMXGreg Days(517) 367-8990 (track)www.cabmx.com
Midland 1358Midland BMXTodd Atkinson(989) 615-1913 (track)www.midlandbmx.com
Mt. Morris 1405Michigan Indoor BMXRon McDowell(810) 813-1454 (810) 412-6480 (home)
Oscoda 1225Northern MI BMXJim DeOrnellas(989) 335-0368 (989) 739-8226 (track)www.northernmibmx.com
Pontiac 0465Waterford Oaks BMXJennifer West(248) 858-0915 (work)(248) 431-8506 www.waterfordoaksbmx.com
Traverse City 1222G.T.C. BMXMike Litwiller(231) 943-9548 (home)(231) 313-8488 (track)www.gtcbmx.com
mISSISSIPPI
Southaven 1282Powerline BMXAubrey Jacobson(901) 734-4860 www.powerlinebmx.com
NEvada
JOHN DIAZState Commissioner(702) [email protected] WWW.NEVADABMX.COM
DEBI DIAZState Points Clerk(702) [email protected]
Ely 1088White Pine BMXRussell Gust(775) 293-0416 (track)www.nevadabmx.com
Las Vegas 0977Nellis BMXErik Martin(702) 858-5459 (home)(702) 632-4439 (track)www.nellisbmx.com
Primm 1419Silver State BMXPeter Price(702) 877-4800 (track)
NEw HamPSHIrE SHAWN DUFRESNEState Commissioner(603) [email protected]
Londonderry 1411Northeast BMX TrackJeffrey Palter(617) 230-0131 (home) (781-229-9369 FAXwww.northeastvelo.com
Rye 1314Rye Air Field603-974-2800 (track)www.ryeairfield.com
NEw JErSEy Egg Harbor Twp 0773EHT BMXLinda Vanderhoff(609) 927-9089 (track)www.EHTBMX.org
Flemington 0177Hunterdon County BMXDan Pautler(908) 416-0532 (908) 806-6645 (track)www.hcbmx.org
Howell 1090Central Jersey BMXJeff Heath(732) 657-7085 (home)(908) 910-8501 (732) 863-1010 (track)www.cjbmx.org
NEw mEXICo ROBBIE TAFOYAState [email protected] ROADRUNNERBMX.ORG
ALISA TAFOYAState Points [email protected] ROADRUNNERBMX.ORG
Las Cruces 1408Roadrunner BMXRobbie Tafoya(575) 635-8943 (track)
NEw york
JAY SEVERSONState Commissioner(518) [email protected] NYBMX.ORG
ROBIN HOTALINGState Points Clerk(518) [email protected]
Bemus Point 1092Charlie’s BMXBob Gilbert(716) 386-4BMX (track)www.charliesbmx.org
Bridgewater 1240C.N.Y. BMXNicholas Rauch(315) 404-2713 (home)(315) 822-5896 (track)www.cnybmx.org
Hamburg 0985Southtown’s BMXLouis Kaminski(716) 992-6421 (home)(716) 997-6430 www.southtownsbmx.com
Kingston 1401Kingston Point BMXMike Henderson(845) 339-0618 (track)(845) 336-6611 (home)www.kingstonpointbmx.com
Long Island 0725BMX @ ShorehamBetty Mulligan(631) 744-6238 (home)(631) 821-5569 (track)www.shorehambmx.org
New Paltz 1109New Paltz BMXJerry Patterson(845) 236-7365 (home)(845) 255-1269 (track)(646) 210-6006 www.newpaltzbmx.org
Rotterdam 0492Tri-City BMXShawn Morris(518) 382-BMX1 (track)www.tricitybmx.com
NorTH CaroLINa
Clemmons 0821Tanglewood BMXGarry Nelson(336) 368-4989 (home)(336) 766-5269 (track)(336) 648-0679 www.tanglewoodparkbmx.org
Gastonia 1263Wolf’s Den BMXLee Hodge(828) 970-7174 (home)(601) 397-2924 www.wolfsdenbmx.net
Weaverville 1385Weaverville BMXJamie Ritchie(828) 423-2276 (track)www.wncbmx.org
oHIo
JOHN SCOTTState Commissioner(614) [email protected]
KATHY HICKOKState Points Clerk(330) [email protected] WWW.OHIOBMX.COM
Akron 0502Akron BMXWilliam Calhoun(330) 784-3777 (track)(330) 608-9516 (home)www.akronbmx.org
Butler 1390Ohio DreamsChris Ashcraft(800) 963-3495 (track)(419) 566-1075 www.ohiodreams.com
Cleves 1286Cleves BMXJohn Peters(513) 574-6075 (track)www.clevesbmx.com
Columbus 0973Heer Park BMXBrian Kulp(614) 783-6951 (home)www.heerparkbmx.com
Dayton 1288Gateway BMX/Cindy VerburgRandy Davis(937) 475-0114 (track)(305) 923-9274 (home)www.myspace.com/daytonnblbmx
London 1406London BMXChris Dunn(614)771-5943 (home)www.london-bmx.com
Monroe 1400Monroe BMXEric Walsh(513) 703-9933 (home)www.monroebmx.com
Norwalk 1172Shady Lane BMXTim Church(419) 663-3604 (track)(216) 210-2991 www.shadylanebmx.org
PENNSyLvaNIa
PETE DAWSONState Commissioner(412) [email protected]
STEVEN BARNESState Points Clerk(724) [email protected]
Hazleton 1334L. Schiavo City View BMXJohn Longo(570) 956-3747 www.hazletoncityview.com
Johnstown 0516Johnstown BMXJim Chilcot(814) BMX 4FUN (track)www.JohnstownBMX.org
Pittsburgh 0522South Park BMXGeorge Brain(412) 337-2013 (412) 884-5934 (home)(412) 831-3620 (track)www.spbmx.net
Pottstown 1351Trilogy Park BMXGlen Knapper(610) 906-1317 (home)(484) 363-0592 (track)www.trilogypark.org
Titusville 0990Drake Well BMXDon Wagner(814) 827-3816 (track)(614) 403-3057 (home)
Westmoreland 0192Westmoreland BMXPete Dawson(724) 842-2012 (track)(412) 798-2572 (home)www.westmorelandbmx.net
SoUTH CaroLINa RICHARD SOXState Commissioner(803) 518-0967WWW.NBLCAROLINA.ORG
Goose Creek 1387Low Country BMXRick Simmons(843) 296-4857 (track)(843) 873-7636 (home)
Lexington 1397Lexington BMXEddie Sox(803) 309-3237
TENNESSEE
MARK SIMMSState Commissioner(901) [email protected]
DAVE WARDState Points Clerk(931) 249-4558
Memphis 0983Shelby Farms BMXMichael Palugi(901) 756-BMX1 (track)www.memphisbmx.org
Morristown 0890Morristown BMX RacewayJames Crockett(423) 587-3624 (track)
TEXaS
El Paso 1416Snake PitArgenis Gomez(915) 248-6427 Track InfoNewest NBL track in the west!! Watch web-site for construction date and updates.
UTaH
Virgin 1301Virgin Regional BMXDale McCorvey(435) 648-2717 (home)(435) 648-2380 (track)www.racesouthernutah.com
vErmoNT
Bennington 1110Catamount BMXCody Buck(802) 375-4137 (track)(802) 688-9059 www.catamountbmx.org
vIrgINIa
ANGELA KINCHELOEState Commissioner(703) [email protected]
ANDREA GREENEState Points Clerk(757) [email protected]
Petersburg 1404VMP-BMXMike Eden(804) 732-7888 (track)www.vmp-bmx.com
Richmond 1187Richmond BMXArt Luck(804) 305-1329 (track)www.richmondbmx.com
Winchester 0540Winchester BMXBen Carey(804) 387-5351 (home)www.winchesterbmxracing.org
Woodbridge 1248Northern Virginia BMXPaul Kincheloe(703) 987-3544 (track)(703) 590-1335 (home)www.novabmx.org
wEST vIrgINIa
ROD MILLSState Commissioner(304) [email protected] WWW.POORFARMBMX.COM
Fairmont 1319Poor Farm BMXSam Larsok(304) 641-5193 (track)www.wvbmx.com
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eric rupeEric “Big Daddy” Rupe, perhaps more than any other pro in the history of BMX, epitomizes consistency and longevity. In a career that now spans more than three and a half decades, all but three of those years have been as a pro. And he’s not nearly done. He continues to ride at the highest levels. The titles that cover his racing career are incredible, and his lists of sponsors are a veritable who’s who of the industry side of BMX. These companies wisely recognized the fact that Eric Rupe isn’t merely one of the top competitors but also an ambassador for the sport of BMX. Beginning with a NBL #1 AA Pro title in 1983, Eric Rupe has secured a #1 or a World title for the majority of the years since, something no other pro has even come close to.
Long before the famous Foster brothers entered the BMX scene, there were the Rupe brothers. Eric’s older brother Robby raced with Eric in the early days, but he eventually switched his focus to mountain biking and building custom bicycle frames. Eric Rupe began racing at 11 years old in 1974. Unlike some other pros, Rupe didn’t experience immediate success, but that didn’t stop him. He worked harder and the results reflected the efforts of his blood, sweat, and gears.
Rupe turned pro as a young teenager and quickly made a name for himself with his consistency, an attribute that would help him earn one of his first pro titles. This consistency would carry him further, gaining him many more titles. Rupe retired briefly, but made an impressive return to BMX, dominating the early days of the Masters or Vet Pro classes and pro cruiser. Often, when there weren’t enough Masters pros at a national, they’d combine the Masters with the single A pros, and Rupe could usually be seen in front of pros half his age. His drive and determination would help him dominate the Masters classes and gain him even more titles.
Rupe still races seriously and is still earning titles at the tender age of 47 years old. This icon has become such an asset to the sport, enabling young BMX racers to interact with a true pioneer of the sport. He is nothing short of an icon of the BMX icons.
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