BMX news for December

BMXUltra.com is aiming at bringing you the most up to date BMX news from around the world, if you have anything that might be of interest feel free to e-mail us at webmaster@bmxultra.com
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29/12 Luke Madill signs with Team GT Australia
GT Bicycles Australia has signed Australian BMX champion Luke Madill to ride with Team GT. From 1st January 2004, Dr. Smooth himself will join the successful crew of Simon Anderson, Chloe Macpherson and Dean Miller. Product Manager Stephen Robinson said, “We are extremely excited and honoured to have a rider of Luke’s caliber join our team.”
Luke is a longstanding, well-regarded and extremely successful member of the Australian BMX community. He has been racing BMX for over 20 years. In that time he has won 9 Australian National Titles and more NSW State Championships than he can remember. Luke is the current Australian National Elite Cruiser (24”) Champion and gained an impressive 3rd place at this year’s BMX World Titles in Elite Cruiser (24 “).
In 2004, Luke will be competing in BMX racing aboard a 2004 GT Power Series Ultra Box and Power Series 24”. He has already checked out the Ultra Box and says, “The 04 bike feels sweet. I could have raced it the first lap I had on the track. Soon as I got on it I felt comfortable - like I had been riding for months.”
Luke will also be racing the new GT Brian Lopes signature 4X frame at many 4X events throughout Australia.
Team GT Australia would like to thank the following co-sponsors for their continued support in 2004: Troy Lee Designs, Bombshell Forks, Profile Racing, ODI Lock-On grips,Dirt 100% Race,Tuff Neck, ACS Claws.

24/12 Avent/Bombshell announces roster additions, updates website
Lakeside, California - The Avent / Bombshell team has added three more riders to it's program, this time in hopes of attacking the older amateur classes. "Anyone who has been to any ABA or NBL national knows how big the older amateur classes are. The ABA National #1 Cruiser title came out of the 36-40 cruiser class," stated Avent / Bombshell Team Manager Will Rells. "It is very important to us that these classes are well represented by the two brands." The new team riders are:
TJ Johnson - 26-30 cruiser, 28-34 Expert
"E-Dub" Eric Elliott - 31-35 cruiser, 28-34 Expert
"Angry" Steve Stewart - 36-40 Cruiser, 35 & Over Expert
In related news, Bombshell has just updated it's website with all it's newest products. The new Morpheus carbon / aluminum hybrid frame has been added to the site with all its specs and features. Also featured is Avent's new lineup of MTB frames and wheels as well as news on the Avent / Bombshell Factory Team.
Factory Avent / Bombshell is supported by the greatest sponsors in BMX: Fly Racing (www.flyracing.com), FSA (www.fullspeedahead.com), Maxxis (www.maxxis.com), Tangent Products (www.tangentproducts.com), Shimano (www.shimano.com), Thomson Seatposts (www.lhthomson.com), Hot Shoppe Designs (www.hotshopeedesigns.com), Moto Mag BMX Magazine (www.motomagbmx.com) and IDC BMX (www.idcbmx.com). Support the companies that support BMX!
For the latest and greatest in BMX and MTB equipment, check out www.bombshellparts.com.

24/12 Girls Coaching in South Australia
Girls coaching has been happening in South Australia since 1996. The last 5 years has seen the girls program go from strength to strength, with two series of approximately 6 weeks held each year. Social events are popular, with the last one being a ten pin bowling night.
Five or Six senior girl riders regularly assist as coaches, demonstrators and mentors with the girls program.
Dates for the next girls only coaching clinics are.
Sunday February 1st at Happy Valley BMX Track
Sunday February 15th at Tea Tree Gully BMX Track
Sunday February 29th at Cross Keys BMX Track
Sunday March 7th at The Cove BMX Track
Sunday March 21st at Happy Valley BMX Track
All sessions will be held from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. A hot weather policy will also apply. The sessions will be based on testing of skills, fitness and flexibility. We will also concentrate on gate starts, jumping and cornering in packs. Contact Val Watson at sicchicsofbmx@yahoo.com.au if you would like any more information.

24/12 What cheeses me off: Nationals entry fees
What cheeses me off: BMX Australia's rediculous nationals entry fees.
Name/Credentials: Jonathan/Racing since August 2000, Club committee member, AA pro & elite rider.
Criticism: Last year A number of riders through out australia decided they could not afford to attend the national championships because of the rediculous prices of entry fees, parking and spectator fees, etc. So this year the spectator fees and parking fees have been reduced which is a good thing. What gets my goat is the fact that the entry fees have increased phenominaly in the elite classes since last year, in fact it was cheaper to race the world championships in the eilte classes than it will be to race the nationals.As an elite rider who pays his own entry fees I can not afford to pay $285 for 2 days worth of racing. On top of that there are rumours flying around about a $30 000 prize pool for a freestyle or dirt jump comp. I dont mean to knock the dirt jumpers but shouldn't that money be put back into the racing to attract more riders? I will be forced to ride Age class at the nationals next year because I am unable to fork out the $285 to race elite! Either that or I will just not attend the event altogether. I'm sure if the NBA got off to a start this would all have been a different story but that didn't work out due to personal reasons and I hope that the people behind the idea haven't given up all together because we need some new blood in the organising part of BMX.
Solution: Hold the nationals at an existing track and you wont have to over charge the riders to race on an indoor track that doesnt meet expectations anyway. If thats is too much hasle then my next idea would be out of the question; start some fund raising schemes that raise money for big events, 1:this could be an opportunity to advertise BMX a little more and, 2:you will attract more riders to the sport which is ultimately what you are trying to do. Stop over charging for entry fees at national events because all you are doing is killing the sport we all love so much.

24/12 BMXPros.com Press Release
3 New riders and 3 new Rides at the BMXPros.com Camp
We here at Double A Marketing are proud to announce the addition of 3 new riders in the past few weeks, and 3 newly signed rides for each of them.
Cristian Becerine - One of the fastest riders in 2003 who did not have factory support, Cristian was on a lot of team Managers list come year end. With the help of Double A Marketing, Matt Hadan, and the gang at Crupi, Factory Crupi was the first team to act fast and make the move. Cristian was offered a ride and picked up just days before the ABA Grands. Look for a lot of great finishes from the 2003 ABA World Champion, Cristian and his team mate, Jason Richardson in the Crupi team green uniforms in 2004.
Brandon Meadows - With offers from all over the BMX circuit, the 2003 X-Games champion has decided to renew with his current sponsor and take a great deal in a 2 year contract with Specialized. Brandon had put a lot of time into school in 2003, as well as BMX last season, so it kept him on a limited schedule. But with a lot more support from Specialized, he has made the necessary changes with is school schedule allowing him to attend more races, while not slimming back on classes. Look for Brandon back with the Big S and atop the podium in 2004.
Kyle Bennett- With a ton of speculation and a lot of unconfirmed rumors flying around the Internet, the 2003 UCI World Champion has landed 2 new homes. The first was when he joined Double A Marketing on Tuesday this week, and the second was when he had a contract from Free Agent on Thursday. Look for Kyle to rejoin his old teammate, Dale Holmes, on Free Agent, as both riders just signed for the next 2 years. Kyle will be aboard a Free Agent limo frame and looking to be bringing home another title in 2004. (Kyle is so new to Double A, that we didn't have anytime to put up his bio on the website, but we will have it up real soon)
Look for another big announcement in a few days about 3 other BMXPros.com riders!
BMXPros.com Proudly represents Cristian Becerine, Kyle Bennett, Wade Bootes, Dale Holmes, Christophe Leveque, Brandon Meadows, Jamie Staff, and Randy Stumpfhauser.

24/12 Aussies news
A BMXUltra.com reader had a few questions for BMX Australia about the 2004 National championships, here was his response:
The 2004 Aussie championships will be an indoor event at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
Pre titles will be held on Thursday the 8th April.
The car parking will be at the venue and is free. Costs will be subsidised by BMX Australia.
Prices are as follows:
Pre-titles $25
Cruisers, Masters and Sprockets $110
Elite 20" 2days $285, elite cruiser sec class $90
Junior Elite 20" 2days $260
All secondary classes $90
It seems that 2004 will be another expensive ride! So the complaints about last years entry prices fell on deaf ears?
But they have dropped the Spectators prices!! Spectators $10, Children $5, Concession $7.50. Per day.

21/12 Happy holiday season from BMXUltra.com
2003 was a big year for Australian BMX. The UCI world championships in Perth would have to be the biggest of all the events for the year, we were there with camera in hand and a friend at the video camera, thanks Glenn. The camera didn't show just how technical or big the track really was, we managed to dig up the video footage which gives a better idea. So as our Christmas gift to you, click here to download the World Titles elite mens final video, it's a 5.7Mb windows media file.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our readers and wish you all a safe holiday season, and our sponsors who help to make BMXUltra.com what it is. Thanks to Joey at Answer, Bill at Supercross, Dave at BMXBits.com.au, Craig at Dirt Designs, Julian and Grant at ECI/Profile, David at Pazzaz, Johnny at TLD, ATi and Tektro.
We will be updating the site throughout the holidays.

21/12 Racegirl BMX League Makes History Again
Saturday, December 20th marked a day in the history books for the Racegirl BMX League. Today, Racegirl Elite Michele Peters and ABA #1 AA Pro Warwick Stevenson held the first international Racegirl clinic in Sydney Australia at Liverpool BMX. The day was set to be a hot one but ended up being beautiful and overcast. Before we started the clinic, parents and volunteers pulled together to help put the track into shape so that the girls could ride. The 24 girls that showed up made for a great time. The ages ranged from six to thirty-five. After the clinic we played knock off (foot down) and had a few pizzas for the girls. For being the first of its kind, the Racegirl BMX League will certainly be remembered in Australia. Girls are already organizing more clinics of its kind for the future season to come. We would like to thank Racegirl BMX League, Liverpool BMX, and Scott Ireland for organizing this wonderful event.

Racegirl Ambassador, Michele Peters

In related news, Kim Fisher, League President, had a great time at Peoria Elementary School, Arizona on Thursday, 12/18 at an assembly for entire school of 3rd - 8th graders. For 30 minutes Kim exchanged questions and answers about BMX. Mia and Mila Delgado, Racegirl athletes, showed off their bikes and jerseys. Kim showed the Racegirl video (twice due to public demand)! and invited the students to come to the Winter National at Black Mountain BMX, just a few miles from the school. Thanks to the Delgado family for arranging this presentation. Check out the photo gallery for pictures of all the events www.racegirlbmx.com

Keeping busy....Racegirl BMX League announces a new partnership with Greg Hill, the owner of Greg Hill Speed Seminars, a new training web site. Greg has set up his personal training services in a program format, offering several different levels of training programs. The different levels of training include varying levels of personal contact with Greg, who will formulate your personal BMX Training Program. Look for a schedule of Speed Seminars coming in the spring. All Racegirl BMX Members will receive 50% off his Speed Seminars or Clinics. Just show your Membership card.

We would like to thank all our Sponsors and Supporters past and present for helping us stay true to our purpose: The Racegirl BMX League, Inc. is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion and development needs of women's competitive bicycle motocross sport. Racegirl BMX League, Inc. serves as a clearinghouse of information by supporting the industry through outreach programs, marketing, training, and public relations. We thank our friends for their Sponsorship: Racegirl International, Riteway Distributing, Answer BMX Products, Lizard Skins, Sharp BMX Products, Just Press Play, Sun Rims, Oregano's Pizza Bistro, Competition Auto Sales, and League Support from Haro's Warwick Stevenson,Greg Hill Speed Seminars, OP Girls Learn to Ride, Women's Sport Foundation, all the Girls, the Parents, the Websites that carry our news and one of our greatest supporters from the beginning Jerry from BMX Mania. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !! Look for us at the NBL Christmas Classic in Florida and at ABA Silver Dollar National in Reno.

20/12 Avent / Bombshell offer contingency program to pros
Lakeside, California - With the amount of Pros out there in need of financial support to continue racing, Avent and Bombshell have announced that they will offer a contingency program to a select amount of ABA and NBL pros in 2004. Under this program, Pros will receive cash awards for podium finishes at all ABA and NBL nationals when using Avent or Bombshell products. Also, in the works are photo incentives for magazine shots. Any Pro interested in this program should contact Avent / Bombshell Marketing Director Will Rells at will@bombshellparts.com.

For the latest and greatest in BMX and MTB technology, check out www.bombshellparts.com.

19/12 Elite Cycle Imports appoints New Team Manager
Elite Cycle Imports , Australian distributors of such products as S&M , Profile Racing, Tuf Neck, Fit Bike Co., Kink, Atomlab, Sun Rims, Pro Concept and most recently Avent Frames and Bomshell Forks have appointed a New team Manager in the form of Former Norco Team Manager Julian Millis.
Julian who is already an employee of ECI takes over from Craig "Deuce" Sainsbury due to Craig's heavy involvement with several BMX Media projects, however the "Deuce" will continue to help out and assist with some Team duties. Julian Millis brings with him a wealth of team management experience having helped build Luke Madill's public profile during his tenure with Norco. When asked about his new role of Team Manager Julian had this to say "I feel great to be working in this capacity with ECI, I look forward to making a few immediate changes and most of all announcing some new signings that we have to our new Bombshell Fork Pro rider program as well as our new Avent Team Roster". Look for the new Team changes to be announced soon.

19/12 Avent / Bombshell 04 Australian Team Roster - Harvey & Taylor sign the dotted line.
Elite Cycle Imports and Avent / Bombshell USA are pleased to announce that AA Pro Racers Tony Harvey and Scott Taylor have signed on to ride for Avent / Bombshell for the 2004 season. 4 Time Australian Champion Tony Harvey had this to say about his new ride, "It will be great to be a part of a fresh new line of products that have appeal and availability to riders of all ages and sizes, The Avent frames have great geometry and are so light that I don't think it will be too long before they are one of the most popular frames in Australia". Tony Harvey takes off this week for a tour of duty in the UK and will be hitting up several races while there in the lead up to the Australian National titles in Adelaide over Easter. Tony's team mate Scott Taylor will be debuting his new Avent / Bombshell set up at the Track Attack series in Melbourne in January, be sure to stop by the Avent Factory Team Tent to check out Scott's ride and all the new products available.
The Avent team is proudly supported by co-sponsors - Bombshell Forks, Fly Racing Apparel, Profile Racing Products, Tuf Neck Products, Sun Rims, Atomlab products, S&M Bars & Stems, ACS Claws, Dirt Design Pads & Plates, KMC Chains, Rush Brakes.

19/12 ECI Signs Madill , Bootes, Harvey, Gray & Taylor to Ride BOMBSHELL Forks !!
Elite Cycle Imports the Australian distributors of Bombshell Carbon & Aluminum forks have signed some of the biggest names in Australian BMX to use these forks for the coming 2004 season. "We've got the best of the best, no question" says Julian Millis ECI Team Manager.
Avent riders Scott Taylor and 4 time National Champion Tony Harvey join current National Champion Haro's Jamie Grey, 2000 ABA No.1 Pro Trek's Wade Bootes and GT's freshly signed 9 time National Champion & 3 time Gold Cup Pro Luke Madill.
With the huge range of Bombshell forks covering Mini, Expert ,Pro , Expert 24" and Pro 24" in both Aluminum and Carbon just landing into Australia this week , ECI & Bombshell USA is excited to be working with this elite group of riders to represent the Fork range in Australia and beyond. Look out for the full color Bomshell poster with these guys on it early next year!!

18/12 BMXPress explain why the BMX Super Cross series was cancelled
Sydney, Australia - There seems to be some confusion out there about the demise of the 2004 BMX Super Cross series.
People think that there is a problem with DK / Advance Traders. People also think the TV races over the last two years were DK's. Both these things are are not true.
Firstly Over the last two years BMXPRESS has proudly associated themselves with DK / Advance Traders in bringing to life the TV events. The series of TV races was invented and backed financially by BMXPRESS Magazine at our own cost. Therefore the name of the Series was BMXPRESS - BMX Super Cross Series.
DK put their weight behind sponsoring each round over the last two years, therefore each event was named after DK ie DK Masters. This enableed us to run higher pro purses.

Seeing that the 2004 series had more rounds and more money, BMXPRESS verbally sealed a major sponsorship deal with a corporate company for the naming rights of the series. Ie XXXXXX 2004 BMX Super Cross Series. This sponsorship was to ease the burdon of BMXPRESS to financially back the entire program and propel BMX into a more mainstream position where everyone would benefit.
Now this sponsorship, which was the back bone of the income for the 2004 series, fell through at the 11th hour.

The rounds sponsorship packages were then supposed to be determind. This package would be the name sponsors IE DK Masters. Each round would have their own sponsor. A number of companies including DK were interested in this package. Due to the major corporate sponsor falling through, the entire series fell over.

We are greatful that a company such as DK / Advance Traders supported such a project that has never been achieved in Australia before.

We are endevouring to over come this set back and get on with helping BMX become a better sport.

I hope this clears up any rumours about DK / Advance Traders.

Warwick Wheeler
Editor
BMXPRESS

17/12 Suzuki BMXWorlds 2004 successful on German TV
2004 BMX WorkldsKöln/ Düsseldorf, Dec 16th, 2003 - According to ZDF-sources (one of the major German TV-stations) about 15,6 Mio. TV-spectators (51,8 % market share) saw the exciting BMX-bet of the Suzuki BMXWorlds 2004 in Thomas Gottschalk`s famous TV-show "Wetten, dass..?“ (means: "Bet, that..?”):
Stephan Prantl and Alexander Etzold placed a bet, that they would burst nine balloons with their back wheel of their BMX bike whilst jumping in the halfpipe, and they succeeded in the last second.
Elijah Wood (Frodo in the movie „Lord of the rings“) was the prominent partner of this bet and was shouting words of encouragement to the two riders in the halfpipe.
For the Suzuki BMXWorlds 2004 this was the first TV-event in the run-up of the BMX freestyle world championship taking place in June 2004 in Cologne.
The video of the bet is available under: http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/16/0,1872,2087664,00.html
The Suzuki BMXWorlds 2004
From June 24th to 27th 2004 nearly 2000 international bmx athletes will meet in Cologne. During these days 30.000 spectators will be expected. Besides the freestyle disciplines flatland, street, miniramp, dirt und halfpipe an attractive supporting program is planned.
The BMXWorlds project company:
Stephan Prantl, bmxjamcologne, has already organised several BMXWorlds in Cologne and is well known as a long-time bmx athlete and four times vice-worldchampion. Besides the organising of bmx-events (i.e. during the IFMA fair in Cologne) he is a successful entrepreneur with different bmx companies since more than 10 years.
Team ProMotion, agency for sports and youth marketing and EVA-Award-Laureate, has specialised on events, consumer and sales promotion. Both managing directors of Team ProMotion have been active bmx athletes: Robert Moeller and Peter Jandt have won the team world championship 1991 in Denmark.
André Maletz, conbrio|works, supports the project company as a consultant in the field of marketing and organisation. 1984 he and his former colleague Peter Beu started bmx sport in the Cologne Youth Park. Until 1990 more than ten bmx contests were managed by him.

17/12 Australian Championships Venue Confirmed
BMX Australia in conjunction with the South Australian Government is pleased to announce that the Adelaide Showgrounds will host the 2004 National Championships from April 9th to 11th.
The Adelaide Showgrounds are located on Goodwood Road, Wayville, South Australia. Free car parking off Rose Terrace will be available. Entry forms and prices will be available in the New Year.

(BMXUltra.com: There are a bunch of rumours flying around about the Australian Championships and one thing this news item failed to tell us is if the event is indoor or outdoor, rumours are it will be outdoor. There was also a rumour that a freestyle competition will be held at the same venue at the same time and there would be $30,000 in prize money for that alone. It is rumour season though, we are sure all the details will be made available eventually.)

16/12 Factory Avent / Bombshell 2004 team roster
Lakeside, California - There has been much speculation over the last few weeks and months about Avent and Bombshells 2004 factory team. The team includes three "Terrible Ten" recipients, five NAG #1's, four World Champions, and one National #1. So without further ado, here they are:
Jacob Abbe - 7X - This little terror has been lighting up the ABA scene for 3 years. This year he achieved it all: District #1, State #1, Gold Cup #1, ROC #1 (class and open), ABA World Champ (class and open), and NAG #4.
Chad Kerley - 9X - Chad has been one of the unsung heroes in the ultra tough 9X class. With a 3rd at the Grands, Chad moved into the NAG 3 position and is threatening to bust out in 2004.
Lahsaan Kobza - 12X - The hottest rider to come out of Nebraska in a long time, Lahsaan is NAG #4 on both bikes and took home the 2003 12 Cruiser ABA World Championship title.
Alise Post - 12 Girls - Alise is arguably the fiercest girl out there. She lost National #1 Girl by rider count 2 years in a row, settling for National #2. She kicked major butt in Girls Cruiser though, taking home the coveted National #1 Girls Cruiser title in 2003. She is also the reigning ABA 12 Girls World Champion.
Dustin Vogler - 13X - Dusty has been absolutely killing the NBL scene for years and now wants to take it to the ABA. He is the current NBL National #1 in 13X and is ABA NAG #5 in class and NAG #4 in cruiser.
Joey Bradford - 14X - Joey has been dominating for years and brings with him seven World Championship titles. He is the reigning UCI 13X World Champion in class and cruiser and finished NAG #6 in class in the ABA.
Mike Moeller - 16X - Mikey has been one of the most respected riders out there for years. He pulled one of the most memorable wins in recent history at the ABA Grands to take home the NAG #1 title in class and nearly pulled it off in cruiser but had to settle for NAG #4. He has made the ABA's prestigious "Terrible Ten" list two years running and made the main at this years NAG 5 challenge.
Mike Lundy - 17X - Mike Lundy has been improving by leaps and bounds for the last couple of years. Mike seemingly came out of nowhere and grabbed the NAG #1 16 Cruiser title in 2002 and backed it up again this year with another win at the ABA Grands. He was going into the Grands sitting NAG #1 in class but had to settle for NAG #3 after some pedal problems in the main. Mike was selected for the ABA's "Terrible Ten" list for the first time in 2003.
Jason Rogers - 18X - Jason Rogers is a legend at the age of 18. He was part of the ABA #1 Factory Powerlite team and has set a standard that others have yet to reach. He was winning the 2003 NAG 5 Challenge with a great run through Tulsa's Pro Section and slid out in turn two in one of the most exciting races of the year. Jason came back strong in class and took the NAG #1 title. Jason was also part of the 2003 "Terrible Ten" list.
Charles Townsend - Vet Pro - What can you say about "Choo Choo" Charlie? He is a true legend in BMX. A former National #1 amateur and National #1 Pro, Charles made his return to the pro ranks in 2003 and finished a respectable 6th.
Donny Robinson - AA Pro - Donny has made a career out of being the underdog, but that is about to change. He has been consistently kicking butt in the AA Pro ranks for the last two years and is ready to take it to the next level. "dR" picked up his first AA Pro win in Reno and finished National #6 for 2003. He won the Pro Cruiser main at the ABA Grands but didn't have enough points to take the title from rival and friend Randy Stumpfhauser and had to settle for National #2.

Factory Avent / Bombshell has picked up some of the best sponsors in the world. They have signed on to be Fly Racing's (www.flyracing.com) #1 factory team in 2004. Terry, Ray, and the gang at Fly will be supplying the best racewear and safety gear the market. Of course, the team riders will be utilizing Avent's race-proven frame designs and Bombshell's tried-and-true forks, wheelsets, and handlebars, but for the rest of their winning machine's parts, they went to the following suppliers. Helping out will be Maxxis Tires (www.maxxis.com) with the best traction on the planet. Alan and Doug over at FSA (fullspeedahead.com) will be kicking down the best components on the market. LH Thomson (www.lhthomson.com) will be supplying the trickest seatposts money can buy while Rich and TJ over at Tangent (tangentproducts.com) will be hooking up the best grips, pads, plates, and seats anywhere. Big thanks goes out to Carl Lein at Moto Mag (www.motomag.com) for the spot-on number plate graphics and Jack McDaniel (www.idcbmx.com) for the best pics in the biz. Much appreciation to Dave at Hot Shoppe (www.hotshoppedesigns.com) for the awesome jerseys. Last but not least, a great thank you goes out to Chad Roberts at Shimano (www.shimano.com) for all the help with pedals, brakes, and chains.
Look for the new team to debut at the ABA Silver Dollar Nationals in Reno in January.
For the latest and greatest in BMX technology, go to www.bombshellparts.com.

16/12 J & C/Supercross Race report: Dayton regional
For only having 2 weeks to get the X-Dome track up and running, the NBL and Buckeye BMX Association did a great job. This was our first stop in the NBL Regional Team Series and J & C Racing rocked the competition, with a team sheet consisting of 4 1st places and 10 bonus points for a total of 90!! Sunday was a little different. Our really fast 12 novice Russell North thought it would be more fun checking out the local hospital instead of riding in his motos. Rusty pulled a header going over the jump just before the first turn. Several X-rays and cat scans later proved to us that there wasn't anything inside that brand new, now broken helmet to really get hurt. He did however manage to strain and sprain muscles in his back. ouch! He should be just fine in a couple of weeks and we are all glad to hear that.
I had a good time on Sunday as I was invited to announce. I start to miss announcing about this time of year. Our home track, Waterford Oaks (home of The Great Lakes National) closes in September.
Fast forward to the racing action: 16 rookie Duane Wurster had a great weekend going 1-1-1 2 Sat. & 2-2-2 2 Sunday, 14 expert Brandon Dosch went PERFECT both days!! In class, 13 year old Scott Glannan tagged 3rds and fourths all weekend and Chase Boothby ran 2nds and 3rds with a 7 and a 5 in his mains. We celebrated Chase's birthday Saturday night with the 2nd annual "Chase's Birthday at Hooters". The pictures will be up on our web site soon http://www.jandcracing.com. It was good to see Adam Raczka, I haven't seen him in a while. Adam rode well in the 10 expert class turning 2nds and 3rds with a few gifts thrown in. The two 7 year old powerhouses on the team also had a great weekend. 7 ex Tyler Beebe finished both Saturday and Sunday exactly the same, missing the perfects with a 1-2-1 1. Seven year old novice Jared "the little pirate" Goolsby went perfect on Saturday, good job little man! Sunday he got 2nd in the main and 2-1-5 in his motos.
Rollin' on twenty-fours, Scott chased Dustin Vogler around the track to finish 2-2-2 2 on Sat. He chased his tail on Sunday and went 3-3-3 4 against the same riders. How does that work?!? Chase rode his cruiser well went 4-4-4 6 the first day and 4-4-4 3 the second day. Adam showed up to race his cruiser on Sunday with an almost perfect 1-1-2 1.
Last but not least, that a J & C/Supercross jersey has finally managed to jump onto Ashley Baird's back!!! Welcome Ashley!
See you in Huron, Ohio for the next regional January 24th. P.S. Huron, Ohio is a great track and facility here is the schedule http://www.theworkoutshop.com/pages/921212/index.htm
John Glannan TM, J & C Racing

15/12 What cheeses me off
It's difficult to criticise to sport we love so much and not come across as a mud-slinger, and that's because we all have our own ideas of what BMX should be and some are more passionate than others about certain aspects. How do get the opportunity to voice our own opinions and even share our ideas? Do we send an email or make a phone call to our local, state, or national bodies? If we do will anybody care to take time and consider the ideas put forward? Do you have to go through all the time consuming formalities of representatives at each level to finally get to the national body? I'm sorry but you will probably not get answers to these questions here, what you will get however is an opportunity to express your ideas in front of one of the biggest audiences of BMX racers world wide.
To kick start "what cheeses me off" I'll start with BMX Australia's log books. If you feel like sending one in to us just follow the format and email it to webmaster@bmxultra.com. You must also provide a suggestion if you are to make a criticism.

What cheeses me off: BMX Australia's log books
Name/Credentials: Shane/racing since 1981, former club and regional president, former coach, former state level board and committee member, event organiser, former track manager, former AA Pro
Criticism: The BMX Australia pro log books were introduced to track a riders earnings in the Pro ranks. Once a rider has earned $AUS1,500 or chosen to race in AA Pro they can no longer compete as an A Pro.
It all seems innocent enough, but what happens if a log book is lost or not maintained properly? If a log book is lost the rider has to pay a nominal fee for a replacement and their details are restored from somewhere. If the details are not maintained, which is actually the duty of the clubs hosting the events, and someone picks up on it they should be able to find the details some where and everything should be corrected without too much trouble. The problem is this central repository where all the information should be stored is not necessarily up to date. You can see what will happen if riders have missing details, no one will know exactly how much money was earned by that rider.
Solution: There should be no reason for a rider to carry a log book at all, it's just unnecessary paper work and a waste of paper. This might have been a solution before computers and before BMX Australia had their own website, but it's not good enough now. The ideal solution would be to place a single list of all A Pro riders and their earnings freely accessible by all riders and officials on the BMX Australia website. It would be up to the club to provide the details by Monday morning (following the weekend of racing) so they could be updated by mid week. If they are not updated then everyone will be able to see there's a problem and it could be clarified before the results go missing altogether. Clubs who fail to produce results and pay out figures should be fined. This is not a new scheme, or a new idea, it has been used for a long time in other countries and it works.

11/12 New Answer website
The guys over at Answer have been real busy. They have totally rebuilt their website for 2004 which showcases the entire 2004 BMX product range including forks, race gear, handlebars, stems, grips, pads, plates and a whole lot more.
When you want to take a close look at each of the products there is a cool zoom feature which gives you a better look.
To check out the new site go to www.answerproducts.com.

10/12 Race Report from Racegirl® Elite Karine Chambonneau
France - "Big time this weekend at the annual International Indoor of St-Etienne : I won both days !
Last week I had stickers "Racegirl® BMX League" made especially for the race to put on my plate and make some communication around the League. The stickers were red !

The race was great and full of riders: 1700 registrations (open and class and cruiser).
There was an open for Girls from 12 to 15 and one for Girls 16 and over. We had 1/4 finals for the Girls 16 and over Open on Sat and semis on Sunday for the class. It was tough but exciting. I was sooooo pleased to win both races for my last race in France until next April."

Saturday: Girls Open: Karine Chambonneau 1st

Sunday : Elite Girl ( International Indoor of St Etienne) : Karine Chambonneau: 1st

Karine will be coming to the United States in a couple of weeks to stay here and race for the Racegirl® BMX Team 'til April!! She will be bringing all her experience and expertise to help and share with us ...Look for future Racegirl® Clinics with all our Elite riders.
Karine will be wearing the Racegirl® Colors at the X-mas classic where the 2004 Racegirl® BMX Team will debut. Can't wait!!!! www.racegirlbmx.com

International Indoor St Etienne In France
Open and Elite Results

Saturday
Open Women:
1. Racegirl CHAMBONNEAU Karine
2. AUBRY Héléna
3. LAZZAROTTO Cécile
4. LE CORGUILLE Laëtitia
5. REY Adelaïde
6. PEYLABOUD Laurie
7. ROUGIE Anne
8. AJINCA Elodie

Sunday
Elite Women:
1. Racegirl CHAMBONNEAU Karine
2. AJINCA Elodie
3. COTTEREAU Blandine
4. LE CORGUILLE Laëtitia
5. LAZZAROTTO Cécile
6. AUBRY Héléna
7. LE CORGUILLE Audrey
8. ROUGIE Anne

09/12 Suzuki sponsors the 2004 BMX World titles
Köln/ Düsseldorf - Suzuki International Europe GmbH and the project company for the BMXWorlds 2004 have signed an agreement about the title sponsorship for the BMX freestyle worldchampionship in 2004. The cooperation will include promotions, a roadshow and the BMXWorlds 2004 itself taking place from June 24 th to 27 th , 2004, in Cologne. With these activities Suzuki will use - together with other sponsors – the BMX sport as a high identification factor for their marketing strategies and intensify and improve their awareness and visibility in the target group of young people between 15 - 35 years.
With Suzuki - and off-road cars like the "Jimny" – another important, international brand was won to adress their lifestyle-oriented buyers in the area of this trend sport. "We are glad, that this event and the BMX sport in general will also gain additional relevance through our engagement,” says Guido
Hannich, manager marketing communications at Suzuki International Europe GmbH.

The BMXWorlds 2004
From June 24 th to 27 th 2004 nearly 2000 international bmx athletes will meet in Cologne. During these days 30.000 spectators will be expected. Besides the freestyle disciplines flatland, street, miniramp, dirt und halfpipe an attractive supporting program is planned.

The BMXWorlds project company:
Stephan Prantl, bmxjamcologne, has already organised several BMXWorlds in Cologne and is well known as a long-time bmx athlete and four times vice-worldchampion. Besides the organising of bmx-events (i.e. during the IFMA fair in Cologne) he is a successful entrepreneur with different bmx companies since more than 10 years.
Team ProMotion, agency for sports and youth marketing and EVA-Award-Laureate, has specialised on events, consumer and sales promotion. Both managing directors of Team ProMotion have been active bmx athletes: Robert Moeller and Peter Jandt have won the team Worldchampionship 1991 in Denmark.
André Maletz, conbrio|works, supports the project company as a consultant in the field of marketing and organisation.
1984 he and his former colleague Peter Beu started bmx sport in the Cologne Youth Park. Until 1990 more than ten bmx contests were managed by him.

Organisation and press contact:
Team ProMotion GmbH
Robert Möller
Mannesmannufer 7
D-40213 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49(0)211/ 865 66 - 22
Fax: +49(0)211/ 865 66 - 33
www.bmxworlds2004.de
E-Mail: info@bmxworlds2004.de

08/12 New BMXUltra.com t-shirt design
It's been a while since we did our first batch of BMXUltra.com t-shirts, come to think of it it must be nearly 18 months. They were very popular amongst the male riders, and at the time we had a bunch of enquiries from children and females, but were not able to supply t-shirts for them.
The new design, which we plan on printing by mid January next year, should be available just in time for the Track Attack series in Melbourne.
All sizes will be available, for children and adults and a fitted female t-shirt, but it will be a limited run, so if you want to make sure you get a t-shirt to fit you contact us about making an advanced order. We also intend to do a very limited hoodie, but they will be made to order only. We hope to get a sample photo up soon so you get an idea of what the image will look like on the t-shirts.
For those of you wondering who the rider is, it's Thomas Allier.
For advanced orders and other information email us at webmaster@bmxultra.com.

05/12 NBL US Open & Thanksgiving National Race Report by Racegirl® Rachel "Thunder" Smith
Even though the ABA Grand Nationals were raced this holiday weekend, tons of NBL riders, parents, and workers flocked to Morristown, TN to race the Thanksgiving National. Malls, beds, and the Morristown Expo Center were all packed Friday when the US Open started. Great racing entertained hundreds of spectators looking for the best racing. It was great to see Bob and Polly Tedesco, Dave and Erma Miller, Dave Cecil, and all of the other race officials helping to make the weekend of the US Open/Thanksgiving National one of my favorite races, even though I couldn't race. The track consisted of three 180 corners, rhythm, and even a pro size decision maker on the last straight.

With 168 motos on Saturday and 158 motos on Sunday, one can tell this is a popular even against the odds. The first six motos consisted of Elite Man Open and Elite Women Class. There was enough excitement in these two classes to last the whole weekend. Saturday, Lance McGuire finished first in the main, with Tim Sonner from Ohio finishing close by in second. CJ McGuire ended up third with Justin Loffredo in his shadow. Ryan Zielinski from the Style Industries/Flat Pedal Posse came in fifth. Dan's rider Cesar Acevedo with the sixth and Justin Wike in the seventh. Brining up the Main Event was Christopher Keller. Elite women consisted of the Floridian Melissa Gremal in the first, Samantha Allen out of Michigan in the second, and Brew's Jill Botchler in the Third.

Saturday: Elite Man- 1. Lance McGuire, 2. Tim Sonner, 3. CJ McGuire, 4. Justin Loffredo, 5. Ryan Zielinski, 6. Cesar Acevedo, 7. Justin Wike, 8. Christopher Keller.

Elite Women- 1. Melissa Gremal, 2. Samantha Allen, 3. Jill Botchler, 4. Brittany Hoover, 5. Maelynn Foster, 6. Lindsey Melkus, 7. Heather Hellwinkel, 8. Sierra Siebenlist

Sunday: Elite Man- 1. Lance McGuire, 2. Cesar Acevedo, 3. CJ McGuire, 4. Ryan Zielinski, 5. Harley Kelly, 6. Alan Zalewa, 7. Tim Sonner, 8. Justin Loffredo (Nice style over the Pro Jump after your crash!)

Elite Women- 1. Melissa Gremal, 2. Jill Botchler, 3. Samantha Allen, 4. Sierra Siebenlist, 5. Jessi Sox, 6. Heather Hellwinkel, 7. Ashleigh Ybarra, 8. Nickole Hannahs

With riders and families present from over ten states there were always activities to do. Style Industries (formerly Styleman) had a video throughout to the crowd on Sunday; the "fun" stand was set up with all sorts of gimmicks, and of course Racegirl® held a raffle. Congratulations to J&C's Rachelle MacIntosh for winning the Answer Jersey and Elite Women Sam Allen on winning the Enigma Shirt.

Cheyene Kauffman, new Racegirl® BMX Team member, was present. It was great to meet her and her family for the first time. Lots of girls stopped by the booth and signed up for the Racegirl® BMX League. Thanks everyone for your support!! In my opinion the NBL held another excellent race in an excellent environment. All the races ran fast, smoothly, and without too many emergencies (minus a few protests). Prayer goes out to Tom Wagner who is still in the hospital after he, Carlos Clark, and Thorne got into a terrible car accident on Saturday night. Carlos and Thorne were released on Sunday morning with only a few bruises and whip lashes. Tom on the other hand broke all the bones in his face and punctured his liver. He goes into surgery on Wednesday, if the swelling has subsided enough. Good Luck buddy!

Thanks once again to everyone who made this race possible, NBL crew, TB Trophies (jackets and hats looked great), volunteers, racers and parents. Everything was awesome, but maybe next time I'll be able to race.

Racegirl Rachel "Thunder" Smith

Announcing the 2004 Racegirl® BMX Team
Level A (Elite Team)~ Girl Cruiser/Teri Anderson - Elite/Karine Chambonneau - Pro/Amanda Hughes - Elite/Michele Peters - Elite/Rachel Smith
Level B (Trophy Team) ~ Kimberly Atwood - Courtney Bell - Brittany Brane - Elena Buck - Julia Buck - Jordan Christian - Mollie Crohan - Jenny Drake - Kathryn Eckland - Dasia Garcia - Bailey Hauber - Gracen Hayes - Megan Hughes - Cheyanne Kauffman - Kayland Maxwell - Cassey Penna - Kelly Primc - Morgan Skaggs - Holly Thompson - Abiee Zagar
We will announce the Grassroots Team members later in the week after we receive the signed contracts. Check back at www.racegirlbmx.com for the complete list of the 2004 roster which has grown to 90 members this year!!

04/12 Victorian State Championships photos
We finally got the photos up, click here to check them out in our photos section.

03/12 Victorian State Championships report (part 3)
At the Victorian Championships each year there is a special award given to two riders, one male and one female, for outstanding achievement. It's called the Keith Williams Medal. (Keith Williams is a former president of BMX Victoria from the early days - way back in the 80's.) This year there was a tie between two females and two males. The two female recipients were Christine Kelly and Ziggy Callan, both won every race on the weekend in their respective 20 inch and cruiser classes as did the male recipients Scott Lacey and Shane Jenkins. It was Scott's fourth consecutive number 1 in his age class and Shane's 21st consecutive appearance at the Victorian state championships.
Photos to come soon.

03/12 2004 BMX Supercross series cancelled
Sydney, Australia - It is my unfortunate position to annnounce the 2004 BMX Supercross Series has to be cancelled.
Our major sponsor for the 2004 series (a corporate company) ran into financial issues and they were forced to cut costs, which unfortunately included our sponsorshiop package.
After consultations with solicitors and accountants etc it is in the best interest of the sport that the series be cancelled until we find a new sponsor and not pursue litigation.
Our efforts are now being directed at securing appropriate sponsorship for 2005.
Individual tracks will still run thier 2004 open races as normal meets. You will have to contact each individual club for details.
The Nerang race in January will have a UCI / BMXA event on Saturday and the AA / A Pro race on Sunday.
Flyers are already out for this event.

Thanks
Warwick Wheeler
Editor
BMXPRESS

We asked Warwick what this means for BMX Central, the TV show that is associated with the series (aired on FoxSport and around the world). This is what he had to say...

...The show depended on the races.
What we are looking at doing is spreading the 2003 races, (coverage wise at least) to take the sports TV profile into next year and have numerous replays so that we can keep pushing the profile of the sport in the absense of new TV races.
This is a small conso in the big picture, but all we can do under the circumstances.

We wish Warwick luck in his efforts to chase up sponsorship for the 2005 series. The pro riders have benefited immensly from the DK Nationals through 2002 and 2003, and more importantly the profile of the sport has been raised all due to his efforts.

03/12 Reader letter - thanks to senior riders
Below is a letter from a reader that makes you realise there's more to BMX than results and that there's more to the senior riders that what you see on the track.

Could I ask for you to do a little favour for me and put a note up on your site commending the fantastic manner in which a number of riders on the weekend took time from their day to do something special for the up and coming youngsters in the sport.
It is all too often these days that pro's in many sports forget their humble beginnings, but on the weekend my son, Brock, was devastated at his defeat in the run off for the 9 boys final, it was only through the encouragement of some of his heros of the sport that he was able to gather himself, and hold his head up and try again.
It was fantastic to see that these riders still had their feet grounded, and would take the time out to support our son, and it made all the difference. I cannot thank enough the great attitudes and personalities of these true sportsman; Brock Tuckerman, Levi Collins, Nathan May and Brendon Sinnma.
Thankyou,
Colin & Nicole Forster.

03/12 ONE Bicycles launches new crankset and sprocket
One Sprocket A very succesful year in BMX in 2003 has motivated ONE to get into the production more Hi-End BMX parts. The latest products are the cranksets and the sprocket.

The CNC'd sprocket is made out of 7075 billet aluminum and available from 39-44T in black.
An adapter to fit 19mm spindles comes with every sprocket.
It is one of the strongest sprockets on the BMX market and will make worn out sprockets history.

One CranksThe 4130 three piece crankset is a product you will find on the ONE Bicycles World team in 2004.
It passed severe tests that some other brands couldn't handle.
The set comes with a 36 spline 145mm long 19mm spindle made of 4130 CrMo, sealed bearings, bolts and even cone spacers. Bye bye to the spacer rings.
The set can be taken apart simply by loosen the allen bolts that allow the crank to come off.
At the moment 180mm is available in black and chrome, but in the spring the 175mm cranks will be available as well.

For more information contact ONE Bicycles at http://www.onebicycles.com or http://www.onebicyclesusa.com

03/12 J & C Supercross race report
Morristown, Tenn. - To start with, I would like welcome our newest riders on the roster: Super fast 7 novice & 30-34 cruiser Jared Goolsby and his father Chris. The 8 year old lil' sister to one of the best racers in the NBL, Alexandria McIntosh. A kid lacking race experience, but not natural skill and ability, 12 novice, Russell North. With only 5 races and 3 practices, this kid won the 12 rookie main at the NBL Grands!! He is now winning motos & placing top finishes in his national novice mains!!! Brand new to us this past weekend is another awesome father and son combo 10 expert & 35-39? Cruiser, Chaz and Mark Green. We are proud and excited to welcome all of you!
Moving on to racing: 10 expert, Chaz Green and 16 rookie, Duane Wurster were our only U.S. Open jacket winners. Duane finished 2nd in the main, but, 1st in class. Chaz was just plain unstoppable and I'm sure caused quite a stir amongst the 10 ex. Crowd!! He had a perfect on Friday 1-1-1-1.
Throughout the weekend we had many close-to-perfect finishes with 14 expert Brandon Dosch going 1-1-1-2 on Friday, 2nd in the main Saturday and 2-1-1-4 on Sunday. Rusty North went 1-1-1-4 on Friday, 1-1-1-7 Saturday and 2-5-2-3 on Sunday, watch for this one when he figures out that whole traffic thing. Korey (The Rooster) Terry ran a 5th place main finish on Friday night, barely missing the last transfer spot in his 18-21 expert semi on Sat. In the Elite women's class Ashleigh Ybarra had a good weekend with a 3-3-3 in her motos and some pedal issues in the semi Saturday and then 1-3-2-7 on Sunday. Samantha Allen (24-7) went 1-1-1-2 on Sat. and 1-1-1-3 on Sunday, great job ladies! Saturday was also a good day for Rachelle and Alex's dad Ben McIntosh (22-29 novice class) he went 1-1-1-3. Mike Taulbee rode well in the 15 novice class with 1-2-1-4 and 2-1-1-5 although hitting the pro jump didn't seem to move him to a better main finish! 13 expert Scott Glannan had a respectable 2-3-2-6 on Saturday. We spent most of the weekend dialing in his new Supercross cruiser. 12 expert Chase Boothby had some gearing problems that were straightened out by Sunday for a 3-4-3-6 finish. 10 expert Chaz Green was on fire this weekend with 2-2-2-3 on Sat. and 1-1-1-3 on Sunday. 10 novice Ryan Glannan spent the weekend sorting out the other riders in his class only to go ahead and break his arm in his semi on Sunday! We all hope you get well soon. The 11 girls class was a first straight pull contest with Just For Fun's newest rider, Heather Wallace coming out ahead of our own Rachelle McIntosh, Rachelle celebrated her 2 year anniversary with us by finishing 2-2-2-2 both days. Happy anniversary Rachelle! Once 10 girl Ariana Quintanilla discovered what those things under her feet were for, she went 4-2-2-3 on day 1 and started day 2 with an intimidating crash for a 6-5-5-5 finish. Tyler Beebe was all about winning the 7 expert mains all weekend. Tyler placed 3-2-2-1 & 2-2-2-1, great job little man! Last but not least 50-54 cruiser Dennis Ybarra lost the tie breaker for the transfer spot on Saturday. You'll get them in Dayton, Yogi!
Team wise, we turned in a pair of 80s. There were a lot of great teams there this holiday weekend, I think we finished 6th on Saturday and had a 4 way tie to finish 5th on Sunday!
Thanks to all of our riders that chose to spend Thanksgiving in what should have been nice, warm Morristown, Tennessee. The temperature is normally in the high 50s. (warm is a relative term for us northerners!).
As usual, thanks to all of our sponsors: Takata, North River Electric, Supercross, Answer, Profile, Sun Ringle', S & M.
See ya in Dayton, T.M. J & C Supercross John Glannan

02/12 Victorian State Championships report (part 2)
In the elite classes the numbers were low only 11 riders in Junior Elite men, 4 in Combined Elite Women, and 9 in Senior Elite men. The riders were doing their best to put on a show but I think it's time BMXVictoria reevaluate the elite classes and maybe give A and AA Pro a chance to see if they can increase the numbers and get some excitement back into the main events.
In the Junior Elite class it was Jonathan Hoare, Levi Collins and Brock Tuckerman who were stealing the show, they qualified in the top 3 spots, and were all looking the goods for the final. Also in the top 8 of the field were Dean Miller, Ken Babington, Dean Beerens, Aaron Wood and Joseph Bujak.
When the gate dropped in the main, it was Jonathan Hoare who got to the early lead with Tuckerman and Collins right on his tail, followed closely by the rest of the field. Down the second straight Hoare pulled away to a comfortable 3 bike length lead then seemed to go into a zone, while Collins was trying to pull in Tuckerman. But Tuckerman wasn't going to give in that easily, he made Collins ride hard all the way to the line to take the second from him.
There were no real surprises in the Elite Womens class, however it would have been nice to see Kate Eliott give Emma Franklin a bit more of a run for her money like she has been lately. Caroline Sobotka was having a lot of trouble with the wind and struggling to stay on the track.
In the senior elite mens class only 1 rider would miss out on the main, the racing was so close it could have been just about anyone. When it came down to it Nathan Barker scrapped in, it was a handy win in the 2nd moto that meant that he would get through and Adam Robb would miss out by just one point, this was a surprise to all as Adam has finished top 3 in most of his outings at Lalor.
Harvey looked comfortable, except for one moto where he seemed to have a lot of touble keeping his foot clipped to his pedal. Danny Galea was looking strong, and he was going to make a race of the final. Robert Slatter was very consistant and was looking the good for a top 3 finish, but in a field like this one anything could happen and it did.
When the gate dropped in the main Harvey and Slatter jumped to the lead, Galea had clipped out and took a long time to get his bike up to speed again. The rest of the riders were bunched up trying to keep up with Harvey and Slatter. Matthew White looked like he might just pull off the third until Simon Anderson pulled him in. Galea was riding like a steam train trying to get back into the mix, he past Barker and managed to pull up next to Stamford in 6th but the field just got too far ahead of him. 10 more meters and he could have got himself close to 4th.
More state titles news and photos coming soon.
Results
Jnr Elite Men
1. Jonathan Hoare (KHS/Fox)
2. Levi Collins (Sinister)
3. Brock Tuckerman (Sinister)
4. Dean Miller (GT Aus)
5. Aaron Wood
6. Ken Babington
7. Joseph Bujak
8. Dean Beerens (Top Gear/GT)
Elite Women
1. Emma Franklin (ONeal)
2. Kate Eliott
3. Caroline Sobotka
4. Kirsten Taylor
Senior Elite Men
1. Tony Harvey (S&M/ECI)
2. Robert Slatter (Profile/ECI)
3. Simon Anderson (GT Aus)
4. Matthew White
5. Charles Nelson
6. Trevor Stamford (BMXBits.com.au)
7. Nathan Barker (Diamond Back Aus)
8. Danny Galea

01/12 Victorian State Championships results
Click here for the full results from the Victorian State Championships

01/12 Victorian State Championships report (part 1)
The Victorian State Championships were held over the weekend at the Lalor Park BMX track. Home of the 1998 UCI World Cup. It's now a very different track, no tar top surface and all the corners and jumps have changed, the only things that remain the same are the starting gate and the track layout.
Who would have thought that it could have been pulled off 6 months ago. There have been very few riders supporting the Lalor track over the past years. The track has been through a number of changes including the original change by pro rider Tony Harvey. But the jumps were not let to settle and shape properly before more changes. It went from something with a lot of potential to something people simply didn't want to ride. Then it was back in the hands of the riders, with very little time, to get some flow back into the track and make it something that people could race and have some fun on. There were some rough patches on the track and some of the jumps were a little weird, but there was only so much the club could do with little time and resources. Given what they had to work with they should be commended for the outstanding job that was done. Was it worthy of a state championships event in the end? It sure was.
The weather may have had some influence on the results, on Saturday there was a little bit of wind that was enough to be annoying and 32°C temperatures, a good day for the beach. Sunday wasn't quite as hot, but it must have been twice as windy. Riders were literally being blown off their bikes. There were some serious lightening storms surrounding the track area and rain was threatening, but by the time the finals were on that had cleared to blue skies again.
The number of entries for the event were good, but there is plenty of room for improvement. It was also clear that there were just too many classes available to riders. It's easy to see, in the classes that didn't have enough riders for a final, that once riders had a couple of qualifying motos and they had already decided the results so they pretty much filed into position and cruised the track. Nothing is more exciting that watching motos where people are actually fighting for the best lane selection in the final or even for a birth in the final. I think we seriously need to have a look at the sport and do something to put some excitement back into it.
Photos and the rest of the report about the state titles coming soon.

 

Last updated: Thursday, 2 April, 2009 7:33 AM