SIMPLY AMAZING !!!




I'm still grinning like the cat that ate the canary every moment I consider what all got accomplished last night ...

• all the washouts are filled
• all the straights are repaired and ready to be watered and rolled
• the first straight is almost totally re-constructed and was rolled smooth as a baby's bottom
• all the rock piles that we made throughout the night were swept up, scooped up and hauled away
• The corners were raked, washouts filled and with a bit more work, will be ready to roll
• Areas around the track were improved, cleaned and straightened up
• Weeds were cut

Basically, we pulled together, with the help of nearly 30 volunteers, our biggest single work event yet ... and the condition of the track reflects it. To us an analogy -- we didn't just get the car washed -- we absolutely tuned and detailed it while we were at it.

We dragged, tamped (thanks for the equipment lend, Chris Mitchell!) and had two major pieces of equipment (Skid Steer run by Mike Froh courtesy of Pro Electric & a John Deere 4wd tractor piloted by Mark Kluth) all running at once.

Huge thanks to all who's names I recall ... and, my sincere apologies to those I miss ... guess if so many of you continue to help, we're going to have to have some sort of sign-in sheet !!! Mike Froh, Bryan Dickerson, Chris Mitchell, Bill Wilson, the Kluth family, the Kohls family, the Braatz family, the Mittlestadt family, the Olson Family, the Brzenski family, Wipijewski family, and the Eckert family.

All in all, I count 17 busy bees in the photo above ... and every one of you deserves every accolade we can send your way. But, let's not miss the obvious ... thanks, as always, for your help.

For those of you rippers who come out to tomorrow night's practice or Saturday's first ever Kuwahara Klassic presented by Kuwahara Bicycles and enjoy our track ... you absolutely know who to thank for their efforts. Without them ... and the work effort they so generously put out last night ... we might not have been able to race this weekend. But, leave no doubt ... this thing is ON !!!






We weren't the only one's hit hard ...

Earlier this morning, I received an e-mail from my wife Denise, an Iowa native who has been watching with pensive interest, how our neighbors to the west are coping with their flooding. As I was flipping through the photos of Cedar Rapids attached to her e-mail ... I stopped and stared at this one for a long time. It's remarkable what something so simple as a window sticker can mean in a photograph ... but, here is quite obviously ... an unknown BMX family that probably lost most all of what they own. It's just devistating to even consider. On their website, Cedar Rapids BMX (also an ABA track) notes they are in shut down mode due to impending flooding. Let's hope that the track is on higher ground and spared so that some sense of normal life can go on in the community.

All Hands on Deck:

A reminder that tonight's race is cancelled, and also a request that if you can, please come out to help rake tonight (please bring a leaf rake if you can) so that we can get ready for practice on Thursday and racing on Saturday.

Special thanks to Randy Olson, who has been exceptionally gracious to the track this spring ... donating his time and the cost of running his quad (and van to get it to and from the track) for dragging and rolling. Last night, right about dusk, as John and I were looking over the track and trying to figure out a plan of attack for tonight ... Randy rolled up and asked if we would be bothered if he dragged it. I don't know where you volunteers come from ... but, we're sure delighted (not to mention hella lucky) that you found and continue to support Milwaukee BMX.

Below is a photo of Randy doing his thing ... yup, he's in full moonlight ... and, it's much darker than the image suggests ... I had the shutter speed set so slow that I couldn't hold the camera steady enough to even come up with a still shot of him. Cool stuff.

UNPRECEDENTED:

We are officially cancelling our Tuesday June 17 race. Our track has really gotten beat up from the record rainfalls this spring. While we hope that all of our competitors and your friends and families are high and dry ... we are also asking for your help. If you can join us Tuesday night, there will be a volunteer crew working hard to get the track back in shape in time for the earned double points Kuwahara Classic, which is scheduled for next Saturday - June 21st. With a bit of cooperation from mother nature and enough help from our dedicated volunteers we should be able to have the track ready for the race, as well as next Thursday's gate practice.

Like so many other people in SE Wisconsin that are coping with flooding issues -- we're simply playing the hand we've been dealt here and trying to make the most of a bad situation. We appreciate your patience ... as well as all of your dedication and help.

Midwest Nationals:
Best of luck to all of our racers who are heading to Rockford, IL this weekend to compete in the ABA's Midwest Nationals. The Midwest Nationals is one of the biggest and most competitive races of the ABA summer tour and will feature many of the fastest racers from throughout the United States. We will not be traveling this year ... so, if anybody gets photos they'd like to see posted up right here ... send them to lavacycles@sbcglobal.net ... or, even better, save them to one of many web photo albums and shoot us a link. Go fast, guys and gals, and bring a few big trophies back to Milwaukee !!!

Kevin O'

And Now, For Something a 'lil Different ...

This is a sight that Milwaukee race fans aren't treated to real often. Yup, that's Jeff Burton's Sprint Cup short track car, staged up just in front of Kevin Harvick's hauler. Milwaukee Mile has hosted a variety of Sprint Cup (Nextel, Winston, et. al.) test sessions through the years ... but, this is the first in a while that I can recall being open to the public. I work about two laps from the Milwaukee Mile ... and Dane's school is about 1.5 laps from the track ... so, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that when we hear about any type of race car buzzing around the place, we go and check it out.



I Have to admit, the Cup cars were pretty cool ... as are the IRL and former CART (champ, etc) ... but, in our book ... the neatest thing we've ever seen on the Milwaukee Mile were the USAC Sprinters from a couple years ago. By my watch ... the USAC sprint division gets beat only by the IRL or Indy style cars. Considering the USAC sprinters are sit up, open cockpit, open wheel, front engine, rear drive configuration ... it must have taken an enormous amount of courage to make the lap times they were pulling. 850 hp - 1200 lb. cars out there were absolutely hair raising.

Anyway, thought I'd share a few of the images that I got of the Cup guys today. Hope you enjoy them.

This photo of Kevin Harvick intrigues me ... look closely at the track beneath the right rear quarter panel ... there's a light shining down. My guess is that one of the crew workers who was responsible for that corner of the car (shocks, springs, etc.) probably forgot his flashlight in there. I'm guessing even a super tough mag light turns to dust if it winds up rolling down a track at 130 mph.

Terry Labonte, believe it or not, in an un-painted, unmarked Petty Enterprises car. He wasn't turning the fastest laps ... but, it's still cool to be able to say that I saw the former NASCAR champion turning laps in person.

Brian Vickers was going super quick in the #83 RedBull car. Look closely at the front splitter (spoiler) on either of the RedBull cars ... they are just glued to the track. You can tell there's some heavy braking going on with all that front nose dive.

The second team RedBull car, this one driven by Former open wheel ace, AJ Almendinger. Once again, check out that front splitter ... that's downforce, baby!

David Ragan finally hit the track in his Roush Fenway Ford Fusion when we were on our way out ... this shot was just hard to get. I haven't shot race cars in years, and I forgot how fast you have to pan to keep up. You can tell I'm on a pretty fast shutter speed on all of these shots as the fence is relatively clear. Even braking hard into the corner ... he's probably still rolling at close to 100 mph.



Though we never put a stop-watch on any of the drivers testing ... my ears told me that Casey Mears was likely fastest. Maybe I'm not recalling correctly ... but, it seems to me that at one of the Loudon, or maybe Phoenix races, the announcers were discussing how the Hendrick motors were turning a slightly easier gear, and running a higher RPM as a result. You could absolutely hear it in Mears car -- which was just screaming bloody murder -- as he approached the braking point on the straights -- compared to the rest of the testers.

All track activities for the week of June 9th - 15th are CANCELLED:

This includes the scheduled single point race (Tuesday June 10) and open practice (Thursday June 12).

There's a large amount of standing water on the track yet today ... so, it's likely going to be late tomorrow before it's even dry enough to assess how much work we'll have in front of us to get back to racing.

Thanks again to everyone who came out for Saturday's race ... looking back through our records confirmed that 14 motos is a new high number for a single point race. And, we were just two signups away (and you gals know exactly who you are) from having a 15th moto as well. Great stuff. We hope everyone had fun.

First Race of 2008 a HUGE Success:

Mother natured huffed and puffed, and dropped monumental amounts of rain ... in fact she's back to her old tricks at the moment this is being posted ... but allowed us a couple hour window through which we ran our first race of the 2oo8 season.  The total moto count of 14 was nearly as high as any single point we ran last season -- so we're really happy with the turnout.

Huge thanks to all of you who grabbed a rake, shovel, or shoved a wheelbarrow that allowed the show to go on.  We are really grateful and fortunate that the BMX community is so willing to pitch in and help out.  

Below are a bunch of images we were able to capture during the mains.  Results will be posted soon.

13 x works their way on down into the first corner ... a super smooth Fondy BMX rider is leading out Milwaukee regular Nathan Labecki into the first corner.

RJ Eckert out front and in command in 8 intermediate.  A quick peek over his shoulder let's him know that he's going home with another win in his portfolio.

16 expert Brad Olson is pulling intermediates Colin Kohls and Chris Wipijewski down the first straight.  Olson's dad Randy worked all last weekend to get the track completely dialed in ... only to learn the first lesson of outdoor BMX track preparation.  Anything you can improve in two days work, Mother Nature can undo in a couple of hours.

Eastern view of a Westbound Baake.  I'm not sure if this is Cole or Colin ... but, both were looking good all day.

Reece Rankins was pretty seriously quick all last season at Milwaukee ... but, has made noticeable improvement since our last race ... he was pulling out the stops in the 9x class all day.

The Kuwahara kids, Sam Cabaltera and Dane O'Donnell putting it on the 8 novice class.  Neither one of these kids is going to be hanging around that class for very long.

Pretty much ... Ben Kohls owns Milwaukee BMX ... yeah, the kid is just dialed at our track.  Dana Mittelstadt, in hot pursuit, is rocking the intermediates trying to chase Kohls down.  Mittelstadt is another rider that's made major progress in the year that Milwaukee BMX has been in existence.

Jay Labecki made two fantastic position passes in each of his mains ... I watched as he zipped on by me at the line in the 41-45 cruiser class ... and in his 20" main, he laid a similar move on Karl Ausdembruch going into the last turn.  Len Cabaltera followed suit to pin down the second.  Talk about re-shuffling the deck !!!

Yeah, we shot a few "glamour" shots post race ... this is pretty much my favoriate of the day.  Brad Olson, clicked out and dialed in ... good jump, cool photo.

Our Best Wishes

John Maurer passed along word that Brian Pochel, who I can recall from his days as an A-Pro in the mid and late '80's, has been waging a fight with cancer for nearly a year.  Last year, it was discovered that he had tumors in several of his vital organs ... which is typically a sign of advanced stages.  After what was thought to be a successful course of radiation and chemotherapy ... it's recently been discovered that the cancer is back.  Brian has always been a straight arrow guy and this is nothing that personal habits or lifestyle brought on -- like Lance Armstrong -- Brian is an otherwise athletic guy who just happened to develop tumors.  We're all hoping and pulling for Brian that remission will be somewhere in his future.

UPDATE 8:15 SATURDAY A.M.

We are planning to race as scheduled today.  Because of the rain, we can use the help of as many volunteers as can make it between 9:30 and 10 a.m.

Thanks for your help and continued interest in Milwaukee BMX ... and we'll see you trackside.

Saturday June 7th Race is ON:

Let's start this post with the hopes that our friends that join us on a weekly basis from the areas affected by the Tornado(s) that moved through the area today are all safe and sound.

The heavy weather that moved through SE Wisconsin today sure did a number on the track ... but, it's nothing that a whole lot of effort can't undo. So, if you can, please consider joining us trackside between 8 and 9 a.m. (much earlier and it may not be firm enough to work on) to fill the washouts, rake and roll the track. If we get a big enough crew of us working out there ... the chances are good that we can start at our scheduled time.

If you are coming out to race, but can't make it early ... no problem ... but, please be patient as those of us who are scrambling to get the track in racing form are all volunteers and laboring out of our love for the sport.

If we do happen to get more precipitation tonight, and the track takes further water and is just unworkable ... we'll attempt to have the race cancellation posted by 7:30 a.m. But, as things stand, we are going to attempt to run our scheduled race tomorrow.

We hope to see you there.

Thursday May 5 Practice is CANCELLED

More than 2" of rain at the track this morning force the cancellation of tonight's open practice. We are still scheduled to race on Saturday ... and are figuring to do so on schedule. Keep checking right here for more updates as we get closer to Saturday morning.

Saturday May 31st - New Rider Clinic

Thanks to all of you who came out and braved the winds and soft track conditions to get your first full swig of BMX Brew.

Also, thanks to the volunteers -- who helped prep our track, which had been swamped the night before by a formidable shower which moved through the Franklin area -- as well as those of you who helped run the clinic.

Track Operator and greeter extrordinaire, John Mittelstadt, introduces the instruction crew and provides some basic overview of the sport of BMX.




Bryan Dickerson (with beard) explains the many benefits of additional safety gear. Though only a helmet, long pants and long sleeve shirt are required by the ABA, Dickerson also wears elbow pads and a chest protector, and, at 40 something, can still hang with and beat a bunch of the kids half his age.

Tim Eiring demonstrates the proper technique to roll over obstacles, using his arms and legs like the big shock absorbers on a monster truck while keeping his upper body relaxed and his head still and level.


The young lady in the image above asked me a couple of times if I've ever crashed my BMX bike. "Sure" I told her, but not so much lately. She told me that she had crashed twice in the day of the new rider clinic. That's pretty good I told her, and offered a high five. I remember a friends dad who tried to take up the sport as an adult back in the late 80's and he used to pretty routinely crash twice every lap. But, he stuck with it for a couple of years and had a lot of fun racing despite those early frustrations. Stick with it, kiddo, and you'll be riding clean fast laps in no time flat.


This young guy was one of a couple of "spinners" ... the classic 16" BMX bike seems to be geared so that parents can keep up to kids at a walking pace. That easy gear is a bit of an enemy at a BMX track, however, where a little more speed actually helps the kids get over obstacles. Not to mention, the amount of revolutions these little guys make just to get around the track must be comparable to a stage in the Tour de France. Since each rider rode about 20 laps each, I'm guessing these little grommets slept well on Saturday night.


-- end --

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Practice - Thursday Night - June 5th
First Race - Saturday - June 7th

2008 Opener a Success:

Thanks to everyone who came out to ride the track at last night's practice. It was super good to see all the familiar faces (and a bunch of new ones too).

Below are a couple of random photos that I snapped while not getting some long overdue laps in myself.

We're still hoping to stay on schedule with our "New Rider Clinic" at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning ... but, it's possible it will move back somewhat given the uncertainty of today's and tonight's forecast. We'll have updates posted up by 8 tomorrow morning at the latest.

Thursday 5 / 29 PRACTICE IS ON !!!

The light rain that moved through the area was about equivolent to giving the track a decent watering ... in other words ... enough to keep the dust down. The racing surface is firm and a little bit tacky ... but, definitely rideable.

We hope to see you there tonight.

Kevin O'

Milwaukee BMX Opens THIS WEEK !!!

After barely surviving the longest, coldest, snowiest, and most outrageously ridiculous winter on record (ahem, at least, that's what I heard) the Milwaukee BMX track crew has things ready for our 2008 season kick-off, gate practice this Thursday night and our new rider orientation which is scheduled for this Saturday morning.

Thursday Gate Practice will run from 6-8 p.m. and, as usual, riders will need a current ABA BMX membership, $5 for fees, and required safety gear, including a helmet, long sleeve shirt and full length pants. Bikes must have all reflectors, chain guards and kick stands removed.

The New Rider Clinic will start at 9 a.m. this Saturday Morning, May 31st and run until 10:30 a.m. New riders will receive an orientation to the sport of BMX as well as receive on track training from a group of nationally competitive local riders, including Greg and Tim Eiring, Dana Mittelstadt, Nick Campanelli and more.

New riders will need to bring: a helmet, long sleeve shirt, and full length pants. You might also consider wearing knee pads, elbow pads and gloves if you have them available (skateboard stuff works great) though they are not required. Since we'll be trackside in the heat of the day, sunscreen and water or some other liquid for hydration are also suggested. New riders need not be members of the ABA, and are able to ride under a one day free temporary membership, but ABA memberships will be available trackside. Cost of a full ABA BMX annual membership is $45 / rider. There is no fee for the new rider clinic.

Milwaukee BMX updates are also available on MYSPACE @ http://www.myspace.com/milwaukeebmx

More photos from 5/5/2008 ... this track is definitely ready to rock.


First straight, looking back at the hill from the first jump.



View of last straight from left side of last jump ... no more little last turn wedgie to kill your momentum.

First straight looking back at the hill from the 2nd jump. Nice & smooth !!!

First turn ... as wide and as smooth as it ever has been.

2nd straight is full throttle and wide open ... we should see a bunch of moves out of the first corner this season.

HOLY SCHMOLLY !!!

What can be said but, WOW !!! ... all of you who donated your time and effort toward the spring fix up deserve an awful lot of BMX love. Here's hoping that the devilish tire grabbing dirt monkeys will not have their way with any of those who helped (or, your little BMX racing hombres and hombrettes either) this weekend. (This is, evidentally, a curse which got me in a big way last fall at Walworth Indoor BMX.)

Track Operator John Mittelstadt said there were so many people there on Sunday that at one point that he just wasn't ablt to get everybody's name for who to thank. So, just big thanks from all of us to the Milwaukee BMX community at large for all of your support. The blisters, sore backs and tired arms are absolute appreciated.

But, it's super important to recognize that Del Sievert delivered 4 quad axle truckloads of fresh, screened clay (which rocks like chugging about six Red Bulls before jamming to a slayer song on guitar hero) and that once again Pro Electric came through with a loader for us (which is just an amazing gesture considering the cost of equipment rental -- plus, Craig picks up and delivers the beast in this era of near $4 / gallon gas prices -- which is a truly remarkable act of generosity).

T/O Mittelstadt submits the following photos after an exhausting couple of days in which our track went from "rehab" to "rehabilitated, reinvigorated and definitely ready for racing". Great stuff:

There are a few subtle changes, per track captain and super speedy 41-45 cruiser racer, Mike Froh ... the second straight is wide and ready for all out straightaway assaults, all of the turns are built back up to their original heights or are larger, the little momentum killing wedge out of the last corner (which Mike will go to his grave insisting was my bad idea) was removed and the entire first straight was capped with the good screened clay. Truth told, we just can't wait to get back on this beast ... it ought to be rolling fast.

Thanks again to all that participated ... and, here's looking forward to a fantastic 2008 racing season.

MAY 3 - 8:30 A.M.

SCHEDULED TRACK MAINTENANCE:

John's plan was to take a run by the track this a.m. to see if there's any chance we can do much with it ... the rain showers that moved through last night and any additional showers this morning will wash out today's activities.   

John's is trackside and his cell is 414-429-3485 for more details.

Sunday's forecast is excellent, however ... so we will definitely plan to proceed with our work day as planned.  We hope to see you there.  And, thanks for your support of Milwaukee BMX.

Kevin O'

Moto Bored:

Yeah, so, maybe it's a good day for riding ... but, for those of us stuck in front of a computer ... it's also a great chance to kick out a reminder that there are a ton of cool local shops that are getting behind our little but growing Milwaukee BMX racing scene. Don't forget to click the HOT SHOPS linkie over to the right the next time you wind up in a "wrecktangle" and tweak something on your bike.

For those of you who can't figure out what a link is ... here's the list 'o shops that are super groovey with Milwaukee BMX.

Some of these shops are contemplating forming teams this season ... it wouldn't be too cool for our riders to go in expecting some factory level ride ... but, if you could use a little help in the form of discount structure on parts ... and, you think you would be a good representative for a shop that you've been a loyal customer to ... hit them up ... and see what they think about a "jersey" sponsorship. It's a great way to take your racing to a new level and get yourself into a team environment.

Oh, and don't forget to tell them that you appreciate their support of Milwaukee BMX !!!

Crank Daddy's Bicycle Works - 2108 N. Farwell - Milwaukee, WI

Wares Cyclery - 1306 S. 108th St., Milwaukee, WI 414-454-0550

South Shore Cycles - 4758 S Packard Ave - Cudahy 414-831-0211

Ben's Cycles - 1018 W Lincoln Ave - Milwaukee 414-384-2236

Johnson's Cycle & Fitness - 6916 W North Ave - Wauwatosa 414-476-2341

Allis Cycle - 9622 W. National Ave - West Allis 414-327-1290

Emerys Cycle and Fitness - Milwaukee / Glendale / Menomonee Falls 414-463-2453

Ride Extreme Sports - 14666 West National Avenue - New Berlin 262-789-7433

American Suzuki and ABA BMX team up for 2008 District #1 winners

Gilbert, Arizona—April 23, 2008 — The American Bicycle Association (ABA BMX) has renewed its agreement with American Suzuki Motor Corporation as the official motorcycle and ATV of the 2008 ABA BMX (Bicycle Motocross) racing series. The 2008 ABA BMX Race Series consists of 27 National events and 15 Pro Series events throughout North America. Suzuki's involvement in the ABA BMX racing series began in 2007 and continues again this year!

American Suzuki is a major sponsor of the 2008 ABA BMX event schedule and will be fully integrated into the BMX events nationwide. In 2008, the ABA BMX and American Suzuki will work cooperatively to bring even more excitement to the racers. New promotions include an incredible Suzuki RMZ450 being awarded not only to the ABA BMX National #1 Champions, but also an amazing Suzuki RMZ250 being awarded at the ABA BMX district level.

ABA and Suzuki are offering to every eligible rider who is awarded an 2008 ABA District #1 a chance to win a Suzuki RMZ250. Every class is eligible and any district #1 rider who has earned at least 2000 district points for the 2008 season will be entered into a drawing. This gives every rider in the ABA an opportunity to win the amazing Suzuki RMZ250! This competition is open to boys, girls, cruisers and girl cruisers in all ABA districts, district classes and age groups. Complete details and rules will be available in BMXer magazine and online at www.ababmx.com.

“We are very excited to have American Suzuki return as a major sponsor for a 2008, they have really supported the sport of BMX. Suzuki has recognized that BMX is a family sport that reaches both the kids and the parents. This year will be the most excitement ever generated for the Suzuki program, because now every rider has an opportunity to win a Suzuki RMZ250.” said Clayton John, ABA President. Like other ABA national event sponsors, Suzuki will have a large and notable presence at every ABA National event and has scheduled display advertising as part of its sponsorship in ABA’s BMXer publication.

HUGE RACE ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Saturday June 21st earned double point race at Milwaukee BMX has a new title sponsor and name. Announced late last week, Kuwahara Bicycles will sponsor the first annual Kuwahara Classic at Milwaukee BMX. Kuwahara will be kicking in a variety of swag for the racers that day ... what an awesome new event for Milwaukee BMX.

More details will be available soon.





More Odds and Endos:

Fondy Spring Opener !!!
We received an e-mail earlier today reminding us that Fond du Lac is planning their opener for this Sunday ... they are also planning a swap meet and new rider clinic which will take place before racing begins. Registration is open from 11 to 12:30 p.m. ... more details at http://www.fdlbmxclub.com/

Central Wisconsin BMX hosts Pro BMX SUPERCAMP - August 16 & 17th.
Yup, if you got a hankerin' for a late summer trip to learn about some advanced racing techniques ... this one is definitely worth checking out at http://www.cwbmx.org/

IT'S ALMOST TIME !!!

Please mark your calendars:

What:  Track cleanup / maintenance / renovation

When:  9 a.m. until -- ???  |  Saturday May 3 & 4

Where:  Milwaukee BMX (duh!)

Hey you BMX'ers and BMX'er-ettes ... it's almost time to rifle through your garage and knock the cobwebs off your dusty rakes, shovels and other gardening / landscaping tools (and, if you happen to have a four-wheeler, that'd sure come in handy too) and join us May 3rd and May 4th for our track cleanup / maintenance / and improvements days.  Mark it on your calendar ... and please shoot us an e-mail at lavacycles@sbcglobal.net and mjmittelstadt@yahoo.com to let us know if you can join.

Track prep ranges from heavy lifting and hard work ... to pulling rakes and piling rocks ... to crew support (someone who will offer to run and grab lunch and cheer us on is always welcome !!!).  With enough hands on deck ... the work goes much more quickly ... and we may even get a chance to ride a few laps Sunday if we get done early enough.

Bring your gardening tools ... yard rakes, shovels, garage brooms, wheelbarrows, etc.  It's also a good idea to bring gloves, sunscreen ... and plenty of water to drink.

We hope to see you then.

For those of you who can't make it ... you can at least join us in crossing your fingers for some good weather ... this has been a crummy spring for sure ... but, we're all anxious to get back to  racing at Milwaukee BMX.

Kevin O'

Milwaukee BMX Club - Meeting Notice:

When: Tomorrow Night - Wednesday, April 2nd at 7 p.m.
Where: Benno's in West Allis - 7413 West GreenfieldWest Allis, Wisconsin 414-453-9094

Who Can Attend? Current volunteers and those interested in volunteers are encouraged to join -- and, pretty much anyone with an interest in BMX in Milwaukee is welcome to attend. Since Benno's is a pub ... if you are under the age of 18 you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

For More Information: John Mittelstadt - 414-429-3485

Milwaukee BMX Braces for Total Chaos !!!

We received an e-mail today from Thomas O'Rourke -- a once-in-a-while Milwaukee BMX racer (40c) who's kids Mickayla (9g) and Wyatt (11n) are regulars at our track. O'Rourke wanted us to pass along word that he's formed up a brand new team called -- yeah, you guessed it -- Total Chaos BMX.

A lot of times, when these notifications come in, team rosters are pretty well set. But, being a brand new team, Total Chaos still has some roster spots to fill.

Because Total Chaos will be a family based team, it seems to us that fun is going to be the name of their game. Which is cool ... because everybody knows that we dig family fun at Milwaukee BMX.

To find out more about Total Chaos BMX, interested riders sould contact O'Rourke at totalchaosbmx@charter.net

The Absolute God's Honest Truth About BMX ...



As I was rifling through one of the many junk drawers in our house recently, I stumbled onto the photograph that's attached to this article. A quick review shows just not a kid on a bike ... but a kid on a bike in a moment in time. That kid, as you might have figured, is me -- circa 1976 and looking like some sort of surreal mixture of bag lady meets Steve McQueen.

Honestly, I don't recall what my reference point for "cool" was back then ... but, the fact that I'm dudded up in my sweet gold windbreaker, which has the bonus monroe shocks stickers on each side of my chest, along with a helmet tells me that I must have had some racing reference point from which to draw the conclusion that ... heck yeah ... despite the rust colored tuff skins with the iron on patch, long undies peeking out just above my ankles, sporting red socks, and shoes that would look more appropriate on the set of a high school production of Oliver Twist ... I was definitely a cool kid.

The bike tells a story all its own. The remarkably large headlight tells me that maybe I was a bit more enduro than moto at that particular stage in my life. But, rest assured, the bold letters "MX" on the back of that well padded seat left little doubt as to where I'd one day be headed. I don't know where the heck my mind was at with that equally gargantuan horn -- I can only figure that it helped warn oncomers of my approach while I was barreling out of blind corner alleyways.

And, yeah, that crooked retaining wall is the foundation to the house that I grew up in. A roughly 800 s.f. cracker box that my mom bought in 1966 for $6,000 !!! ... and probably re-financed to pay for my cool bike.

See, this photo reminds me where I came from, in many ways ... and helps me understand why almost all of my bikes are assembled from secondhand parts, closeout stuff, or items I've been able to find "good guy" deals on. It also reminds me of why I'm okay with the beg, borrow and steal approach that we've used to cobble together the Milwaukee BMX operation.

Candy Karau once told me that when she and Jake took over the operation at Rockford ... which must be just more than 20 years ago now ... they employed the same strategy ... and, by the mid 1990's the track gained some backing from the Parks department in Rockford ... allowing it to truly flourish under the leadership of the Karaus. I believe the future holds much of the same promise for Milwaukee BMX.

The reward for all of the work on our end was seeing the many looks of determination and happiness that were on the faces of the kids and parents who participated in Milwaukee BMX. We're probably not going to send a lot of our racers out onto the national scene ... or, perhaps a career in BMX ... although that weedy Ben Kohls kid is sure doing his part to prove me wrong on that one ... but, we are providing a forum for individual growth ... and showing kids that there's value in work, persistence, and that no matter how much fun winning is ... losing isn't the end of the world ... life lessons.



Yeah, photographs like the one above are really important ... your kid grows up once ... you will never regret documenting as much of it as you can. In fact, I wonder where will your kids be when they stumble across old shots of them on a bike?

By the way ... even though it's too small ... I am wearing a Green Bay Packers helmet ... and riding a bike with #4 on it.

We can hardly wait to see you trackside again soon.

Kevin O'

Milwaukee BMX Club - Meeting Notice:

When: Tomorrow Night - Wednesday, March 5th at 7 p.m.

Where: Benno's in West Allis - 7413 West GreenfieldWest Allis, Wisconsin 414-453-9094

Who Can Attend? Current volunteers and those interested in volunteers are encouraged to join -- and, pretty much anyone with an interest in BMX in Milwaukee is welcome to attend. Since Benno's is a pub ... if you are under the age of 18 you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

For More Information: John Mittelstadt - 414-429-3485

MILWAUKEE BMX 2008 SCHEDULE

May
Thur. May 29 Practice
Sat. May 31 New Rider Clinic

June
Thur. June 5 Practice
Sat June 7 Race FIRST RACE OF THE SEASON!!
Tue June 10 Race
Thur. June 12 Practice
Tue June 17 Race
Sat.June 21 Race Earned Double (First Annual KUWAHARA Classic at Milwaukee BMX)
Tue. June 24 Race
Thur. June 26 Practice

July
Tue. July 8 Race
Thur. July 10 Practice
Sat. July 12 Race
Tue July 15 Race
Thur. July 17 Practice
Tue. July 22 Race
Thur. July 24 Practice
Tue. July 29 Race

August
Tue. Aug. 5 Race
Fri. Aug. 8 Practice
Sat. Aug.9 Race SCQ Double Points
Sun. Aug. 10 Race Redline Triple Points
Tue . Aug. 12 Race
Thur. Aug 14 Practice
Tue Aug. 19 Race
Thur. Aug. 21 Practice
Sat. Aug 23 Race
Tue Aug. 26 Race
Thur. Aug 28 Practice

Sept & Oct. Race Dates TBA

All Tue Races Reg. Time 5:30 – 6:30 PM Racing ASAP
All Thur. Practices 6:00 – 8:00 PM
All Sat. Sun Races Reg.9:30-11:00 AM Racing ASAP

Fees
Single Point Races - $10.00
Double Point Races - $20.00
Triple Point Races - $30.00
Practice - $5.00

OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER
MAY 17, 18 FON DU LAC STATE WEEKEND
MAY 31 OSHKOSH STATE WEEKEND
JUNE 8 RHINELANDER STATE RACE
JUNE 14 ROCKFORD NATIONAL
JUNE 28 LAND O LAKES NATIONAL
JULY 19 RHINELANDER REDLINE WEEKEND
AUGUST 2 RAPIDS STATE WEEKEND

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL
John Mittelstadt 414-429-3485
Or see us on the web@ Milwaukee BMX.com

Extra, extra - read all about it! ... this just in from the ABA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 30, 2008

GO211.COM BRINGS YOU "FREE" LIVE WEBCAST COVERAGE OF THE ABA’S SOONER NATIONALS – Guthrie, Oklahoma – GO211.com, in conjunction with the American Bicycle Association, is proud to bring you the LIVE "FREE" webcast of the ABA’s Sooner Nationals, a ABA BMX PRO Series event hosted by the LAZY E. Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Tune in for all the race action starting Saturday, February 2nd, through Sunday, February 3rd. This weekend will be another great one for sure! It all starts on the February, 2nd at 10:00am central time with a pre-show for the Sooner Nationals. GO211.com will then go right into the "LIVE" action packed event coverage starting at 11:00am central time for the duration of the days event.

GO211.com will kick things off again at 7:30 central time with another pre-show webcast, followed by the "LIVE" action feed at 8:00am sharp on the February, 3rd. The Sooner National in Guthrie, Oklahoma is always noted as one of the best BMX events of the year, and this year will not be a disappointment. The facility, the track, the dirt, the PRO Section, the racers, and the fans all seem to come together to make this a can't miss event!
Remember, if for some odd reason you aren't attending this awesome event or you can't get to a computor this weekend and miss all of the race action. GO211.com will have all the Main Events (plus Pro Quarters, Semis, and Motos), interviews, and shows posted on GO211.com the week following the event. Be sure to check out www.GO211.com and www.ababmx.com for more details.

Another short film that I put together this weekend ... this one depicting the build of the 2007 - 2008 Walworth County Indoor BMX track.  I hope you enjoy it.

This is what happens when you spend a day home with an 8 year old with strep throat ... and have a new iMac to goof around on.  I hope you guys enjoy it.

Kevin O'

NO CLUB MEETING TONIGHT

The Milwaukee BMX club meeting scheduled for tonight at Bennos has been scratched.

Both John and I will be at Elkhorn this weekend and we hope to see you there.

Happy New Year !!!

Kevin O'

Odds n' Endos:

Check it out ... we received word from our friends at Steel Wheels BMX in Portage Indiana that they are planning the second annual "Future Pro Challenge" race on Saturday December 15, 2007. I know a few of you made last years race ... and, if memory serves, Milwaukee BMX volunteer John Wethall was actually made famous on YouTube at this very race last season.

Check out this video shot by our pals over at MilleniumBMX.com of the 2006 action. Great stuff. The files are of both the boys and girls finals.

Boys:

Girls:

Walworth 2007 Finale this weekend:

Finally, this is the last weekend of racing in 2007 at the Walworth County BMX indoor. There are single point races both Saturday evening and Sunday during the day. If we don't make it out ... thanks again to everyone for a successful 2007 racing season at Milwaukee BMX ... and we certainly hope to see you again in 2008.

Milwaukee BMX on MYSPACE:




Check it ... if any of you bonzai-icle, super-rad Milwaukee BMX dudes and dudettes have a Myspace page ... you might want to link to the Milwaukee BMX myspace page.



BMX World Magazine, Greg Hill (GHP Products & legendary pro racer) and a few other legends are already in the house.

Kevin O'

Holiday Happenings:

So, it's probably not entirely by cooincidence that I'm starting to think about the holidays ... after all, Christmas is now less than a month away, and a fresh blanket of snow, covered with a crisp ice candy shell all around SE Wisconsin now complicates the fact that I still haven't started my holiday shopping ... and I'm definitely starting to feel the pressure.

Still, I want to try and make life a bit easier for a few of you BMX moms and dads who might be far enough removed from the racing season to be thinking about BMX gifts for your little racers as the holiday's approach. So, here's my advice, as somebody who was a little BMX'er once. BMX presents are always good. From a new set of tires, to new grips, a new padset, numberplate ... or, if they've been really good ... a trick new scoot.

As for where to send Santa for your BMX presents ... these are the shops that supported and helped us get up and running at Milwaukee BMX in 2007.

• Crank Daddy's Bicycle Works - 2108 N. Farwell - Milwaukee, WI
• Wares Cyclery - 1306 S. 108th St., Milwaukee, WI 414-454-0550
• South Shore Cycles - 4758 S Packard Ave - Cudahy 414-831-0211
• Ben's Cycles - 1018 W Lincoln Ave - Milwaukee 414-384-2236
• Johnson's Cycle & Fitness - 6916 W North Ave - Wauwatosa 414-476-2341
• Corey The Bike Fixer - 2410 N. Murray Ave. - Milwaukee 414-967-9446
• Allis Cycle - 9622 W. National Ave - West Allis 414-327-1290
• Emerys Cycle and Fitness - Milwaukee / Glendale / Menomonee Falls 414-463-2453

Please remember, this holiday season, to think globally, and buy locally. And, that doesn't just go for BMX bikes. I hope we'll all do what we can to keep SE Wisconsin a vibrant and sustainable community.

Grands Moments:

We received this picture from Randy Olson, proud papa of Dirt Warriors 14I Brad Olson ... who is carting around one heckuva tall trophy. This is for his second place finish in the 14 intermediate main at the Grands ... which is a solid enough finish ... but, doesn't exactly tell the whole story. Brad's lap was one of the few mains I was lucky enough to catch through the live feed @ GO211.com . His lap couldn't have started worse as he came unclipped about two pedals out of the gate. After getting his foot back on the pedal, and getting the cleat engaged, he was easily 3 or four lengths behind the field. And, that's when Brad went to work. Picking off riders on every straight and in each turn, until he finally wound up all the way back up to 2nd. Awesome job, Brad -- way to go !!!

I'm still tripping over the size of that trophy. The O'Donnell house is so small that if Dane ever brings something like that home at Thanksgiving ... we're going to skip the Christmas tree and just decorate the trophy !!!

Meeting Reminder:

Yup, our first club meeting in a while will be happening at Benno's in West Allis, Wednesday night. Benno's is located near the South End of State Fair Park at 7413 Greenfield Avenue in West Allis.