Results and Photos - 6/26/2007

Moto 1 - 14 Cruiser
1. Dallas Weimer - 14 - Fond du Lac
2. Ben Kohls - 16 - Racine
3. Nathan Labecki - 12 - Milwaukee
4. Christopher Brock - 23

Moto 2 - 36-40 Cruiser
1. Brian Schulz - 40 - Kenosha
2. Kevin O'Donnell - 40 - Milwaukee
3. Mark Kluth - 38 - Waukesha

Moto 3 - 41-45 Cruiser
1. John Wethall - 42 - Lake Mills
2. Paul Weimer - 42 - Fond du Lac
3. Jay Labecki - 43 - Milwaukee

Moto 4- 6 Novice
1. Garrett Kluth - 6 - Waukesha
2. Olivia Siudak - 6
3. Cooper Siudak - 6

Moto 5 - 8 Expert
1. Erik Meyer - 8 - Libertyville, IL
2. Dane O'Donnell - 7 - Milwaukee
3. David Smith III - 7

Moto 6 - 11 Intermediate
1. Jay Lear - 10 - Lake Ville, IL
2. Christopher Brandenburg - 9 - Hartland, WI
3. Anthony Brezeinski - 11

Moto 7 - 14 intermediate (riders receive expert points)
1. Jacob Hinzpeter - 12 - Twin Lakes, WI
2. Lewis Wethall - 14 - Lake Mills, WI
3. Eric Hahn - 13 - Union Grove, WI
4. Collin Kohls - 14 - Racine, WI

Moto 8 - 17-18 Intermediate
1. Mark Snyder - 17 - Kenosha
2. Ben Kohls - 16 - Racine
3. Nick Cifrase - 15


John Wethall leads Paul Weimer and Jay Labecki in 41-45 cr.


Brian Schulz leads Mark Kluth and Brian Hahn in 36-40 cr.



Nathan Labecki leading the 14 cruiser class.


The T ballers of BMX ... Garret Kluth leading the 6 and under novice class ... big lead ... attention squarely fixed on yours truly. Brother and sister Oliva and Cooper Siudak have waged some solid sibling battles since they started racing at Milwaukee.



The type of lead you'd expect to see when a Redline Cup champ 8x, Eric Meyer, gets paired with a couple of 7 novices. Double D's give chase in the background - David Smith III (right) and Dane O'Donnell (left) put on a clinic of corner moves on each of their laps.

Wethall leading Weimer and Labecki in the OM (old man) class of 41-45 cruiser. Props to Paul Weimer (operator of Fond du Lac BMX) from my 7 year old Dane (above) who pointed out to me last night that Paul is a "great rider".

Mark Snyder and Ryan Mehaffey looking super determined and railing corner #1. Note Mehaffey is spotting a line inside of the lead rider. That, friends, is a move in the making.

RACING TONIGHT:

Tuesday, June 26th: Single Points Race

Sign-ups: 5-6:00 p.m.

Racing Starts: ASAP

Fee: $10.00

Awards: Trophies 1st - 3rd

For More Information: 414-429-3485

Saturday June 23rd: Single Points Race

Sign-ups: 10-11:30

Racing Starts: 12 Noon

Fee: $10.00

Awards: Trophies 1st - 3rd

For More Information: 414-429-3485

Thursday 6/21 Practice is ON !!!:

Though there is a system to the West which has been brewing up for the better part of the past couple of hours ... as it's moving South and East of Madison, it's beginning to fall apart. Hope we see you at the track.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Thursday 6/21 - Open Gate Practice - $5 / rider - 6-8:30 p.m.


• Saturday 6/23 - Single Points Race - $10 entry fee - registration 10 - 11:30 / RACING @ 12 noon


• Tuesday 6/26 - Single Points Race - $10 entry fee - registration 5 - 6 p.m. / RACING ASAP

Race Event Awards: Trophies 1st - 3rd

For More Information: 414-429-3485

NBC Olympic Promotion touts Bicycle Motocross as a "Sport showcasing 21st Century Athletes"

My boss probably wouldn't be thrilled to know that at least a portion of my work day was spent surfing the Redline Bicycles website, which is where I found this promotional video, produced by NBC sports, which has a very short segment dedicated to BMX. Our momentary corporate loss is your gain -- here is the clip -- courtesy of a couple minutes of lost time at Zimmerman Architectural Studios. We hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday 4:10 p.m.

The track is rough as a result of last night's rains ... but, we're going to give it a go. After all, this is Bicycle Motocross !!!

See you trackside.



Tuesday 12:20 p.m.

As long as the track is dries enough through the day ... we're figuring to race tonight.

We'll make the call here by 4 p.m.

There will surely be a few washout areas -- but, we'll repair what we can during practice to get it raceable. Thanks for your understanding.

Kevin O'

Saturday Midwest Nationals Photographs:
We took some time to head South down I-43 this weekend to the Land of Lincoln with a final destination of Rockford BMX so that we could bring you a peek into the ABA's Midwest Nationals via the attached photo-essay. This report is just one more reason why -- you've got to love the internet !!!


Vendor row at any national is a hub of activity ... at Rockford ... it's more like the BMX version of the Mall of America.


When the AA pros hit the track ... everybody watches. You are looking at 8 guys at most a couple inches from one another - jumping a 5' tall step jump - at 25 mph !!!


At this kind of pace, the margin for error is awfully slim. One step out of line, if you aren't absolutely sure, could easily cost you several spots.


If you are looking for the face of intensity in sports ... have a look at the eyes of these two. The finish line is about 40 yards in front of them and the only thing either has in mind is crossing it first.

The girl pros delivered my favorite shot of the day. Alise Post in full attack -- winning the drag race down the first straight -- small woman -- enormous speed.

Mike Froh had a solid weekend -- here, he's sitting fourth against some of the fastest 41-45 year olds in the nation. Sunday, he wound up second !!!

Fred Yanke sits 5th in this image and is about to get squeezed off the edge of the berm. Some days, you get to be the windshield -- others, you are stuck being the bug.

Saturday 36-40 main - Kenosha's Curt Zizzo sits second behind Lonny Lierly. Zizzo is a super consistent top finisher on the ABA national circuit -- at Rockford, where he can really lay down the horsepower, he's always a threat to win.

Even though there's great traction in the asphalt turns at the Rock -- slide-outs occassionally happen. Because of the speed involved, when the front rider goes down, it's super hard for the guys behind to avoid contact.

Kyle Schulz had a huge lead in 9 novice that unfortunately evaporated shortly after this photo was taken. Still, second at the Midwest Nationals is a fine showing.

Jay Labecki looking good through the second turn. His son Nathan came unclipped down the first straight Saturday and couldn't find the cleat on his pedal until he was far out of touch with the leaders. Sunday, Nathan finished his main first - but, it was hard to tell from the video if it would stand or not -- Nathan was forced by an outside rider to cut the first turn. We hope he scored the first.

John Wethall had a solid weekend - making mains in cruiser an intermediate.

Greg Eiring - #13, who helped lead our new rider clinic a month ago, may have made the move of the day for Saturday in turn two. He went from about 5th to third but cutting this high low and making it stick. Great job, Greg.

Dallas Weimer pedal manualing the final obstacle. The kid has style for miles.

AWESOME !!!
Here are some images we captured during last night's Kuwahara clinic -- the instruction was terrific -- and the riding even better. Thanks to the entire Kuwahara team for such a generous donation of their time and Sun Ringle' for making the necessary financial committment to make this happen.

Team Kuwahara, back on the scene after disappearing from BMX in the middle 1980's, has a strong roster of riders for the '07 Racing season. L-R: Warwick Stevenson - AA Pro (2x former ABA #1); Juston Posey - 12X; Jeffrey Upshaw - AA Pro; Luke Howse - 9X; and Ryan Birk - Vet Pro.

Easily the team's best roster since Clint Miller and Gary Ellis were the Kuwahara AA pro tandem. In fact ... for you real old schoolers ... I compare this squad to the Kevin McNeal, Anthony Sewell, Frank Post era (1981) teams that kept Kuwahara near the top of the heap in factory competition at most any national.




A good shot of a good snap -- Justin Posey teaching the Milwaukee BMX gate a lesson in physics (expert rider can accelerate more quickly than an air ram driving a gate drop at 95 psi!)



Posey again, at much altitude and nicely tweaked heading into the first turn.



Warwick stretches an easy manual while Upshaw kicks up his heels. Jeff is ABA's newest AA pro and has a bunch of skills in his pocket. I've seen guys coaster wheelie through rhythm sections before and always been impressed -- Upshaw was doing it on our first and second straight -- amazing.


Thanks again guys for a fun and memorable night. We hope you can join us again sometime.

Kuwahara Clinic Tonight @ 6:00 p.m.

All spots are now filled for tonight's Kuwahara Clinic -- but, it's still a great opportunity to check out some of the fastest racers in the nation leading a BMX skills clinic at Milwaukee BMX.

Matt Pohlkamp (above), a AA Pro and one of the riders leading the clinic, finished 3rd last weekend in the first round of US Olympic Team qualifying at a race in Michigan. Good on ya' ... Matt.

For those who pre-signed -- please bring your ABA membership and try to be to the track by just before 6 p.m. -- and, of course, team uniforms are welcome.

PUBLICITY:

Looks like we're not the only ones busy blogging about BMX in Milwaukee. JSOnline's Tom Held writes in his "Off the Couch" column:

TUESDAY, June 12, 2007, 3:17 p.m.

By Tom Held

Crystal Ridge hosts BMX clinic

A persistent group of bicycle motocross racers has quietly gained some traction, and a track, at Crystal Ridge, the now-capped landfill in Franklin.

They've been going about their business "on the down low" for the most part, while waiting to gain the support of county and Franklin officials. But they have begun a limited racing schedule and will host a clinic on Wednesday night from 6 to 8.

They did build the 1,000-foot track, after all, and might as well use it until someone tells them not to.

The Milwaukee BMX group is sanctioned by the American Bicycle Association and follows that body's race rules and regulations. Those looking to race and practice at Crystal Ridge need to obtain ABA membership (free for one day, $45 for a year) to meet the insurance requirements.

Roughly 20 riders have filled the slots for the clinic being put on by members of the Kuwahara race team, but the event should serve as an orientation for people new to the sport who want to watch how it's done.Directions and details are available at the group's web site.

Right (write) on Tom -- couldn't have said it better myself.

Kevin O'Donnell

SCHEDULE CHANGE

We are cancelling the Tuesday night race (June 12) and will instead run gate practice while some of our volunteers work at track improvements so we're more dialed in for the Kuwahara clinic on Wednesday.

Our next scheduled race will be next Tuesday June 19th.

Thanks for your patience -- and we'll see you tomorrow night.

Results from Saturday June 9

Moto 1 - 13 Cruiser

1. Dallas Weimer
2. Kommanche Jordan
3. Nathan Labecki

Moto 2 - 36-40 Cruiser

1. Kevin O'Donnell
2. Mark Kluth
3. Karl Ausdenbach

Moto 3 - 41-45 Cruiser

1. Ed Morris
2. John Wethall
3. Todd Zimmerman

Moto 4 - 7 novice

1. Jonah Ausdenbach
2. Sam Cabeltera
3. Luke Maneely

Moto 5 - 10 Inter.

1. Nick Campenelli
2. Jacob Hellenbrand
3. Travis Witt

Moto 6 - 12 Inter.

1. Nathen Labecki
2. Eric Jennings
3. Ariana Rice

Moto 7 - 13 Novice

1. Eric Hahn
2. Dillon Kolinski
3. Anthony Brezeinski

Moto 8 - 13 Expert

1. Kommanche Jordan
2. Cory Caliendo
3. Jacob Hinzpeter

Moto 9 - 14 Inter.

1. Lewis Wethall
2. Tyler Witt
3. Collin Kohls

Moto 10 - 16 Mix

1. Ben Kohls 16 Inter.
2. Jeremiah Rice 16 Expert
3. Andrew Wipjewski 15 Novice

Moto 11 - 28 Over Inter.

1. Chris Bratz
2. Dana Mittelstadt
3. John Mencheski

Saturday June 9th: Single Points Race

Sign-ups: 10-11:30

Racing Starts: 12 Noon

Fee: $10.00

Awards: Trophies 1st - 3rd

For More Information: 414-429-3485

Thursday 6 / 7 Practice: CANCELLED



Don't kill the messenger ... but we're opting not to mess with the weather given the forecast.

Stay safe everybody ... we'll see you Saturday at the races !!!

RAINED OUT -

BMX Races for Tuesday June 5th are cancelled.

Thursday practice will be weather permitting.

5:00 P.M. UPDATE -- GATE PRACTICE IS CANCELLED:

Watching the weather channel this afternoon sure was a boat load of fun -- precipitation finally made it to the track about 4:30 p.m. -- but, it pretty quickly became a washout as you can definitely see from this radar image scanned at 4:50 p.m. Essentially -- mother nature holeshot's Milwaukee BMX and leads the first lap wire to wire.

Fond du Lac BMX also cancelled tonight's racing after rain moved through their area as well. Mother nature is off to a strong start throughout the region and is clearly an early favorite for a State Champion plate.

See you same time, same place -- one week from today.

Sun Ringle' / Milwaukee BMX Silent Auction

We gotta hand it to those cats over at Sun Ringle' for their unbelievable support of Milwaukee BMX. Last year when we had our demonstration ride, they kicked in a lot of goodies so that we could run a raffle. Last weekend, Len C. brought us out a spankin' new pair of Superstock wheels -- and we're letting you guys bid on them -- silent auction style -- for the next week.

THE GOODS !!!

The Milwaukee BMX auction will close next Wednesday (May 30th) @ 6:00 p.m. and you can bid by leaving a reply to this post, with your name and e-mail address -- pretty simple! Even if you don't have an account ... you can post anonymously ... so long as you leave your name and e-mail address in the post. Winner of the auction will pick the wheels up from John Mittelstadt, and a personal check made payable to "The Park People" -- as we're under their common 501c3 charter.

Minimum bid is $50 - which is a steal on these wheels that retail for $150 !!! Online retailers are sellin' em for $135 + you pay shipping. And hey ... all proceeds go to Milwaukee BMX ... so, you know it's a good cause.

Happy bidding ... and good luck !!!

Riders Ready !!!

NEW RIDER CLINIC A SUCCESS:
Yee-haw - we were able to hold a mock 5 moto race with the 25 new riders who attended the Milwaukee BMX new riders clinic Saturday. Thanks to all who helped make the day a complete success.

Photos and a more detailed report are coming soon.

SCHEDULE CHANGE:
The practice scheduled for this Thursday (May 24) is cancelled.

BLOW IT OUT YOUR ...
Milwaukee BMX has a brand spankin' new portable compressor. It's a pretty rugged Sanborn 20 gallon 6 peak horse, twin cylinder belt drive jobbie that, according to Aubrey Zabojnik, who runs Get a Gate in Texas, should be an almost ideal device for running our gate for many years to come. We didn't run the thing on Saturday because we were afraid we'd be tripping the circuit every time the thing started. It won't be a problem as soon as the dedicated boxes are installed on the hill.

New Rider Clinic Update:

Date: This Saturday - May 19th

Signup & Registration: 10:30 - Noon (trackside)

Clinic Begins: 12 noon

Things we'll cover:

1. how to register
2. reading a moto sheet
3. American Bicycle Association racing format
4. Mandatory and recommended safety gear
5. Basic track skills

• the starting gate
• jumps
• berms

Clinic concludes: approximately 2 p.m.

Open track for clinic participants will follow.

Cost: $5 / rider

Photos from May 2nd - '07


My new favorite place on earth ... the super smooth tranny off the back side of the double going into corner #1


The turns held up so remarkably well through the winter ... very obvious Bryan Dickerson and Todd Zimmerman knew exactly what they were up to when they capped them with the gray dirt last year. After spring rains, raking and rolling ... they are looking smooth and are firming up really well.



Start hill looking from about the position of the left side starting lights. Pro Electric is likely to finish the electrical install in the next week or so. The start lights will be really cool.



It will take a few more loads of dirt to get the hill totally dialed to the angle of the gate ... but, the gate is in, squared and pinned in place. Mark Kluth used a lot of imagination and a heckuva lot of effort to get this all worked out.

You can see the back of the gate is right at verticle, just the way it was designed to be. In addition to the gate being pinned several with several feet of rebar, the bulk heads behind the gate were constructed similarly.

Staging lanes starting to take shape. We'll stage with the moto on the gate, one on the top plateau, the next on the middle plateau ... and the rest waiting patiently in their lanes.

GENERAL MEETING REMINDER:

A heads up for those of you interested in attending the Milwaukee BMX general meeting tomorrow evening that we are planning to meet TRACKSIDE at 7 p.m.

We're looking forward to seeing you there.