Results - 9/29/2007

Moto 1: 36-40 Girls Cruiser
1. Terri Bratz - Kansasville, WI
2. Ginger Kluth - Waukesha - WI
3. Michelle Mittelstadt - Shorewood, WI

Moto 2: 36-40 Cruiser
1. Randy "Sweet RB" Behnke, 36c - Wauwatosa, WI
2. Curt "Snackbar" Zizzo, 37c - Kenosha, WI - Factory Direct Link
3. Ben Kohls, 16c - Racine, WI - CSR / Sinz
4. Dan Tritz, 13c - Wildwood, IL
5. Kevin O'Donnell, 40c - Milwaukee, WI
6. Mark Kluth, 38c - Waukesha, WI
7. William Wilson, 38c
dnq: Karl Ausdembruch, 38c - Racine, WI

Moto 3: 41-45 Cruiser
1. Michael Froh, 41c - Milwaukee, WI - Factory Direct Link
2. Ed Morris, 44c - Fort Atkinson, WI
3. John Wethall, 42c - Lake Mills, WI
dnq: Len Cabaltera, 42c

Moto 4: 5 & Under Novice
1. Lucas Rupp, 5n - Muskego, WI
2. Mikey Cabaltera, 5n
3. Max Schmidt, 4n

Moto 5: 7 Novice
1. Dane O'Donnell, 7n - Milwaukee, WI
2. Sam Cabaltera, 7n
3. Jonah Ausdembruch, 7n - Racine, WI
4. Garrett Kluth, 6n - Waukesha, WI
5. Luc Marchessault, 6n
6. Maxwell Wilson, 7n
dnq: Evan Kerkman (new rider)

Moto 6: 8 Novice
1. Raymond "RJ" Eckert, 8n - Muskego, WI (advances to Intermediate)
2. David Smith III, 8n
3. Brittany Brzezinski, 8n

Moto 7: 10 Intermediate
1. Samuel Rupp, 9i - Muskego, WI
2. Cecilia Ausdembruch, 10g - Racine, WI
3. Austin Bailey, 9n

Moto 8: 14 Intermediate
1. Dan Tritz, 13x - Wildwood, IL
2. Collin Kohls, 14i - Racine, WI - CSR / Sinz
3. Jacob Hinzpeter, 12x - Twin Lakes, WI
dnq: Lewis Wethall, 14i - Lake Mills, WI

Moto 9: 15 Novice
1. Christopher Wipijewski, 14n
2. Andrew Wipijewski, 15n
3. Nate Booth, 14n - Milwaukee, WI
dnq: Josh May, 15n

Moto 10: 19-27 Intermediate
1. Dana Mittelstadt, 17i - Shorewood, WI - CSR / Sinz
2. Ben Kohls, 16i - Racine, WI - CSR / Sinz
3. Chris Bratz, 20i - Kansasville, WI
4. Len Cabaltera, 42n
dnq: Karl Ausdembruch, 38n - Racine

Notes:

Our next race at Milwaukee BMX will be next Saturday, October 6th ... a race we will add to the schedule to take the place of one of our earlier rainouts. If you really have the BMX bug, a few of us plan to head to Rockford for their night race after racing Milwaukee that day.

Super good to see Randy Behnke and Curt Zizzo in 36-40 cruiser yesterday, both riders finished in the top 4 (Behnke #3 and Zizzo #4) in the nation in the class last year. And, both were laying down some serious horsepower throughout the day.

Ben Kohls was looking sharp with his new Redline Cup #1 plate, earned a week earlier at the Redline Cup Central finals which were held near Kansas City, Missouri.

RJ Eckert moves to intermediate by earning his 8th win in 8 novice - RJ is the second rider to advance at Milwaukee BMX.

The "moto moms" got together to form up their very own class yesterday -- the women's cruiser class was a first at Milwaukee BMX, and, something we certainly hope to see a lot more of in the future.

Bill Wilson passed along a couple of coupons for 661 Racing Gear (quality stuff) that he scored as swag at a WORS downhill race at the Ridge earlier in the season. Those coupons were awarded to Josh May and Brittany Brzezinski for their fine sportsmanship and support of Milwaukee BMX.

Both Fond du Lac and Rockford race today, Sunday, September 30th. My son Dane now seriously has the racing bug ... so, we will be leaving for Fond du Lac in just a bit.

See you at the finish line.

Kevin O'

Fond du Lac (Milwaukee North!) single pointer Sunday September 23rd.

I'm impressed -- and, still trying to figure out exactly how many motos you guys helped add to the Fond du Lac BMX moto count yesterday. I know that 3/4's of the 36-40 cruiser class, 2/3's of the 41-45 cruiser class and the entire 7 novice class was comprised of Milwaukee riders ... and we all did pretty well. Props to the Weimers and the whole Fondy crew for putting out a great track and for providing an enjoyable day of racing.

William Wilson and Mark Kluth getting their speed jump on over the first straight table into the first turn. Mountain Bikers take note -- Bill is on a 26" "four cross" bike (similar to the urban free-ride bikes like a Specialized P series or Giant STP) and, has a bit of an advantage over Kluth on the first straight. "Can you race BMX on a mountain bike?" is a question we hear a fair amount ... and, the answer, is absolutely yes. In fact ... I've been seriously thinking about dumping my old XC bike for a new P series bike. Honestly ... if Wilson runs that post out another couple of inches, it's easy enough to imagine him riding that bike to the grocery store, or, even putting on some trail miles ... my cruiser on the other hand ...

Kluth and Wilson again ... but this time it's the shrinky-dink versions ... Garrett Kluth and Max Wilson ... having a spirited competition in the competitive 6 & 7 year old class. Garrett must really be focusing on the task at hand ... as, in most of the shots I have of him, he's looking straight at the camera.

Luc Marchessault was looking awful proud of the medal he earned yesterday. I hope the young racer also appreciates a nice photo on the Milwaukee BMX website. Right on, Luc ... pedaling right over a roller and looking sharp.


Chris Trapp, in full manual about 30 seconds prior to really wrecking himself. BMX can be a fickle game ... one second you are "only" 34, but still a kid, jamming with 16 year olds and feeling on top of the world -- but, the ground can have a funny way of bringing you back to the 34 year old adult you really are, writhing in pain, and trying to figure out how to explain to your boss that the reason you are hurt and out of work involves a kids bike. Don't sweat it Chris ... when I showed up to work with five stitches in my forehead the day after Dane (who was five at the time) hit me with a golf club (a sweetly swung 7 iron) while we were at the practice range, the explanation didn't come much easier.

More Video

Karl Ausdembruch sends the link for this video he's posted to YouTube of the 36-40 and 7 novice classes from the very first day of racing at Milwaukee BMX. Dads and groms ... we seem to have plenty of both at Milwaukee BMX ... which really underscores what a family oriented sport Bicycle Motocross has become. Props to young Jonah Ausdembruch (who wins the 7 novie class toward the middle and end of this clip) for an awesome performance on Milwaukee's opening day !!!

Fond du Lac BMX video

Delivered as promised -- check out the video above of Sammy Rupp, Raymond "RJ" Eckert and, I believe Rachael Rankins going around the Fond du Lac track during the Redline Cup Qualifier race back in late July. Again, Fondy will be running this weekend if you've (or your kids) still have a racing itch that needs to be scratched. You can learn more about the Fond du Lac BMX club, and their remaining schedule of races by clicking on THIS LINK

Weather permitting -- Dane and I will certainly be there -- dudded out in our red and black Milwaukee BMX gear. Stop by and say hi if you do come up.

Milwaukee BMX Jerseys

Speaking of Milwaukee BMX gear, yeah, so my friends at Fly Racing sure know how to push my buttons. I'm just a sucker for closeouts ... and, sure enough, the jersey style that we used for the Milwaukee BMX jerseys earlier this year is on sale. I ordered 40 more in a variety of sizes today ... that should be here early next week ... then another couple days to the screen printer ... and, maybe, if we're lucky ... we'll have them for sale at our September 29th race. As was the case previously -- they'll be $20 each ($1.95 less than the suggested retail) -- and, part of the proceeds will benefit Milwaukee BMX. Cool.

Next Milwaukee BMX Race - Saturday September 29th.

Yes, I did work on the track a bit this past weekend ... pulling weeds and filling cracks mainly. The track is still in good shape overall ... and with a little TLC on the hill, will likely ride as well as it has all season. We're looking forward to the 29th.

Farmer Vic

See, now if you recognize that name, it's safe to call yourself an "old schooler". Farmer Vic came up in a conversation with my BMX buddy Jim Morey last night. Morey asked if I could imagine what things would have been like if I was heading up this website in the days of the old Ranch BMX track in Menomonee Falls. My reply was a respectful -- that would have been just awful -- mostly because, between 1980 and about 1984, the Ranch routinely pulled 40+ motos for its weekly events ... and, that's a heckuva lot of results to post each week.

Still, it's not hard for me to imagine moto counts at Milwaukee BMX in the high teens and low twenties next summer -- and, hey -- the more the merrier. Viva la BMX !!!

Racing Ahead:

We took a note from our friends at Fond du Lac BMX earlier this week asking us to remind all the Milwaukee BMX shredders who aren't headed to the Redline Cup Central Finals in Missouri this weekend -- that Fondy will be holding a single point race on Sunday.

Hey, great September weather, an easy one hour ride up scenic highway 45 (out of Milwaukee) and then 41 (to Fond du Lac), terrific food at the concessions stand, good friends and a fast track -- sounds like a plan to me !!!

I'll try to post up a video of the Fondy track late today or early tomorrow for you guys who haven't been there yet to feast your eyeballs on.

Shameless self promotion:

As the guy who is normally on the business side of the camera which shoots most of the photos used on this site I don't often get to see photos of myself in action. So when Brian Woods sent along this shot from the Illinois State Championship race a few weeks ago I was totally stoked. That's yours truly, number two-six on the two-four and getting my speed jump on over the first straight step double at the Rock. Yeah, I've got the dope MilwaukeeBMX colors on -- always promoting !!! Photog is Brian Woods.

I will be at the track for a couple hours early this afternoon. Just filling some washouts through the rythm section that I noticed at our last race.

If you want to help out ... I should be to the track by 11:30 and will be around until about 4 this afternoon.

Thanks,

Also, can I get a show of hands as to anybody planning to race tomorrow and where ... right now, it's looking like Dane and I are heading up to Fondy.

Kevin O'

First ever Milwaukee BMX video post

Besides being super easy to update, one of the cool things about the 2nd party developer software that I'm using for the website is that new features are being added all the time. As somebody who doesn't have a ton of time to dedicate to learning new software packages to maintain a hobbyist website, I like that.

Still, when I saw the new video feature pop up in my toolbar ... I realized it was time to join the 21st century ... and take a shot.

So, without further ado ... here is the 41-45 cruiser main from the Wisconsin State Championships held at Central Wisconsin BMX in Wisconsin Rapids this past weekend. These guys ought to look familiar ... as all but one (Paul Weimer) in the entire class calls Milwaukee BMX their home track. Mike Froh, Brian Woods, Ed Morris, John Wethall and Paul Weimer may be old (well, older than me) but, they can still hook it on.

Wisconsin State Championship at Central Wisconsin BMX in Wisconsin Rapids

Since we didn't have a chance to make the trip, we're looking forward to reading the stories of those who did ... How'd you guys wind up? Leave your story in the "comments" area below this post ... and, please sign your name so that we know who you are.

That's what we're talking about !!!

Ask and ye shall receive, aye. This is a picture submitted by Lynnea Rankins (manager of the world famous Team Rankins) and shows how far a couple of young racers can come when they have a BMX track to hone their skills on near home. RJ Eckert (on the left) and Reece Rankins (on the other left) both won their classes - 8 Novice and 8 Intermediate respectively - taking home some awfully big hardware in the process. Reece also earned the #2 plate for 8-year-olds -- which is super tough as an intermediate and a big accomplishment for sure.

Hey Milwaukee BMX volunteers ... check out the smiles on the faces of these two -- if you are like me -- every drop of sweat, each blister, the unanticipated donations and out of pocket expenses, not to mention the political disappointments -- all just seemed to evaporate! Just awesome, you guys ... and a really fantastic finish to a great season for both of you.

NEXT RACE @ Milwaukee BMX - Saturday September 29th

Work Day - Saturday September 22nd
A few of us will be out for at least part of this Saturday filling some of the washouts that have formed between the obstacles on a couple of the straights. For anyone who would like to join and help out, I'll post more details as the week progresses on what hours I'll plan to work.

Utterly random BMX photograph of the day:

We have no idea who this kid is ... but, his style is undeniable. Love the stretched manual, and the rolled up bluejeans are also cool. The kid is full snort moto in this shot. KO shot the image at the Illinois State Championships last weekend. Enjoy!

Racing Ahead:

The race scheduled for this Saturday is definitely still on, weather permitting.

Understanding that our friends at Central Wisconsin BMX in Wisconsin Rapids are also running a Saturday night race, (registration from 6-7:30 - race ASAP) we will do our best with the track and try to keep things moving along swiftly for those of you who are planning to try and race both. Two races in one day used to be common in this area. The trip appears to be just about 3 hours and roughly 180 miles, so, it's definitely doable.

* Thursday September 5th Practice - CANCELLED *

Seems like there's just not reasonable enough daylight left to make a serious go of additional practices this season ... so, rather than be bummed that we're all getting repeatedly bitten by the most ravenous mosquito population in recorded history ... we'll call it good for the year. Remaining events will be on weekends only.

Random images from the Illinois State Championship:

Well, not so random ... most are our riders, after all. We had a chance to hit up the Illinois State Championships this past weekend. It was really good to see Milwaukee regulars like the Rankins (Rachel and Reece), Kohls (Ben and Colin), Wethalls (John and Lewis) as well as others who have run our track throughout the summer. Jake and Candy run an absolutley primo facility down there ... and it continues to be the model for other tracks to follow. Mike Froh, Brian Woods and I drove down together and had a great day.

Ben Kohls runs out a ridiculously big gear and in this shot is pulling crazy speed through the step double.

Colin Kohls definitely prescribes to the philosophy that "scars are stories" ... a way of life I'm not sure his folks are exactly wild about. Right hip ... turn one casualty. You guys really sure you want asphalt turns at Milwaukee?

Lewis Wethall rolls the second straight double in the lead of the second round of motos, moments after Colin's biff (see above).

With a name like Yanke, what did you expect on the second straight doubs? A Leary? A Henderson? Hardly !!! Our man, Fred, pulling like there's no tomorrow with a big lead over Josh Coplan and the rest of the 28+ expert class. Fred also rode super well in the 36-40 cruiser class, where he finished second for the day.

More props to Mike Froh, who took down the win against 8 other riders in the 41-45 cruiser class. Brian Woods made the first trip of his life to Rockford and nailed down a spot in the main, qualifying first moto. John Wethall was also in that main. Like I've written before ... 41-45 cruiser at Milwaukee BMX has an awfully solid group of riders from week to week. Good stuff guys.