BMX'er in need ...

Steve Spencer, who designed and constructed the original layout Milwaukee BMX track, recently sent out the following plea for financial support for his good friend, and integral member of the BMX racing community, Greg Leasure.

I made a small personal donation earlier this week, and would encourage any of you who know Greg to also help out. To be mis-diagnosed as potentially having cancer during the holiday season would be hard enough to cope with ... and, we can only imagine how devastating the crushing reality of the financials associated with this untimely hospital stay must be.

Below is Steve's message.

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This is a call out to the BMX community in general. It is time to come together and help out a great friend to all.... Mr. Greg Leasure. Many of you may have been following the reports on Greg since falling ill in Tulsa. To summarize what Greg has experienced:Greg began to feel ill on the Friday 11/17 while driving with the ABA crew to Tulsa. It started with chills, fever, and nausea. The next day it continued and Greg figured it was the flu and with some fluids and rest it would run its course. On Sunday night he started to get shortness of breath and asked to be taken to the hospital.

While in the hospital Greg was placed on IV's and after a brief evaluation it was determined he had a bad case of pneumonia. He was issued antibiotics, inhaler and pain med's. He felt slightly better on Monday but was still unable to hold down any food and most liquids. Early Wednesday morning Greg woke up his room -- Dan Mooney and said he felt worse than ever and needed to go back to the hospital. Dan rushed him over and Greg was immediately admitted for observation. New xrays showed that the liquid in Greg's left lung had increased significantly. At this point a ... doctor ... stated that Greg may have cancer and would have to have a biopsy performed! This news escalated Greg's anxiety along wiht those of who are close to him. Greg's girlfriend Lizzie immediately flew out to Tulsa to be with him.

Greg was released on Thursday and flew back home to Phoenix in hopes to get in to a doctor at one of the premier medical facilities in the country, the Mayo Clinic. Greg's condition was not improving all while in the back of his head he kept hearing the word "cancer". Greg's attempts to get into a doctor were delayed due to insurance changes that were taking place with his recent move from San Diego to Phoenix plus the Mayo Clinic's scheduling did not have him due to come in until sometime in January!!! Greg's mom and Lizzie were persistent in communicating Greg's condition to the Mayo Clinic which led to Greg's appointment today, 12/06.

The examination concluded that Greg did not have cancer but did have what is called Valley Fever ( http://www.dhpe.org/infect/valley.html ). The condition is sometimes fatal but Greg is in the right hands now. Greg is at ease with the cancer-cloud no longer looming over head.The whole ordeal did not come without a price. Greg has amassed a substantial medical bill while in Tulsa. Greg is presently in between jobs since moving to Phoenix and is very concerned about addressing the medical bills. This is where we come in. Please find it in your hearts and wallets to help Greg out. Any amount will be glady accepted and greatly appreciated. Those of you who know Greg know that he would be the first one to spearhead a fundraising effort if any of you needed the assistance.

Greg lives and breaths BMX and is a friend to all in the BMX community. He is the US Marketing/Advertising Director for BMX World Magazine, an avid contributor to the VBMX forums, one bad-azz racer for Factory Avent/Bombshell who had his Grands/NAG dreams knocked out from underneath him this year and is ONE HELL OF A FRIEND and a human being.

Please, let us band together and help out our brother in need. You can send your donations via PAYPAL to: gregleasure@hotmail.com If you do not have a PAYPAL account they are very easy to set up so no excuses. Thank you in advance for your help. - Steve Spencer

Miscellaneous December News:

There are just two races left at the Walworth Indoor this season and they are going off this Saturday and Sunday, December 9-10. The 2007 Wisconsin racing season kicks off at Elkhorn on Sunday January 7.

Final jersey orders for 2006 have been made with Ray Hudson at Fly ... we'll have several extras available (kids small / medium + L & XL) if you missed out and are still interested ... please don't hesitate to contact us.

Bubba Harris re-writes the history books, becoming the first the first AA-Pro in ABA history to win THREE consecutive titles.

The Grands Report:
It takes a tremendous amount of speed and poise to make your way through the rounds and rounds you face to advance to the mains at the grands. The format is progressive, where every lap after qualifying motos pits you against faster riders, who have a more cut throat attitude, and even the slightest bobble can eliminate you from heading to the next round. Of the riders we profiled last post, here's how things wound up for them at the grands:

Tim Eiring - although solidly advancing through the early rounds on both his 20 and cruiser, Tim's season came to an end having made his Semi's on both bikes. Nevertheless, the affable Eiring will be running #4 Gray Nag plates on both bikes in 2007. Tim has plenty of highlights from his '06 campaign and we figure it's a safe bet he'll be right back in the mix for the #1 plate in 2007.

Randy Behnke - pulled his way into the main where he finished with a fifth. Behnke was the only rider to hail from East of the Missippi River to make the main in the 23 rider field. Funny to think that I've known Randy since he was getting started with bmx, a scrawney 14 year old riding second and third hand stuff, and 20 years later, he's totally killing it on a national level. Behnke's NAG plate for '07 is the lowest NAG number that will be represented by the state of Wisconsin ... #3. Congratulations on an outstanding season, Randy!

Curt Zizzo - is another Wisconsin rider that will have a gray #4 NAG plate on his bike in '07, having finished sixth in the 36-40 cruiser main that had a super competitive 32 rider field. Zizzo told me that of all the times he's been to the grands, this was the first time he's held it together and made his main. "6th felt like a letdown", Zizzo said "It was hard keeping my head straight, I guess I felt a sense of relief that I had made it to the main". Well, ya did make it, Curt ... great job.

Bryan Dickerson - As we predicted a couple of weeks ago, Bryan was indeed a top contender in the 41-45 cruiser class, and in fact was the top point earner going into his main. Bryan told us that he felt like he got a bit mentally balled up going into the main. In any event, Bryan came out with a sixth place grands finish and a #4 on his 2007 NAG plate. To put things into perspective, Bryan is a vice president at a software development company for the healthcare industry, is the team manager for Direct Link BMX, helped us build the Milwaukee BMX track this summer, and found time to have a house built to boot. Amazing.

Fred Yanke - was our darkhorse pick and according to Dickerson was going fast all weekend long, but having some difficulties with the 900 foot long rhythm section at the grands track. Yeah, you read it right, the rhythm in Tulsa must have felt like it just went on forever. Trying to get your cardio up for the grands at Elkhorn is like practicing for nuclear war in a romper room with a yo-yo. The two just don't relate.

Cory Caliendo - Slipped a couple of spots in both 11 expert (#10) and cruiser (#7) but finished with NAG plates in both. He capped his impressive season with a seventh place finish out of 42 (!) riders in the 11 expert class. Nice going, Cory.
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Sun Ringle' BMX Press Release:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably already know who took home the big shiny cups from the ABA Grands last week in Tulsa OK. What you may not have known is that all 4 Pro Titles this year were won on Sun Ringle’ wheels. It’s no secret that Sun Rims (headquartered in Mequon, Wisconsin) can be found on almost every top BMX racer on the track so we’re used to our riders winning and having success. But sweeping all the Pro Titles for the year is definitely something to brag about.

CMC/Tangent’s Alise “the Beast” Post had an incredible rookie year in Girl Pro, taking the Golden Crank Award for Rookie of the Year (beating out the guys for this award) and then winning the ABA Girl Pro Title a few days later. Alise rides the Sun 4Stroke Race wheelset.

“Redline’s “Black Jack” Jason Carnes came back from early season knee surgery to take the ABA Vet Pro title for the fifth year in a row. Jason rides the Sun 4Stroke Race wheelset.

“The Little Engine that Did” Formula’s Donnie D.R. Robinson capped off his awesome 2006 season by winning the Golden Crank Award for Pro of the Year and the ABA Pro Cruiser Title. Donnie rides the Sun CR18 1.5 rims.

And some guy they call “Bubba” made history this weekend by becoming the first Pro in history to win the ABA Pro Title 3 years in a row. Redline’s Bubba Harris has ridden the Sun Pro Super Stock wheelset to all 3 of his ABA Pro Titles. And not to be forgotten, Sun co-sponsored Redman/Yamaha Waverunner won the Factory Team Title for 2006 as well.

Submitted by Ryan Birk Sun Ringle' BMX Brand Manager
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Big props to Ryan and the entire Sun Crew ... we totally appreciate your support of Milwaukee BMX.

Thanks for reading Milwaukee BMX ... we'll see you at the track this Sunday.

Kevin O'

Fred Yanke has the Walworth BMX field covered in 28+ expert ... is Fred a Grands darkhorse? We'll know Sunday afternoon.

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Also, good luck to all of our volunteers and friends who have travelled to Tulsa Oklahoma for the ABA Grandnationals.

Right off the top of my head, here are a couple of local stories we'll be watching through the weekend.

Tim Eiring has a great shot at a Nag 1 plate in 28-35 expert, sitting just 13 points behind the ABA's all time leading amateur Brent (Pee-Wee) Lee (who has earned more than 500,000 points in his career !!!). On his cruiser, Tim is currently NAG 3 ... but, the leader, Jacob Hensley, from Folsom, CA, is likely out of Tim's reach. Tim has a couple of national wins this season on both bikes with perhaps the most impressive coming at Rockford's Midwest Nationals, which is one of the premier stops on the ABA national circuit. Guys who win Rockford can pretty much win anywhere.

Randy Behnke and I talked about his chances of a Nag 1 on his cruiser in the super competitive 31-31 cruiser class. He's 48 points out of the top spot, but his first straight pull will definitely put him in the mix come main time. Behnke has also scored a number of national wins this year, including two wins in January in Florida, had solid finishes at Rockford, won twice in Minnesota, won Sunday's Volunteer National in Tennessee and most recently scored a win and third at Brighton in August, the last time he raced a national. Behnke is also likely to have to get around "Pee Wee" Lee if is to earn the NAG #1 plate.

Curt Zizzo gave me a first hand demonstration last weekend at Elkhorn of why he's currently sitting in the #4 spot among the national age group leaders in the tough 36-40 cruiser class. Curt's starts rock and he's got the track skills to turn a holeshot into a national win. And, he's got a bunch of national wins this year. Curt doubled down at Rockford, then followed up with two wins each at St. Cloud, MN and Brighton, IL.

Bryan Dickerson is sitting 3rd in 41-45 cruiser and with the way he's riding at the moment ... it wouldn't suprise us at all if he didn't improve a couple of spots and land a #1 on his plate as well. Bryan's been in this position before, but, unfortunately was dinged up pretty badly at nationals time. This time he's healthy, pulling hard, and riding as well as I've ever seen him. No question, when the gate drops on Sunday's main ... Bryan will be not only in the mix, but a top contender.

This column is beginning to feel a bit like an advertisement for Direct-Link BMX as all four of those guys are on the Direct Link factory team. Together, they won several team trophies this season, but, they'll have their work cut out at the grands because of the massive rider counts in 16, 17, and 18 year old expert classes. Dickerson mentioned running a Direct-Link rider clinic at Milwaukee BMX next season ... we hope they will !!!

Fred Yanke, who's name and image you've seen in this column in the past, and has been absolutely, totally, freaking killing it in 28+ expert at Elkhorn this season, plans to race in 28-35 expert. Fred gave everyone who would notice a glimpse at the possibilities when he made the B-Main for the 30+ BS Stops open at Rockford this year. The BS Stops race typically has 50+ riders of all abilities, from Novice to Pro, vying for 16 spots on the gate through several qualification rounds, in an A-Main B-Main format. If Fred's got the legs to finish the grands track, and we think he does, he'll be on the gate late Sunday afternoon ... against 7 of the other top riders in the nation.

Fred is self-employed and runs a company called Sandpiper Landscaping and is a guy that we owe a lot to. His volunteer efforts helped enormously to buff out the Milwaukee BMX track, taking it from rough layout, to raceable condition, this summer.

Cody Caliendo, I'm sort of bummed that I haven't written about this kid yet. All he does is go to nationals and make just about every main he enters. Caliendo is sitting NAG #9 among 11 year olds and #5 on his cruiser. Caliendo is from Sussex and I imagine we'll see a fair amount of him in 2007.

The Grands track build is coming along well and looking like a really cool layout.

For those of you sticking around Wisconsin for the weekend, there is a single point race Sunday afternoon at Elkhorn. Registration, as always, closes right around noon and racing will begin ASAP after.

As always, keep the knobby side down and we'll see you at the races.

Kevin O'

Mike Lundy has had big leads since returning to PRO racing at Walworth BMX in early November. In this image, taken November 19th, he's leading A-Pros James Carter, Nate Schaeffer, Jeremy Kaht and others.

More Donation News ...
John Wethall from Lake Mills who races in the OM cruiser classes (and, don't forget, this column is written by a guy who occassionally races in the OM cruiser classes) passed along a brand new multi-channel mixer for the public address system. This is not an inexpensive piece of equipment that John passed along. As I wrote John earlier today to relay how grateful we are that he made this donation, it occurred to me how totally in awe I am at the number and types of donations we've received ... many from folks we're meeting for the very first time.

MilwaukeeBMX.com jersey's -- the sequel
We've got a couple folks interested in a few more jerseys ... so we're going to try and get together a second run. Fly's suggested retail on the jerseys is $21.95 ... which is what we'll sell them for. 100% of the profit from Jersey sales will go to support Milwaukee BMX. These would make kind of cool Holiday gifts, but, I need a minimum order of a dozen by Thanksgiving to make it happen. e-mail me at kevin.odonnell@zastudios.com with your size, prefered color (red/black black/silver) and contact information if you are interested.

Walworth Indoor Observations
Having finally made it out to somebody else's track on an event day, I got a chance to run into a bunch of people I hadn't seen since working on the Milwaukee BMX track this summer ... or, from even further back than that. Always super cool to feel welcome at the track ... whether as competitor, as "Dane's dad" ... or as some crazy dude with a website who likes to take a lot of practice laps. Only thing I regret is that I didn't bring a camera yesterday. If anybody's got pictures to share here ... I'll be happy to post 'em.

It was rad to see Mike Lundy racing pro again yesterday. Mike was going super fast and his leads reminded a few of us of his amatuer days racing at Elkhorn ... when he could pretty much goof off down the third and fourth straights and still win by four bike lengths. Lundy had a bad wreck earlier this summer and had to have a kidney removed as a result. So, it's a major achievement, in my mind, that he not only got back on a bike, but got back out on track ... and, got back out in front. Amazing. ISTV has a Mike Lundy interview online that was written shortly before he turned pro at Rockford's Midwest National in 2005 ... where he didn't lose a lap all weekend !!!

It was likewise good seeing Nathan Labecki killing it with his brand spankin new MilwaukeeBMX.com jersey on. Mark Kluth's son was also dudded up in our threads. We're stoked that you guys were flyin' the MilwaukeeBMX colors ... we hope you like the jerseys.

That's all for now ... we'll see 'ya at the track.

Single / Double Weekend at the Barn



Walworth BMX is running a single / double weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Saturday practice and registration begins at about 2 and registration closes at 4 ... racing begins ASAP. Sunday registration is from 10 to noon with racing ASAP after registration closes.

2007 Milwaukee BMX Schedule

We are very close to submitting our schedule to the ABA. We are taking a very careful look at running a majority of our races on Weeknights, like the Metro Mountain Bikers. A handful of multi-point (state championship) races and other special event races would be held on weekends. Feedback is, of course, welcome ... but, the way things look ... we're looking closely at racing Thursdays and having track gates on Tuesdays ... that would run through June, July and August. There are two weekend races in both September and October. And, the schedule kicks off with one or two new rider clinics in May.

That's it for now ... c-ya at the races.

Kevin O'

Donor Recognition

Thanks to the generosity of a few key individuals and organizations, here are the items that have been donated to Milwaukee BMX to date.

* Sun Ringle (Corporate donation) - lots of swag and goodies to help support the cause

* Kuwahara Bicycles (Corporate donation) - donating an upcoming BMX Skills clinic with all proceeds going to Milwaukee BMX ... Matt Pohlkamp, Jeff Upshaw and Natarsha Williams will be the primary instructors

* Sandpiper Landscaping - Fred Yanke (individual Donation) - time and expertise with final track design

* Bill Rupp (individual donation) - Laptop Computers (2)

* Sentry Fence, Waukesha (corporate donation) - 500' - Chain Link Fence

* LF George Equipment Supply, Oconomowoc (corporate donation) - Use of Professional Landscaping Equipment
* Mark Kluth (individual donation) - Heavy Timbers for landscaping + Posts and Cable for Staging

* John Wethall (individual donation) - 4 channel mixing board and cables for public address system

* Dayton BMX (Bob Bruns) (individual donation) - complete starting gate

* Milwaukee County Zoological Society - unused ticket booth now used as start hill structure

* Zimmerman Architectural Studios - (individual donations) - cash donations for air compressor

* Pro Electric (electrical run from Chalet to Milwaukee BMX start hill ... installation of two 20 amp circuits trackside)

Items in the works:


Items we can still use:
- T-Posts (I'm going to be donating a bunch ... but, I figure you can never have to many of these)
- printer
- equipment shed
- chalk liner
- outdoor lighting
- grass seed (fescue would be best as it's hearty and will practically grow in concrete)
- public address equipment - amplifier, speakers, microphone ... what have you got sitting your attic?

ABA Fall Nationals Live Webcast !!!

CLICK HERE to link to the ABA's live webcast of the Fall Nationals from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The FALLS are being run at a new facility that was constructed as part of a youth complex near the University of New Mexico and is being constructed as a joint effort between the City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico at a cost of $5 million. While I absolutely applaud progressive thinking of the politicians who demonstrated the forsight to construct this facility targeted at the areas youth ... I am nevertheless extremely proud of the fact that to date, Milwaukee BMX has been constructed utilizing only donations, volunteer $$ and event fee funds ... we have not received any taxpayer funded financial support.

We'll be watching the webcast and paying special attention to the 28-35 expert class. Tim Eiring, a Milwaukee BMX volunteer, who currently sits second in the ABA 28-35 expert National Age Group and third in 26-30 cruiser, is racing this weekend ... in an attempt to gain a few valuable points as he heads into the grands and with his sights on those highly coveted NAG #1 plates.

Pro-Gates are about to drop ... so, it's time to stop writing ... and time to start cheering.

YEAH ... BMX !!!

Kevin O'

10 / 24 / 2006 Update:

MEETING NOTICE:
All hands on deck for an update meeting Thursday, November 2 -- 7 p.m. at Bennos. Track Operator Mittelstadt has an update to provide, and we will begin to plan our 2007 racing schedule. There has been significant movement in favor of our track since the last meeting.

Milwaukee BMX jerseys should also be ready for distribution at that time.

Walworth BMX Update:
There seems to be some confusion as to the race and practice fees for the upcoming indoor season at Elkhorn. The rumor mill came back to us that the $15 single point race fee and $10 practice night fee reflect some major increase in cost over last year. I recalled those fees from when I was still racing in spring '05 and decided to get to the bottom of it with a call to track operator Candy Karau. She confirmed that the prices are the same this year as last. They recognize that moto-counts have been a bit behind this year and were mindful that an increase in price could keep even more folks away. So, that's the story there, folks ... let's get the word out so that rumor goes away ASAP. I never thought that we'd become the SNOPES of the BMX world ... but, we're pretty keen on facts around here.

Oh yeah ... Candy welcomes any future questions about Walworth BMX at (815) 874-8719, Weekdays between 10am and 4pm.

Personally, I'm absolutely looking forward to the opener there in just more than a week (Saturday -- November 4)

Bench Racing:
While talking with Candy, she asked how things were progressing in Milwaukee. I communicated that starting a track took far more committment than I ever imagined. She chuckled and told me about their early days running the Rockford track. Jake was handed the keys, a couple of clipboards and a few rakes at the conclusion of a racing season in the mid 1980's ... and, before the sentiment of the "good luck" wishes of the former track operator had even worn off ... a couple of bills that totalled in excess of $800 arrived in the mail. The early years were spent in beg, borrow or steal (well, I'm pretty sure just like us they never actually stole anything) mode ... which, for those that have pitched in to build Milwaukee BMX ... will sound awfully familiar. Candy told me about the earliest Rockford BMX concession stand, a metal shed affixed to Jake's snowmobile trailer, to provide a "movable" solution that the Rockford Parks District found acceptable. And, also about a stack of telephone poles that Jake procurred one afternoon after spotting them stacked behind a local filling station. It took a ton of patience and fortitude to make it all work out.

Fast forward twenty years and Rockford BMX is a model of success. We've always said that we aspire to be like Rockford BMX ... little did we know how much our start up actually reflected their formative years.

Milwaukee BMX volunteer, and Direct Link factory team 28 expert, Tim Eiring announced a recent engagement to his g-friend Kristyn. Congrats to the entire Eiring clan on that one. Sandi, one down ... three to go, eh?

That's about it for now ... C-Ya at the finish line.

Kevin O'

10 / 19 / 2006 Update

Learning to Fly ...

So, some big old box full of goodies shows up the other day from WPS (Western Power Sports) in Idaho ... which can only mean one thing ... the FLY RACING / MILWAUKEE BMX jerseys are here. I stopped into the screen printer today to finalize the artwork requirements and get a better sense of the pricing. Printing will add a whopping $4 / shirt (I'm skipping Super-Sizing for a week to pay for mine !!!). Schedule wise, it looks like I'll have the shirts back in my hands by this time next week ... so, I should be able to get them out to most of you in plenty of time for you to wear 'em with pride at the Walworth County opener on November 4.

Mark Kluth, I owe you a call ... but, let's just say I think we've gotcha covered.

Track Items and Progress:
Craig from Pro Electric is figuring to start running power either later this month or in November to the starters shed and to another box on the North end of the starting hill in the area that the announcers / scorers will ocupy. John and I have been learning more about compressors than I ever thought I'd have to know ... HP, tank capacity, CFM refresh rate, max psi, etc. I think we've got a pretty solid handle on what we need to run the gate and between the two of us, we'll have something in place by spring.

Mark continues his work on the staging area posts and we'll start driving those in just as soon as we get some decent weather.

The track seems to be holding up really well despite not getting any attention for the past month.

That Was a Good Question:

Somebody recently wrote an anonymous note asking weather we are planning to put some "committees" in place to help "organize" our effort. The reason I held back on your post was because it went on to cite another track where the perception is that just one person is trying to do everything and the not-so-hidden message was that that track is faring poorly as a result. On this point, I'm not going to waver, we are about building BMX here at Milwaukee BMX ... not about sanction wars or criticizing other TO's.

On to the answer to your question ... the core group that pitched in to construct our track has discussed orgnizing ourselves into an executive group to watch over the money and the facilitate the volunteer activities (recruiting, training, scheduling), a marketing group to help tell the story to the community at large and sell advertising to potential sponsors to help pay for the operation ... and a track committee that makes track related decisions. All are dependent on one another ... and we all need each other to succeed to keep the lights on at Milwaukee BMX. Since we thought your question was a pretty good one, we decided to send you a couple of "Fly Racing" stickers ... except that your note was signed anonymous ... so, we're just going to have to keep them for the person who asks the next really great question.

Hey, if anybody's heading down to the ABA Fall Nats in Albequerque, NM ... drop us a line here at MilwaukeeBMX.com. We'd love to hear your stories.

Kevin O'

10 / 16 / 2006 B.M. X-Up-date

Walworth Build is Ready !!!

Received word late this afternoon that the Walworth County Indoor construction crew wrapped up work late yesterday afternoon completing the track for the 2006-2007 indoor racing season. Mike Froh, Bryan Dickerson, Fred Yanke and Todd Zimmerman, who all are key players in the development of the Milwaukee BMX track at Crystal Ridge, also made the Walworth track.

First race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, November 4.

Looking forward to seeing a bunch of you that we got to know this summer there.

Kevin O'

10 / 13 / 2006 update:

Big wheels keep rollin'
This is a long overdue bear-hug type thanks to the guys and gals who are involved with Metro Mountain Bikers, the Milwaukee area mountain bike club that constructed the original cross country mountain bike trails at Crystal Ridge ... and ultimately blazed a trail (pun alert #1) for BMX as a natural evolution at Crystal Ridge. Now they've taken things a step further. Metro Mountain Bikers are helping Milwaukee BMX navigate our way through the City of Franklin planning / approval process. We sure owe a lot to Marty Weigel and his crew over at MMB ... and, it's a safe bet that they'll have me huffin' and puffin' my way through their single track next summer. Not to mention, it's almost a lock tight cinch that they just recruited a couple of new volunteers for their major events at Crystal Ridge.

ABA Photo of the Day ...
The cover of the new issue of BMX'er is super rad. I'm not sure who the young Redman rider is on the left of this photo ... but, that cat is going to get some sort of backside pump.

We need MORE POWER !!!
TO-John had plans to meet up with Craig from Pro Electric to get a quote generated (pun #2 -- oh, I'm on a hot streak today!) for running electrical lines to the start hill and possibly run to some boxes out on the track. John, we probably need at least one 220v line for the compressor !!!

Around the area this weekend ...
Jake's track building crew is currently at work moving dirt in the barn to form the 2006 - 2007 Walworth County BMX Indoor track. I'm going to try like crazy to swing by there this weekend to get a couple of digital images to share with ya'll right here ... keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Rockford BMX has a single pointer scheduled for Sunday afternoon ... sign-up's close at noon and racing begins ASAP. For more information, including directions to the track ... check out RockfordBMX.com

Fond du Lac BMX also has a single pointer scheduled for Sunday afternoon ... registration closes at 12:30 with racing beginning ASAP. For everything you could possibly ever need to know about Fond du Lac BMX ... check 'em out at http://www.fdlbmx.org/

Kevin O'

AREA ABA TRACK INFORMATION and WEBLINKS -

WISCONSIN


Walworth Indoor BMX
District: WI01
Elkhorn, WI
phone: 262-723-4626

Contact Information:
Jake & Candy Karau 815-874-8719
email: Candybmx@aol.com
web: http://www.walworthbmx.com

________________________________

Fond du Lac BMX
District: WIO2
Fond Du lac, WI
Track Phone - Race Days Only: 920-266-6317

Contact Information:
Paul & Linda Weimer: 920-921-1976
email: bmxironlung@charter.net
web: http://www.fdlbmxclub.com

________________________________

Winnebagoland BMX
District: WI02
Oshkosh, WI
phone: 920-716-8969

Contact Information:
Meghann Kasper 920-410-5911
email: troyanthony@yahoo.com
Troy Kasper
web: http://www.winnebagolandbmx.org

________________________________

Central Wisconsin BMX
District: WI03
Wisconsin Rapids
WIphone: 715-459-2809

Contact Information:
Mark Statz 715-421-4521
email: info@cwbmx.org
John Bingham 715-424-5520
web: http://www.cwbmx.org

_________________________________

Hodag BMX
District: WI03
Rhinelander, WI
phone: 715-362-2691

Contact Information:
Bill Godin 715-369-1145
email: maynard@newnorth.net
Rob Fredricks 715-369-1464
web: http://www.hodagbmxclub.com/



ILLINOIS

Rockford BMX
District: IL01
Rockford, IL
phone: 815-964-8657

Contact Information:
815-874-8719
email: Candybmx@aol.com
web: http://www.rockfordbmx.com
_______________________________________

The Hill BMX
District: IL02
Elgin, IL
phone: 630-973-0012

Contact Information:
Don Fahy
630-973-0012
email: thehillbmx@earthlink.net
web: http://www.thehillbmx.com

Tuesday 10/10/2006

Racing at The Rock'



Sunday, for the first time in a long time, I loaded up bikes and dragged the family down to Rockford. This time, it wasn't for me to race, but, for Dane, my six-year old son, to take his first shot at competition. Dane has quite a few laps around various BMX tracks, but, this was the first time he actually felt ready to race. He's done well in school over the last month and certainly deserved to get his shot. When we got there, he was definitely nervous about the gate, and, I could feel his anxiety every single time we went up the hill. It became clear to me in a hurry that it's a lot tougher being a dad, sitting in staging with a fidgety kid, than it is doing the same thing as a competitor. Nonetheless, Dane overcame his fear, and rode out three solid laps (there were three 6 novice riders who competed in "olympic" format) finishing last each time ... nevertheless, he gained a bit of ground on the leaders on every lap. John Mauer, a fixture in Rockford's older classes, and a truly great ambassador to the sport, offered to get Dane an award before he learned that his class was Olympic. A truly good example for us all to hang onto ... all first time racers should get some sort of award no matter where they finish.

Rockford crowned its season champions Saturday ... naming the top 23 riders with each receiving a nice trophy for their season long efforts. Team awards were also given during the intermission between motos and mains.



In all, it was a great day for BMX racing. Kudos to Jake and Candy Karau and all the volunteers who make Rockford BMX work so well. The whole operation runs smooth and is the model of success that Milwaukee BMX (and, most others that I can think of) is trying hard to emulate. They are exactly the type of asset to the community that we'd someday like to be.

Walworth BMX '06 / '07 Racing Schedule Released
John Wethall beat me to it a couple nights ago, submitting the Walworth Indoor BMX schedule in a 'comment' to the previous post. I've got the hard copy sitting at home, which was published and distributed at Rockford on Sunday. The schedule looks great. There are multi-date races heading into the ABA Grands which should help our local racers to have a great shot at bringing home some serious hardware from Oklahoma.

Looking forward to returning to the barn after a long season of one sunburn after the next while building Crystal Ridge:

NOVEMBER:
Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th (single / single)
Saturday & Sunday - 11th & 12th (single / double + team purse)
Sunday 19 th
Sunday - 26th (for those of us who don't make the grands)

DECEMBER:
Saturday & Sunday 2nd & 3rd (Chad Maurer Mem. race)
Saturday & Sunday 9th & 10th (Christmas Classic)
Christmas Break - Happy Holidays !!!

JANUARY
Sunday 7th
Sunday 14th
Sunday 21st,
Saturday and Sunday 27th & 28th (Double WSQ / Team purse)

FEBRUARY
Sunday 4th
Sunday 11th
Sunday 18th
Saturday 24th (BS Shotout), and Sunday 25th (Double Rac For Life / Team Purse)

MARCH
Sunday 4th
Sunday 11th
Sunday 18th
Sunday 25th (TBA)

a really sad note: a few of you know that Denise, Dane and I had my been caring for my mom in our home over the past year. Mom was recovering from a below the knee amputation of her left leg that was required to remedy a diabetes related staff infection in her left foot. My mom was purely old school, deathly afraid of the Dr. visits that might have revealed her diabetes at a much earlier stage and made preventative measures much more effective. A little more than a month ago, it became apparent that mom was going to require an additional amputation to prolong her life. Rather than facing a future of uncertainty as a double amputee, Joyce O'Donnell made a conscious decision to refuse further treatment allowing herself to succumb to complications associated with her diabetes. She was 73 and raised me by herself. Although her life's passion was related to the horses she raised, she did indulge my occassional BMX habit by allowing me to go racing. She later confessed that she never enjoyed watching me race as I almost always wrecked whenever she was trackside. Joyce died Friday at West Allis Memorial Hospital and I will miss her greatly.

10 5 2006 UPDATE:

A family health issue is probably going to keep me away from the track this weekend. If I do get out ... it will just be for an hour or two of therapy to move some rocks and continue to figure out the staging area.

The Walworth County BMX track build will be going on next weekend ... and, I can't wait to see what Mike, Bryan, Fred, Todd and the rest of the track building crew figure out for this seasons track. Jake's tracks have been first rate for as long as I can remember, and, with those guys helping, the secret to his success isn't much of a secret. We've been super lucky to have thier help in Milwaukee.

I have heard that the Walworth BMX opener will be the first weekend in November. Absolutely looking forward to it. I'll have periodic reports up here on how our locals do there.

If you need one last outdoor fix:

Fond du Lac has races scheduled for October 15, 22 & 29.
Rockford is also racing on October 15, 22 & 29.
Winnebegoland (Oshkosh) is closed for the year, but has work days scheduled for this weekend, October 7-8, and next weekend, October 14-15.

All of these tracks have schedules that can be accessed on the right of this website --->>>

Thanks again for all of your support and help. And, keep riding.

Kevin O'

To Contact MilwaukeeBMX.com by E-Mail -- info@MilwaukeeBMX.com

Movin' on Up !!!

This weekend Fred, John and newbie volunteer Mark Kluth worked in the design that Fred generated for the back of the start hill.

First order of the day was to get the gate square with the first obstacle ... we roll measured the distance from gate one to the first lip of the first obstacle, then from gate 8 ... there is less than 3" difference between the two ... so, no griping about gate 8 starts guys.














Next, is the back fill to compensate for the nearly 2 foot rise at the back of the new gate. This is where Mark becomes our new best friend. See, he's got access to old telephone poles through his employer, We Energies ... and, when you are trying to control grades in compound slopes and all sorts of weird stuff like that ... a few telephone poles go a long way (no pun intended).














Fast forward a day ... John's gotten done backfilling the log cut terraces ... and I went to freaking town with a shovel and a rake to get some of the grades worked out. It's not exactly Fred's original design intent, but, that's the beauty of design-build. We're working out the minor stuff right in the field. Note the difference between the knee high step up to the gate in the photo above, and the 6" or so step up to it in the image below ... good stuff.


This view shows the new grade in profile (or 'section' if you are speaking architect, a language unto itself), note the amount of fill that is being supported by the inlaid telephone poles. For how it works, think one moto on the gate, two more in staging on the two terraces. The 10 moto lanes will terminate at the furthest left telephone poles. I made a mini-rock wall to emulate the rock wall that Fred originally put on the hill. I'm definitely not afraid to copy stuff ... as long as it's good ... and we've taken a ton of compliments on Fred's original stonework.














This view also gives a nice look at the starters shack we inherited from the Milwaukee County Zoo. Really nicely constructed and has conduit and a circuit breaker installed in it. We think it looks pretty slick up there.


This is the totally killer view from the starters shack looking out over the starting gate. Seriously, there are probably a handfull of tracks in the US where the starter is treated to this nice a view. I don't think we're going to have too many problems finding volunteers to run the gate.

Again, my sincerest thanks to Fred, Mark and John for the work that was done this weekend ... and, for some reason, it always seems like saying thanks to the you guys is barely enough. Everything looks great and we're moving along well as we wind down the year and begin looking forward to indoor season.

Although I don't think I'll be doing any big stuff ... I'm fairly sure to be moving rocks around and fiddling with grades this coming Saturday ... weather permitting.

Kevin O'

Transplanted Buckeye! (from left:) Bryan Dickerson, Fred Yanke and Todd Zimmerman examine Milwaukee BMX's newest track improvement Saturday afternoon. All of the Milwaukee BMX volunteers work hard ... and then there's Fred. All he did this weekend was drive to Ohio on Friday morning, load a 1,200 lb 24' long mass of steel and wire onto a trailer, tow it back to Wisconsin the very next day ... and, within 10 minutes of arrival had it roughly positioned on the hill. The dedication of Milwaukee BMX's volunteers is absolutely amazing.



Good News ... Bad News ...

The track operations team met last night to discuss a bunch of stuff, and since we covered a whole lot of ground during our meeting, there's plenty of each (good news + bad news) to report.

The most important result of the meeting was ... practices are nixed (cancelled) until further notice ... we've got a whole lot of work to do and a few super independent minded ducks we've still got to get in a row (due dilligence).

Good - We have a gate (see photos above and below)
Bad - (alright, this doesn't count entirely as a bad ... just not good) The gate we have needs a bit of work, and so does the hill to make everything workable.










































Good - Fred and Mike are figuring it out. There's a whole lot of experience between the two ... so, we're confident what they come up with is going to be right.
Bad - the weather forecast this weekend really looks pitiful as far as being able to get any work done. There is a chance the starters house is going up there this weekend and on Friday John will compact and roll the jumps we enlarged last weekend.

Good - An Angel donor has made an offer to finance at least part of the upgrade to the hill and the starting gate ... that totally rocks.
Bad - Another political hurdle that needs to be cleared popped up yesterday, and I'm afraid this one isn't cheap. The special use permit we were asked to pull is chump change compared to what popped up yesterday.

Good - were determined ... we're going to make this work.
Bad - it's just not going to work this year.

Good - We're talking about a 12 race schedule in 2007.
Bad - We're almost completely sure, based on what lies in front of us, that there will be a 0 race schedule in 2006.
Good (counterpoint) - Thank goodness for the Walworth County BMX ... and the decision to take our track ABA ... indoor season will start in a little over a month so, all of you who bought a membership still have somewhere to race through the winter. Walworth County BMX is located at the Walworth County Fairgrounds about 45 minutes SW of downtown Milwaukee, making it the next closest track to Milwaukee BMX.

Good - after deciding that at least 12 races would be the magic number, we had three volunteers step forward to get rolling on selling "event sponsorships" for the races.
Bad - there is no bad for this one ...

Good - we're planning several fundraising events (1 this fall ... 1 in spring) that will benefit Milwaukee BMX. The fall event is likely to be a swap meet at Crystal Ridge and the spring event will involve the Milwaukee Premiere of Joe Kid on a Stingray at an event TBD. We're also going to be at Walworth County BMX both racing and horsing around ... and, with Jake's (the Walworth BMX track operator) permission, learning the track operator and volunteer ropes. Jakes entire operation is entirely first rate, so, we feel really fortunate to have such a great resource. If we run our races half as well as the Walworth crew runs theirs, I know a bunch of you are going to be really pleased with racing at Milwaukee BMX.

We're going to be rolling out additional print promotional materials at Crystal Ridge and local bike shops ... they seem to be going through it pretty quickly. We'll also put information for Walworth BMX at many of those locations.

Just news, not good or bad ...

We are going to move ahead and procure the ram and sure start system from the ABA and finish up as much of the gate refurbish and starting hill improvemenets that we can this fall. We all felt we should put things together as much as we can this fall so that we can move forward. Our goal is to set up the gate to make sure everything fits and works properly this fall. Hopefully, that will make coming back and setting it up in the spring a much simpler task.

We established a "Wish List" of things we (the club) really could use between now and the first time we race (April or May). The list includes, but is not limited to:

- an electrical power run from the chalet to the start hill area.
- a compressor (size TBD)
- T-Posts (I'm going to be donating a bunch ... but, I figure you can never have to many of these)
- Laptop Computer - (ideally a P-3 that will run moto-maker in a hurry)
- printer
- equipment shed
- chalk liner
- plexiglass (size TBD)
- outdoor lighting
- chain link fence (ideally we're looking for both 4' and 6' ... if you catch wind of somebody who needs to get rid of a fence ... we offer a real economical means of removal)
- grass seed (fescue would be best as it's hearty and will practically grow in concrete)
- public address equipment - amplifier, speakers, sound board, microphone ... what have you got sitting your attic?
- a wooden playhouse structure - sure, this seems like a weird request ... after all ... most of us around 6' tall. That said, we'll take a look at anything that's free ... with a little TLC, this could become our announcers tower and scoring area.

So, there you have it ... lots of stuff to report after last night.

Allright Riders ...

So, here we are ... 3 months after having our very first meeting ... with a rideable track, drain tile installed, some well-deserved and hard earned (thanks for your dilligence, John) political support, a cool open house in the books ... and now, the newest acquisition, a pretty doggone cool second-hand gate (the tread lightly sustainable types will be sure to appreciate this).

Milwaukee BMX is the real deal. Having been pretty close to all of this ... I know that there were very few things that we accomplished in the last 90 days that were easy. But thanks mostly to John Mittelstadt, Dana Mittelstadt, Michelle Mittelstadt, Fred Yanke, Mike Froh, Bryan Dickerson, Todd Zimmerman, Jay Labecki and Russell Jobs, the future of Bicycle Motocross Racing in Milwaukee looks pretty doggone bright. Gotta' also thank Craig from Pro Electric for the many hours he has allowed us to put on his Skid Loader. Finally, Bob Bruns from Kettering BMX and Dayton BMX in Ohio (hey Bob ... what on earth is a "Buckeye" anyway? -- believe it or not, it's a chesnut ... yeah, I'm real glad my forefathers at the University of Wisconsin were wise enough to choose a ferocious little animal as a nickname and mascot over a freakin' seed !!!) for helping out with that gate. We are truly blessed to have received the continued support and physical help from all of the people above.

To help us plan next steps, all who are interested are invited to meet tomorrow night, Wednesday - September 20 at 7 p.m. at Benno's on Greenfield Avenue (7413 w.) in West Allis east of State Fair Park.

Looking Good ...

A small group of the hardcore volunteers who will be racing through the winter at Walworth BMX will be sporting the jerseys below. We'll have tee-shirts soon as well. The jerseys are Fly 303 and Ray Hudson gets props for helping out our startup promotional effort. If you catch somebody at the track wearing one of these shirts ... and you dig Milwaukee BMX ... show 'em some love ... these guys are the reason Milwaukee BMX happened and is becoming real.



That's it for now ... keep ridin'

Kevin O'

ALL HANDS ON DECK !!!

We can use the help of anybody who can come out around 5 this evening (Saturday September 16, 2006) to help unload the new Milwaukee BMX starting gate.

Yes, gate ... there, I wrote it, and the cat is officially out of the bag ... hide the cat nip !!!

Yeah !!!, that felt at least as good as I figured it would !!!

Questions ... call me @ 414-305-9698.

Kevin O'

WEDNESDAY PRACTICE CANCELLED

Aw Mommmm !!!
Yeah, mother nature threw the brakes on tonight's practice in a big way ... and, since we'll be working on the track throughout the weekend, it looks like we'll try to re-load for next Wednesday - 9/20 and probably try to do a Saturday afternoon thing on September 23 & 30.

Next Practice:
Wednesday 9/20 - 5:00 p.m. to twilight
Saturday 9/23 - Noon 'til Four (or later if anybody's got legs left!)
Saturday 9/30 - Noon 'til Four

October Schedule (TBD)

Kevin O'

Practice Night - Wednesday September 13.

Start: 5:00 p.m. -- End: Twilight

Cost: $4 (seasonal discount) first family member ... $3 for additional family members.

(Jay Labecki stretches a manual over the second straight dubs.)

Track Update:
A bunch of stuff has been cooking over the last couple weeks and although it's been largely unreported on the website (my fault, ugh) there is a major track change that will be happening very soon. All I can announce at the moment is that the change involves Mike and I digging up some stuff trackside this weekend, and a merry band of Milwaukee BMX Gypsies (John M., Fred, Todd, and Dana among others) heading to Ohio with a couple of large vehicles, a big old trailer, a couple of race bikes, tanks full of gas, plenty of gatorade and a mission to return with something our track really needs (hint, hint).

With the change will come a pretty big switcharoo on the practice schedule. After this weekend, when a bunch of work is going to go down, we are considering switching practices to Saturday afternoons so that ya'll can have more time to enjoy the track. Current thinking would open practice from noon until around 4. It would be terrific to get some feedback from you guys on the subject. You can reply on the site ... or, chat with myself or John Wednesday evening.

Questions? Post 'em up !!!

Kevin O'

prrroooggggrrrreeeessss:

Yeah, it's been a bit slow on the blog site lately ... with TO Mittelstadt with a well deserved week off ... followed up by a week off of my own ... I've been more lax than I should on keeping you guys updated on our progress.

Gate:
The single largest cost of getting a BMX track started is obviously the starting gate. Well, maybe it's not so obvious, but, it is a costly item. We're eeking along on getting some of the funds together thanks to the support of you guys ... our very loyal rider base. We have been scratching our heads at trying to come up with a really cost effective solution that would might get us up and running with something yet this year ... but, I'm afraid I can't report much more than that at this time. We also recognize the importance of shaking the trees for sponsor dollars ... but, the proposition is a bit chicken and egg ... do we race to get sponsors, or do we get sponsors to race? Anyway, I hope that (vaguely) explains where we're at with pro-actively selling our program. TO Mittelstadt did find a nicely constructed ticket sales shack that we will be using as our gate house. Fred Yanke has made the thing beautiful, according to John ... I'm looking forward to seeing that thing go up.

New Riders:
I want to personally thank (and will follow up with personal e-mails to each of the following) for coming out to ride our track at practice as perspective ABA members.

- Samuel and Sara Huang
- Kirt and Aaron Konkel
- Josh Dretzka (signed up to a full ABA membership !!!)

You guys and gals are the future of Milwaukee BMX, and, if it's going to work out in the long run ... it's going to have a lot more to do with you than with most of us. Still, our group is more than excited to help get the thing in place.

Old riders we're seeing again

Danny Tavela is going to step up to his full ABA renewal one of these days. He's a former fast expert who turned A-Pro around '87 and returned to racing cruiser a few years ago. Mostly, lately, he's been doing the XC mountain bike thing. But, it's easy to see where his skills were as he was going pretty fast and looking stylish to boot a couple weeks ago during practice.

Amedio Gilmore many of you know Amedio as one of the few pros from the state of Wisconsin to make it to the AA ranks in his career. I can think of only three, Todd Blazer (Madison), Kris Weeborg (Oshkosh) and Gilmore. I remember him from the little bit of racing I did in the mid 80's and that my good friend Jason Leikam was often chasing him around, despite being pretty doggone quick himself. Amedio popped into our open house a few weeks ago and went lap after lap after lap ... finally declaring, I'll be back ... which, I believe he will. It's funny how strong the BMX bug really is ... even 20 years after racing gets left behind ... there's a pull that has brought many of us back into it.

Wednesday Practice:
It's my understanding that, weather permitting, Wednesday practice is going to go off as usual tomorrow night. Please bring your ABA cards.

Kevin O'