Spring Nationals, McDonough Georgia

Two weekends ago I went to McDonough Georgia which is just outside of Hot-lanta and raced in the Southern Charm National BMX race. The weather both days was pretty much perfect in that it was brisk enough for a hoodie in the morning but come 10 am you could be in your race jersey and feeling fine.

The track was a lot of fun. It had a lot of jumps on it which was fairly disappointing because that doesn't leave a lot of room for imagination and different lines.

The way a national races works is that it is a two day, two race venue. Each day is a separate race, so if you crash and do terrible on Saturday you have a chance to redeem yourself on Sunday... and vice versa. Each class, which depends on your ranking (rookie, novice, expert, and all of the variations of pro) and age (my class being 19-25) has three motos which are three qualifying runs to see who moves on to the "main event" which is known as the main. Depending on the class size there can be quarter qualifiers and semi qualifiers in between the motos and the main which weeds out the slower racers (generally). For example, my class which is 19-25 novice, only had five racers this weekend which means that we didn't have quarter or semi qualifiers and everybody moved into the main.

Alright, sorry for the boring rules and regulations part of the story, but it helps to know how it all works or else the jargon through the rest of this story is going to be a lot like a different language.

So Saturday started off bright and sunny with a three hour practice before the racing actually commenced at 11. The track was perfectly groomed and everyone was looking fast. prior to the races my class all found each other and talked about who the fast ones were and who to look out for and all of that jazz. Since we didn't have more than 8 people, we would all move onto the main which meant that the motos were going to "just for fun" (or so I thought). Saturday's finishes in the motos for me were a 3rd, a 4th, and a 2nd. Not really too good considering I was way faster than the guys I was in the gate with. When it came time for the main though I was ready and completely gameface. I had talked to my coach a lot before the race and figured out a strategy that could work... don't give up first place. Sounded simple enough. Also, the fastest guy out of the other riders was in the far outside lane and I was in the inside lane which gave me a better line down the first straight and into the first turn... if I could just hold my speed and control the lead into the first turn.

So we are sitting in the gate and the cadence starts... "Alright riders let's set em up... riders ready, watch the gate... ... " and we all take off. I got a pretty good snap out of the gate and took off. Out of my peripherals I saw the riders next to me falling away out of my sight. As we come down the backside of one of the first obstacles I just barely see Josh (the fast guy) moving closer to me. But I pump super hard down the backside and he disappears. So now all I have to do is step it up a bit and make sure that he stays behind me into the first turn. Up and over another obstacle and we all fly into the first turn trying to pick and hold our lines for position. Josh is still on the outside of me and I try to hug this really nice bowled out asphalt turn as low as I can. The philosophy is, the lower you stay in the turn the less distance you have to travel. We shoot out of the first turn and head down the second straight which is a lot like a drag race because there is a lot of open space to get pedals until the first obstacle. I take and hold the inside line through this straight as well and pump everything as hard as i can. It is at this point in the race that a song pops into my head... a song which has never failed me and only makes me go faster and ride more aggressively. "Jack of All Trades" by Hot Water Music. It is super melodic and very fast which makes it perfect for an all out 30 second sprint. Thanks to this song I take off through the second straight and hold my lead all of the way through the last turn. The last straight in a BMX track is often a rhythm section which means that you have to stay consistent and smooth or else you are going to get passed. So I am going through the last straight as smooth as I can and I see Josh start moving into my vision as we are coming over the last couple of rollers. We drag race for the finish line and both do a bike throw, but it was way too close to call. I immediately congratulate him and tell him that was an awesome move he made coming for the pass at the finish line. But still neither of us knows who won.
I go back to Jamie, my "coach" and he tells me that they announced me as the winner of the main. i was stoked and went to go pick up my trophy. As I am heading over to the tent I see Josh standing in line to challenge the call made by the officials. The NBL (National Bicycle League, which is the race league I race in) has video cameras placed at the finish line so that when discrepancies like this arise they have video footage from several different angles to figure it out. I stand in line with Josh waiting to see what the outcome is. Our main was main #29. The guy in the booth has the finishes from main #28 and main #30, but the video cameras shut off or stopped taping for main #29. "Ruling on the field stands" and I go to pick up my trophy (which is huge by the way, 3 ft. tall). I was really excited and went back to Jamie with a huge shit-eating grin on my face.
It turns out that most of our team (Team Bluechip Racing) did really well and scored a third for day.
We go back to the hotel and go swimming to celebrate. And then go out for an amazing pasta dinner. Can you say "good healthy food"?

So the next day, after spending the night on a fold out cot that was seriously two feet too short for me, we head to the race track at 7 in the morning to start racing at 8. My class on Sunday was only 3 riders because two of them went home, Josh being one of the two who left. Sunday's racing went by very quickly because there were a number of racers who left after Saturday's racing. My motos were pretty easy due to really good snaps out of the gate. However, in the second moto I jumped the last obstacle into the first turn and did a stylish little tuck, which enabled this guy Dan to shoot to the inside and take the lead for the rest of the moto. I finished 2nd. Upon seeing Jamie after this moto he asked me if I was trying to give away points. I looked at him blankly. I didn't realize that motos were worth points that would affect my end of the year placing. I immediately felt like a "jackass", a word that Jamie is not scared to use for situations like these, and in the next moto powered through the entire course to a 1st place finish. So my moto finishes were 1st, 2nd, and a 1st. Everyone in my class on Sunday transferred to the main and it worked out that we were all right next to each other in the gate. As we are sitting in the gate at the top of the hill, the cadence starts. "Alright riders, let's set em up... riders ready, watch the gate...... ". Two pedals out of the gate and I can't see either of the two riders next to me. I take it all of the way to the finish line. This time no discrepancies and I go to pick up my first place plaque which is now sitting on the air conditioner for all to see in my local bike shop, Pro Bikes.

The race is over by 11 am which is pretty darn quick for a national. Everyone packs up and hits the road to get to wherever home is. About fifteen miles down the high way Jamie sees Mex Mex Frontera. Jamie is a sucker for mexican food. He can also eat a horse if it would sit still long enough. We roll into the restaurant and start looking through the menus. I notice a 16 inch burrito called "El Gigante" and if you eat it in one sitting you get a T-shirt. Jamie puts down his menu and when the waitress shows up, he orders "El Gigante" and a large t-shirt. The huge plate of food shows up and Jamie asks "Is this it?" He throws it down the hatch and is done with the entire thing before I am done with my four fluetas and before Josie (Jamie's daughter) can finish her nachos. Neither Josie or I hear the end of it the entire ride home as he is sporting a shirt that says "I survived El Gigante" with a huge shark on it coming out of the water and looking menacing. The significance of the shark, I still don't understand. But the shirt is destined for the walls of the Bluechip Hall of Fame.

Lexy.