Locals, Weak local rider/moto count at tracks across the country Options

[JAF2]

Nashville is steadily pulling 25-30 motos at local races and double that at the bigger races. We get 50-75 riders just at practice on tuesday and thursday nights. I'd say that our track is the healthiest that it has been in the last 15 years. We have a good number or NAG riders and Pros at practice... They may or may not race locally, but it doesn't seem to have hurt our numbers.

Sounds like an excellent local program. Ramping up to a National only helps. My nephew just got into the sport and Music City is his home track. He is racing at the National today along with a few other of our riders.

Concerning local rider/moto counts, I don't know if MCB is an exception. I have not seen 25-30 motos for local racing at any of the tracks I have visited. I am sure there are some, but the feedback I am getting from the TO's I speak with is that local rider count continues to go down.

Best of luck to your and your Team today.

[Chris C.]

I live in OH and am very fortunate to have what I believe to be alot of tracks to choose from. I am an hour or more from most, so that is my challenge with getting local track time. However, I look at our NE Ohio area and then at SW Ohio - the areas where we have the greatest concentration of tracks. Is it possible there is TOO much BMX available?

When I compare to other organized sports our kids can choose from, the options are clearly limited and defined. My son is 7 and playing baseball for the first time. There are no options. He practices 1 night a week and has 2 games. Compared to BMX, most local tracks offer a practice night and a race night. Add in that 3 tracks within an hour to 90 minutes are doing a the same thing. Eventhough they may be coordinating the best the can to not overstep on each other, how many days a week is a family going to go to a local BMX race or practice? So it becomes very challenging for one tracks riders to support another track, especially if the family is involved in any other activity outside of BMX.

I think our rider count in OH could support 30+ moto locals any most of our tracks, especially on weekends. But, even within our sport, there is a lot of choice to be made as to when and where you spend your ride time.

Personally, I have friends that run tracks or call different tracks their home track, but with my drive and other activities, I can realistically only hit a few locals a month. And I spread that around the best I can to support my friends efforts and create diversity in my riding.

[JAF2]

I really think that the tie with the Nationals is hurting the local scenes.

It seems to me now that the SX/O thing is light years away from what average riders can or want to do. The competition does seem to be doing OK however for the folks qualified. Love to watch it!

Nationals seem to be doing fine but they are also contested on fairly radical tracks. Big fan of the National circuit!

Even many/ most of the local tracks are fairly advanced today. They are quite a bit more difficult than the last time that BMX moto counts at the local level boomed. I still think that Mike C. had something when he discussed his BMX lite idea awhile back.

I know that many will say that the local tracks today are fine as they are and I will go along with whatever the membership thinks is OK. But it really puts it into perspective when you consider that Gary Ellis, Billy Griggs, and the other legendary Pros from BITD never rode a National track regularly that was as hard as the local tracks are today.

Not sure that the 3 levels do or should have very much in common with each other if numbers is the goal.

All the Best!

Interesting perspective. I think we may need to start a thread addressing the difficulty of today's tracks and how that may be affecting local rider count. I would also be curious as to how the SX tracks impact a Pro rider's shelf life. It seems to me that rider injuries today are more severe at both ends of the spectrum, the local and National level, but I have no data to back up this theory.

As a rider who has raced on and off for the past 34 years, I have seen first hand the progression in terms of difficulty of the tracks. There are some tracks that I would not race on or practice hard on due to my skill set (Oldsmar comes to mind). Why are many of the tracks becoming so difficult? Do the people that build these tracks race (maybe a few do)? Is for the spectators? It will be tough to turn BMX racing into a spectator sport (beyond family and friends in the stands) when you have to compete with things like Nitro Circus. What direction will our sport take?

[JAF2]

You must race LOCALS to earn a NATIONAL title? I see what you want to do but that doesn't even really make sense.

Honestly though, I don't see why so many people are intent on getting the national caliber riders to race locally. We need to increase the local rider base by bringing in new riders who want to be there (opposed to "forcing" riders to be there). If enough new riders are recruited, the state and regional series will become exciting enough that nationals will only be left to the elite riders.

I see your point. When at a National, I like to watch the most exciting classes which usually are the Pro's and older experts. I think new riders would also enjoy seeing expert level riders going full tilt on the local level. Racing for something that has value to them - qualifying and or earning points toward a NAG plate can only enhance the local scene.

You certainly hit the point dead on, enhancing the local scene will increase rider recruitment and cause a trickle up effect as some riders will want to move to the next level and race the state and National series.

[starch]

I think increasing the rider count by requiring NAG riders to race locals can only help the sport.

[thebondtrader55]

Thanks for all the great input.

I think what we may have now is a mix that is not achieving exactly the thing we want which is more riders. BMX racing kinda reminds me of a three legged stool - SX/O racing, National racing, and the local racing/series.

The SX/O is taken care of by international and Pro sanctioning bodies who seem to be doing fine. However, it requires an insane skill set that not many can or will aspire too. The injury issue too is problematic but it is PRO racing with a capital P!

The Nationals are doing fine and represent the cash cow for the ABA. If there is anyway to do a better job here than the ABA does I can't imagine it. IMO they are as professional at this as anything that exists in sport. I can't remember the last time that my family left a National with anything but a smile on our faces. The travel and cost are out there but if you can afford the cost and wear and tear it's a pretty good bang for your buck.

The local scenes seem to be the weak leg of the stool. I've been harsh on the ABA in the past saying that "they have had their chance" but in all honesty it's hard to imagine very much they haven't tried. But through no fault of anyone's the sport seems to have blurred the lines between the three legs of the stool when they in fact have very little in common. In football the field is flat, in baseball the field is flat, in basketball the court is flat - the facilities themselves are not obstacles for the participants. In our sport the facility is as much an obstacle to the rider as the other guys/gals in the motos are. If the tracks were moderated the injuries would go down to such a level that they wouldn't even warrant talking about.

It seems to me that Bikemonkeys has a great idea - another line on the track that is, by design, less difficult. This would tie in with Mike's idea about BMX lite on less difficult tracks. This is not meant to disparage the participants who want to "go big or go home" in anyway. Our sport will always be extreme and that suits me fine. But we need to make sure that everyone who wants to be part of our sport can do so.

I think Mike's term of BMX lite is a good way to describe a "back to the future" way to get more riders. We've been racing since the 70's and I know what it looked like when the sport had it's dynamic growth periods - the local tracks were absolutely clogged with novices and intermediates! It can happen again but we have to give them a place to race where they aren't scared off when they see it and aren't hurt when they try it. And who knows? Some of these kids may move up and be our next Olympic champ!

There is no reason for friction between the SX, Nationals, or the local scenes - all three can be supportive of the sport as a whole. Pretty darn exciting times for BMX racing right now, all we need are a few adjustments here and there to maximize our potential!

Thanks All!

[JAF2]

Thanks for all the great input.

I think what we may have now is a mix that is not achieving exactly the thing we want which is more riders. BMX racing kinda reminds me of a three legged stool - SX/O racing, National racing, and the local racing/series.

The SX/O is taken care of by international and Pro sanctioning bodies who seem to be doing fine. However, it requires an insane skill set that not many can or will aspire too. The injury issue too is problematic but it is PRO racing with a capital P!

The Nationals are doing fine and represent the cash cow for the ABA. If there is anyway to do a better job here than the ABA does I can't imagine it. IMO they are as professional at this as anything that exists in sport. I can't remember the last time that my family left a National with anything but a smile on our faces. The travel and cost are out there but if you can afford the cost and wear and tear it's a pretty good bang for your buck.

The local scenes seem to be the weak leg of the stool. I've been harsh on the ABA in the past saying that "they have had their chance" but in all honesty it's hard to imagine very much they haven't tried. But through no fault of anyone's the sport seems to have blurred the lines between the three legs of the stool when they in fact have very little in common. In football the field is flat, in baseball the field is flat, in basketball the court is flat - the facilities themselves are not obstacles for the participants. In our sport the facility is as much an obstacle to the rider as the other guys/gals in the motos are. If the tracks were moderated the injuries would go down to such a level that they wouldn't even warrant talking about.

It seems to me that Bikemonkeys has a great idea - another line on the track that is, by design, less difficult. This would tie in with Mike's idea about BMX lite on less difficult tracks. This is not meant to disparage the participants who want to "go big or go home" in anyway. Our sport will always be extreme and that suits me fine. But we need to make sure that everyone who wants to be part of our sport can do so.

I think Mike's term of BMX lite is a good way to describe a "back to the future" way to get more riders. We've been racing since the 70's and I know what it looked like when the sport had it's dynamic growth periods - the local tracks were absolutely clogged with novices and intermediates! It can happen again but we have to give them a place to race where they aren't scared off when they see it and aren't hurt when they try it. And who knows? Some of these kids may move up and be our next Olympic champ!

There is no reason for friction between the SX, Nationals, or the local scenes - all three can be supportive of the sport as a whole. Pretty darn exciting times for BMX racing right now, all we need are a few adjustments here and there to maximize our potential!

Thanks All!

Agreed on all points. My only repetitive comment would be that the local scene feeds the State, Redline Cup, National scene, and eventually the SX/O. To your point, maybe the new kid that races for the first time this weekend, becomes the the next Olympic champ.

[thebondtrader55]

Agreed on all points. My only repetitive comment would be that the local scene feeds the State, Redline Cup, National scene, and eventually the SX/O. To your point, maybe the new kid that races for the first time this weekend, becomes the the next Olympic champ.

Right J.

Everything starts at the local level and the riders should be able to progress naturally to whatever their desire and skill level is. The local level should always be the huge base for everything above it.

Thanks

[JAF2]

I travel weekly on business and usually ship my bike to get some track time in the cities I visit. BMX people are a different breed and I enjoy meeting them and making new friends. What I have found at most of the tracks I visit is dwindling moto counts - usually around 10 motos. I feel the local scene is the key to introducing new riders to the sport and finding ways to pump it up should be a priority.

Should USABMX require a minimum number of locals to qualify for a NAG plate?

Voting so far - 70% in favor of a required minimum number of locals to qualify for a NAG plate.

[bmxundergrounddo...]

The easiest answer I've found to getting those kids to race is to throw 25 bucks in to start a money open.

Top 3 get 50, 30, 20 percent.

All of a sudden, Joe Expert doesn't mind staying if he can make even 20 or 30 bucks.