Did anybody else notice this?

I know some others around here have gated up with Harry before but it was pretty surreal to be gating up with a guy who's pictures covered your walls as a kid this past weekend at the So Cal Nationals. That's one cool thing about BMX. Every once in awhile you get to get it on with your heroes. Pretty cool.

36 & OVER EXPERT Total Riders = 11
1 JERRY PRICER, ELITE BICYCLES BIG DAVE, FAIR OAKS, CA
2 BARRY (THE BUCKLE) NILSON, FULLERTON BIKES/INTENSE, MISSION VIEJO, CA
3 JOEL"THE ANIMAL"REINOEHL, GO FAST/HYPER/CD, HENDERSON, NV
4 SCOTT SWANSON, FULLERTON BIKES, HIGHLAND, CA
5 HARRY LEARY, GHP/APPLIED BMX TRAINING, VICTORVILLE, CA
6 BRIAN SCHAEFLE, BMX HEX/STAATS/CIARI, BAKERSFIELD, CA
7 LONNY LIERLEY, SPINNERS-REDLINE, N LAS VEGAS, NV
8 ROBERT RAYMONDE, SOUNDS PLUS/SLOMOE.COM, RIVERSIDE, CA



Don't feel bad Brian, your'e not the first guy to read the back of his jersey...

Are you following me around?

It was an honor to read the back of his jersey...this one time!

It is refreshing to hear you guys talk about it being cool to race against Harry.

Everybody deserves respect, from a racer on the gate for the first time to the more mature guy who just can't get enough of the thrill of BMX. Respect, nothing more, nothing less.

Stu told me after he raced at Black Mountain back in March, that there were guys in his race that thier sole purpose was to come out of the gate and crowd him out just to say they beat Stu Thompson. That is sad.

And racing for GHP no less. That's pretty cool if you ask me.

Lee

Yeah thats BS!! That crap would never have happened BITD, Stu would have sent them airborn over a berm!

with that much history, skill .. he should be vet

he has no place in expert class.. none at all.. thats my opinion

I would have to agree and go one step further. The same could probably be said for that whole rack in the main.

what, Stu?

Noooooooo........

lol

Why? He went through the motions and rules and racing in a category he feels comfortable with.

When Stu raced at the Del Mar nats a few years ago, there was similar complaints. Just another day at the races.

stu was out of bmx for MANY years.. harry has been involved ever since he has started

he never quit.. stu quit and came back


stu= can re classify

harry= should NOT reclassify

The class is what it is 36 and over expert. Harry is 47 or 48 and Vet pro is AA pro's only 1 .5 years out of racing.. Harry is fine and I would love to line up next to him in a race. WELCOME BACK HARRY!

Golf allows it. Football allows it. Why not increase moto count by 1 more person? For most people, turning pro means the end of local racing. This is great for the sport, great for Harry, and well within every known rule. As an expert, don't you want to race the best of the best? I know when Chrisco was going for National # 1, he and Pliska and the gang would always make sure that the best riders were going to be at the best events.

I think Harry looked great in that class. I don't think he's doing the whole training thing anymore, he has a real job like the rest of us. Probably no time like the rest of us. So why can't he race the rest of us?

That is so true.

I think it's awesome he reclassed. I can't wait to build a 20" and get my butt kicked by a legend!

Dude, Harry is pushing 50! Like Frankowski said. Welcome back Harry

That is too funny!

I'll say it again, it was an honor to race him.

You say that Harry never "quit" and I would never say that he did. But he really hasn't raced for the past two years. Like they said he's pushing 50 and he only won one race for the weekend (46-50 cruiser). He's right where he should be!

Who from this list do you want him to race?

1 JASON CARNES 2490
2 CHAD STREET 2294
3 TODD PARRY 2239
4 JOHN WHIPPERMAN 2053
5 JASON SILVA 1821
6 ERIC RUPE 1098
7 MIKE GUL 1034
8 GREG ROMERO 1032
9 DREW DOWNEY 918
10 CHRIS HAM 730
11 TIM DINGER 521
12 DALE HOLMES 480

The world keeps movin' on and Vet Pro is looking a lot like AA from...last year?!?!

Harry was one of my first BMX heroes. Like I said pictures of him lined my bedroom walls when I was a kid. I was actually excited to race him. I hope I get to more.

I also agree that Harry racing 36 ex is awesome. For anyone to complain about someone 'having too much skill' and 'been in the sport without quitting' WHO'S FORTY EIGHT YEARS OLD should consider little league..............not watching, but playing. If you guys haven't noticed what Vet has become, get real. Are you really whining about someone beating you thats almost 50? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There will be more than a few of us (some faster and more skilled than Leary himself) that will be re-classifying, so we too can still participate in this great passion and sport of BMX, without a Masters Vet or something.
Now if the whiners want to insure there is a place for 40 and over Vets to compete against other 40+ Vets, try being more constructive and send a letter to the ABA or contribute some kind of potential sponsorship funding to get the sanctions to offer it up.

Some of you kill me............

-Madden

seems like your the only one crying about this, should we call you a Waaambalance?

The sad fact is that half of that class has raced some kind of pro class before and not too long ago for most of them.

Rock on Leary! (I still call it a Leary when I'm at the dirt jumps with all the girl pant wearing 20 yr olds calling it a turn down bro!)

-Madden

Hell yeah!!

Stu and Harry paid their dues..they kicked a** as pros....and now they are done with pro racing and wanna do it for fun...and maybe they dont wanna have to travel from National to National?? Whats wrong with that????

As for the guys who "wanted to beat Stu" at Black Mountain and I guess did it by "crowding" him...I wonder how they would fare one-on-one with Stu on the track...

AND...I am betting if either one got REALLY serious about racing pro again (training etc)...you (and the rest of the Vet class) might be in for a BIG shock...('cept maybe Big Daddy)

(and sounds like more reason to have a 40+ Vet Pro/Am class...THAT would be cool)

Harry has been talking about moving back for years... If a guy doesn't have the desire to race pro anymore, where should he go? Hell, the guy was giving up close to 20 years over the youngest of the Vet Pros. Even for a guy like Harry, that's hard to make up. I will say this, last time I saw him, he looked like he had backed down on the workouts a bit...

Welcome back to AM Harry... It's only been like 30 years since you were last there... Man, I am so going to get slammed in turn for this...LOL

Brian

Harry looked great out there, glad to see him getting back out there, hes 47 years old, its not like he blew the comp away he had his hands full, the 46 to 50 cruiser class is going to be a hard class for the 2008 season, it will be OLD SCHOOL BMX for sure.

Dreamerproject,

You are absolutely correct. When life takes precedent, training to be a top pro has to fall by the wayside.
I am a single dad AND my job is running a BMX and skatepark facility and it is still difficult to train just enough to stay in Vet. There's nothing wrong with reaching a point where the money your spending on your hobby is going to give you back as much fun as its worth to you. In other words, who says that reclassing is taboo (except for the nerds whining about it on here)? Maybe these guys should finance Harry's or Stu's racing and then can voice opinions like that.

I'd be interested to see how many othr sports even offer a place where top pros can step back and still compete and have fun once they are done with the professional aspect of their sport of choice.

-Madden

a turndown and a leary are 2 different tricks

No shite genius, however all the young dirt jumpers call everything a turndown or a lookback when Harry should get the credit.

Just how 'new' are you trying to look?

-Madden

Are the two classes (pro) and the cruiser class evenly matched in track times? I would would guess they are. In other words would Leary clean house as a ametuer 24" class? doubt it. From what I gather its a tough class and getting tougher (41-45). Is that what were talking for class?

My friend who is a 33yr cruiser ametuer rider beat Leary last year at some race. Before this post I thought Leary was already an ametuer. I don't think pro is what it once was anyway, so who cares, let him race what he wants. He's certainly not the only pro thats went back. If the governing body doesn't see an issue then I don't see the problem.

As one of the moto-fillers in the 36+ expert class this past weekend at Orange Show and was thrilled to see that I was in the same moto has Harry on Saturday. There are very few sports where the stars from of the sport can stay involved. Besides in other sports people pay good money to go to fantasy camps to play with their heros and all we have to do is race.

PS: Harry got 2nd on Saturday in the 46-50 cruiser class and won on Sunday with Bernie U not far behind.

Great to hear your back Harry , good luck and have lots of fun . Hope to see you at Disney .

now moeller should re classify, him and harry had GREAT races

Now that made me smile!

Who are we to judge Harry's decision? He can do what he wants. He is breaking no rules and isn't the same pro he was 25 years ago. If that's where he thinks he belongs, then that's where he should be.

I had a quick chat with Harry in staging. He mentioned racing pro or am, he still feels the butterflies. It's great to see people who have been around forever, still doing it because they love the sport. The 46-50 cruiser class is no joke with Bernie, Woody, and Doug Weber. Add Harry and Stu, now you've got some great racing!

I'm glad to see Harry back in the mix. What a serious thrill it would be in the gate racing a legend. Welcome back Harry glad to see your still having fun racing your bike.

I'm glad for you Harry! You should be allowed to age and have fun. Much respect to a legendary hero I looked up to while I was growing up and still do.

Thanks for your part in giving us BMX and mad props for staying AA (The oldest and I believe longest time in AA) and then vet for as long as you did.

When I came back to BMX, I never dreamed that uys like you and Rupe would still be racing pro anything. Your decision is respected by me and it sounds like many of your fans.

how awesome is this sport that participants want to compete (on whatever level) for that many years? we are part of something really special. go harry!

I may be seeing Harry Sat. and I will give him all your well wishes and tell him to look for TNTman on the track for a little tutorial lesson in old school racing.

Welcome back to the trenches Harry, what took you so long? I never raced at your prior level, but I gotta believe racing for just the love and fun of racing has got to be less of a stress than competing at the Pro level.

This is why I love BMX so much! It's inclusive aspect. Don't get me wrong, I love the other sports but BMX is one of the few in which some guy can walk in off the street with a ratty equipment with minimal requirements and qualifications (basically just sign up for insurance with the membership-do they still do that?) without a coach telling you want to do, start doing well (if you have the talent) a bike shop noticing you (if you have the talent) getting better equipment and improving, then getting a factory ride (if you have the talent) and then-if you have the talent-make the climb up to the amateur hill becoming National #1 and/or World Champion and stay on top for a while. Then-if you have the talent and guts-turn pro and make the climb to greater heights and stay there for awhile-if you have the talent.

You don't have to "make the team" to participate, to even start, just a halfway decent bike and an entance fee (I am out of touch, what is the entrance fee to race in class at an ABA local nowadays?) I mean it is really not that easy because you do need to be sponsored on the national level to win most titles and get noticed in the first place, but the point is you are not barred from participating because you are not on a "team". You can still race today's equivalents of Joey Bradford or Bubba Harris or Richie Anderson or Mike King when they were amateurs; be right on the gate next to them-and maybe, just maybe being in the main with them without some coach deciding if you make the cut!

Several years go by. Real life catches up with you. You retire from "serious" competition on the Amateur level with your greatest claim to fame is once coming in district #7 and therefore earning a single digit on you plate. More years go by. Wife kids morgage. You get the bug again. You want to race while others of your generation is fishing or golfing (exagerating a little since the "old guys" are baby boomers who never really grew up anyway). But now you are not point chasing, just racing for fun in Am with other guys with receding hair lines. You look down the line of the other seven guys-or gals-and you see Stu, Harry, Carnes, both Fosters right next to you (hypothetically speaking for the last three). Racers from different eras that you only had read about, maybe have seen race in person if you watched or participated in a national, but never dreamed you would be "snapping" out of the gate with! Imagine a weekend softball game and you are batting you look up and you see Willie Randolph at second, Reggie Jackson in right field and Dan Quizzenberry (sp?) staring at you from the mound and Gary Carter behind you catching! It is not an exact analogy since Baseball and BMX are two absolutely and completely different sports, but you get the idea! Tell me, what other sport has that!
?! Seriously?

Oldtimer1980s.

Was Harry on flats?

Great scot, I didn't think that after PHX this year I would be riding the 36x class again. I love and respect Harry. We talked about this last year and I am glad for him. If I only rode more I would love to ride the 20 again. But with what little time I spend riding it I wonder if I will. Time will tell. Thank you all for your support and I hope to be able to line up to Harry next year.