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Hey, Just wondering what is going on with the winter series. Any kind of big plans?

Any chance of getting a pro race together sometime? I'll help get some funds donated for a purse if there is any interest. TP? Bruce? Robert? Jason? Any big race this winter that this might fit in with?

What about Prizes for a particular race or series? Any interest there? Something like I did last year with a couple of frames, stereo, helmet, etc.....waste of time? or was it worthe the effort?

COME ON! Lets get some excitement going!

After putting together & promoting the pro races here & in Rock Springs, I'm not doing it anymore. Rock Springs has taken a life of it's own & the locals do a great job with it. Here? That's up to the locals that care enough to go through the time & effort to put it together. I know one thing, if I was pro, there would be racing for me every indoor.

The only thing I'm going to concentrate on this indoor is keeping the No-Clips races series going. BTW, I'm bumping the age on it to "28 & over" & probebly allowing cruisers no matter what.


b.

Hey b,

just curious. Who would you race in the pro class? You know utah has exactly 2 pro's. And I see the shots about local pros putting more into the local scene and not concentrating on the national scene so much ? well...... 1) You don't get sponsor help because you win local pro races! or local Am's for that matter. 2) When I show up at a local race and have the choice to A) race. B) watch my kids race. I will take B everytime! Once practice is over I am in Dad mode, NOT pro bmxer mode. I have heard I could do more for the local kids and talk to them more etc. Well.. again I am there for MY kids period. Sorry if that sounds harsh. I have never not helped someone who ask for help. Training or whatever. But I am not running for Mayor and don't fell like it's my job to go and talk to every kid and promote the local pro scene or myself. If it's there fine, if not fine. I will continue to train on my own.

I'm sure Pro's in other sports go back and compete at the local level? Ricky Carmichial?

Don't get me wrong, If Utah had some top Pro's I would be happy to race them. They have as much to loose as I do if either of us get hurt. But I don't really feel the need to prove myself against riders who can't make a main at a national. Sorry but that's the way I feel. I mean, if you were up for a national title would you want to risk it to race some local race?

And from what I hear the tracks don't care anyway! If there is a pro class fine if not that's fine too! So..... Whatever! Would I like to see a local Pro scene? You Bet! Do I see it happening? NO. Sorry for the long reply.

Everyone have a nice day, TP

Hey no prob Todd & I totally see where your coming from. If I was pro? Well, I would start off into shaming every top AM in the state over the age of 16 to turn. If that didn't work I would become T.O. at Rad then ban Spencer, Melton, Lowery, Stout, Simmons, Wienbrenner, Healey, Halverson, Oblad, & a few others from the track unless they turned pro.

If all of these great ideas didn't work......I would get a local sponsor to sponsor a pro series with some decent cash at each race. That might change some minds. I know if I worked hard enough at it I could make it work.


b.

My opinion: At the local level I get as much excitment out of watching all the rest of the races as I do the Pro races. This is not to say that I don't enjoy the heck out of watching Pro races, but I like to watch them race in thier own class at Nationals. At the local level they are all grouped together and it just does not mean as much. Seeing Todd and Arielle put it all on the line at a National is the shiznit, but locally is, well, disappointing.

What I think would help the indoor races is more specialized competition like the no-clips race, pit bikes, MTB's, etc.. For what it is worth, I think the '04-'05 indoor series was awesome!

Is the Rad Canyon Indoor going to be in the same place it was last year? I liked that track cause it always changed. every weekend we raced...

Well, I didn't mean to stir up anything with the pro race thing.

I actually had this big thing typed out here and just erased it. I just decied it was too much, and maybe I should just enjoy racing and not get involved with the politics.

TP, I really am always glad to see you at the track, whether you are racing or not. I know for a fact that it makes an impact on kids just to see you there. I think that is one of the great things about BMX, that the pros are so accessible.

Bruce, glad to hear that the no-clips races might be on for the indoor. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

What exactly would you want Todd and Arielle to do? You don't even let them race the no clips series.

Well, I would start off into shaming every top AM in the state over the age of 16 to turn.

Any am "shamed" into turning pro without having proved himself in a NAG setting is only going to get discouraged and quit for good when he figures out that he now can't race at home very often, that the pro classes are harder than they may have imagined and no one will sponsor him because he is no longer valuable on a team sheet. We are lucky to have so many good NAG riders in our state but I would guess most of them are happy where they are and if they have goals to move up, they are working on them. This is about fun...not shame.

If that didn't work I would become T.O. at Rad then .... unless they turned pro.

Comical... I know you are kidding but ......

Arielle and TP do a lot to promote the sport. Its just that sometimes it is not as apparent to the locals as it may be in a bigger picture....just to give you an idea....

This week in bmx Arielle was half way around the world in Japan teaching the kids there and promoting the sport . She taught clinics, raced a race just for hype that had no purse, points or even a class for her. She, Robert DeWilde, John Purse, Christian Becerine, Jason Richardson and Nate Berkheimer and a few others did several events and formal dinners doing things to promote the sport. She did a photo shoot with Twenty bmx, and she will most likely be headed to Interbike to promote her sponsors there.

I know you worked hard for the pro races at Rock Springs B and it is impressive, it really is. But it would not work on a regular basis. The pro's do not have the money to travel that much, have time constraints with national weekends and for the most part are too spread out geographically. The few times a year it can be pulled off is fun.

It is frustrating to me when I keep hearing the local Pros should do more. Tell me what they could REALISTICALLY do. TP and Arielle are not slackers. They want the local thing to grow as well but lets be realistic. There is after all only 24 hours in a day....

Bruce- Are you afraid to race me? Is that why you are change the age to 28 & over? ha ha
I have to give it to Todd and Arielle for all the training they had to put in to be at the top of there game all the time. I don't think I would have the drive to do all of that. Maybe that's why I have never turned pro.

But you could Heather.....

B SHAME on you - Let Heather race!!!!!!!!!

Are you afraid to race me? Is that why you are change the age to 28 & over?

Let me be the first to say it...

"Yes, I am afraid to race Heather Allred"

Now Jason, you would lay the smack on me for sure. I like to give Bruce a hard time because he is always changing to rules to fit his style.

I am not afraid to race Heather at all. She would be so far ahead of me there would be nothing to worry about...

Though I must admit the view behind Heather is nicer than the one I get behind Ian :

(don't worry Ian, you're still my favorite to come in 2nd behind )

HOLY CRAP BATMAN!! Lori, Lori, LORI!!!! I can't believe you actually believed 99% of what I wrote!! You of all people, JEEZ!!!!!!

About the only thing I was/am serious about is this statement -

I know if I worked hard enough at it I could make it work.

Why's everyone piling on me? If any pro came to me to get another race together I would in a heartbeat but I really want to keep the No-Clips thing going & that does involve some planning so somebody else is going to have to handle it if they want. @!#$%*^*!!!!!!


Now, part 2 of me defending myself .............

I actually had a long, drawn out reply here but I pulled a "Stout" & deleted it. I can see some have read too much into my stupid post so I'll also pull a TP & say......"riiiiiiiiiiggghhht".

The No-Clips races will stay 21 & over, Heather Allred & cruisers WILL be allowed.

Pro's?? Now would that really be fair? Aire.....she can hang with all the top guys in 28+ expert but will she race it? Will she chance getting hurt for the same reasons she doesn't race Pro-Ams locally? T.P.........sure, if having him gate up with a mixture of novies, inters & older ex's & winning by a whole straight sounds like fun, Ok. If that would make everybody happy, yeah Pro's can race the No-Clips too.


Anybody else have a problem with me, spit it out!



b.