Rad Canyon Outdoor Press Release for 2006 outdoor season

[mackdaddy]

JANUARY 2006 PRESS RELEASE

Rad Canyon is pleased to announce its 2006 outdoor schedule.

Rad Canyon will practice Tuesdays and race Thursdays, May thru Sept. 2006.
Special Races:
• Saturday, June 3rd will be our RFL double.
• The weekend of July 14 & 15th will be our SQR race, with Friday as a pre race single and the SQR on Saturday 15th.
• August 3rd will be a pre race practice to the Great Salt Lake National.
• August 16th - 19th will be Salt Lake County Fair dates.
Tuesdays: Practice 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Thursdays: Race Registration 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Multi-point races: RFL DBL Sat. June 3rd Reg. 6:00 - 7:00 pm
SQR DBL Sat. July 15th Reg. 6:00 - 7:00 pm Gt Salt Lake Ntl August 4th - 6th Cty Fair DBL Sat. Aug. 19th Reg. 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Exact schedule to follow.


Rad Canyon would also like to announce that we are pursuing a use for the second track. We are currently checking into the requirements of a Mountain (4) Cross Track. If successful, we would run mountain cross practices on Tuesday nights, with the possibility of a NORBA Mtn. Cross National later this summer. More information to follow.

Exciting news and activities from the folks at Rad Canyon Inc.

[Huh?]

Please help me understand the reason for decreasing an already limited outdoor BMX season. It is very disappointing to lose that valuable track time. An explanation as to this decision would be greatly appreciated. It seems that we are taking a stance that BMX should be for recreation not competition. I say all of this as a faithful BMX supporter but not as a nightly volunteer, so some of my position may be skewed. I realize that I am not at the track the same number of hours as most of the volunteers and that the time and effort you all put in goes so under appreciated but I also would like to afford my BMXer the opportunity to grow and advance into a nationally competative racer. This schedule seems to diminish that opportunity greatly...I am not trying to complain just simply state an opinion and get some other view points. I have a lot of faith in our track operators and board but this schedule has me confused and concerned...
Thanks for the opportunity to rant...

Concerned

[Curtis Newkirk]

I was a little bothered too when I heard the news, but then I started thinking of the possibilities:

For us it will equal more practice time. It was hard for us to get out to the track three times a week (practice, tues., thurs.) so we only made maybe three practices last year. This year we will be showing up for practice on Tuesday as well as to watch or participate in the 4X races. I will actually get focused time to work with my kids, and myself, on better racing techniques. I know this may not apply to people who live closer to the track, but in our case it works.

Also, it will increase the moto count. Too many people were picking and choosing which races they would run. Now the choice will be one race which will mean more people show up. This will make for more exciting racing.

I know the voluteers will also be more refreshed. It has got to be really tough to keep the flame alive when your hobby becomes a three-night a week job. They put in a lot of work and need a break!

Like you, I too am trying to raise a family of national-caliber riders. The way to do that is to make more nationals, not necessarily more local races. In the end, with greater practice time I think that the new format will work better for our little family. But that is speaking just for us, not for all.

Thanks,

[Punk-Biker940]

I am just glad we can race! but it is kinda dissapointing to only race 1 day a week... but oh well, we'll all have to get used to it and make it worth while!!

[bnd]

I'll try to shed some light from a different point of view. RC is going for quality, not quantity. Since RC added Thursday night racing, the volunteers basically lived at the track. Burnout was a big issue. There are other reasons but these reasons alone are good enough for me.

Deseret Peak races Saturdays & hopefully people will start to come out & SUPPORT that track alot more. DP has been around since 1999 now(!) & this season could very well be the best if people would make the effort to come out & support it like RC has received over the years.

Plus......rumor has it that the Layton/Ogden area & the Orem/Provo area MIGHT be getting new tracks come this summer so in my eyes there is enough BMX racing to go around.

If your racer or you arn't getting enough track time twice a week at RC....I don't know what to tell you. Hope this all helped.


b.

[FLYNHIGH]

In the early days of Rad (prior to racing more than once a week), most of you probably were not around for this, rider and moto count was going up like crazy! Imagine a local single point night being bigger than last years State Finals... So, since they were having a tough time getting the races finished by their curfew, 10:00pm, they decided to go to two nights a week, which in the end, relieved the congestion as some would only show up one night of the week. However, due to the huge decrease in the amount of riders racing now (which is pretty much a nation-wide issue), moto count is at an all time low.

Get out and ride your bike. Practice is what will make you faster anyway, not racing a couple laps and leaving. This schedule will only benefit you as long as you ride as much as you can. Work on jumping a jump or manualing a couple rollers. One thing Utah riders are definately lacking is ride time.

Looking forward to a better year!
Travis

[awsm4]

I had the opportunity to discuss this decision at length with Steve Spencer a member of the board that made this decision. He shed a lot of light on the decision for me. I don't want to speek out of turn but I will say that I believe the Track Operator and Board have our best interests in mind. I will be the first to say that I am disappointed to lose the other night at the track, not just for the racing - (Skylar racing 3 laps agains Cody and Phoenix is gerat training even if its only 3 laps) - but also for the time my family was able to spend together and with our friends. I hope the racing will be more intense, moto counts will be up, and we can continue to groom national caliber talent out of Rad Canyon. Time will only tell if this schedule will be beneficial or detrimental but we owe our Volunteers and Board members our support, besides maybe it will save me enough money that I can sneak Sky into a couple of Nationals this year...


Adam

[Guest]

I was disappointed to get the news after the decisions were made. I am in favor of racing at RAD 2 days a week, with a practice day eliminated if it requires too much volunteer time. This is one of the best BMX tracks in the country, and is supported by the Salt Lake County. It has been a long journey from the early days at Harper, with minimum facilities, basically just a track. The history of BMX in this state has evolved and improved. I wonder if this move will improve or will it be the end of this beautiful facility. I would've liked to seen the racers and their families given the reasons for the change, and given an opportunity for imput. It seems the argument of volunteer burnout is a little suspect. Who going to run he mountain bikes races? Does the group of volunteers really want help? I've heard of help being offered and refused. Maybe if we knew what the reasons were and what help was needed we could get more volunteers. Are we using RAD canyon to support the mountain bikers? Will they support us if we lose RAD canyon? It is the kids and their families who have made BMX great all these years. I would like to see a meeting held, all of the truth given to those who participate of why, who what the changes will be. Maybe then we would get more volunteers and we could all participate in the decisions that affect a sport we all love. Ron asked for feedback. I hope those who love this sport will come to the front, express their opinions positively for our sport and keep it moving forward. We've come a long way. Lets not lose what we've gained. Let's be positive and grow and support our sport together.

[JasonStout]

I think this is a possitive move forward.

Ron and crew- Thanks for doing what needs to be done.

JS