4 minute read

LAS(T) VEGAS

from PULL BMX JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023

from PULL BMX JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023, page 24

Bringing

For 47 days, the BMX world recovered and prepared for the beginning of the season and the end of an era. For the past 13 years, the season opener (apart from 2021 due to covid restrictions in Vegas) has been at the South Point Hotel and Casino. With the news of the last hurrah going down to kick off the season, racers from across the country showed up and showed out for one of the most action-packed race weekends to date.

The Silver Dollar charm is that short-track intensity. Pure horsepower down and around to the holeshot gives wintertime racers a chance to show off their strength from off-season gym time without their stamina, or lack thereof, getting in the way of fast lap times. The finalé in Vegas brought a deep and lippy indoor build to test the racer’s abilities and give those on point the advantage as long as you didn’t give up too much of your inside. Let’s get into the action and find the classes who came into the new season ready to make the BMX gamble.

New to the National scene, but familiar throughout the BMX world, the Pro/Am classes joined the National schedule, with Tangent coming on as the Title sponsor to the laps. Hungry pros and ams lined up at the gate to put on a show fit for the Vegas strip, and if we had anything to say, they would have a lifetime residency. National No.1 Amateur Drew Polk, Grands winner Jason Noordam, and Bassett Racing’s Gus Vicuna were among the first to test the Pro/Am waters. The three young guns joined the Vet Pros and former Pro Open regulars Alan Hudson and Emilio Falla, at the front of the pack through rounds. Amateur domination in Semis brought all eyes on Noordam and Polk as the Polk-led pack followed behind Noordam into turn two. With his dirt turn experience, Polk found the extra speed to give the new Factory Fulltilt/Radio pressure into the final turn. A mix of Noordam cutting down just slightly and Polk’s added speed while hitting front wheel to back foot, both racers went down just before the final jump allowing Gus Vicuna to get around the carnage for the first-ever Tangent Pro/Am Main event win. With Vicuna following it up wire to wire on Saturday, the Bassett rider looks to have finally put the pieces together during the off-season. On the ladies’ side of the Tangent Pro/Am laps, it was the Factory Fulltilt/Radio showdown. Olivia Armstrong took the clean sweep win on Friday, but with the rider count jumping to 13 on Saturday, the ladies battled for a spot in the day two main event. It was there when Mckenzie Gayheart swooped low in the third turn for the win.

21-25x got heated on Sunday night with Jonathan Medieros and Cooper Miller chasing down the leaders. A South Point scramble in turn three brought the final 21-25x Vegas win to Miller.

A debut of the new classes wasn’t the only reveal that went down in Vegas. The season opener also brought the new kits charging around the track. While they debuted them at Grands, the Profile “Reds” were rocked all weekend long by Rowdy Holzer as he lit up the weekend with a double-double following a Friday blast from the ocean predators. The

Above: Olivia Armstrong shows off her speed in the Tangent Pro/Am National series as she goes 1-1-1 on Friday.

Below: Brookyln Van Renselaar and Lilee Rowley go bar to bar into turn one in 15-16x Girls.

BMX Sharks debuted their new kits with Friday blues and Saturday blue and reds; A blood in the water reference, perhaps? Another race day look upgrade was seen on the NorCal Next Generation’s Tarik Assagai and Hidi Cramer. With the teammate clean sweep in class and cruiser, the green sleeves of Assagai and Cramer were lighting up the front of the pack. On the other side of the country, the design team from Answer BMX and Ssquared switched it up. Danica Anderson was flying high as usual, but this year the Answer kits are a pop of color a dirt track needs. Answer BMX goes lime green and baby blue on Friday with a classic royal blue on Saturday/Sunday. The Ssquared division of the Sawyer racing empire is staying simple with white and black rocked by the new team member, Brooklyn Van Renselaar, as she took home the 15-16x Girls win on Friday Night. While the final gate drop inside the South Point Hotel and Casino slammed down and the 56 & Over class charged to the line with Eric Sweets at the point, the reflection began. Bar-banging excitement, late-night Steak N Shake runs, calories burned on the Spazmatics dance floor, and memories that will last a lifetime; Thank you, South Point. We hope to see you again soon.