GOLD CUP FINALS WEST RACE REPORT

Filed under General on October 17, 2014 | Comment(s)

WORDS AND IMAGES BY: JASON "SHOOTER" MCGUIRE

One cool thing about my job is all of the unique BMX tracks I get to visit. No track is ever the same, and at times you find one that really jumps out at you. Silver Dollar BMX in Chico, CA was one that grabbed my attention. So what is it about this place that is so different? Well, it turns out that the surface of their track is maroon in color – something that is not often seen, if ever. 

While the maroon color definitely jumps out at you, the surface itself is prime. Gritty and grippy are the two words that come to mind. You would definitely not want to fall on the rock-hard surface, but there is no doubt that it is nearly bomb proof – at least from what I have seen thus far. Besides the track, Silver Dollar BMX is a nicely put together facility. Built in bathrooms, little dust and countless amenities near the track make this a BMX getaway. 

The weather was perfect for the Friday night pre-race, and riders from all over loved the track. From the laps I watched, it definitely seems that the track flows like a swift stream. When it came to the races, there was one individual who really stuck out. That was 11x Josh Wilbur-Henry who laid down some serious speed. Making the trip from Oak Harbor, WA, Wilbur-Henry came to win and if he continues the weekend with the speed and skills shown tonight, he will be a front-runner for the Gold Cup No.1 plate. 

Today was just the tip of the of the weekend and we have two more days of heart-pumping BMX racing in order to determine the 2014 Gold Cup Champions. Be sure to check out the USA BMX Facebook page throughout the day for updates. You can also head over to usabmx.com/webcast and listen to the live audio cast of the event. Lastly, we will have the race report updated tomorrow evening to recap all of the day's racing and get a better look at who to watch on Sunday as the champions are crowned. 

SATURDAY:

Day one of the Gold Cup Finals West was full of non-stop action-packed racing. With 129 motos, riders were ready to battle with hopes of putting themselves in the points lead before tomorrow's final day. Throughout practice, it was hard to pick favorites for each class as the majority of riders were fairly well matched. After the two rounds of qualifying, the main events were set and tensions were high in staging.

In girl's cruiser, Black Box Industries rider and potential National No.1 Girl Cruiser, Olivia Armstrong, showed up late in the morning and was ready to take the title. For Armstrong, she cruised away with the win in the 13-14 class, but it was Rider's Pro Shop rider Dakota Schwyhart who rode with the determination of a future champion. The Idaho native has slowly been progressing the entire year and chasing Armstrong in today's main really pushed her to the next level. While Olivia Armstrong could potentially hold up the No.1 Girl Cruiser title at Grands, Schwyhart is making big steps in her progression.

The Elliot brothers took total control of the 15 cruiser class. The brothers, who have ridden for Next Gen~Bicycles Plus for quite some time, always seem to feed off one another when on the track. These are two guys that you always have to watch for. At times, they lurk in the middle of the pack and strike when the moment is right. Today was not that way as Nickolas and Jackson handled the entire class. Ballistic BMX rider Jarred Simmons definitely put the pressure on them, but it was too little too late as Nickolas took the win with Jackson on his back wheel for second. I wonder if there is any bad blood between the two brothers when it comes down to one getting the Gold Cup No.1 plate over the other?

Back to the girls we go and the 11 year olds had one rider who put a serious thumpin' on the rest of the class. That girl is Samantha Heil who riders for Nemesis~51 Fifty. Leaving the first turn, this young lady had a multi-bike length lead. Showing speed and skill that you normally find in girls who are top national contenders, Samantha definitely shows promise for a girl of her age. If she can have another win tomorrow, like she did today, it will prove that Samantha is the real deal. 

One great thing about the Gold Cup Finals is that a lot of riders who compete have tons of potential of being the next top national rider. In the expert class, Redline Challenge's Nate Romero, had an impressive showing in the 10x class. Granted, this young man finished 2013 ranked 37th in the nation, but he is definitely putting a big step forward to improving that number this year. To me, Romero has every ounce of potential to win the 10x class at Grands. Will it happen? We will find out next month! 

Day one of the Gold Cup Finals was definitely a great day of racing. Tomorrow is going to be filled with a lot of desperation moves to claim the No.1 Gold Cup title. As always, we will be updating the USA BMX Facebook page throughout the day. You can also listen to the live webcast at usabmx.com and check back here tomorrow night for the final wrap up of the Gold Cup Finals West, presented by DK Bicycles. 

SUNDAY: 

The final day of the Gold Cup Finals West was full of fireworks! Throughout both qualifying rounds, riders were pushing the limits and doing anything necessary to make it to the main event. There was no doubt that these riders were determined to secure one of the top three slots – and hopefully be crowned the Gold Cup Champion.

Usually in our race reports, we only talk about the Championship classes, but for me it was the 7-8 open class that really stuck out and was a great battle right at the beginning of the main events. Out of the gate, BOX~ Auburn~ASV hotshot Dane Morales was not where he ultimately wanted to be – in the lead. One by one he picked off riders and went into the last turn charging hard in second. Nemesis BMX~51 Fifty’s Dominic “D-Train” Duran looked like he was running out of gas while still trying to hold the lead. Morales pushed harder and gave one good lunge at the line, but it was not quite enough to pass up Duran. The entire class put on a great race, and it just went to show that even if you do not win, never stop pushing!

Ryenn Capitani is a girl with a serious desire to win. While she only had two other riders in the 10&under girl cruiser class, the rider for team Holeshot had to keep on the gas as Factory Extreme Team’s Crystal Roddy was keeping close. In the end, Capitani would ride away with a pair of Gold Cup Championships to her name. Be on the lookout for this young lady as she heads into the Grands with a lot of momentum.

Making the trip all the way from Casper, WY, Seth Alldredge had the 17-20-cruiser class on lock down all weekend long. This young man currently riders for Troy Lee Designs and he rode the track like a seasoned veteran. Terry Jason from Rio Linda, CA and Kyle Unrein both gave him everything they had, but were unable to keep this guy from walking away with the Gold Cup No.1 title.

If you have attended a USA BMX National on the west coast, chances are you have heard of Erick Grindle. You know, the “style me up bro” guy. Talk about a guy with a family that has BMX coursing through their veins. He announces, his wife helps run the show at Riders Pro Shop and Tangent, his son cleans Jacob Abbe’s bike his daughter lays down some heat in the 13 girls class. His daughter Brooke has started to put in a ton of work towards becoming one of the fastest girls on the track, and she has certainly done that. In the past few months, Brooke has put together a solid string of finishes and capped it off this weekend with a Gold Cup Championship. We always joke about her getting, or not getting, her photo in PULL. Maybe it is time we get here in there...

Has anyone heard of 14x Jarred Simmons? This kid laid down a toboggan in both his cruiser and class main events – and won! Earlier today he asked if I could put him in the magazine. Seeing as how I get that same request more times than I can count, we laughed and I asked why he thought he deserved it. He simply said, “I will throw down a toboggan in the 14x main.” I responded by telling him he had to make the main first. His next response he shouted with confidence. “Don’t worry, I will be winning.” That is exactly what he did, go out, throw a toboggan and win…TWICE! It is safe to say that this kid is fast and has no problem backing up his promises. 

One of the greatest things about the Gold Cup Championships is the award ceremony at the end of the race. The surrounding area of the podium gets jam packed with families and racers who cheer for every rider who gets on the podium. It really does show how close knit the sport of BMX is. For these families, and racers, the Gold Cup Championship is a HUGE deal. It may not hold the prestige of a NAG or National No.1, but it certainly is a step in the right direction. Many of these kids are the future of our sport and no matter what region, west, east or central, all of the champions earned their titles. The 2014 USA BMX Gold Cup Championship series, presented by DK Bicycles has come to an end for this year, but it will be back again in 2015 and better than ever!