2021 USA BMX Badger State Nationals Race Report

Filed under General on August 31, 2021 | Comment(s)

If you build it they will come…and they did. Madtown BMX is carved out of a flowy Wisconsin hillside just north of the Capital city of Madison. Spotting this beauty on Google Maps is a breeze thanks to the huge BMX letters carved out next to the third straight.

The track itself is just as impressive as its aerial visibility. The track surface is glued to perfection (which passed the rain test with flying colors on Saturday morning), the hill is covered and shaded (the cover was an Eagle Scout project built by local hotshot 16X Alex Ferguson) and the volunteer group headed up by TO Stuart Wright was out in full force running concessions, parking and keeping the place looking like a million bucks.

After the slightest of delays, we got things started on Saturday morning with 176 motos.

In the 11-12 Girls Cruiser class we saw an impressive run by Lethal BMX’s Kenadie Neelan but she drifted a bit too high in the last 90 degree turn allowing Hyper’s Preslie Gould to cut underneath and take away the win.  Just a few motos later Sprocket Kingz 36-40 women cruiser Lindsey Ambroziak would get a holeshot. As she exited turn two, Amanda Sullivan would pull up beside her. These two ladies would give it everything they had as they went through the rhythm section but Sullivan had the inside advantage which is a big deal on the 90 degree turns and she would finish the day with the victory.

Joshua Coplan got the pop in 46-50 Cruiser on day one and despite the best efforts of Dan Hurley and Jayson Lindsay was able to hang on for the victory. Twice during the lap these gents went three wide but everyone held their own as things got close. Great racing gentlemen!

The very next main was won by none other than “Mr. Bill” Billy Griggs who was aboard a few items that should be available for purchase from the Chase camp. First was a new and improved Chase cruiser frame that Billy welded up himself. He gave the new geometry and changed two big thumbs up. Second were the prototype Tioga FasterX cruiser tires. With as successful as the 20” versions have been these will no doubt be a hit as well.

The 31-40 Women Expert class isn’t what you’d typically think to be an elbows out, going down in a blaze of glory type class but we were shown different in Wisconsin. Daylight’s Ashley Hill-Pettinelli and Erin Jones were locked at the hip after exiting turn one and neither was going to give the other an inch. Jones would run out of track and would find herself flying sideways through the air over the second straight step down. Hill Pettinelli would also get a bit sideways, but she’d straighten herself out and go on to win the day.

Logan Matteson had the snap in the 17-20 Expert class but would findhimself on the back of turn one and out of the race. SSquared’s Julian Basaj would thread the needle and find his way through the turn unscathed and take the victory. Black Widow’s Jordan Beaudry would grab the second.

Bent Rim Racing’s Alec Taylor must have loved the track as he never lost a main event all weekend in 10 Inter or 9-10 Mixed Open. He looks ready to battle in the X ranks.

Nick Oehrlein was another hot intermediate that simply ruled the course.  He took quite a few victories back home to Minnesota.

When you have a giant “BMX” carved into the hill next to the track, you know you’re in for a treat. Hats off to the crew at Madtown BMX for building a program and facility that many would love to call home.