Full layout E-Zine coming soon!

    I first knew that this year's South Park race would be exciting and interesting when I found out through an email that a good friend of mine, David Meyer, had taken over the track operators duty. Dave told me that he planned a rebuild that would bring the legendary track back to the mystique of being the Gnarliest track in the country. It had long had that reputation but the last few years have seen the track slowly deteriorate and loose it's edge. That would not be the case this year as the NBL track builders set to bring the excitement back to the famed South Park track.
    The South Park race comes at the end of a pretty long list of big races in June/July. On the ABA side you recently had San Bernardino, Roseville, New Mexico and Rockford (a huge race). The NBL schedule included Prunedale, Tanglewood, Long Island and Evansville (a track closely rivaling South Park for it's downhill speed and jumps).
    I got into South Park pretty early. I wanted some time to check out the newly rebuilt track so I was there for the all day practice on Thursday. Unfortunately, expected strong weather caused the cancellation of the practice. I was, however, able to check out the recently super-sized jumps. Sure enough, the lips were absolute walls. My brain was going a million miles an hour thinking of all the possible angles to shoot each of the straights. Every one of them had big boosters on them and I knew I'd need plenty of memory and batteries to capture as much as possible.
    The first straight had a table at the end of the pavement. Seemed like the riders were getting over that relatively easy. After that though the fun began. The next obstacle was a very lippy double. If you had any speed at all you pretty much had to jump this one. I personally only saw Mikey Day pull manual this thing. After that was a step-up going into the first, paved turn.
    The second straight was where I got most of my shots. There was a small double coming out of the turn where there had before been a step-up. The older, faster riders were over-clearing this often. Next you had a larger but still very short double. Again, the older riders and many of the faster groms were over-clearing this one as well. The next double was quite a change. It was longer and had a good amount of vert on the lip. Riders were getting into trouble on this one because they were not hitting backside on the prior jump. They wouldn't have enough momentum and would case this double. That would cause their weight to go forward and over the bars they went. I heard allot of riders complaining about the setup on the second straight. However, I likened it to a video game. There's some games that you just peg the throttle (Motocross Madness comes to mind) and you'd just go as fast as you could without thinking about it at all. Then, there's some games where you had to consider your speed, use the breaks and ride smart (MX Unleashed is more of this type). That's how this second straight was. You couldn't just peg it out of the first turn. You had to think about it - maybe feather the breaks a bit and make sure you got backside on the second double to get the push you needed for the third. Anyway, the last obstacle was the step-up that's been there all along and is great for some "hip into the turn" shots.
    The third straight is probably the most talked about as it features the infamous "Pro Double". This is probably the longest double of any sanctioned track. Not only is it long but it's tall (lip is probably 6+ feet tall) and there is absolutely NO middle. There's no landing pad to case on, no middle to roll if you shut it down last second. It's balls out, go for it! Setting up for the double requires getting good backside on the downhill step-up just out of the second turn. This jump had older riders over-clearing it and landing flat bottom and younger riders tagging the landing lip and were white knuckle, eyes wide open as they tried to not go over the bars after getting bucked. The pro double is notorious for breaking parts and causing some good pain in the riders who do not make it. True to form I got a good shot of a set of forks blasting completely apart as the rider 50/50'd the landing. I'd like to point out, as I always do, any shots of product explosion does not refer to the quality of the product. I have seen just about every make of fork and every manufacturer's frame bend, break or explode on this section of the track. Even though the section to the right is referred to as the "Pro Doubles" in fact the section is a decision maker. Amateurs could hit the section if they wanted and pros could elect to take the longer, slower section to the left if they wanted. Most of the pros and many of the top amateurs from say sixteen on up opted for the quicker route. Even Tommy Zula, at thirteen, hit the pros in a semi. Didn't quite clear it as he was in practice though. It's ashamed that Sean "Bobo" Lechner was out with an injury. He was constantly hitting the pro section last year at the age of twelve in his races.
    If you'd survived the track thus far the last straight had more in store. It was a steeply lipped rhythm section with many choices of lines. Making it harder to negotiate was the fact that you probably had a good arm pump going from holding on for dear life through the top three sections of the track. However, there weren't allot of problems on this section (relatively - Jeff Marston would probably attest otherwise as he went down on the last straight in practice. Jeff was in lala land for a while and ended up with stitches to his lips and tongue). He went on to help video for the ISTV video crew so thanks to Jeff for helping out even though you were undoubtedly in allot of pain.
    I can't talk enough how Haro's Warwick Stevenson amazes me sometimes. During Friday's practice I was out on the track and watched as a hobbling Stevenson came up to check out the pro doubles. I asked how he was as he didn't look to be walking that great. He answered "Fine, just a little limp 'cause I'm not wearing my knee brace". Well, I figured with the UCI worlds coming up and the fact you need to be more than one hundred percent for that event Warwick would take a break. Not Warwick. He grabbed a shovel and started working on filling in a huge hole that had begun developing in the double where many riders were casing hard.
    The Elite Men's class featured almost all of the top guns in the sport. Day, Stumpy, DeWilde, Robinson, Romero, Becerine, Richardson, Suarez, Bennett - the list just went on and on. All going insanely fast around the downhill track. Staats riders DeWilde and Day looked great. Day was flowing the rhythm section like nobody else. DeWilde was pulling the first straight constantly.
    On Saturday, Stevenson got the pop out of gate two and took the quick lead. However, Day was right there, on his tail and you could see him setting up for a pass on the rhythm section last straight. Turn after turn Day held his line and waited. In the last straight Stevenson rode the left side and Day turned extra hard in the last corner to set up on the right. The extra hard carve cost Day some momentum though and Warwick lengthened his lead. Day was flowing and catching but Stevenson rode well through the section as well and at the finish it was Stevenson even with the last minute bike lunge by Day. GT/Hyundai's Randy Stumpfhauser rounded out the top three for the money on Saturday in Elite.
    On Sunday Stevenson would again show his mastery of the Pennsylvania track by winning the first two motos. In the main he again smashed down the gate and took the lead right away. Stumpy would be the one on Sunday to follow closely and look for the pass. However, it wouldn't come as Stevenson held the lead and took the victory for Sunday. Warwick definitely seems to be hitting on all as he prepares for the UCI World Championships in France in a few short weeks.
    In Superclass the story still focuses on Hyper's Mike Lundy. Mike made a huge debut in Rockford as he went undefeated for a total of 16 laps around that track to take the wins both days in his pro debut. On to Evansville where he would be tested by the incredible first straight of Revtec/Fox rider Derek Betcher. Again, Mike would wow the crowd by taking the wins both days in Indiana. Now we have a track perfectly suited to Mike's phenomenal bike handling abilities. Mike won his first two motos on Saturday and went into the main with a good head of steam. However, in the main Betcher had the inside gate. Betcher got the snap as the gate went down and I thought Mike would have to find a spot to pass Derek. That wouldn't be easy as Derek has some damn good bike skills himself. However, just as Mike had done in Evansville, he seemed to get an extra crank or two into the corner and from the outside he pulled in front of Betcher. From that point on Mike just continued to pull and by the finish line had a good four bike lengths on the rest of the class.
    On Sunday things would mix up a bit as Mike took a fifth in the early morning first moto. Australian rider now living in Arizona Jamie Gray was looking good with first two moto wins. In the main Lundy got a good snap but Jamie's second and third peddles were strong. Gray pulled into the lead for his sponsor Haro. Mike settled back into second and Betcher was in third. Going down the third straight Lundy looked for light on the inside and hit the pro section on the extreme right. Unfortunately he ran out of real estate and had to shut down on landing and move back into the track. Jamie took advantage of the hesitation and pulled the lead to the finish line. I guess we can speculate 'til the end of time if Mike should have taken his chances on the rhythm. Fact is Mike had his first loss but the way I figure it, that's a monkey off his back as well. Focus can be on racing and not on any winning streak.
    In practice Redline's Kim Hayashi was studying the pro doubles. She knew there were some good jumpers in the Elite Women's class. Arielle Martin, Sam Cools, Alice Jung and Rachel Smith all had the skills to hit the pro doubles. Kim decided to go ahead and hit them in practice. Unfortunately, the try came up a little short and Kim hit the landing hard. She went down and was slow to get up. Luckily she was not injured to the point of pulling out of the event. Shortly after Kim attempted the jump One's Rachel Smith did the same. She too went down on her first attempt but got up to successfully clear them later.
    Saturday Supercross rider Sam Cools got a great gate and shot out into the lead. However, towards the end of the first straight Hayashi, who had won all her prior motos that day, found the power-band and took the lead into the first corner. Kim started pulling a lead and left Sam and MCS's Amanda Geving behind to battle for second place. Down the third straight and through the amateur side Geving took control of the second position. In an interview during the Friday pre-show Samantha had hinted to the fact that her mind is on the UCI Worlds and would most likely play it safe as to not get injured. Whether this had any effect on her speed in the main or not is probably only known by Samantha.
    Sunday Kim again dominated her motos and looked good for the win. Deja Vu as Cools got the pop and Hayashi had the high end at the end of the straight to pull the lead. This time another rider would enter the mix though as Staats' Arielle Martin moved into second. Martin was on Hayashi's tail the whole track peddle for peddle. As the two entered the last straight Martin rode the rhythm like her team-mate Mike Day and pulled an amazing pass on Hayashi as the crowd went nuts. Some awesome riding by Martin on the technical section for sure. The finish went Martin, Hayashi and Free Agent's Alice Jung who had powered her way into third.
    It's interesting to me how the Pro's smallest rider Donny Robinson flat out owns the larger wheeled cruiser class. Donny won on Saturday and on Sunday went completely undefeated. There were good challenges from Stumpfhauser and Answer's Jerrett Kolich but at the end of both days it was DR's training and fortitude that paid off. Donny had a scare in class on Saturday as he was sitting in his truck chilling as he thought with a fourteen (points from motos) there was no way he'd made it. He was startled as Greg Romero came up pounding on the window stating that he'd made it to the semis. DR quickly got all his stuff together and rushed up to the gate. Well, you really need your mind focused in the Elite class to make it out of semis. DR didn't quite have it together with the last minute rush to the gate and didn't make it. He did get a forth in class on Sunday though.
    Elite Masters saw a new member in the form of Dave Bittner in Evansville. Dave won the main on Saturday at the Hoosier nationals. Most riders know that Dave is a South Park local and the owner of South Park Cycles. Dave knows the track inside and out and that wasn't going to make it any easier for the rest of the masters this weekend. It wasn't going to be a cake walk however. Riders coming out of California like GT/Hyundai's Kiyomi Waller, Mongoose rider Eric Rupe, Twentyfour-Seven's Geoff Ssengoba, the always strong Terry Tenette, Phantom/On Trac's David Wray were going to give him a run. You can't think of Masters without thinking of Bill Madden as well. Bill was throwing X-Ups, Flatties, Euros and other crazy stuff over the Pro Section in practice like he was a seventeen year-old kid without a care of physical punishment at all. Dave sent a strong message to the rest of the class on Saturday though by winning his first two motos. He was the man to beat. Try as they did nobody stepped up to the local's challenge as Dave won both days in Masters. One challenge that wasn't to be settled was the call-out from SE's Trent Newkirk for the "Pose Off". Unfortunately, Trent went down hard on Sunday and the contest had to be rescheduled to the Grands in September. Make sure to check for that coverage at the race in Louisville. Trent will have extra time to bulk up.
    Speaking of "Bulking Up", I'm sure you've all heard there was a surprise drug test given at the race in Pennsylvania. Well, I don't have all the details on what exactly went on but from what I'd heard late Sunday all of the tests were thrown out or not completed due to a contamination in one of the specimen containers. We'll have to check with the NBL for an official statement as to what exactly went on there.
    This track definitely separates the rest of the amateurs from the simply amazing amateurs. This was never more apparent than in the eight expert class. Hyper's Jacob Abbe was unquestionably the most daring, if not skilled, rider out there. Jacob was boosting the entire second straight like he had helium in his tires. He was easily gaining 10 to 15 feet of altitude up and above the lips of the third set of doubles which are already 4 to 5 feet high. The crowd was in awe as the little menehune bounced effortlessly down the second straight. Jacob easily dominated his class without loosing a single moto.
    While maybe not as flashy, Jarred Reuter was undefeated in every lap of his nine year old class and cruiser races. In and interesting note Jarred's little bro Grant also did not loose a single six expert lap. Whatever those Reuter boys are doing or eating over there in Massachusetts, it's working.
    The riders from small to young proved some just had whatever it took to handle this technically demanding and super fast course. Hyper's Anthony Derosa is known for his jumping capabilities (hence the "Mini-Mirra" nickname) and he went across the board in the ten expert and cruiser class. Phantom/On Trac's Billy Russell can also throw it out in the air and is huge for his size. That helped him to an almost perfect weekend. The only mar was a second in his third moto on Saturday in eleven expert and cruiser. Twelve year-old Brandon Murphy came into South Park being capped out. Brandon was under no stress and was riding for fun. Brandon must have had allot of fun on the track as his record was spotless in his expert and cruiser races. Brandon rides for Bill Madden's Xtrskn and Supercross Factory team.
    We started mixing it up a bit starting with the thirteen year-olds. Tommy Zula is an awesome jumper and has some great skills. However, Phantom/On Trac's big guy Elliot McGrath showed up in PA. Add in Hyper's Doug Hayes and Kovachi's local boy Mark Dolan and you've got many riders with a chance at a win. Hayes pulled it off in every main except for the class race on Saturday as the big guy McGrath took the win.
    About at the fourteen year-old class you started getting the ams jumping the pros. Hyper's Ben Kubalak was throwing tire grabs over the pros in practice so I knew that would be a given he'd do them in races. FLY sponsored Andy Wright was the only rider in Ben's class giving him any challenge at all.
    I'm going to skip the fifteen expert class 'cause quite honestly I'm just sick of writing how dominating Bradford's been for the last like year. Geez Joey - let's mix it up a bit and stop training or something. Seriously, this is getting real old - (Mr. B - I hope you get the sarcasm in that last bit).
    Sixteen expert class. Hmm, well let's just say this was arguably the most "volatile" class of the weekend. I know you've all probably read about, heard about, speculated about or in some way know about the extracurricular activities involving riders in this class on Sunday. I am not going to go into it as I did not see anything after the race and have not heard any official statement on any part of the events that took place. Sufficed to say that there are plenty of strong willed and ultra-competitive riders in this class and tempers are sure to erupt at some point.
    Seventeen expert was an exciting race on Saturday. Sun Ringle's Jeff Upshaw is an "always watch" race and he was going into the main with perfects in his motos. MCS's recently recovered (from a bad arm break) Phil Delizia also ran the board in his motos. Upshaw came out on top in the main on Saturday. That would be the way they ran in sixteen open as well.
    In thirty-five and over expert Kelley Kelley put in a perfect. He also won the thirty-five to thirty-nine cruiser class on Saturday. Even though he had perfects in the motos on Sunday in cruiser it was Mike Nathanson who would take the win that day.
    In closing I'd like to answer some of the critics of the track saying it is "too hard", "too technical" and even dangerous. Fact is the track takes skill and thought to ride. I would LOVE to see South Park become a "Pro/Expert Only" national event. That would be quite a spectacle and event. Will that ever happen knowing that there wouldn't be as many sign up dollars coming out of the event? Probably not - but it's a great thing to think about. Memories of that great event Brian Fell facilitated down in Orlando a couple years ago comes to mind. It's real simple - if you can't jump DON'T come to South Park (at least not to race). Or at least get really good at hitting your breaks before jumps so that you can delicately roll over them.
    I'd like to thank the extraordinarily awesome locals at South Park. You can tell the parents, kids and volunteers there in Pittsburgh realize they have something special. I'd also like to commend David Meyer for having the fortitude to bring South Park back to the legendary status it once had. The status of a brutally gnarly track that puts the "MX" back in "BMX"!