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New Oldsmar track creating a BMX biking boom
By ED QUIOCO, Times Staff Writer OLDSMAR -- When riders at the new BMX racetrack at Canal Park explain what attracted them to the sport, they mention the competition, the laid-back atmosphere and that no one rides the bench like in other youth sports. They also say that riding a bicycle on a clay track with mounds, jumps and turns is a ton of fun. "I read an article in the paper about the track coming and I was like, 'cool, let's do it' and it turned out to be fun," said Ryan Danielecki, a 10-year-old from Oldsmar. "It's been fun watching this track get built. I've spent half my summer here and all my weekends. It's been cool." Riders have been using the 950-foot-long track since it opened last month. The grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 11 when a national racing event called the Gator Nationals comes to the facility. The track was built on the city sports complex on Tampa Road and is operated and sanctioned by a national BMX association called the American Bicycle Association. A $45 fee buys riders a yearly membership that lets them race on the Oldsmar track and on all of the association's tracks nationwide. The fee also buys a subscription to BMXer Magazine and an identification card. The track has races on Tuesdays and Saturdays and practices on Thursdays, said David Crohan, 40, the volunteer track operator. Riders need a bike and are required to wear helmets, long-sleeve shirts, long pants and no sandals. Races are done in heats called "motos" and are organized by computer to place riders in groups divided by age and skill level. Like any sport, BMX racing has its own terms. Two midsized mounts together on the track are called "doubles" and when three of them are placed after each other, that's called a "six-pack." There also are "rollers," which are small humps, and a "rhythm," which is a bunch of rollers next to each other. There are injuries in the sport and some are serious, but the dangers in BMX racing are no more than in other sports, said Mike Dardini, 26, of Clearwater, who has been riding for about 15 years. One of the things that separates BMX racing from other sports is that riders have a chance to go home with a trophy at every race. "I still have my very first trophy, and I'll never get rid of it," said Dardini, who has a garage full of trophies. "It's competitive, but it's fun mostly." About 50 riders show up on Tuesdays and Saturdays for races, but that number will probably grow when the rainy season is over, Crohan said. Since opening, the track has signed up about 100 riders. During race nights, parents sit on the metal bleachers talking and watching their children ride around the track. Some bring foldable chairs and coolers and sit by the track enjoying the night out. "We just like to be out watching him," said Wayne Jackson, 51, of Tampa, whose 14-year-old son, Wayne Jr., recently started racing. "I just wish I would have gotten him into it earlier. He was getting a little bit of a belly on him and since he's been out here, he's lost the belly and built some muscles." Two years ago, Oldsmar was awarded a grant package of more than $50,000 from the American Bicycle Association to build and operate a track. In return for letting the organization be the official sanctioning body of the races, the association agreed to build the track and pay for the clay, track design and concession stand. BMX racing started in the 1970s in Southern California when a handful of riders began riding off road in vacant lots and fields. Since then, the sport has grown to more than 150,000 riders, ranging from 4 years old well into their 50s. One such rider is Charles Bennett, 59, of Oldsmar. Bennett, who used to race motorcycles, started BMX racing five years ago when his son Wesley, 10, got into the sport. "The nice thing about this is really everybody can do it," said Bennett. "You just have to get rid of that fear of speed." To learn moreThe new Oldsmar BMX track's Web site is http://www.oldsmarbmx.org.
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From the Times Marlene Sokol |
