Cajun Nationals Race Report

Filed under General on March 07, 2014 | Comment(s)

WORDS AND IMAGES: JASON "SHOOTER" MCGUIRE

March 7, 2014-West Monroe, LA- The gang over at Duck Commander better watch out, USA BMX has invaded the Ike Hamilton Expo here in Louisiana for a weekend of world-class BMX racing!

FRIDAY:

Before USA BMX showed up in West Monroe last year, the Ike Hamilton Expo had been made famous by appearing in an episode of A&E’s hit television show, Duck Dynasty. While the Duck Commander crew demands the attention of West Monroe’s lively residents 362 days a year, the other three days are reserved for USA BMX and racers from around the country.

The Ike Hamilton Expo is a fantastic location for this event not only because of the size, but most importantly they have some of the best dirt our track crew gets to work with. For 2014, the track measured in at 960 feet with a unique layout that will leave riders spending most of tomorrow searching for the best line. Wide open, smooth and two 90-degree corners add to the drama that this year’s track will bring. There is no doubt that everyone will want to stay tuned in for the weekends racing action.

Be sure to check right back here tomorrow for the full weekend race report and photo gallery.

SATURDAY: 

Shortly after practice started on Saturday morning, I was in the middle of a conversation with one of our track builders, Lance Maguire, during which I told him that before I left I would indulge in fresh donuts from Monroe’s famous Haskell’s donuts. Oddly enough his son walked up with a box from that same donut shop shortly after our conversation. Now, I have eaten a lot of donuts in my day and these were definitely some of my favorite. The right amount of frosting with the perfect amount of fluff made for a delightful experience that any BMXer would enjoy right before motos. Speaking of motos, 195 was the magic number for day 1 of the Cajun Nationals here in West Monroe, LA. While this race was larger than last year, the racing action was right on par with what we expect to see from this part of the country.

The Strider pack helped kick us off per the norm for a Saturday, and one of the riders was by far the crowd favorite. This one little girl happened to be blind. That is right, I said blind. Her father would guide her via a phone call to make sure she was able to get around the track and it was truly amazing to watch her tear it up. It was something out of the ordinary that could tug on your heartstrings while watching her ride, but just like all BMX racers from around the country, she persevered and came out riding like champ! 

Jr. Devo was intense all day long and Ssquared~Answer’s Justin “The Juice” Richmond proved why he is one of the top amateurs in the country. Out of the gate it was tight between Richmond and Crupi’s Colin Whittington, but “The Juice” proved to be a little too much for Colin to handle on that lap as he pulled away for the win and Colin fell to third. Factory Elf’s Chrystofer Davis secured second place and man that kid is fast. I have no doubt that Elf made a wise decision in picking this rider up. 

A pro was full of ups and downs for most of the main event group. During one of the semis, Doublecross took a big hit when both Alan Hudson and Olijuwan Davis were not able to capitalize and make it into the main event. That being said, Ssquared~Answer was all over it again when Brandon Elmore more or less walked away with the win. Lee Lewis and Will Grant  did everything they could to keep him from the top of the box, but it was not enough. That now marks three wins for the rookie from Texas who will surely be looking for his fourth tomorrow.

At every national I get to attend, there always seems to be a different type of feeling circulating in the air. Things were no different here in West Monroe, or Munroe as locals pronounce it. When the last gate dropped and folks started shuffling out, there were three riders who really stood out during Saturday’s racing. 

The first of those was Rico Bearman coming straight out of Auckland. He did not lose a single lap all day and he is definitely looking to take over the 10X class. I already have a good feeling he will be taking wins in both open and class again tomorrow.

The second person is Tyler Whitfield, who took advantage of the two ninety-degree corners in order to get the win. This is an individual who gets a ton of media attention already, but after his main event win today, there is no doubt he deserves it here. Heading into the main, it was going to come down between Kenneth Gustafson, Tyler Whitfield and Chandler Denton. After Gustafson blew up out of the gate and down the first straight, it was all between Whitfield and Denton. Whitfield was behind Denton out of turn one and down the second and third straights; and then the nineties showed up. Whitfield utilized the open space at the bottom, swooped under Denton and slammed the door in his face as he rode off with a win. Whitfield could not have placed that move any better than he did and he was rewarded with the win.

The last rider I want to mention is Jayden Bazemore in 10 girls. Making the drive over to West Monroe from Spring, TX, Jayden absolutely dominated her open and class races. What is surprising to me is that she does not have a sponsor. A plain black kit and her bike was all she needed to show how good she really is. Maybe she will be the next Alise Post of Felicia Stancil, but for now she is just going to keep on riding and winning when it counts. Those in Texas, and the rest of the country, better watch out for little miss Bazemore. 

The racing was yet again fantastic and Sunday looks to be just as great, if not better. The mini banzai has been a rider favorite and the dual ninety-degree corners have clearly been a race changer where riders were going all out. Join us tomorrow at usabmx.com/webcast for the live audio feed and all the great racing action. Also check out the final and complete race report later this evening on usabmx.com

SUNDAY:

Every national on the schedule brings both joy and sorrow when Sunday arrives. Sorrow, because it signals the end of a great weekend and once Monday morning hits, we are all back home in reality with regular jobs, school or some other daily chore. I myself even spend every day in the office after being on the road. While those are things we all must face, the joy of the event is what brings us all together. We are all excited that we had an amazing weekend of racing, saw friends that we may not see otherwise and of course, had a blast with our giant BMX family. Luckily for all of those in attendance, we were able to cap off the weekend after some awesome races that left all spectators on the edge of their seats. 

A pro was once again a whirlwind of action. Being that it was the final day, each rider left it all on the track. Lee Lewis was flying in all three mains and after slamming the door on Brandon Elmore in round two; he all but secured himself the overall win. Elmore was able to put it all together in the final round and take it, but it was too little too late to make it on the box. While Lewis was busy trying to stay in front, the Doublecross riders from day one redeemed themselves in a substantial way. Not only did both Olijuwan and Hudson make the main, they also took the other two spots on the box. 

Sunday's amateur racing was more aggressive than usual. It was great to see it out on the track in a way that just pushed each rider to their limits in order to put them in contention for the win. 

As I have said time and time again, the girls racing in 2014 has been better than the guys racing in a lot of cases. The 15-16 girls class was one of those main events that stood out more than most. Going over the step up into turn one, Shayla Blackmore of Phoenix Factory Racing was attempting to make a hard charge at Ssquared~Answer's Jamie Whindholz by giving her a solid elbow, unfortunately for Blackmore, that would cause her to bobble and then hit the dirt, taking out three other girls with her. After that moment, Windholz had Motor City BMX's Elida Beeman to worry about. Beeman dashed and darted down the second and third straights as she tried to find her way around, but it would not work as Windholz cranked her way to a solid win in a tough class. Her 20" win also fit nicely with the one she picked up earlier in her cruiser class. 

The other standout battle in the girls classes was between Ssquared~Answer's Kaitlyn Deters and Factory Crupi's Anna Johnson. Last year it seemed as if Deters could not catch a break and would often find her self in the hunt for a top three finish and end up on the ground at some point. 2014 proves to be a whole different game as she was laying down the ponies all weekend. Anna Johnson is no slouch when it comes to racing and she is one of the fastest amateur girls out there, but she could not find a way to answer Deters. Both days Kaitlyn grabbed the win for Jim Buchanan's squad of assassins, so there is no doubt her wins aided in their team sheets.

Speaking of doubles, Devyn Willey from Yukon, OK straight dominated the 14-year-old girls class. She had a solid stack of competition to overcome, but it did not seem to phase her one bit. Each time she was on the track, it was like an extension of her arm to the point where very few mistakes were made. Devyn capitalized on all opportunities and was able to hold off Vendetta's Destiny Dominguez, THM~Haro's Antonia Faught and Dan's Competition's Kylie Pardue. She is one to keep your on for the remainder of the year and it would not surprise me if she is up for title contention when we enter the Grands. 

For the fellas, it was once again a testosterone filled main event with elbows flying and bars banging. Some of those riders were riding well enough that they didn't even need to throw out an elbow, such as their hot 6X Charlie Golwyn from Cumming, GA. When I spoke with Gus Lanzalotta about Charlie, he was confident that he could grab the win after taking second yesterday. Sure enough, Golwyn took the holeshot and said goodbye real quick. His redemption win on Sunday was definitely a great performance and we expect to see big things out of him as the year continues on. 

Jumping way up in the age groups, 17-18X saw a new face on top of the class. Kid Dynamite's Kavin Bradner had his best lap of the weekend. Rubbing elbows with Brandon Ceslok is no easy task, but this guy handled it like a champ and was able to hold off the hard charging Big B all the way around. Ceslok had a small window of opportunity in the final ninety, but his momentum was not enough to carry him to the lead. 

On the last class for the race report, we venture into the land of 28-35x. Day one, Black Box~Basic~Fly's Zach "Fear the Beard" Bean laid out some serious horsepower in order to double up in open and class. Today he looked to post those same results and after getting the win in open, class was the only obstacle in his way. The gate dropped and down the first straight they all went, Bean got lost in the middle of the pack and Tim Kneip had a clear track for the win. There is a reason to fear the beard of Zach Bean, and that is the manliness that comes from it. Bean stretched deep into his pockets to find the extra pull needed and as he entered the final turn, Kneip was in his sights with the door open. It looked as if Bean would have the momentum and pull to pass Kneip at the line, but a bobble would send him into flying squirrel mode. Bean would hit the ground just inches from the chalk line, and not realizing how close he was, never though about extending his muscle trunks to finish in second. Instead he lied there in disbelief of what had just occurred and when he slowly arose, he lifted his bike and placed it over the line as if he was setting it over a white picket fence. Those who think the fast guys end at 19-27x, think again. These dudes were flying! 

At the end of the day, Sunday proved to be a perfect day of racing. The Ike Hamilton Expo Center was a fantastic facility that allowed for a unique, fun and challenging track for everyone. The dirt was prime and when the final door closed, the Cajun Nationals ended better than ever. USA BMX would like to thank all of those who came out and attended the event this weekend and we hope to see you next weekend at the Winter Nationals in Phoenix, AZ for stop #5 of the 2014 USA BMX National Series!