2015 Silver Dollar Nationals race report

Filed under General on January 10, 2015 | Comment(s)

Las Vegas – Jan. 9, 2015 – The USA BMX big rig rolled into the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV to kick off 2015 USA BMX National Series at the Silver Dollar Nationals! 

For as long as I can remember, the season opener has been held in Reno, NV – always dubbed R1 and R2 when it came to differentiating the early winter and fall events. With a new year brings new changes, the presence of USA BMX Nation being one of them. After an amazing season now in the past, we all look forward to 2015 and beyond. It all starts here, this weekend, at the South Point Hotel and Casino in beautiful Las Vegas, NV!  

FRIDAY: 

The Friday night pre-race at the season opener has never been hurting when it comes to moto count, this year is no different as racers converged in Sin City to make up 162 motos, with some classes even facing quarters and semis. 

In the past years, Las Vegas local and AA pro Connor Fields has made an appearance to race with the eager A pros on Friday night. Once again Fields was spotted in the gate and Haro's Nic Long joined his side. With two AA pros ready to show the new crop of Rookies what the big leagues is like, newly crowned National #1 Vet Pro Javier Colombo also joined in on the action. When the main event group was set, Colombo was not going to be in the show. However, Kenny Gustafson, Jordan Miranda and Ryan Pettigrew all put on their best lap in their Rookie debuts. Fields and Long battled bar-to-bar down the first straight until Fields finally pulled away. With such a short track, finding room to pass can seem impossible at times. The three rookies were jawing for position when Pettigrew would fall off the back. Heading into turn two, Miranda went wide and swooped under Gustafson for the pass, which would prove to be a game changer. At the line it went Fields with the win, Long for the deuce and Miranda for third as he persevered over the other two rookies to make his first ever pro podium. 

With the amateur action on fire for the remainder of the night, there is little doubt that this weekend will be nothing short of world-class racing. One of the best things about this arena is the limiting track size. The short track molds perfectly for paint-scraping, wheel bending on-track warfare. 

The moto count for national day #1 has the potential to make this event the largest season opener in the history of BMX. Be sure to check in with us on Facebook throughout the day for live updates and then right back here at the end of the night for the complete recap of the days events. Here is to a great 2015, now let the racing commence! 

SATURDAY:

When it comes to putting words down on paper for this race report, it is not an easy task. No it is not because I have writer’s block, it is mostly because the day was overflowing with some of the best short track racing I have witnessed in Vegas for the last few years. The record-breaking 356 motos definitely set the stage for what would be an intense evening of main events.

Rookie fever filled the arena with many of the top amateurs making the leap into the big leagues after a roller coaster 2014 season. Early on in the day, Jordan Miranda and Kenny Gustafson were looking like the two standouts ­ – that would hold true all the way until the main events. With such a deep roster of seasoned A pro riders, some of the rookie class was left hung out to dry in the semis. That list included Hunter Pelham, Kody Wong, Tyler Whitfield and Jordan Miranda. With the main event field set, three rounds of world-class racing were about to commence. When the gate slammed down, Kenny G. once again looked to be the cream of the crop, but the last turn proved to have a dirt snake that struck Kenny and sent him to the ground. Fellow rookie Kalvin Davis quickly slid in front and would take the win. Round two showcased the complete opposite as Davis fell in turn one and Gustafson would take the win. The final round finally arrived, the spectators went wild and the adrenaline-filled air set the tone. Down went the gate and the pack squeezed in tight heading into the first turn. BAM! Disaster strikes for Gustafson as he gets together with Lee Lewis and once again hits the dirt, leaving him to settle for last. Davis was searching for the win, but it was the rookie who stayed quiet and consistent all day that led the pack. Chandler Denton, who recently joined the Ssquared~Answer squad, would cross the line first and secure the overall win. With his first win in the books, the pressure lightens just slightly. For many of these new pro riders, there is a lot on the line. Day two will certainly be another barnburner, but I have a feeling that the winner may be the silent assassin who can stay consistent and strike only when the moment is right.

As we motored on into the night, the championship classes had arrived. After watching the girl cruiser mains in their entirety, I came to realize that the 10 & under class was one of the best. One of Crupi’s new additions for 2015, Ryenn Capitani, made her new team extremely proud. She held off some tough competition in Kurstin Alonzo and Shelby Richardson to take home the win. No doubt that Crupi’s new TM made the right choice by signing this young lady for the remainder of the season.

Todd Parry is without-a-doubt one of the legends in BMX. After all these years he still comes out to the track and handles whatever is thrown his way. He is constantly striving to better his riding, even when it is hard to find many flaws. During the qualifying rounds, TP had struggles in both class and cruiser. The cruiser fall was one that many thought an earthquake just hit, his bike toppling over the top of turn two was just the icing on the cake. But as any true champion does, he dusted off and came back to handle business in the main event by taking home the win in a toughly contested 46-50 class. Stand up job sir, stand up job!

Starting last season, the girl’s racing has been more aggressive than ever before. You started seeing girls not backing down from a tight situation or an elbow thrown their way and instead, they fought back for their positions. The message has been clearly sent that 2015 will be no different. In the 17-20 class, Dan’s Comp rider Samantha Brown came into this weekend with a serious desire to show she will be the girl to beat this year. Arizona’s Sabrina Bice had that very same thought, and as they both found themselves in the main, the better lady shredder would prevail. With the pack thundering down the first straight, Bice and Brown battled all the way through the turn, with Ssquared~Answer’s Adrian Sanders hot on their tails. Sander’s could not find her way past Bice, but it was just enough of a distraction that Bice could not focus on passing Brown. In the end, Brown would take the win, Bice for second and Sanders rounding out the top three.

The 14x class has never been one taken lightly. For many of those young teens, it is right at the point in your life where power is starting to become a factor over raw talent. The correct mixture of both can be a deadly combination in the right hands. For Black Box~Basic~Fly Racing’s Alex Steeves, it may become a reality. I have been following him for some time now, and after his Grands cruiser win, he was even higher on my watch list. So why not follow the Grands with a big win in class at the biggest season opener ever held. Steeves did just that ­– and while it was no easy task, he handled it with the focus and determination of a season vet. If he can continue this momentum as the early season rolls on, I have no doubt he will be a special rider.

There is so much more we could talk about, but than we would have nothing for the coverage in PULL. Needless to say, day one of the 2015 Silver Dollar Nationals not only broke records, but also caused many oohs and awes throughout the entire arena. With day two right around the corner, it is time to prepare for what could be the most exciting racing yet. Join us tomorrow with live updates throughout the day on the USA BMX Facebook page, and later with the final weekend wrap-up at the USA BMX website. See you tomorrow!