Sooner Nationals - Race Report

Filed under General on January 23, 2015 | Comment(s)

T1: SOONER NATIONALS Twenty-15

Round 2 of the 2015 National series got underway with a triumphant return to Tulsa, OK - only this time, T1 takes place inside the slightly smaller Ford Truck Arena; right across the parking lot from the River Spirit Expo.

The 1,000 foot long track is built out of the same dirt that we use for the Grands; which means it’s the best dirt on the planet. Seriously, this dirt is the best - and it can pack as smooth as glass.
      For the 2015 design, the USA BMX building crew chose the usual “M” shape (or “W,” depending on which end of the trck you are standing). But loader-driver Billy Allen threw in some really unique jumps to change things up. The first jump is a mild-sized double jump that blast you in to a rarely-seen obstacle that can only be described as a stretched-out step-up/step-down. After carvin’ and crankin’ around a monsterous first turn, you fly down the fun-filled second straight - with a step-up, long tabletop in to a big double that throws you in to turn two like a Oklahoma twister. If anybody fondly remembers Steve Martin in the classic movie “The Jerk” - when he finally discovers he has rhythm, then the you’ll love the Sooner’s third straight. It too, was full of rhythm, winding up with a sweet step-double that tossed you in to turn three. The berm is also pretty tall and steep, and should be a great spot to make any last-chance moves if you find yourself in 5th place in a semi. As you hit mach speeds out of the final turn - to all of the old schooler’s delight, there is an unusually-long straightaway that will force everybody to get on the cranks and give it whatever power they have left in the reserve-tanks, before hitting a small and deep double that finishes right in to a gigantic last obstacle - a mondo-sized tabletop. If you’ve got a good sized lead, and are still carrying your speed, it’ll be style  monger’s paradise as they rub in the win with some big air or a wild whip. 

     
After practice, a lot of riders were seen with a big ol’ grin on their faces. A-pro Lee Lewis told our officials that this was one of the most fun tracks he’s ridden in a long, long time. Lewis was seen skyin’ the big dubs in to turn two, and was anxious to take on all of the new Rookie pros on Saturday. 
    With 67 motos for the Friday pre-race, many riders were stickin’ around to wear off the Winter rust and get in some extra track time after laying off the training program during December. 

NON-STOP AMATEUR ACTION
Saturday’s racing in Tulsa wasn’t quite as big as The Grands was last Thanksgiving, but in many classes, the action seemed just as intense - as if there were already a No.1 title on the line. As it is every year, there are always a lot of riders with an early birthday, out to catch a boost in points before they turn up an age. 
     With a dead flash battery - right as the experts were lining up in the gate, it was a perfect time to set down the camera, sit back and enjoy some amateur action. 
      The Wood Bros., from Oklahoma, riding for Oklahoma-based Doublecross, have a reputation to live up when this race rolls aroud. Both Cane and Cannon were constantly out front, and in 6x, Cane had to do some work to get around Jack Harrison to score the win. With a nice swoop from behind, backed up with the horsepower of a small-block Chevy, the littlest Wood Bros. scored the win on Saturday. 

6 EXPERT
1 CANE WOOD, DOUBLECROSS, OK
2 JACK HARRISON, HARVEST SNAPS, AZ
3 HUNTER CACCIATORE, MIDWEST GUNSLINGERS, TX 

For 2015, SE Bikes has a new team manager in former AA-pro Chris Schoonover, and he’s put together a might impressive group of Lil’ Rippers -- which just so happens to also be the name of the frames they are riding. Jayce Patin has had his moments of greatness in the past, but never as good a weekend as this one. Patin scored wins in both Open and 7x, to tally up his first ever double.
    As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Jayce’s SE teammate “Junior” Flores was not to be outdone, and scored a win in the next main up.
    The year is still young, but it looks as if the new Schoony-led SE squad is going to make their mark in the USA BMX circuit. 

7 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 JAYCE PATIN, SE RACING, CA
2 CHADDWYCK STEWART, BACK TO BASICS CHIRO/BRO, OK
3 HUDSON WHITE, WA 

8 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 RICHARD FLORES, SE RACING, CA
2 GAGE KOOYERS, VENDETTA/ELITE BICYCLES, TX
3 BANYAN HOWELL, DAD, OR 

They call him “Pablo Cruise” - which is a 70’s rock band famous for their 1978 hit song “I go to Rio” - which would be really ironic if he were old enough to qualify for Team USA in 2016. For now, the new Answer-Rennen pickup is making a name for himself on the 9x charts. ..and it wasn’t easy, as he took on Oklahoma’s very own Cannon, who was firing off some killer starts. 

9 EXPERT  - Saturday: 
1 PABLO LOPEZ, ANSWER/RENNEN, CA
2 CANNON WOOD, DOUBLECROSS, OK
3 MARCO VOGEL, CO 

Next up were the fastest 10 year olds of the weekend, and judging by the unfamiliar uniforms on these guys, it was apparent that many of the factory teams were after some of the rider-points in one of the sport’s largest classes. It seemed odd seeing Colorado’s Jack Bakken without his J&R kit, but he was looking mighty quick onhis new tricked-out Crupi bike. Jack’s toughest comp was coming from new Rift~Tangent racer Nate 

Romero, who has been coming on strong out of Victorville. Romero must’ve loved the Tulsa track layout, as he wound up with the 10x win and gave his new sponsor something to talk about at the next Tangent Tuesday taco night at Sammy Hagar’s new restaurant. 

10 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 NATE ROMERO, RIFT/TANGENT, VICTORVILLE, CA
2 JACK BAKKEN, CRUPI, CO
3 TOMMY JAHNKE, WI 

Texan high-flyer Dylan Wood was also sporting a new uniform and looking stronger than ever. The S-squared squad brought out all of their mighty mites and still scored enough wins and top finishes turn in a decent team sheet. Much, in thanks, to Wood’s 11x wins.  

11 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 DYLAN WOOD, S-SQUARED, TX
2 COLTEN LANDWER, BMX TRACK SUPPLY, MN
3 JACKSON RODELL, HOSTILE ELITE, TX 

I suppose you could call 12x the “Haro/Promax class” - as I don’t think there was ever a time that either Leo Hile or Gavin Freewalt were NOT in 1st, or in the 1 and 2 spots. It seemed that everybody else could only race for 3rd place, as the two guys in the bright yellow Haro jersies had reservations made for 1st and 2nd. Down the first stretch, the advantage seemed to be in Frewalt favor, but somwhere in between the first turn ad the finishline tabletop jump, the Arizona Kid - Leo Hile, would somehow get around and take the wins.
     Freewalt had made the trek to Tulsa as part of the BMXnews.com crew, so we are expecting to see him holding a camera or doing some freelance work in the near future. 

12 EXPERT  - Saturday: 
1 LEO HILE, HARO/PROMAX, AZ
2 GAVIN FREEWALT, HARO/PROMAX, IL
3 ASHTON KROON, DOUBLECROSS BIKES, TX 

If I were forced by gunpoint to pick just one main event that was the best race of the weekend, it might just be 13x. This weekend, it was a vicious battle between our newly crowned  National No.1 Amateur and the No.4-ranked rider in the World.     
    Roman Jaworsky, with possibly the world’s largest No.1’s on his back and his numberplate, is now doing it for himself this year, and sporting a “Radro Racing” Troy Lee uniform.
     On the other hand, we had the pride of the Extreme Team - Hunter Brown, out of Utah - who proudly runs a big “W” on his plate. 
     Both these 13x’s are nearly equals when it comes to speed and skills, but they’ve each got their own style and tricks up their sleeves. Radro has a killer snap, but The Hunter has some hot moves in the corners. Both days, these two went head-to-head, grip-to-grip in the mains. Usually Radro would grab the holeshot, but then Brown would pull a clean swoop and power away, with Radro coming back strong thru the rhythm to make it a battle to the stripe. It was definintely a good show, and by the end of the weekend, it was the Extreme rider - on his flourescent pink ride, taking the 1-spot. 

13 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 HUNTER BROWN, EXTREME TEAM, UT
2 ROMAN JAWORSKY, RADRO RACING, NV
3 DAHVIN CHILDS, JR&BICYCLES.COM, CA 

It seems that Arizona’s B.B. King of Cool - Bryce Batten, is lovin’ his new Redline ride. He was lookin’ as smooth as ever in the new FastSigns uni. In fact, he and his mom told me that his new Redline even seemed to slip in to his bike bag more smoothly. 
      In 14x, Bryce snagged the wins both days, but he had some good competition coming from Texas’ Hughes, Kansas rider  Warnow and the always omni-resent Aram Schwinn - who was lookin’ sharp in the bright new Hostile colors. Schwinn’s Saturday race didn’t go so well, but on Sunday, he was nippin’ on the rear Redlinefinished strong with a 2nd. However - Batten was so far out front that he was actually in a different area code.

14 EXPERT  - Saturday: 
1 BRYCE BATTEN, FAST SIGNS RACING, , AZ
2 BRAYDEN HUGHES, TX
3 KENTRELL WARNOW, KS

Starting off a new season is always fun, but it can also be difficult on announcers. Tristen Judd was one of those who kept out front, and kept Lance the Track Builder/Announcer on his toes. By Sunday, Tristen had been out front enough that Lance could now declare - “Here comes the Judd! Here comes the Judd!” - as the long haired Texan scoed the 15x wins both days.
   On Saturday, as The Judd excelerated away from the pack, the hotly contested race was for 3rd place, between the styish Michalowski and Extreme’s Cole Bradshaw - who due to the bump ‘n run in turn 2, fell back a few spots. 

15 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 TRISTON JUDD, ALL STAR, TX
2 COLIN WHITTINGTON, CRUPI, TX
3 SETH MICHALOWSKI, DOUBLECROSS, IL 

All weekend long, Dougie Butcher and Free Agent’s Chrystopher Davis were neck-to-neck, and traded wins like they were penny stocks. On Saturday, Butcher took his brand new GT ride to the front and never looked back. If he had, he would’ve seen Davis right there, buzzin’ his back tire. It was a good way for Dougie to start off his year for his new sponsor - GT.  On Sunday though, Butcher’s gate wasn’t as good as day 1, and Davis laid down the horses to sprint to the lead - making it a 1-for-1 split between him and Dougie.

16 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 DOUGIE BUTCHER, GT BICYCLES, AZ
2 CHRYSTOFER DAVIS, FREE AGENT/OMDG, TX
3 COLE ACORD, FREE AGENT/OMDG, GA 

The always entertaining 17-18x main did not disapoint - both days. On Saturday, after one rider unclipped out of gate, seven of the fastest ams of the weekend blasted in to turn one at mach speeds. With elbows flying, and all comtenders packed together like sardines,  Makieva Hobson got his new Doublecross uniform dirty as he slid out in the first turn. Meanwhile up front, Haro’s Walker Finch powered to the lead, with Hyper’s Luke Roarty keeping him honest. With 3 Factory Doublecross riders in the final, the odds were in their favor.
      On Sunday, Hobson made up for his Saturday bail and duked it out with Hyper's Luke Roarty. Roarty got to the first turn first, and was feeling like it was all his - up until turn 2, where Hobson jammed in on the inside in a super clean swoop. Thru the rhythm straight, Roarty wanted the lead back - bad. Closing in within range, Roarty opted for the last turn dive-bomb move, but The Hulk was ready for it. Luke and his Hyper bounced off Makieva as if he were made of rubber - and as Luke exploded upon impact, the Hulkster went on to score the well-earned win. 

17-18 EXPERT - Saturday:
1 WALKER FINCH, HARO/PROMAX, CO
2 LUKE ROARTY, HYPER, MD
3 NOAH RICKE, GUNSLINGER ANSWER, KS 

Robbie Patterson knew this track like the back of his hand; mostly because he came in early to help out the USA BMX crew shape the Grands dirt in to a super smooth and extremely fun course.
     A day earlier, Robbie rescued a lost cell phone - which had fallen behind the seats at the restaurant we were eating dinner at, which left him feeling like a superhero. The whole entire place was chanting his name - “Rob-bee! Rob-bee! Rob-bee!” He was feelin’ good.  
    Super-Robbie, as always, was looking like the guy to beat all weeknd. Come main-time on Saturday, he got the snap of his life. (Way better than his start on Sunday, which was at the complete opposite of the snap-scale.) Chalk up a Saturday win. 
    But on Sunday, somebody must’ve found some kryptonite  in the horse stalls, as Patterson slammed the gate hard and was  about 8 bikes lengths behind the pack, but catching up fast. As he went to a 8th-to-5th place move in turn one, he slammed the lapped traffic and his foot went flying in to the Frenchy’s front wheel. ORP’s John Anderson, equipped with his Facebook-favorite cardboard numberplate, took advantage of the situation to steal away the win.
    Patterson might be able to save damsels in distress, but he wasn’t able to save that race.

19-27 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 ROBERT PATTERSON, EXTREME, UT
2 JOHN ANDERSON, ORP, TX
3 ROBERT FELTMAN, GOLD’S GYM, TX 

While Adam might not fully remember every detail of his races from the last time he was here in Tulsa, he surely will remember this weekend. Scott, with his orange tires that match nicely with his Factory Doublecross uniform, Adam had to hold off Hostile’s Brown, AllStar’s Dodson and former Amateur superstar Shea West to nad the wins both days. 

28-35 EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 ADAM SCOTT, DOUBLECROSS BIKES, OK
2 JAKE BROWN, HOSTILE ELITE, TX
3 JUSTIN DODSON, ALL STAR, TX 

Remember earlier - around 7x and 8x, when I said that SE Racing has a new TM? Well, this is their man - Schoony. After a decade or so off from racing, after racing AA-pro for teams such as Elf and Answer, Chris and his family had been bitten big-time by the BMX bug. Schoony still shows signs of his old self, and his manual skills through the rhythm aren’t too rusty. With some good competition, scoring the wins both days weren’t easy, but also not too hard. On Sunday, Chris had to come back from 4th place to move up in to the lead, then defended that lead by deflecting a sharp elbow in the last turn. “That was one of my best races I’ve had in a long time,” he admitted afterwards. “I just love racing.”

36-40 EXPERT
1 CHRIS SCHOONOVER, SE RACING, CA
2 RUSTY REAGOR, TX
3 JESSE LARSON, ORP, TX 

The Grieve family is all about BMX. They can be spotted all over the country hitting national events, and can usually be found out front, or havin’ fun in the pits. Doublecross’ Dad-racer Gerald is the father of Boo-Bear and his younger Strider-racing brother, Poo-bear. That makes him Papa Bear, and we suppose, his wife is Goldilocks. Regardless of nicknames, Grieve is a force to be reckoned with whether he’s on his 20” or cruiser - and in Tulsa, he was all fired up on both bikes, and doubled-doubled for the weekend.  

41-45 EXPERT
1 GERALD GRIEVE, DOUBLECROSS BIKES, AR
2 CHRIS KENNEDY, FLY, LA
3 JONATHAN IRVIN, FACTORY PICKLE JUICE, TX 

In the final race of day-1 of the 2015 Sooner Nationals, Kansas BMX legend Scott Bega held off the hard chargin’ Greg Frahm and “El Hoff” - David Hass. Actually, we’re not quite sure if that is really David’s nickname, but it sounded pretty good.   

46 & OVER EXPERT - Saturday: 
1 SCOTT BEGA, HAYSVILLE, KS
2 GREG FRAHM, NEWTON, KS
3 DAVID HASS, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

In the end, Day 2 ran quick and everybody had a blast. Many people were saddened at the thought of this awesome track being destroyed and flattened in the next 2 hours, and were already mourning the loss. But on the bright side - we'll be right back in Tulsa before ya know it, for a Thanksgiving feast of BMX radness.