Badger State Nationals race report

Filed under General on July 27, 2019 | Comment(s)

TWENTY DOWN, SIX TO GO
For stop #20 of the 2019 USA BMX National series, hundreds of BMX families converged on the town of Wisconsin Rapids, located almost smack dab in the middle of the state of Wisconsin. Thus; the track name - Central Wisconsin BMX! 

It's amazing what you can come from a large sand pit. More than fifteen years ago, Central Wisconsin BMX track was just that, a deep pit full of sand. Inspired by what they saw at Rockford BMX and other cool facilities throughout the country, they have strived to make this venue one of best in the Midwest. And that it is. On any given race night, they are bringing in right around 25 motos. Their local program is thriving, thanks to great leadership and an awesome group of volunteers. 

Easily located by the gigantic water tower that sits trackside, the covered staging and starting hill sits in the shadow of the monsterous tower. The snack-shack is first-class, and even has a bike-free patio with plush picnic tables. So nice, it looks like you might need to RSVP before arriving for dinner. Around much of the track are paved bike paths, which lead you by the red barn, where trophies and their fleet of track/loaner bikes are located. Next to the trophy barn sits a cool Central Wisconsin BMX podium, which every track should have these days. 

Being located at the bottom of a large sand-pit, it's easy for spectators to view the track from anywhere; as it lays below any bleachers or EZ-up areas. There's not a bad spot for viewing anywhere in this place! The track itself is shaped like a "V" inside a "V" (not a U), and it has both a fun rhythm-filled third straight, an a ton of rhythm needed on the final straight - which sorta leads uphill, out of the sandpit. The surface here is dialed in, and TO Mark Staats told us they've got 8 layers of SoilTac on the track this year, and plan on slathering on a couple more after the national. And with a few raindrops on Friday, it barely made a difference in traction. 

BUCKY THE BADGER

With over 130 motos on Day-1 and over 140 for Saturday, we saw all of the top riders from the Midwest gather for battle. This being the 20th stop in the series, there are only six more regular-season races left to score those precious National points, so we knew the racing woud heat up.
The FullTilt team, based out of Minnesota (yet with riders from all over the country), are currently leading Factory standings and were out in full force this weekend. They brought in their young guns - Sean Day from Portland, OR and Eli Staton from Missouri, and that kid from down unda' with the long hair (in a man-bun), Aussie Kye Affoo. With some top National-caliber members still in Beguim, at the hotter-than-heck Worlds, this would be a good opportunity for any rider to catch up on some points and boost their status Nationally and NAG'illy. 

Weather-wise, it was cloudly most of the day with occasional drops of that wet-substance. With the soil-tac'ed surface, the crew would just pull out the hundreds of Industrial-sized hair dryers (leaf-blowers) they have, and would blow the track dry in minutes. 

About the only slippery spot would be the first turn, where any wet tires mixed with slightly-wet asphalt would turn into a slide-fest if you went for an inside manuever. Eventually, everybody figured out that you need to stay high in the turn, and once the sun was able to come out of the clouds, the track was tip-top, race-ready for the semi's and mains. 

After their Las Vegas rivalry heated up on the short-track, Full Tilt's Aussie import had rested up and his sore back must've been all better - as Kye Affoo stomped the comp (once again) in 17-20X. Even before the gate dropped, we knew it'd be a battle between the Factory Full Tilt'ers Afoo and Race Lee, and it was. Lee was hot on the back tire of Affoo all the way, and closed in on him as they flew into the final turn. But the Aussie ain't easy to get past, and Lee raced in for another 2nd place score, followed by Venom's Tyler Nelson and P-Lite's Bobby Dellert. 

17-20 EXPERT - FRIDAY

• 1 KYE AFFOO, FULL TILT/RADIO, WARNER, QLD
• 2 RACE LEE, FULL TILT/RADIO, DERBY, KS
• 3 TYLER NELSON, VENOM/BMA, CHISAGO CITY, MN
• 4 BOBBY DELLERT, POWERLITE-DANSCOMP-DFR, ELGIN, IL
• 5 CADEN BOWERS, DAYLIGHT FACTORY, WARSAW, IN
• 6 JAMES PLUMMER, BLACK WIDOW BMX, SAINT FRANCIS, MN
• 7 WESLEY BATES, PICKLE JUICE, FARMERSVILLE, TX
• 8 JOHN JILBERT, MUDSLINGERS BIKE SHOP, SANDWICH, IL

On Day-2, it was Affoo once again, out to score those precious end-o'-year points which he needed to bump himself back into No. 1 Amateur contention. Kye is currently sitting in the No.12 spot of National Am points, and could break into the Top-10 after this weekend's performance. Remember: he will be out for redemption this November - after last years' crash while leading the Grands main. Could Affoo become the first-ever foreign rider to win the No.1 Am plate in USA BMX / ABA? We'll find out this Thanksgiving weekend.

17-20 EXPERT

• 1 KYE AFFOO, FULL TILT/RADIO, WARNER, QLD
• 2 JAMES PLUMMER, BLACK WIDOW BMX, SAINT FRANCIS, MN
• 3 RACE LEE, FULL TILT/RADIO, DERBY, KS
• 4 CADEN BOWERS, DAYLIGHT FACTORY, WARSAW, IN
• 5 ALEX ANTIL, SAINT MICHAEL, MN
• 6 NATHAN DAVIDS, SSQUARED, KAUKAUNA, WI
• 7 NOAH BARTON, MUDSLINGERS BIKE SHOP, WATERMAN, IL
• 8 BRAEDEN ERICSSON, PRIOR LAKE, MN

With 31 riders signed up for 12x, this was the largest class of the weekend; and the winner would cart home a hefty bump in points by Sunday. FullTilt's Sean Day killed it on Friday, from start to finish, and checked out. By the finish, he had an easy five-bike lead. This may come in handy this November, as he'll surely be in the hunt for the National No.1 Amateur title. 

12 EXPERT - FRIDAY

• 1 SEAN DAY, FULL TILT/RADIO, TACOMA, WA
• 2 TRUE BAILEY, WIAWIS/LSG, LAKE TAPPS, WA
• 3 JOE MARTIN, SSQUARED, MOHRSVILLE, PA
• 4 NOLAN COLBORN, FULL TILT/RADIO, JANESVILLE, WI
• 5 CARSON ALLEN, FULL TILT/RADIO, LAS VEGAS, NV
• 6 BRAYDEN DELANY, POWERLITE-DANSCOMP-DFR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
• 7 JACKSON FIELDS, SYNERGY, E BETHEL, MN
• 8 HARLEY DAIS, BLACK WIDOW BMX, WINONA, MN

In 13x, MudSlinger's Ethan Popovich had to work hard to score his win, diving for the treacherous inside line in turn one. As he went from third to first in one-fell-swoop, Popovich flew by the other riders and never looked back. 

13 EXPERT - FRIDAY

• 1 ETHAN POPOVICH, MUDSLINGERS BIKE SHOP, VALPARAISO, IN
• 2 DOUGLAS SCHMEICHEL, DRIVEN CYCLING ACADEMY, KUNA, ID
• 3 TEAGAN O'NEAL, POWERLITE-DANSCOMP-DFR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
• 4 KIAN GRABINSKI, FACTORY SSQUARED, SAINT JOSEPH, MN
• 5 ETHAN (DOUBLE E) ELLER, SPEEDCO/LETHAL BMX, BRAINERD, MN
• 6 MASON CELEBUCKI, C-YAA, SCHENECTADY, NY
• 7 MIKE BRYANT, VANCOUVER, WA
• 8 AYDEN OSOWSKI, AMHERST JCT, WI

In 14x, P.J. O'Brien continued his winning ways - as he has done all year long. Currently, the San Juan Pools rider from Jersey is sitting No.2 in NAG points (behind the JetSki, Gavin Stazetski) - and after this weekend, he might just close that cap even more. Up against the likes of WiaWis' Engler and Free Agent'eer Blazin' Blaise, and Central Wisconsin locals Tommy Jahnke, Jacob Bender, and Teagen Truetel, O'Brien had some super tough competition. 

14 EXPERT - FRIDAY

• 1 PATRICK O'BRIEN, SAN JUAN POOLS, EDISON, NJ
• 2 DREW ENGLER, WIAWIS/LSG, BLUE SPRINGS, MO
• 3 BLAISE PEREIRA, FREE AGENT-BOX, MARRERO, LA
• 4 BRANDON BREDEWEG, SSQUARED, ALLENDALE, MI
• 5 TOMMY JAHNKE, THRODWN, OCONOMOWOC, WI
• 6 JACOB BENDER, SSQUARED FACTORY, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
• 7 TEAGEN TREUTEL, NEXUS, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
• 8 NICK SARICH, SPOKANE, WA

14 EXPERT - SATURDAY

• 1 BLAISE PEREIRA, FREE AGENT-BOX, MARRERO, LA
• 2 PATRICK O'BRIEN, SAN JUAN POOLS, EDISON, NJ
• 3 DREW ENGLER, WIAWIS/LSG, BLUE SPRINGS, MO
• 4 BRANDON BREDEWEG, SSQUARED, ALLENDALE, MI
• 5 CAMERON MILLER, VENOM, MANKATO, MN
• 6 LANDEN CURRIER, PRESCOTT, WI
• 7 TEAGEN TREUTEL, NEXUS, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
• 8 JACOB BENDER, SSQUARED, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI

On Saturday, under clear skies and much drier conditions, FA ripper Blaise Pereira held off a herd of Wisconsin local riders and the big dude in the pink helmet - P.J. O'Brien. 

Between 15-16X Girls and the 17-20X Ladies, there was some great racing on within the women's classes as well. Ssquared's Skylar Schaetz (and Wisc Rapids local) owned it from the start. In turn two, Venom'ous racer Stevie Tomkins tried to sneak a wheel in there, but coudn't make anything happen and settled for the second. 

17-20 EXPERT WOMEN - FRIDAY 

• 1 SKYLAR SCHAETZ, SSQUARED, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
• 2 STEVIE TOMPKINS, VENOM/BMA, MANKATO, MN
• 3 LEAH STROMGREN, CAMBRIDGE, MN
• 4 JENNA (HIP HOP) JEFFERS, ADVENTURE BMX, ZIMMERMAN, MN
• 5 CARLEY SOMMERS, ABERDEEN, SD
• 6 MEGAN DUDGEON, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI

From the land of the #CheeseCurds, we witnessed some awesome racing all weekend long! Afterall, this is also Greenbay Packer territory - Home of the Cheeseheads. ...and you know how much they LOVE to win, right? The 2019 Badger State Nationals were just like the 2011 Packers season - full of action and all about winning. 

If you've never been to Wisconsin Rapids or Central Wisconsin BMX, you gotta put it on your "must-hit" list. You will not be disapointed.