2020 Factory Team Preview

Filed under General on February 28, 2020 | Comment(s)

By the looks of things, the year 2020 could very well be one of the most hotly-contested Factory team chases we've ever seen. To kick off the #Soaring20's, we thought it'd be a good time to introduce you to the top contending teams in BMX, and to meet some of their franchise players. 

Introducing: 2020 VISION:

FULLTILT-RADIO

Can they make it a 3-peat?

Your reigning two-time Factory team champs are looking stronger stronger than ever, with nearly the same winning roster they’ve had for the past two years. In Vegas, they kicked off the 2020 season with three massive scores (high enough on both sheets that they could’ve won first AND second place). Without a doubt, they are the ones to beat! 

“I want to thank, Angie, Fritz and all of our sponsors, and all of the riders and families who make it happen.”

--TM Jim Buchanan

HYPER BICYCLES

Hyper and Donavon Long may be a lethal combo.

In his lifetime, Donavon Long has won 11 No.1 team titles (eight as a Factory team, one in Bike Shop and two in Trophy). That makes him the winningest TM in BMX history. For 2020, Hyper’s vision to to win their first major Factory Championship, and we think they’ve picked the right guys for the job. Long brings a solid roster of BMX rippers from last year’s Wia-Wis crew and has strengthened it more with the recent additions of Joseph Mathers, William Edmunds and Alex Antil. If FullTilt has anyone to worry about stealing away their No.1 title, it’s likely going to be Team Hyper.

“We’re looking forward to a great year. We’re looking to compete for the Factory title and let everyone know that Hyper is here to stay.”

--TM Donavon Long

FACTORY ANSWER

Armed with some new Artillery

They’ve done it before, an deveryone in BMX knows they could do it again. The Factory Answer team has held onto their major superstars, and even filled in a few classes to ensure their team sheet some extra-large rider points. Will 2020 be the year for redemption for John Sawyer’s Answer-Ssquared squad? We’ll soon find out. 

ALPHA

New colors, New riders and a New Outlook

If there was one team last year who surprised all, it’d be the Alpha dogs - armed with some fresh talent and rising stars. It’s no wonder their riders were much sought-after after Grands. Cam Wood wound up with Mongoose and former Alpha pro Anthony Bucardo got a new ride with Haro - and team owner Shane Threat couldn’t be happier for them. “I’d be disappointed if they didn’t take those offers,” he told us in Vegas. To make up for his losses, he picked up Blaise Pereira and has Minnesotan Brenden Kempell waiting in the wings as his next franchise player. 

“For the 2020 season, we’ve streamlined our Factory team, switched up our colors, and have added a few new sponsors, too.”

--Shane Threatt

PROFILE RACING

All-American Heroes

One of the biggest surprise in the annual game of Musical Sponsorships, Nor Cal’s newest National No.1 rider - Rowdy Holzer, opted to go with Profile Racing (rather than join his former Wia-Wis teammates on Hyper). Either way, he’d still be
switching to a Hyper frame, we suppose - as they continue to support the Profile posse. Great call by TM Gus ‘n the gang, as Rowdy is one cool kid. 

2020 VISION: PROFILE John Pringle Richie Dey Amanda Taylor Drake Velador Rowdy Holzer   “Our team philosophy is: If you couldn’t ride tomorrow, how hard will you ride today?” --TM Gus Lanzilotta

FEATURED RIDER: Rowdy Holzer  10x

PULL: What’s your thoughts on riding for Profile? 

ROWDY: I’ve been wanting to be on this team
for a little bit. I love it. 

PULL: What’s your favorite Profile product?

ROWDY: Probably the hubs. I love the sound of them. Everything they make is great. 

PULL: So you also do a lot of mountian biking - is that mostly for training, competition or fun? 

ROWDY: Mostly for fun. I just love riding bikes. 

PULL: We saw that black No.1 plate on your cruiser. Are you pumped on running the National No.1 plate this year?  

ROWDY: VERY pumped on that. 

PULL: If you go to the Florida national in February - and visit Profile’s HQ, you’ll be blown away by their factory.  

ROWDY’s DAD: We plan to. That’s why Profile is such a good fit for us. I’m sort of a bike-geek, and they’re down to millmeters. Gus was telling us that they could buy hundreds of titanium bolts from China, but they’d rather make them in Florida. And we bleed red, white and blue - so it couldn’t be a better fit for us.

TANGENT-RIFT

Don’t mess with The Cartel

For nearly two decades now, Rich Pelton’s Tangent Cartel has been reppin’ the NorCal plate and parts maker on the national scene. When they introduced their Rift frames, the team’s exposure grew even more. 

Last year, Tangent expanded it wings outside the USA and hooked up with some great riders around the world - and are now a global phenomenon - not only producing impressive results but also creating their own successful Tangent Pro/Am series. With 2020 in the air, you can expect to see a lot of Tangent/Rift riders racing on the big stage in Tokyo, at USA BMX and BMX Canada events and plenty of UCI World Cups ...and we wish them all the best. 

“Our goal at Tangent is to help riders make their dreams
of competing at the highest level possible.”

--T.J. Johnson

TEAM LDC

More than just Little Dudes

Although LDC stands for Little Dude Components, their Factory squad is made up of more than just little dudes. Team LDC could be the “sleeper” team of 2020. “LDC likes to keep a smaller Factory Team in a effort to provide more teaching and coaching to help our riders become productive adults,” says TM Jerry Bradford. “It’s taught and learned through strong work ethic and beimng able to follow instructions. We are proud that we never have let a rider go based on results, but we do expect 100% effort and for our riders to conduct themselves in a respectful way. Just like the real work world, we like to reward results in appreciation of their dedication to become not just a better racerm but a better person.” 

FEATURED RIDER:  Jayce Bartley  14x PULL: Seems like since we last spoke to you for a Clipped-In article, you’ve grown about a foot taller. How’d 2019 go for ya?  JAYCE: It was a good year. It had its ups and downs, but I accomplished a lot. Made both my mains at Grands. That was my main goal.  PULL: How do you decide whether to run a grey NAG plate or your National number?  JAYCE: Last year, I ran national #75, because it was my coach Jerry’s son - Joey’s number. So I did it for him. I kind of liked it last year, and I improved on it, so I figured I’ll run the National plate until I earn a NAG#1. PULL: How are things looking for LDC this year?  JAYCE: Good! I really like the new gear - the new jersey. The team has such a cool enviroment. We picked up the W#1 of Ashton Hester.  PULL: Any major goals for you this  year?  JAYCE: NAG#1. I really want to earn that.   PULL: What are you doing to achieve that goal? JAYCE: I’ve backed off on cruiser for this year, just to fully concentrate on class. I work a lot with Jerry (Bradford). Even though we’re in different states, we’re always talking on the phone. We’ll just keep working hard to achieve that goal.

“When we see how successful our current and past riders become in their life, that is the real reason we keep supporting BMX. It’s our way of giving back.”

--TM Jerry Bradford

SUPERCROSS BMX

The Golden Crank Team of the Year

Bill Ryan’s Supercross squad doesn’t chase after team tiltes.
Instead, their goal is for individual riders to win enough nationals to earn themselves a No.1 NAG plate ... or better yet, National No.1 (like they did last year, with Riley House in Amateur). But if they ever got the itch, they probably could give Full Tilt a good run for the title. 

"I don't think we can top 2019 - with a near-sweep of Golden Cranks and one Factory team win, out of one attempt ...but we're going to try."

--Supercross founder/owner Bill Ryan

For 2020, they’ve lost House (to Tangent-Rift), and wisely replaced him with Southpark BMX’s Cameron Bramer - who we predict will be be a No.1 Am contender come November. 

2020 VISION:  Supercross Roster  Kamren Larsen    Elite  Felicia Stancil    Elite Shealen Reno    Elite  Mike Sweringen    Vet pro  Bubba Harris    Vet pro Kenth Fallen    Vet Pro  Tim Dinger    Vet Pro  Kj Romero    A pro  Makieva Hopson    A Pro Kalvin Davis    A pro  George Goodall    51x “Swifty” O Gorman    51x Randy Roberts    40x Nick Valencia    28x  Cam Bramer    17/20x Mikkel Devore    16x Justin Seitz    15x Bella Hammonds    15xg Josh White    12x Justin Perkins    11x Ryder Merki    8x   International  Bethany Shriever   Elite Peter Little    Elite Matt Hutt    Jr. Men  Emily Hutt    Jr.Women Lucy Hutt    12girl

FEATURED RIDER: Cameron Bramer  17-20x

PULL: What was it like to get the call from Supercross? 

CAM: I had the option to go with Donavon and Hyper. He’s a great guy, but to get a call from Bill Ryan was like getting drafted by The Steelers. 

PULL: A lot of people were shocked to see you show up in Supercross gear. 

CAM: Once it was a done-deal, it was the hardest thing to keep it a secret. I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. It was the greatest thing to happen to me. Yesterday, after I won, was a great way to start off the year. 

PULL: What’s your plans for 2020? You going to do the big hill? 

CAM: I decided not to go pro. My goal is do really good in amateur this year. I want to try for No.1 in both cruiser and class. I want to try NAG-5 Challenge again, and since Worlds is in Houston, hopefully try to get a W#1 for the plate. I’ll still plan to do Super-X opens when I can. 

BOX-MEYBO  

Be like the Karate Kid

Box Components has some pretty cool things up their sleeves (or, should we say - jerseys?). While the Box-Meybo factory team continues their winning ways, with franchise player Ronnie Kim leading up the charge - Box has put together a “Level-Up” Team program similar to how martial arts moves you up thru the rankings with different colored belts. 

Any USA BMX member can start off as a “purple” jersey, and as you improve, racers can work their way up (to Yellow, Blue and then Red) to ultimately wearing an Orange jersey ...like Ronnie Kim. 

YESS BMX

North, West or East - Yess is Everywhere

For years now, Canadian BMX brand YESS has been supporting three different teams - and the former Golden Crank winners will continue to do the same in 2020, with a goal to dominate.  

“The synergy of Yess BMX truly brings together what the love of BMX racing is all about. We’re not only a team. We’re a Family.”

--Renny Husada

DAYLIGHT CYCLES 

Full Spectrum

Despite rarely turning in a team sheet, the Daylight Cycles team will always be a factor for those brands dicing it out for a Factory championship. Their brand ambassadors are always in the mix, and often play an important part in stealing away the big wins from the teams with a sheet in the game. With their amazingly clean bikes and colorful jerseys (now with a variety of colored sleeves), Daylighter’s are easy to spot on the track. (Usually, just look out front.) 

FEATURED RIDER:Ryne Cook  15x   PULL: Alright - you’ve been with Richard Huvard for a long time, all the way back to his Staats days.  COOK: I’ve loved working with him. He’s a great guy, with a great team. I just love the atmosphere. Every time you’re around him, it like family.   PULL: Daylight’s are just so top-notch, high-end. What do you like most about your Daylight?  COOK: I love the color purple. This paint job is called the Arc Dragon. I’ve always tried to have purple bikes.  PULL: Do you do anything else besides BMX? COOK: I do a lot of football. I really excell in football. I play fullback and linebacker for Corona Del Sol. For BMX, I just try to keep it fun. That was my first love, been racing since I was nine.

“What’s most important is designing a race bike and a brand that people love to be a part of.”

--Daylight owner Richard Huvard

FACTORY REMIX

Carbon wheels keep on spinnin’, Remix keeps on winnin’.

Dale Robinson’s ReMix team has slowly been making a name for themselves on the National circuit, and 2020 could very well become their breakout year. 

FEATURED RIDER: Wyatt “The Russian” Worth13x PULL: Tell us - why do they call you “The Russian”? WORTH: I’m half Russian, on my mom’s side. She came over here to work and met my dad. I’ve been there to visit twice - to Moscow. It was different. I was only four years old, so I don’t remember too much about it.  PULL: Where’s your local track?  WORTH: Lemoore BMX is closest to me, and I also ride at Woodward Park in Fresno, too.  PULL: Are you stoked to gte on ReMix?  WORTH: Yeah. I just the wheels, and I’m in love with them already. They’re smooth like butter!

BOMBSHELL-ORCA

The Carbon Kings

If you were counting frames at the 2020 season opener in ‘Vegas, you might’ve noticed an extraordinary abundance of riders on carbon Orca’s. They were EVERYWHERE!  

S-SQUARED

Steppin’ It Up for 2020

Florida-based S-squared is all about supporting the sport of BMX. Not only are they the official frame of Factory Answer (along with multiple teams all around the U.S.), but they’ve also got their own Factory squad with a hefty roster of winners and title contenders.

“We do our best to maintain a family atmosphere,” says TM David Anderson, “and create a positive experience for the riders and families. I enjoy helping kids become the best riders that they can be, on and off the track. I know the riders have worked hard to be on our Factory team are in the sport for the right reasons. They take it seriously yet still have fun racing.”

SE RACING 

Just out to have Fun

The Fun-factor has always been high in the SE pits since the beginning - but perhaps never more-so than now. When Jason Morris’ alter-ego, Mr. Richard Cheeseburger, fun and winning become contagious and most often are one and the same.

“Watch any of Jason Morris’ races and you’ll see that we’re striving to keep the F-U-N in B-M-X!”

--Todd Lyons, SE's Brand Manager / main man.

FEATURED RIDER:“Dick Cheeseburger”26-35x

PULL: We were thinking what it’d be like to have Jason Morris interview Dick Cheeseburger. Sound good? 

MORRIS: Ok ...so, Dick - you’re out there on platform pedals, wearing Vans, sending everything. When are you ever going to take this sport seriously?

CHEESEBURGER: Heck with that. I’m just bustin’ fat no-footers for my fans out there. 

MORRIS: Where did SE Bikes find you?  

CHEESEBURGER: I can’t really say. I started out having fun, hitting big doubles, came on the scene pretty quick. I’m really not a racer, tho. I’m not like Jason Morris, busting out sprints and working out. I’d rather boost jumps, get all of the applause and make guys like him jealous.

CLAYBORN BIKES

Born to Win

“The Mayor,” Richard Bunt, is a BMX diehard - and he’s assembled another impressive squad to represent the Answer-owned brand - nabbing Ryan Correia away from the Cartel.   

FEATURED RIDER: Ryan Correia  16x PULL: So you’re a Santa Clara local - the No.1 track in the U.S. RYAN: Yes! They’ve done a lot of good work to that track.   PULL: D’ya have any big goals for the 2020 season?  RYAN: I’m hoping to get one of the Junior spots - and to get Top-5 in NAG. That is, if I’m healed up by Arizona.  PULL: First-year in Junior. Are you looking forward to the big hill?  RYAN: Oh yeah. I love the big hill. I haven’t been on one for a couple of years, but I love it. I was invited to one of the OTC Camps two years ago in Chula Vista. I hit the first two straights pretty good. The third straight was a llittle bit tougher. PULL: Who’s your toughest comp in 16x?  RYAN: I’d say everybody. There’s no one who’s always winning every single lap. It’s always a gamble, at every race.

“We’re ready for our best year ever.”

--TM Richard Bunt

FACTORY GT

The Modern Day version

 Decades after ruling team competition in the 80’s and 90’s, there has yet to be a team that has matched the dominance of 10-time No.1 Factory team, GT. A lot has changed since then - but many traits of GT’s winning tradition still stand strong in 2020. While their roster is a lot smaller, GT factory riders still remain the ones to beat. 

FEATURED RIDER: Weston Meurlot  16x

PULL: Is it Mur-LOT or Murr-low?

MUERLOT: Mur-low, just like the wine. 

PULL: Where are you from? Local track ‘n stuff?

MUERLOT: I’m from Florida. The Daytona area. 

PULL: How did the GT deal come about? 

MUERLOT: One of the guys I train with, Brian Meyer - who’s sponsored by GT, put in a good word for me. They watched me at Grands in 2018 and I did decent, and they picked me up in Oldsmar. I started out the year strong, the middle was ok, but I picked it up at the end of the year. I wound up ROC#1, NAG#1 and National 11 on cruiser. I’m feeling good coming off of Grands, and hope to get as many No.1’s as I can.

RIVAL RACING

Your New Arch-Rival

Last year, Rival Racing made their presence known, lead by their Elite star Cole Tesar. Proof of that statement is the fact that they were voted into the Top-5 of the Golden Crank Awards’ most popular bikes. For 2020, Rival has made a few improvements to their roster and plan to become a household name by the end of this year.

FEATURED RIDER: 

Zoe “Z” Dannenberg  10xg

PULL: What’s it like having a first-name that starts with the last letter in the alphabet?

ZOE: Kind of bad, when at school, we line up in alphabetical order, so I’m always last.

PULL:  But you’re NAG-1, so you’re obviously first in BMX. 

ZOE: I have been for three years in a row. My goal this year is World#1 and National #1.

VELOCITY BMX 

Building Up Velocity

For 2020, American frame-maker Velocity BMX has nearly 70 riders on their Global roster. We repeat - SEVENTY factory riders! It’s no wonder you’re bound to see a Velocity rider at practically every race, in every 

state, wherever you go. Keep an eye out for ‘em!  

FEATURED RIDER: Blake Powell  15x

PULL: Veolcity is based out of Virgina, right? Are you excited for the second national of the year being in your backyard?  

BLAKE: Oh yeah. 

PULL: If you had to name one single race as the best race in your career, what would it be? 

BLAKE: East Coast Nationals, in Maryland. Podiumed all weekend - two thirds and a second. 

PULL: As a rising star in 15x, who would you say is the toughest guys to beat?

BLAKE: Probably Brandon Crain, Nolan, and Chris Hobie. They’re all pretty fast. 

PULL: You’ve been on Velocity for one year. How’d you get on the team?

BLAKE: The owner moved down to Virginia. We liked the team - liked what they were doing, so we joined on. 

C-YAA RACING 

C-yaa at the Finishline

London Wilmot, owner of C-Yaa Bicycles, has been a team owner/manager for over 20 years now, and he knows how to assemble a solid team that can win on any given day. But with the loss of Mason Hayes (to Mongoose), they’ll be relying heavy on their fanchise player, Shawn DiPrete, and the rest of the C-Yaa crew to bring home the scores. 

FEATURED RIDER: Gavin “Rat” Fink  16x

PULL: Where’s the rest of the C-Yaa crew? 

FINK: I think they are getting ready for the next one, the Blue Ridge Nationals in Virginia. 

PULL: So you’ve been on C-Yaa for a couple of years. Where are you from and what’s your local track? 

FINK: I’m from Long Island. I’m a Shoreham local. I ride more at EHT (Egg Harbor) more often, tho. 

PULL: Any changes for C-Yaa in 2020? 

FINK: Mostly the same roster, but we’ll have new jerseys for Virginia. They’re dope - more black, with a touch of green. 

PULL: What’s your expectations for 2020? 

FINK: I turn 17-20 this year, so hopefully I can get another NAG plate in there. It’ll be hard. I’ll start racing Junior too - I like big hills.

BLACKCROWN

Never count ‘em out

Georgia-based Blackcrown had an impressive season last year, and hopes to keep

themomentum going in 2020. Everybody loves to root for the underdogs, right?  

FEATURED RIDER: Christopher Hobie  15x

PULL: Last name - is Hoe-bee or Hobby? 

HOBIE: Hobby, as in Hobby Lobby. 

PULL: I’m told that you, Muerlot and Fink are like the three Muskateers. 

HOBIE: Yeah, we race against eachother sometime throughout the year. I think at just one national, we all race eachother. 

PULL: You’ve got the National 47 on the plate. Broke into the Top-50.

HOBIE: Yes sir. It’s about time. Last year was my best year ever, finally making a Grands main. Pulled a fourth and finished up NAG#3. 

PULL: What’s new at BlackCrown? 

HOBIE: We lost Matteo Pigo, but everybody else is staying on board. We’ll have new jerseys coming soon. Team owner Ashley has taken the Blackcrown team to a whole new level.

VENDETTA-ELITE

Good Form

In the past, Eric Dyer has divided his troops between Bike Shop and Factory. But according to Top Jimmy, Elite Bicycles/Vendetta will be united as one, single Factory force for 2020! With consistent winners like Jimmy Nelson, and Shane Harlow, never count out the Vendetta brigade.

FEATURED RIDER:Jim Nelson  46-50x/cru

PULL: Last year, you were in contention again for the National No.1 title - but not as close as you were in 2018.

JIM: I just focused on cruiser last year, because I had a lot of injuries. I plan to really go for it this year. 

PULL: 46-50 still has some solid rider count. How many more year do you have in that class? 

JIM: I’m 47, so I have a few more years.

PULL: Being up for National No.1, what is harder - the competition or the pressure of the title-chase? 

JIM: Not so much the pressure - I can handle that. It’s the stiff competition. We’re up against some really fast guys - Shawn DiPrete, Carne$, Thompson ...all of those guys are amazing. 

PULL: How long have you been racing now?

JIM: I raced from age 8 to 23, every week, non-stop. Then I stopped for work and family, then picked it back up at 40. I missed it. I saw that a lot of my friends were doing it and decided to come back. It’s hard to stay away.

THRODWN

Team in Limbo

Social media has been blowing up with rumors and gossip about Throdwn - and plenty of riders have already jumped ship. We attempted to get in touch with owner Charlie Jahnke, to no avail - leaving all of us to wonder, what’ll happen to last year’s No.3 Factory team?  

FEATURED RIDER: Nic Deters  21-25x

PULL: There’s been a ton of rumors. What have you heard?

DETERS: Not a lot of commitment yet. I’m just sticking with what I’ve got right now. I’ve been with Charlie now for about 

five years, and he’s always supported me, so until I hear otherwise, I’m staying with Throdwn out of loyalty. 

PULL: Loyalty. That’s a rare thing to hear these days. 

DETERS: Exactly. I don’t think it’s that important to make 

a move at the first race of the year. There’s a lot of season 

left. I hope we can stay together. It’ll be a bummer if it 

doesn’t work out the way we want it to. It’s been an 

amazing ride. If not, we have some results that show 

we were a great team, with great riders. 

THE OTHERS

MONGOOSE

Between Factory Mongoose (who just picked up Cam Wood and ams Mason Hayes and Peyton Ridenour) and the Mongoose-LRC squad, you can expect to see a LOT more Mongeese this season. 

POWERLITE/DFR

Chris Chudzik’s Powerlite posse will return this year with another hot roster full o’ rippers and some new solid red and black jerseys. Led by King Henry, they are always capable, armed and ready.  

ALLTOW/YESS

The NY-based All Tow Wrecking Crew, with their matching Yess team bikes, are always a factor in the Factory title-chase. Look for them to pick up steam once the summer season starts up. 

RACER CONCEPTS

Maker of some of the coolest custom plates in BMX (as well as uniforms and team branding material), Racer Concepts continues in 2020 with their own factory force to be reckoned with. 

EXTREME/FLY

Wayne Brown’s awesome orange team is still thriving, strong and was lookin’ good in Vegas. Never count out the Utah-based gang. They can put in a solid team score at any given national, and finished off 2019 in the Top-10.  

FREE AGENT

After losing some of their top-tier members for 2020, TM Sean Moore has announced he’s calling it quits after an impressive seven year run. Free Agent HQ has also let go pro Alec Bob, who’s been busy shopping for a new ride. 

TNT

* more to come

FACTORY POWERS / GT

* more to come