2020 Stars 'n Stripes Nationals race report

Filed under General on July 06, 2020 | Comment(s)

Traditionally, 4th of July weekend is celebrated by BMXers in SouthPark, PA - but due to all of the Covid craziness this year, the race had to find a new home for 2020. Imagination Glen BMX stepped up to the plate - and hundreds of BMXers headed to Indiana for this year's Stars 'n Stripes National. Track operator Jackie Altizer tells us this is the third time in almsot 20 years that this track has hosted a big one. Even more surprising, she says, is "We've never once asked for one." 

That attests to how reliable Imagination Glen is. They've got a great local program, a big start hill and a fun course; plus it's central location makes it smack-dab in the middle for racers coming in from Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio or Michigan. Without a doubt, we'd have some great competition from The Best of the MidWest.

 There were plenty of great battles on this 4th o' July weekend - and among them, 17-20x first comes to mind. From the start of practice to the final main on Sunday, it was clear that Supercross' South Park local - Cam Bramer, was the one to beat. He was haulin' butt on both his Envy carbon 20" and 24", and continues to position himself for at least one National No.1 title this year (if not both). 

Supercross knows how to pick 'em! Bill Ryan's replacement for Riley House - last year's No.1 Am, could very well make it two in a row for the SX brand if things go like they did this weekend for Bramer. On Friday, Cam scored wins on both bikes, and made it look easy. 

17-20 CRUISER - FRIDAY

• 1 CAMERON BRAMER, SUPERCROSS, SOUTH PARK, PA
• 2 TERRANCE WILLIAMS, POWERS BIKE SHOP, PEPPERELL, MA
• 3 TYLER NELSON, VENOM BMA, MANKATO, MN
• 4 JUAN GOMEZ, FAMILY PRIDE, QUEENS, NY
• 5 NICHOLAS SCHWARZ, RAZON CONTRACTING, LILLINGTON, NC
• 6 MYAHR ROGERS, STAATS FACTORY/FLY ZONE, MATTESON, IL
• 7 TREVVOR KOTRBA, MAGIC BMX, DORR, MI
• 8 YAVANT HAUSLER, STAATS/FLYZONE, ELGIN, IL 

17-20 EXPERT - FRIDAY

• 1 CAMERON BRAMER, SUPERCROSS, SOUTH PARK, PA
• 2 CADEN BOWERS, MARIAN UNIVERSITY, WARSAW, IN
• 3 JOSEPH LETO, ALLTOW WRECKING CREW/YESS, MYAKKA CITY, FL
• 4 JAMES PLUMMER, BLACK WIDOW BMX, SAINT FRANCIS, MN
• 5 NOAH BARTON, MUDSLINGER, WATERMAN, IL
• 6 LUCAS MALLORY, ALBES, HOWARD CITY, MI
• 7 NOAH SALISBURY, REMIX, PIERSON, MI
• 8 TREVVOR KOTRBA, MAGIC BMX, DORR, MI

But the big story came Saturdy, when AllTow Wrecking Crew's Joseph Leto caught Bramer at the triples and held an extreme inside swoop in turn turn, perfectly executed, with an elbow out front to take over the lead and score the win. 

17-20 EXPERT - SATURDAY

• 1 JOSEPH LETO, ALLTOW WRECKING CREW/YESS, MYAKKA CITY, FL
• 2 CAMERON BRAMER, SUPERCROSS, SOUTH PARK, PA
• 3 JAMES PLUMMER, BLACK WIDOW BMX, SAINT FRANCIS, MN
• 4 NOAH BARTON, MUDSLINGER'S, WATERMAN, IL
• 5 TYLER NELSON, VENOM BMA, MANKATO, MN
• 6 LUCAS MALLORY, ALBES, HOWARD CITY, MI
• 7 TREVVOR KOTRBA, MAGIC BMX, DORR, MI
• 8 CADEN BOWERS, MARIAN UNIVERSITY, WARSAW, IN

Not one to make the same mistake twice (unless it's a corny joke), Cam learned his lesson and opted to just have a large lead on Sunday, to win both classes again. Hey - five wins out of six mains still ain't bad!

Ever since the Desert Classic, Fall Risk Racing's Hannah Leakey has been on fire. In Phoenix, she took a Triple/Double/Triple, then backed it up the following week with Triples X3, and then arrived here in Indiana, in an attempt to triple it up again.
The last time we've seen consecutive Triples like this was def with Danica Anderson, but we'll have to go back in the record books to see if she's ever done it three straight nationals in a row. Either way, Leakey has now joined the multi-Triple Club, in which Danica is still president and CEO of. 

Hurricane Hannah handled the Indiana heat and humidity with straight-out wins in Mixed Open, cruiser and class, as if it were just a ride in the park. If not for that one third place finish on Saturday in Phoenix, she'd have 27 straight wins ...but, due to that one main, chalk her down for 21 straight wins and seven Triples in a row (or to be impressive, eight triples over the past nine National days). 

Do you hear that loud sound? It's a Hurricane warning ... and it's coming to a National near you.

Team-wise, it was the new Hyper 2020 posse who ruled the roost in Indiana. With a full force of orange jerseys out front of nearly every-other Expert moto and main, Donavon Long's Hyper crew owned the team chase two of the three days. 

Whether it was Drew Polk in 16x, Cutter Williams and Drew Engler in 15x, the Hardie Boys in 11, 9 and 6x,  or Joseph Mather in 9x, the Hype was real. Girls-wise, Hyper's Avery Chartrand in 13girls and Isabella Nelson in 14g, scored Hyper steady wins in their classes. 

Sunday, the lethally potent Factory SSquared squad, anchored by the National #2 Cruiser Knox Perkins, stole away the win from the Hyper. It was their first factory team of 2020.