Words by Craig Barrette: For the 2015 design, the USA BMX building crew chose the usual “M” shape (or “W,” depending on which end of the track 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 you’ll love the Sooner’s third straight. It too, is 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 or so while racing.
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 a wacky whip.
After practice, a lot of riders were seen with a big ol’ grin on their faces. A-pro Lee Lewis said that this was one of the most fun tracks he’d 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.
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.
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.
Read the full article at www.usabmx.com
Photos: © USA BMX / Pull magazine
Source: http://www.usabmx.com
