The time has finally come. The final stop before the big show. Ten months and 27 National events have led us to this final showdown of last-ditch point grabs and all-out battles with both pro and amateur racers alike. Who would come out of Bakersfield victorious, and who would be right to #GrandsPrep for the Tulsa redemption? The BMX world would soon find out.
The regular season finale each year brings a wave of emotion to the series. If you were to put episode 179 of Seinfeld, a tying game 6 of the World Series, Season 8 Episode 5 of Game of Thrones, and the stunner left jab before the KO right hook into an event; you would have the Fall Nationals at Metro BMX.
First up on the moto board the pro battles that locked new racers into the title chase. The return to Metro also brought the return of the small hill for the Men and Women pros, although the action was anything but small. With Olympians and World Champions loading into the gate, speed and skill combo came early for all as the pedal manual up the first straight camel was a speed boost if performed cleanly and a speed breaker if bonked. For Mongoose’s Cam Wood, that speed boost was shown in each of his three main events growing his lead with each catch of the pedals down the first straight. In a heated battle on both Friday and Saturday with Current National No.1 Men Pro, Joris Daudet, and SpeedCo/Avain’s Izaac Kennedy, Wood showed his small hill speed to the class as they race into Tulsa and the title hunt. Wood has definitely shown the BMX world his potential, and another looks to do the same in Women Pro.
MEN PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 27 GROUPS = 12 | Friday
1CAMERON WOOD, MONGOOSE BICYCLES, PEORIA, AZ
2IZAAC (BLOWN 06 LEXUS) KENNEDY, SPEEDCO/AVIAN, BRISBANE, QLD
3RYAN TOUGAS, PITT MEADOWS, BC
4NICHOLAS ADAMS, FACTORY RIFT TANGENT, ORANGEVALE, CA
5CORBEN SHARRAH, DAYLIGHT, TUCSON, AZ
6KAMREN LARSEN, HARO BIKES, BAKERSFIELD, CA
7ANTHONY BUCARDO, HARO BIKES, CORONA, CA
8JORIS DAUDET, CHASE / BRGSTORE.COM, CORONA, CA
MEN PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 27 GROUPS = 12 | Saturday
1CAMERON WOOD, MONGOOSE BICYCLES, PEORIA, AZ
2JORIS DAUDET, CHASE / BRGSTORE.COM, CORONA, CA
3KAMREN LARSEN, HARO BIKES, BAKERSFIELD, CA
4CORBEN SHARRAH, DAYLIGHT, TUCSON, AZ
5NICHOLAS ADAMS, FACTORY RIFT TANGENT, ORANGEVALE, CA
6BRANDON CATO, FACTORY BABS, OAKLAND, CA
7ANTHONY BUCARDO, HARO BIKES, CORONA, CA
8JOSHUA MCLEAN, FULL TILT/RADIO, PALM HARBOR, FL
Alise the Beast was going fast and making moves in Bakersfield. With the 11 bike out front, there was a 44 bike rocking the Canadian flag, looking to join the fun out front. Friday’s main event saw a huge lead early for Willoughby, leaving the Women Pro field to battle four wide into turn one. Fending off the Aussie Lauren Reynolds in third, Molly Simpson locked in the second step on the podium and followed it up Saturday with her first USA BMX Pro Series win. Molly Simpson ran hot from there on out, putting the Daylight Cycles ride on top of the podium again for UCI Sunday.
WOMEN PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 14 GROUPS = 6 | Friday
1ALISE WILLOUGHBY, PROMAX/GW/TLD/IRC/TOYOTA, CHULA VISTA, CA
2MOLLY SIMPSON, DAYLIGHT, RED DEER COUNTY, AB
3LAUREN REYNOLDS, FACTORY ANSWER, SAN DIEGO, CA
4RACHEL MYDOCK, REMIX BMX, PHOENIX, AZ
5LEXIS COLBY, GORDYS BICYCLES, PHOENIX, AZ
6FELICIA STANCIL, FACTORY SSQUARED, PALM HARBOR, FL
7DALENY VAUGHN, DK BIKES, TUCSON, AZ
8OLIVIA ARMSTRONG, FULL TILT/RADIO, BEND, OR
WOMEN PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 15 GROUPS = 6 | Saturday
1MOLLY SIMPSON, DAYLIGHT, RED DEER COUNTY, AB
2ALISE WILLOUGHBY, PROMAX/GW/TLD/IRC/TOYOTA, CHULA VISTA, CA
3FELICIA STANCIL, FACTORY SSQUARED, PALM HARBOR, FL
4LAUREN REYNOLDS, FACTORY ANSWER, SAN DIEGO, CA
5RACHEL MYDOCK, REMIX BMX, PHOENIX, AZ
6CARLY KANE, DK BICYCLES, GUILFORD, IN
7MCKENZIE GAYHEART, FULL TILT/RADIO, FORT WHITE, FL
8LEXIS COLBY, GORDYS BICYCLES, PHOENIX, AZ
The Men and Women returned to the small hill while the Vets continued their action-packed battles. With Barry Nobles staying home in Alabama, the class wasn’t void of the Chase Bicycle presence, with Tyler Brown making his Chase Bicycles debut with a Halloween-themed Saturday podium. With the spooky vibes decorating Metro BMX, it was only fitting for the Pumpkinhead, Jake Peebles, to come out as a big winner on the weekend. Diving low to avoid an Upshaw/Falla elbow battle up and over turn one, Peebles came out with his first win in the Vet Pro Class and followed it up with a Saturday second behind Jeff Upshaw. From over turn one on Friday to laying down a hot lap win on Saturday, Upshaw might be the only man to contest Nobles in Tulsa. We don’t know the outcome, but we’re willing to bet the Vet Pros are ready to put on a show come Friday Night.
VET PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 15 GROUPS = 6 | Friday
1JACOB (PUMPKINHEAD) PEEBLES, JET/REMIX/SSQUARED/DANS, ROCKLIN, CA
2ALAN HUDSON, REMIX BMX, PHOENIX, AZ
3EMILIO FALLA, BOMBSHELL, MURRIETA, CA
4LEANDRO (PIRII) DA SILVA, PROPHECY BIKES, ORLANDO, FL
5MALCOLM BUFFINGTON, LAS VEGAS, NV
6NIC LONG, RAMONA, CA
7TYLER BROWN, CHASE BICYCLES, SAN DIEGO, CA
8JEFFERY UPSHAW, DRIVEN CYCLING ACADEMY, NAMPA, ID
VET PRO TOTAL RIDERS = 15 GROUPS = 6
1JEFFERY UPSHAW, DRIVEN CYCLING ACADEMY, NAMPA, ID
2JACOB (PUMPKINHEAD) PEEBLES, JET/REMIX/SSQUARED/DANS, ROCKLIN, CA
3TYLER BROWN, CHASE BICYCLES, SAN DIEGO, CA
4EMILIO FALLA, BOMBSHELL, MURRIETA, CA
5ALAN HUDSON, REMIX BMX, PHOENIX, AZ
6NIC LONG, RAMONA, CA
7LEANDRO (PIRII) DA SILVA, PROPHECY BIKES, ORLANDO, FL
8WILLY (WILD WILLY) SUAREZ, VICTORVILLE, CA
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