m
BMX:
DIRTY
THRILLS
I.
BMX. Bike racing, dirt tracks, sharp
turns, spills, the sound of roaring
engines. Hey, wait... these bikes
don’t have engines. These are
bicycles and this is bicycle
motocross.
About 100 boys compete for
trophies and peer respect every
Thursday and Saturday on a dirt track
adjacent to Autzen Stadium.
The racing classes run from age
five-and-under to 17-and-over with
three moto (or qualifying) races, and
one main (or finai) race.
Each racer pays $5 ($3 on Thursday)
to compete and must wear a helmet,
longsleeve shirt, long pants and be in
sured through the American Bicycle
Association, a national organization
which sanctions all the Eugene races.
The Eugene track was built in June
1982 by the Emerald Valley BMX
association with private donations
and volunter work. The Emerald
Valley BMX is made up of parents of
the racers and they maintain the track
as well as supervise the twice weekly
races. The track is open to public use
during the week.
Bob Broten, president of the
Emerald Valley BMX, says the track is
one of the top five tracks of the West
Coast.
The racing is year round, beginning
in January and ending in the middle
of December with a two-week break
to allow officials to tabulate the an
nual ranking of competitors.
There are three classes of racers
novice, expert add professional"A
novicoznust win five races'in their bir
thday year in order to become an ox
„...
pert, but only has to declare
themselves professional become
professional. Professionals cannot
run In amateur races.
Broten says the top BMX profes
sional last yearearned over $50,000
and won a car. t/bst professionals are
in their mid- to late-20s, he adds.
A The Emerald Valley BMX will have a
booth at the Lane County Fair and will
host the Oregon State Champion
ships here August 27th and 2&th.
«■!»■■■ ir-TI
Story and Photos
by Mark Pynes