First State Nationals Race Report

Filed under General on September 13, 2013 | Comment(s)

WORDS AND IMAGES BY JASON "SHOOTER" MCGUIRE

The USA BMX big rig rumbled into the small town of Milford, DE for stop 26 of the 2013 USA BMX National Series. As the crew rolled in late Thursday night, we were hoping the rain would subside and Mother Nature would bless us with blissful weather for the weekend. Luckily for us all, that is exactly what happened. The skies parted and the Friday night pre race kicked off with beautiful weather as racers converged upon First State BMX to battle it out. 

FRIDAY

One of the greatest parts of my career is being able to visit tracks all over the country and experience the vast differences between each and every one. Sure they all have a gate, obstacles and a finish line but they all have one feature that makes them unique. For First State BMX, it could be the hand painted "FIRST STATE BMX" logos in the final two turns, or maybe it is the catwalk that hangs over the finish line that gives spectators a unique birds eye view. All I know is that this track is dialed with steep jumps and tight turns; it is built for jaw dropping race action. 

As far as the pre race goes, Josh Brown was a huge stand out as he took his Factory Staats ride to dominating wins in both 11 cruiser and 11X. Maybe Alberto was watching? He is definitely one to keep an eye on throughout the weekend. 

The 14X class also had some fireworks throughout the evening. In a battle of wills, Anthony Lucchesi and Devin Stickles were bangin' bars all night long. With multiple lead changes and a few dirty look-overs, Lucchesi would overcome Stickles and take home the hardware for the pre race. 

Friday night is now in the books and was a great preview for what we can expect tomorrow. Make sure to check in tomorrow evening as we have the full race report with accompanying images from Day No. 1 of the First State Nationals. 

SATURDAY

Someone must have leaked information about day one of the First State Nationals offering double the saver stamps and a new fresh looking piece of hardware for your trophy case as riders flocked to First State BMX to form 156 pulse pounding motos. 

As we arrived at the track around 7 in the morning, there was a cool east coast chill in the air but things quickly heated up as we rolled through the qualifying rounds nice and smooth. On to the main events...

With the Pros on deck to start us off, the hometown favorite Tony Favata was looking good in the early rounds but with lady luck not on his side, it left for a long day. Phil Delizia for DKOI~Not For Hire would lay down the law and pick up the overall win after a late charge to pass Kyle McRory. 

In the amateur ranks, 13-14 open was quite possibly one of the most suspenseful races I saw throughout the day. Colin "Ragin Cajun" Whittington and Triston "Lime Time" Judd were going at one another like they were fighting over their hometown hottie. Both of these guys are from the same area of Texas and definitely have a rivalry that has already brewed. Into the first turn, Whittington had the lead but Judd slipped on the inside and took it away. Whittington would come back in the third straight and make the pass but again, Judd sucked to the inside and made a last turn pass. Whittington made one final push with the ponies but came up just inches short as Judd pulled out the tight victory. The fireworks continued in their 13X main but after some sharp elbows, Judd sent Whittington flying off the track and picked up another win. This will be the one to watch tomorrow, I’m sensing someone taking flight in turn one! 

The 14-year-old girls class was off the chain! As the gate dropped and these ladies rocketed over the step up leading into turn one, it was a three wide freight train on its way to the stripe. Answer~Rennen's Abagayle "Doobie" Macleod, Dans Comps Kylie Pardue and Deluxx Bikes Cassidy Ellis were riding with it all on the line. It was back and forth throughout the whole race but Dobbie Macleod powered up her Rennen Smart Sprint and shifted gears to pull away with the win. Ellis and Pardue would fight for the next two spots and it would be Ellis for two and Pardue for three. These ladies definitely gave the show of the day in the women ranks! 

Another great battle of the day came within the ranks of the 28-35X class. Lance McGuire and Charles Hunt were all over one another. It did not matter what direction one of them would dip, the other would dodge and take the lead until there was only one final winner. In the last two 90 degree turns, Lance put his ex pro skills on detonate and powered down the final straight smooth as silk to give him the edge over Hunt. I cannot wait to see that battle again tomorrow! 

Day one was a HUGE success for many riders in the hunt for that one final win before Grands but we are not done yet as there is still a full day of action tomorrow! Check back Sunday night for the final weekend recap with all of the best images in BMX! See you tomorrow USA BMX Nation....

SUNDAY

As I sit back on yet another US Airways flight back to the USA BMX HQ in Phoenix, I take time to look back and reminisce about the epic muscle powered BMX racing that just occurred at First State BMX. As tradition shows, Sunday is always the day for last minute moves of desperation that will either launch you into the top 10 NAG rankings or leave you on the ground with a big fat goose egg. Either way, this is BMX racing and it is not for the feint of heart, especially this close to the 2013 Grand Nationals.

As the day started out, it was the first time I had seen my own breath in the crisp morning air since this past April when we visited Texas for the Super Nationals. It would quickly heat up as the sun peaked over the horizon and kissed all of the attendees with its warm golden rays. With 132 motos on tap, it was not long before we reached the main events that left us all cheering for a second showing in the end.

For the second day in a row, Phil Delizia cruised his way to another A pro win while Kyle McRory picked up another deuce and the hometown hottie Tony Favata jumped up on the final podium slot.

Like yesterday, the battle between the Texas boys Colin Whittington and Triston Judd continue to grow. Today finished differently though as Whittington picked up both wins in open and class after Judd tried another inside stick but ended at the bottom of a 13X dog pile as Whittington coasted away with the win. All I know is that Grands is going to be one heck of a rivalry between these two and I for one am a huge fan of it!

The 15-16 girls class left a lot of bad blood on the track as the battle between Elida Beeman and Samantha “Soup Bone” Miller were in a dead lock heading out of the final turn and Beeman gladly showed Miller the exit along the fence line. As Miller crossed the line, you could see the anger in her eyes and when their cruiser gate slammed down, Miller punished Beeman by winning the race by a mile. These two ladies are some of the fastest up and comers and this will for sure be another rivalry on my radar heading towards the showdown in Tulsa!

As far as dominance goes, Justin Knapper completely owned every race he rolled into the gate for. He was by far the stand out of the weekend and there was not a single person who could have stopped them if they wanted too. Picking up wins both days in the 16X class by a mile, there is no doubt he is in the hunt for that NAG 1 plate. I am even guessing he will be inducted into the Terrible Ten class of 2014…

Another stand out performance came from none other than the west coast hotshot Dane Morales. Dane went on to double both days in 7 and under cruiser as well as the 7X class. It looks like the long trek from So Cal paid off for the Morales family and to put the cherry on top; Dane won all of his heats while battling a massive cold. Maybe the key to his success is those slick new Auburn frames that he has been rockin’!

The infamous USA BMX gate starter, Ron “Frolics in Waves with AJ” Jones dropped the last gate and as they crossed the line we officially put another one in the books.

On behalf of USA BMX and First State BMX, we would like to thank ALL of the attendees this weekend. Without you guys, none of this would be possible and you help every BMXer in the world continue to strive for the best. We cannot wait to see everyone in two weeks at Chula Vista for the 2013 Hall of Fame Nationals, the final stop of the GSX Supercross Tour and the 2013 USA BMX Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. As always, safe travels and happy racing! Shooter out….