2014 GOLD CUP FINALS EAST RACE REPORT

Filed under General on October 10, 2014 | Comment(s)

WORDS AND IMAGES BY: JASON "SHOOTER" MCGUIRE

The USA BMX crew rolled into Novant Health BMX facility in Rock Hill, South Carolina to put on the DKsponsored USA BMX Gold Cup East Finals. 

This long awaited event has brought in riders and their families from all over the country, and with this being one of the last USA BMX Pro Series stops before the Grands, the stakes are higher than ever! To kick off the Friday night pre-race, there were 78 jam-packed motos of amateur racing. The track at Novant Health BMX is quite unique as both the amateur and pro tracks are combined into one. The difference being the pro side has an 8 meter starting hill, berm jump and is must larger in general, where as the amateur side is one smooth and technical national-caliber dirt playground. For riders warming up before they load into the chutes, they can enjoy a paved pump-track at the bottom of staging. The grassy infields and pit areas, along with full indoor restroom facilities and paved parking lots make Novant Health BMX the finest BMX facility in North America. 

To highlight a couple of the most adrenaline-pumping races from the night we start off with the 46-50 cruiser main event. The International Man of Mystery, Mike Savage, and Profile Racing's John Pringle had one heck of a dogfight. Down the hill it was Savage and Pringle bar-to-bar, but Savage took the advantage as they sped into a colossal turn one. Down the second straight Savage maintained his lead, but Pringle was lurking in the shadows waiting to strike like a Florida Gator. Strike he did as he got a boost of momentum out of turn two and past Savage on the outside right before turn three. That was all she wrote for Savage as a couple of bobbles left him flustered and settling for second as Pringle took the win. These two are definitely going to be fun to watch over the weekend. 

The second race was the 14X main event. The Gold Cup NO.3 ride of Louis "The Flyin' Tomato" Kaminski was looking to make a statement against his competitors that he was going to leave with the NO.1 plate this year. He definitely got in their heads a little, as he was able to pull off the win in style. Maybe showing up in non-typical riding gear made his competitors not think twice about him – boy were they wrong! I am sure the second place finisher, Kalvin Corbett, will have revenge on his plate for tomorrow in order to keep Kaminski from becoming this year's Gold Cup champion. 

The weekend is just getting started and with two full days of racing left, there is no telling who will come away with the right to call themselves a Gold Cup Champion. We will be sure to bring you all of the news and highlights throughout the weekend on both the USA BMX Facebook page and right here at usabmx.com with the event’s race report. See you tomorrow! 

SATURDAY:

Coming into the Gold Cup East Finals, nobody was expecting there to be the turn out that there was. When motos were posted and the final sheet read 188, it was officially the biggest Gold Cup Final in the past decade. There is no doubt that Rock Hill was living up to all of the hype. At one point we accounted riders from 31 states and 1 province. Today also marked the first day that the Rock Hill Supercross track was going to be used in competition. 

During pro practice, it seemed like the Elite Men were having a harder time than usual on the second straight. We couldn’t figure out if the obstacles were too short, too long, or if the flow just wasn’t there. Time after time there were pros who locked up the brake pads because they knew there was no way to make it over the berm jump. No matter what the reason was, they all seemed to get it together when it came time to race. 

Throughout the qualifying rounds for Elite Men, it was evident that the local boy, Justin Posey, was extremely comfortable. The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist looked a tad off at the start, but picked it up quite a bit to make the main. Corben Sharrah was looking lean and mean, and Redline’s Sam Willoughby was making a statement that he was going to be the guy to beat. The field was set for all the main events, but Mother Nature had other plans on her mind. Moments before the first gate drop a storm rolled in that would postpone the Elite finals until Sunday morning. While we wait to see how the Elites finish out, the other two pro classes and all the amateurs were fired up and ready to finish the night under the lights!

In the A pro main event, Will “The Thrill” Grant was looking to top the podium after riding on the edge and out front all day long. Unfortunately for him, MCS rider Justin Riddell had other plans. Between Grant, Riddell and Ron Vega, it was pretty tight going into the first turn. Riddell grabbed the underneath side and checked out! Grant and Vega tried to catch him doing anything they could think of, but Riddell was not letting the win slip away. 

The Vet Pro class was missing two heavy hitters in Cristian Becerine and Javier Colombo, but Dan’s Comp rider and world-wide pretty boy, Matt Pohlkamp and the legend himself, Jamie Staff made sure to fill the gap for the absence of the other two. They didn’t disappoint either – both Pohlkamp and Staff were trading off wins left and right. In the end, it was Pohlkamp who used his dashingly good looks and uncontested swagger to overcome the skill and speed of Staff, who would end up in second overall. Rounding out the top three was the “Rockstar” himself, Stephen Larralde. I guess his bruised and battered hind-end helped get him on the box!

When there is an unexpected turnout, you can usually guarantee that you will see riders in attendance that you would not have originally scoped to be there. One of those riders, for me, was McKenxie “Skittles” Gayheart. I am sure you have hear me talk about this girl in the past, and once again she proved why she has the potential to become one of the great ladies of the sport. Watching her ride is quite a joy as she shows a lot of seasoned skill at such a young age. While she picked up the win in 11-12 girls cruiser, she wasn’t the only one tearin’ it up. Right in tow behind her was Emma “Clickie” Padovano. This is another young chica that has been putting her race career on the next level. Coming out of Brooks, GA and riding for Potter Plates, Padovano kept right on Gayheart and was really pushing for more. While I cannot tell you what the nickname “Clickie” means, or where it comes from, I can tell you she is on the right track towards becoming widely successful. 

One young man that I have had my eye on for the entire year is “Electric” Evan Sinchak. Hailing from Severn, MD, the electrician will put a big shock on you if you’re sitting next to him in the gate. No he is not going to pull out a taser and let you have it, he is going to shock you with the speed coming from the power houses of legs. I have watched him grow quite a bit as a rider over the past two seasons and he is finally starting to find his groove. 2015 could be his year to really shine, but for now his big win in 13 cruiser will have to do. Oh yeah, he also just got picked up by PBN~C-YAA, so he must be doing something right. 

Who let the honey badger loose? Not the animal, I am talking about Staats’ Carly Jacobs. Talk about a girl who is highly underestimated. She handled the 13 girls class with very little problems. There is no doubt that she has been putting in some extra training sessions with the one and only, Alberto Ciari. Even if we still can’t confirm, nor deny his location, he definitely has Jacobs on the proper training plan to put her Staats bloodline out in the front of the pack!

By the time the amateur experts rolled in for their main events, we were racing under the lights. While we didn’t get a chance to get the USA BMX quadcopter up for a nighttime view under the lights, I can assure you that the Novant Health BMX facility lights up like Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is hands down the best lit track in BMX – in my opinion.

Up until the Tar Heel Nationals in Burlington, NC earlier this year, I had no clue who Carson Leet was. During the race in Burlington, I saw a BlackCrown rider who had speed to kill and more style than riders almost twice his age. He killed it. Once again Leet was back at it in his winning and styling ways, but this time he was sporting the Ssquared~Answer colors. Jim Buchanan must have seen something special that made him have to get him on the team, and I couldn’t agree more. Leet picked up the win under the lights in 11x and kept styling all the way home. Watch out for this cat in 2015. 

The last gate dropped and the night was finally over. After plenty of rain and more delays than wished for, it turned out to be one heck of an evening. The final day of the Gold Cup Finals is right around the corner, so be sure to tune in to usabmx.com/webcast for the live audio broadcast of the day’s racing. We will also be crowning our eastern champions – who will reign supreme and take the plates?

SUNDAY:

What can be said about Sunday? If I had to sum it up in two words, they would WET and WILD! The rains seemed to stay at bay overnight, and there was not much of anything in the morning. Unfortunately the Supercross side was not in perfect condition. The crew at Novant Health BMX did an amazing job to help us keep the track firm enough to race on, but in the end we were forced to run the pros without the berm jump. Lucky for us, and the fans, it didn’t cut the excitement short one bit.

The Elite Women were the first of the two classes to charge down the 8-meter hill. At the bottom of the hill it was Alise Post and Caroline Buchanan that were left battling for the win. While DK’s Buchanan is extremely talented and can do pretty much anything on a bike, Alise was not going to let anyone beat here this weekend. After holding close, Post checked out at the end and would take the overall while Buchanan settled for a solid second. 

The Elite Men’s main event had a lot riding on it. With Maris Strombergs and Sam Willoughby in the gate, it was anyone’s to win. These are the two main contenders for this year’s USA BMX National NO.1 Pro title and neither wanted the other to win with the Grand Nationals being right around the corning. Out of the gate, Strombergs was looking strong as he led Willoughby and company into the first turn. From there on out it was all about blocking out Willoughby. If you have never paid close attention to how Willoughby riders, you would not notice that he turns in to a whole different animal when chasing from behind. He pedaled in spots that I didn’t know were possible at speeds that fast. Crank by crank he pulled him closer and it was the final turn that ended Stromberg’s chances for the win. Willoughby charged hard down the third straight, went wide and came in tight to swoop under the machine. It was one of the most impressive run downs I have seen in quite some time and just goes to show why Willoughby is your current World Champion. However, Strombergs is still very much so in the run for the title. Anything can happen at the Grands and it will come down to the main event to determine the victor. No matter who wins in the end, these guys are two phenomenal athletes that always put on a show for the fans. 

Also in the Elite Men's class was Supercross' Jared "The Jet" Garcia, who kept consistant all day and grabbed his first podium in the class. His teammate, "The General" Jeremy Rommel also had an impressive showing in motos. For someone so fresh to that class, it was definitely a boost of confidence for him. Bill Ryan must have something in the punch because the gents of the Factory Supercross team were on it! 

With a slight drizzle in the air for the remainder of the day, the temps were low, but the amateur racing was as heated as ever. With Gold Cup NO.1 titles on the line, it was all or nothing as riders made their final attempts at securing their championship. 

In the girls cruiser classes, “Jammin’” Jena Sagendorf was leaving a fire trail behind her back wheel as she blazed down the track while leading the 15-16 class. Picking up the win would leave Sagendorf walking away with a pair of NO.1 Gold Cup titles and when watching her ride, you can tell that there is a lot of untapped potential. She will be on our radar heading into the next year and we are expecting to see some big things from this young lady. 

Moto Up~SE~BOX rider Shawn McGovern has had a pretty successful campaign in 2014. He continued that this weekend after putting in the work to pick up some big wins. On Sunday’s 36-40 cruiser main, McGovern made sure that there was not going to be any speculation on who the champ was going to be when they all left Rock Hill. The Thrillbilly, Thomas Wagner, gave him everything in the tank, but came up just short. Though, for Wagner, he says he still has the west next week to make it happen. While McGovern took it out east, hopefully Wagner can make it happen in Chico.

Back to girls we went as they hopped on the 20” rockets and tried to keep it straight on the slick track conditions. In 15-16 girls, Factory Power’s Bike Shop rider Kristen Klein, has seemed to be progressing quite well this year. It is never an easy task to pick up a double win, even at a Gold Cup Final. For Klein, she was able to do just that and walk away with a pair of W’s over the weekend. This girl definitely has the tenacity to handle the eastern races, but I would really love to see here mix it up with the top riders on the west coast. Hopefully that happens at the Grands next month. She could be a sleeper looking to strike at the right moment. 

Who is Andrew Sperano? The Dallas, GA 10 year old expert does not currently have a big name ride, but I can bet the days are numbered before someone sees the drive and dedication in this young man. Winning on the national level is something that not everyone can do. Some try their entire lives and don’t pick up a big win. To double, the chances are even smaller. For Sperano, it was time to make that happen, and he did just that by taking home a pair of wins and the Gold Cup NO.1 plate. Remember the name Sperano, you could be seeing it a lot more in the near future.

I could go on and on about the many great races in the weekend, and picking out one from each championship class has never been an easy task. Luckily for us, we still have the Gold Cup Finals in the west. We sure did love spending the weekend at one of the nicest BMX facilities in the world, and the crew at Novant Health BMX went above and beyond to help put on such a memorable event. We hope all of the attendees enjoyed it just as much as we did. We hope to see you all next week, when the USA BMX big rig rolls into Silver Dollar BMX in Chico, CA for the Gold Cup Finals West, present by DK Bicycles. Stay safe, and as always, keep it on two wheels!