FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Lloyd Ramsay


The official press release didn't mention much about the cirumstances:

Sea Otter BMXers Advance Toward Olympic Dreams
BY STEPHEN KRCMAR

After being absent from Sea Otter for years, BMX made its comeback in full force on Sunday. With sunny skies and a slight breeze, the near-Biblical rains that cancelled the races on Saturday were a distant memory but their affect was the consolidation of two days of racing into one.

That meant two motos instead of three for the 16 - 29/30+ open class, the most competitive event of the morning. Eight racers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder and aimed to earn enough points to jettison them to the top of the podium.

Nick Valencia, 22, of team Psykopath Industries was the first one across the finish line on the fast, zig-zag course with five straights. Valencia's teammate Kyle Zondervan came in second, catching a lucky break when the second place rider crashed.

Psykopath Industries was sitting pretty with racers in the first two gates for the second race. "The inside line is key on this track. You could be a half-bike behind and still come out in front,"  Zondervan said. "If you have the inside gate you definitely have an advantage. I had gate two so I was there." The 20-year-old Zondervan nailed the holeshot and stayed out in front for the rest of the race. He bagged $220 for the win and moved a step closer to his dream: qualifying for the Olympics, which will include BMX for the first time in 2008. But Zondervan, who hopes to go pro at the end of the year, is taking a long term view. "The 2008 Olympics are a big stretch," said the San Jose resident, who just picked-up his first trainer. "I'm shooting for '12."

While some racers hoped to make history at Laguna Seca, the presence of pedalers like Rainey Townsend was a nod to local history. The seven-year-old girl who races novice was named after the legendary motorcycle racer and namesake of the "Rainey Curve," the left hand turn that follows "The Corkscrew" at the Laguna Seca race track. Rainey's family did more than just cheer her to victory in her first moto. Her mother, father, and older brother, Rider (named after his parents' love of all things with two wheels) raced as well.

Getting in the saddle herself has many benefits for mom, including a practical education of the world of BMX.  "Because I race, I'm not the one who is always yelling 'pedal, pedal, pedal!'" said Kristi Townsend. "Because I know that there are some areas where you can't pedal." This is the first year that the San Jose family has hit the BMX circuit hard. They're planning on attending 15 races this year. Mrs. Townsend said that in addition to making her clan stronger, it also gives them a common ground.  "After the race weekends, we love coming home and talking about 'did you see that?' or 'how about that turn?' or 'how about when that person came high:' all of us have our own stories to talk about," Townsend said.

18 - 29 OPEN WHEEL / 30 + OPEN WHEEL
1. Kyle Zondervan, 20, San Jose
2. Nick Valencia, 22, San Jose
3. Phillip Castro, 20, Fresno