Submitted by George Costa

Answer/Rennen rolled into Reno for the first time as a New Factory team for the 2012 USABMX season opener. Even though the much of the team is familiar with one another it was still a great opportunity for some team bonding and breaking in a few new riders…..Literally!

Nine riders made the trip from the all over the USA to Reno to show off our new FLY/Crit Uniform kits while aboard our SSquared frames and Answer Dagger Forks. For many (7/9) riders only six weeks prior were riding totally different frame/fork/parts combos. All adjusted quickly to the ultra stiff/responsive setups that they now are on.

Here is how your favorite riders finished on the weekend

9X/Cru Nate Coyman This freshly turned nine year old was determined more than ever to come to Reno and show everyone what hes got. Back to back main cruiser appearances shows that hes got what it takes to beat most of the older kids that he doesn’t even race at the grands. 

10G/cru Bailey Brannen Bailey wins the toughest Answer/Rennen rider award for crashing in her 10 girls main on Saturday while going for the lead on the second straight, then getting run over by a few other girls…Literally. On Sunday she came came back with a pair of podium finishes in class/cruiser. She never even hinted at being hurt back in the pits. Shes 10 and probably weighs 50lbs soaking wet but shes tough as nails.

12G Abbie Macleod This was Abbies first big west coast race and making 4 out 4 mains I’d say she handled it perfectly fine despite having some personal mechanic issues we’ll see in Oldsmar if she keeps him under contract.

16X Cody Simson Cody was our first casualty of  the season. Coming up from sunny Daytona FL he was ready to handle the 16X class before a unfortunate crash in practice resulted in two broken vertebrae. Hes now on the road to recovery and will be ready in a few months to redeem himself. 

17-27G Shelby Stacy Reno fever struck Shelby quickly as we could see in the pits her losing her voice and getting sick. This didnt stop her from two podium finishes on the weekend.

17-18X Austin Loebe Austin was looking faster than ever on this season opener (hmmm…..Is his IT wheel training working? Or is it cause of his trainer Shawn Diprete? Probably both). Lap after lap on the weekend Austin was out at the front of the pack and in Saturdays main he went from the holeshot to 6th back to 3rd all in two straights. 

28-35X Justin Wike Wikeout was demolishing his class all weekend long in the races which he actually participated in. In 17 and over open Justin showed the youngins whats up when a 29yr old podiums both days.

36-40X/Cru Shawn Diprete Shawn went on to score the only double-double for the team on the weekend, never losing a lap even after his near main miss on Saturday check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNhy81e28zg  (video credit Rob Riofrio). Diprete and Wikeout were out in the parking lot attempting to dead lift parked cars trying to peak before their mains when the new USABMX run format caught them by surprise and Shawn nearly missed his.

A-Pro Max Egdorf Max impressed us all on the weekend in his rookie pro debut. His confidence and ability to get the job done on the track is amazing he’s calm and collected and even found time to mentor many of the new riders on the team throughout the weekend. He finished with a 2nd on Friday and 6th on Sunday but could be found all weekend leading many laps from gate 8. 

On January 19, 2010, BMX News reported that four-time ABA National Number One Pro, Pistol Pete Loncarevich was making a return to the starting hill. Since then, we’ve seen Pete at a bunch of nationals, had a chance to interview him on our Announcers Tower Podcast, and chat with him about the good ol days (and the future of BMX Racing) at the 2011 ABA Midwest Nationals.

After Rockford, Pete sort of fell off our radar, until last week, when we received a press release from our pal Tom Floyd at Phoenix Pro Cycles. Seems the pair of Oregonians have rekindled their old Mountain Bike-era friendship of the late 90s, and started talking about the future, as both look to step it up in 2012.

Phoenix debuted their revolutionary “Talon” frame earlier this year, as a prototype, and have just started shipping bikes to pre-order customers. Tom says they had an amazing reception by tire kickers at the Grands, and have added to an already-impressive list of orders from all over the US and elsewhere.

Pete will be back on the road with Phoenix, hitting a choice-list of Western-region nationals in the new year. Add to that a few East of the Mississippi and, of course the 2012 Grands…which means, you’ll be seeing this smiling face a lot in ’012.

Here is the official release:

Beaverton, Oregon – Phoenix Pro Cycles is very proud to announce the addition of “Pistol” Pete Loncarevich to our Factory Racing Team. Pistol will be competing in the stacked 41 and Over Expert class for the 2012 season on his new Talon frame. “I’ve known Pete for over 15 years” stated Phoenix Pro Cycles owner Tom Floyd, “We became friends on the Pro MTB circuit and have stayed connected over the years. Especially since we both live in Oregon.”

Pistol is looking forward to banging bars with all the fast guys and will be at most of the western states ABA Nationals and a stop in Rockford, IL and of course the Grands. “I’m looking forward to training and bringing my “A” game back to the sport that has given me so much in my career.” said Loncarevich.

Pete lives in Medford, Oregon and in addition to his passion for BMX he is also an accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and trainer. He owns his own dojo, The Lotus Club. He is currently training two other Phoenix Factory team riders, Josh Banuelos and Dakota Buckelew.

PHOENIX FACTORY RACING is Co-Sponsored by: Troy Lee Designs, Answer BMX, Chris King Components, Shimano, Tioga, ODI and Vaypor Designs

Congrats to both of these great friends of News…we’ll see y’all in Reno!

“Pistol Pete Returns” – January 19, 2010

“Pistol Pete Podcast” – April 13, 2010

—Mike Carruth

More team news coming in to the BMX Newsroom every day. Today, it’s Carlos Perez bringing scoop that Cole Tesar will be joining the 2012 Felt team roster. You may remember that Cole has been in a Felt jersey before–in 2010, when he rode for them on the NBL side, and Phantom-OnTrac in the ABA. In the new year, he’ll be exclusive to the the Felt folks, and riding a pair of the new 2012 Felt Sector race frames, which are said to be oh-so-sweet. Congrats to Cole and the Carlos clan.

Here is the official press release:

Factory Felt SC Actionsports National Team Announces the signing of Cole Tesar 15x/cr

Cole Tesar has been a dominating force in the amateur BMX world since he was first put on a bike at the young age of four. He combines his remarkable athletic skill and love of competition to power himself to the top of the amateur standings year in and year out. Cole is a fearless competitor and is always willing to try new techniques. He works diligently to maintain his skill level and is determined to compete in the 2016 Olympics. Cole rode for the 2009 Factory Felt/SC Actionsports NBL National Team in 2009 and had one of his most dominating seasons ever riding the Felt Sector Frame by winning the NBL National title that year and helping the team win it’s first NBL National Team title. Cole was very excited about coming on board and stated “I am really stoked to be a part of the 2012 Felt/ SC Actionsports team. I want to thank Carlos Perez and Alan Foster for this awesome opportunity. Come and check out my new ride at the Silver Dollar Nationals in Reno next month” Welcome home Cole your resume speaks for itself!

BMX Titles:
o 2-time UCI World Champion
o 5-time USA Cycling National Champion
o 1-time Big A Series National Amateur Champion
o 3-time ABA National Age Group Champion
o 4-time NBL National Champion
o 6-time ABA ROC Champion
o 10-Redline Cup Champion

Felt Bicycles which is known for their incredibly engineered road and mountain bikes has made a commitment to make their mark in the very competitive BMX market. The Factory Felt/SC Actionsports team which is based primarily on the East coast will begin to branch out under the newly established USABMX sanctioning body. This is an exciting time for us here at Felt which will allow us to showcase not only one of the most prolific riders in the sport (Cole Tesar) but also it will give us a chance to show that not only can we make world renowned road bikes but we can make one of the most advanced BMX bikes in the business.

Cole Tesar will be riding the new 2012 Felt Sector Pro XXL and Felt Sector 24 for the 2012 season.

Also returning home to the Factory Felt/ SC Actionsports National team is Jeremy Thompson 41x/cr! Jeremy rode for the team for 4 years before going to SE Bikes last year to ride for Todd Lyons and compete at the ABA level. His resume is the envy of any rider young or “old.” Jeremy has gathered numerous NBL titles and was the former NAG 1 in the ABA. He is not only known for his unique style and fierce competitiveness but is also one of the gentlemen of the sport.

New to the team for 2012 is Luke Segal 34x/cr. Luke had a brilliant 2011 season with a remarkable results in the cruiser class. He will give the team some added strength in the 30+ class, joining Jeremy Thompson and Meredith Lidstone. Welcome aboard Luke!

Jeremy and Luke will both be piloting the 2012 Felt Sector Pro XXXL and Felt Sector 24 for the 2012 season.

When you add these incredible athletes to the already-powerful 2012 Factory Felt/SC Actionsports roster the skies the limit!

Alaina Henderson – Elite Women
Meredith Lidstone – 45W
Dylan Perez – 18X
Anthony Catlow – 14X/Cr
Samantha Brown – 16G
Victor Behm – 17X/Cr
JoeyLynn Henderson – 14G
Hunter Stephens – 14X/Cr
Josh Walsh – 13X/Cr
Coleman Habib – 13X/Cr
Bella Sanchez – 11G
Gabe Hatem – 11X/Cr
Ricky Castro – 11X/Cr
William Parker – 10X/Cr
Marcus Christopher – 9X/Cr

Special thanks go out to our new sponsors Allstate Insurance, Mariani Gardens and Coleman Motors.

We will also like to thank our amazing 2012 product sponsors which include…Felt Bikes, SC Actionsports, Fly Racing, Profile Racing, Alex Rims, BRG Elevn Technologies, Vans, JohnsonBMX Plates, and LDC.

Some late news out of Dale Holmes’ office last night. In what was starting to become the biggest unreported headline of the month, Dale confirms David Herman is shedding his Intense BMX uniform for 2012, and will be slipping in to the same kit as Maris.

David has been a consistent fixture on the global BMX Supecross circuit, and is widely considered one of the top four guys who could be sitting in seat 1A on the hop over to London next August (the others being Connor Fields, Nic Long and Corben Sharrah).

In a savvy social media move, @zHermanator telegraphed a potential switch on November 1, when he tweeted a photo of a Rockstar can in a convenience store cooler, saying “Hoping to be able to get one of these for free next year…” Well, that meant either Free Agent or Haro, so the speculation mill kicked in to fill in the rest.

News is definitely looking forward to the first photos of David suited up in the Black, Red and Gold. We’ll have more on this story, so stay tuned to bmxnews.com.

BlackCrown rolled into Sarasota for the NBL Easter Classic with a small group of riders including two of our newest team members, MJ Peters and Aryanna Wilfork. Drew and Lisa Motley helped handle the team duties and Nick Connelly made the trip South as he gets back into racing form.

Although the moto count was down compared to other NBL National races so far this season, the competition in Florida is always tough.

On Day one, Drew got down to business, winning motos in the 41 & Over Expert class, but had some bad luck in the main and finished. He also rode well in the 40-44 Cruiser class finishing 3rd. Not to be outdone by Drew, Lisa took fourth in her main event. Nick Connelly raced both bikes in Florida, he battled for the top spot all weekend in 13 Expert but came away with a second place finish in Saturdays final results. He did however go unbeaten on his cruiser taking the top spot on the podium. Our two new riders didn’t waste anytime taking the BC colors to the front. MJ Peters won some motos but had to settle for second in the 26-34 Expert main. Aryanna Wilfork battled all day to finish third in the 17-18 girls class.

Day two in Sarasota was a new day, and our two new riders made their mark. MJ Peters was again up front and took his first national win! Congrats to MJ. Aryanna also stepped to the top of the podium with a win in her 17-18 Girls class. Nick Connelly was back to his winning ways Sunday winning every lap he raced on his 20″ Hyper Assault. He also won every moto but had to settle for 3rd in the cruiser main. Drew and Lisa were both able to finish the day with second place hardware.

With the skeleton crew on hand, the BlackCrown Factory team was able to finish fourth both days in the team competition. Not bad at all!

One week later the posse headed further South to the NBL Gator Nationals in West Palm, Florida. This time with only four riders to compete in the team competition the team grabbed the overall fourth Saturday and third Sunday. Impressive, to say the least.

The girls were back up front with Aryanna and Lisa both getting hard-fought seconds on Saturday, and Aryanna grabbed her second perfect score in two weeks getting the win on Sunday. Lisa crossed the line second after a drag race down the last straight on the super long track.

Drew and MJ had to keep pace with the girls, they both ended the day with 2nd on Saturday after winning several motos. Drew finally got the top spot in 40-44 Cruiser class on Sunday taking the win. MJ finished 2nd again but was in the mix all weekend fight for the lead.

Georgia is home to most of the BlackCrown Factory team riders and Powder Springs is our home ABA track. With a week of nasty weather with lots of rain and cool temperatures we weren’t sure how the racing conditions would be when the ABA Dixieland Nationals rolled into A-town. A BIG Thank You to all of the hard work from the volunteers and track crew! The track was a little soft for Friday practice, but turned out to be smooth and fast for both race days. Thanks guys for all of the hard work!!

When racing started Saturday morning the BlackCrown crew was missing a few of it’s stand-out riders. A-Pro Matt Beatty is still recovering from his crash 2 weeks earlier with a sore hand and A-Pro Chris Murphy reported earlier in the week that he suffered a slight separation in his right shoulder and will be off the bike for a few weeks. 13X Nick Connelly is really close to being back on the national scene.

41-45 Cruiser rider Rob McAllister won a few laps over the weekend, but when it came main time all he could manage was 4th both days.

Drew and Lisa Motley headed out of the Sunshine State for the weekend. Lisa was riding strong and grabbed 2nd both days in the 41-45 Women’s Cruiser class. Drew was riding strong in the 41 & Over Expert class when he took spill while racing for 3rd place finishing 7th on day 1. Drew came back Sunday and finished 4th.

RJ Livesay continues to impress in the super fast 19-27 Expert class. He’s up front winning motos and doing it with great style. RJ was able to finish 2nd both days in ATL. He’s knocking on the door of that big win and we’ll all celebrate with him when he finally gets it done!!

The ‘Crown’s 8X, “Impressive” Preston Evans battled his way through semi qualifiers to make the main both days. Preston finished a respectable 6th in the stacked class. Not bad for a kid that just turned Expert and 8.

Our youngest rider, 7X Andrew Sperano, was the marathon man on the team for the weekend. Andrew raced 2 bikes both days, he got 5th on Saturday and 4th on Sunday. Then raced his Hyper Assault 24″ in 8 & Under Crusier where he finished 6th both days.

Look for several BlackCrown riders to be at the NBL Challenge Series race in Morristown, TN on April 16-17.

The long drive down to Peachtree City was well worth it for Team Moley Gosh, immediately welcomed by summer like weather and a first rate BMX track and surroundings!

Peachtree BMX is set in a well-crafted forest clearing, tall pines surround the park, and a half pipe was at the far end also!

Team Moley Gosh had some high points in PTC, but wasn’t equipped with their top line-up. Pistol Pete and “Speed Queen” Melanie Cline were unavailable, but that didn’t seem to bother Savannah Lahr! Slingshot Savannah was unbeaten and untouchable all weekend-A perfect score and could be seen launching the doubles in straight number two (above)!

Garrett Rosh put up top scores this weekend and now leads the National series in cruiser!

Jeff Longere, James Bisson, Kyle “K-ROB” Robinson and Team Manager Adam Berkley were also able to battle their way to mains this weekend!

Zach Northern, Austin Calhoun and Bill Elkin fought the stacked classes but came up with a handful of fifths in semi’s (we’ve all been there)-Bill could be found taking soil samples three times on Sunday…

On a sad note some CREEP stole James Bisson’s S.E. P.K. Ripper right from our pit area on Saturday during the mains.

Moley Gosh would like to thank all of the fellow racers and NBL staff for making it such a fantastic weekend!!

Also, a big shout to team member Pistol Pete Loncarevich, competing in the PAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP, starting today in Irvain, CA

Don’t forget to check out MoleyGosh.com to check out the new V neck shirt line.

On February 11-13, the ABA held the annual Gator Nationals in Oldsmar, Florida. This race was going to be a good one, not only for the great race action from the amateurs, but it was the UCI Cat 3 Continental Championships on Saturday and a Cat 4 on Sunday for the Pros.

Raul Gomez and I got on the road to Oldsmar on Thursday around noon. Shortly thereafter I realized I forgot my backpack, so we had to double-time back to Custom Cycle… After leaving AGAIN, we made the four-hour drive up to Oldsmar. The closer we got, the colder it became–combine that with the rain they had been getting for a couple days, as well as the threat of more that day and it made for some stress. Not so much for us, but for John and the rest of the Oldsmar crew.

When we finally got there, Raul was eager to look at the new track. Going in, we had heard mixed reviews, and wanted to see it for himself. We popped up the tents and Raul jumped on his bike for some practice while I finished setting up the pit. Turns out, he liked it– it had some pretty technical jumps, along with some first straight pull. I likened it to a long rhythm section with a few turns worked in. It was definitely fun to watch the racing! The only real complaint I heard was the hill, and more specifically the gate, but they have plans to rework it a bit to dial it in. All in all, I think the new track was a success.

Our whole team was there, minus Cory Watts (don’t ask…makes me salty to talk about it). Amanda Geving was fighting off a cold and a “TB Takeout” (just kidding Tyler) in pro practice. She finished fourth on Saturday and took a second on Sunday, not exactly what she was looking for, but pretty good nonetheless. Raul had the usual suspects in attendance. He and Shawn DePrete were pretty much connected at the hip on the track all weekend. Raul came out ahead this weekend going four-for-four, with wins in class and cruiser both days.

Petey Peters is suffering from old age…well, old age in 19-27 Expert anyway. The big 2-8 can’t get here soon enough for him! Plus, he is getting married in a couple weeks so he wasn’t pushing too much. I don’t blame him; who wants to limp down the aisle, or be scabbed-up on their honeymoon?

Santiago Marin finally got his new bike on Thursday– you know, no pressure to get used to it or anything. He took a third and a fifth in 15 Expert. Santi just got his dual citizenship, making him officially Columbian-American, and eligible to race the Jr. Devo Series, where he finished third on Saturday and fourth on Sunday.

Tucker Rice was on hand to have a go in 13 Expert and 13 Cruiser. Having to skip Friday practice because of school may have cost him a touch, but he still made all his mains netting a fifth in class both days and a fourth and a fifth in cruiser.

Overall, the weekend ended up good! Everyone had a great time, the track was good, and the whole event ran super smooth, living up to the pre-hype. The announcing was on-point as usual, and I think the Oldsmar crew and the ABA did an awesome job!

Regardless of what hemisphere, or country you’re from or sanction you frequent, these guys have set the bar and set it high. I, personally, can’t wait for the next one!

–Brian Fell

A fresh calendar always brings fresh factory rosters in the inbox. For 2011, Jud Ciancio has expanded the ranks to 12 riders (from seven), and may add a few more before it’s all said & done. Megawatt coach and BMX dad to the stars, Jerry Bradford, will be joining the fun as West Coast Team Manager, and will be taking the team out for its 2011 debut in Reno this weekend.

Keep an eye out for the photos, come Monday.

The official release follows:

Hyper Bicycles is excited to announce the expansion of its 2011 Factory Racing Team.

In addition to five new riders, Hyper is pleased to announce that Jerry Bradford will be joining Hyper as the West Coast Team Manager. Jerry will join Jud Ciancio in a joint effort to have Hyper represented at every major race for the 2011 Season.

The 2011 Hyper Factory team will consist of the following riders:

Donny dR Robinson Elite Men Napa, CA
Peter Choat 7x Bakersfield, CA
Kohl Piluso 8X Chico, CA
Mathew Sterling 9x Saratoga, CA
Robert Sherwood 11x Sonoma, CA
Destiny Broughton 12 Girls Dayton, OH
Samantha Miller 14 Girls Pittsburgh, PA
Shealen Reno 15 Girls Phoenix, AZ
Dustin Vogler 19-27X Dayton, OH
John Paul Pfeiffer 36-40X New York, NY
John Miller 36-40X White Lake , MI
Jud Ciancio 41-over X Springfield, PA

We are looking for a few more top National-caliber riders to complete the 2011 roster, but expect to see the new members of the orange and black competing at the ABA Silver Dollar Nationals in Reno, NV this weekend.

Hyper is proudly co-sponsored by Profile racing, Kenda Tires, Black Crown number plates, No Fear and Kovachi Wheels.

In the “Not-New-News-But-Good-News” department today, comes recognition and a recap of the 2010 season for the Redman Rockstar Tribe. After the final 2010 Grands gate fell, but just before the first Cat tractor rolled to rip out the rhythm section, the fiercely-fought 2010 Factory Team title was announced.

A mere 31 points would pave the way for Redbone and a baker’s-dozen-plus to climb the stage steps and accept their fourth Factory Team cup this decade. Some champs drink the milk in vistory lane, orthers blast the bubbly on the crowd. What else would you expect from this lot other than for it to rain Rockstar?

Here’s how returning Team General Manager Richard Huvard* summed up the season and the celebration, in a release to News

It was a familiar end to the 2010 season for the Redman/Rockstar Factory BMX Team–with the team win at the ABA Grand Nationals this past Thanksgiving weekend locking up not only the #1 Factory Team title for 2010, but earning Mike Redman’s Tribe the ABA Factory Cup for the 4th time this decade.

Since 2000, the Redman race program has finished 2nd, 4th, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 2nd, 13th, 2nd and 1st–making it one of–if not THE–most dominant race team these past 10 years. In that time, the riders’ names have mostly changed, but the 2010 Tribe certainly earned its place among the very best through their consistent and dominating performance all year–something that did not go unnoticed by the ABA membership who voted Redman/Rockstar the Golden Crank Team of the Year.

Golden Crank Rookie Pro of the Year honors were also bestowed upon Redman/Rockstar’s Corben Sharrah who won the ABA National #1 Amateur title just one year ago. This season capped Corben’s ninth year riding for Redman.

Continuing that championship tradition, Kelsey Van Ogle brought home the coveted ABA National #1 Girls Cruiser title, along with the NAG #1 plate for 12 year-old girls. Kelsey’s brother, Lain, once again grabbed the NAG #1 plate in the 15 year-old boys class. The Van Ogles have certainly become the most potent brother/sister combination racing today–if not ever.

In the 13 year-old boys class, Walker “Dirt Bird” Finch powerfully rode to a win and the NAG #1 title, making it two in a row. Michael “Bubba” Gonzales also took NAG #1 honors in the 11 year-old boys and 11 cruiser classes, solidly establishing him as the “class” of his class. 12x Dougie Butcher, 11x Landon Sellers and 10x Shayne Lewis also finished the season strong, taking home NAG #5, NAG #7 and NAG #3 rankings, respectively. Eight year old Julian Dittrick found himself in a tough spot at the Grands (with a bad break in the 8x semi, but a 4th in 8-Under Cruiser). Jules was one of two Redman riders—together with Bubba Gonzales—to win a UCI World Championship “W1″ this past July, so he got his big time podium moment in 2010, just a few months early.

As if the guys weren’t impressive enough, the Redman/Rockstar girls rocked the house too—with 14 year-old “Gnarly Carlie” Ferree, and 11 year-old Amanda Olguin joining Kelsey Van Ogle as National Age Group Champions.

Still, if not for the critical contribution of every team rider throughout the season—including 14 year-olds Hunter Pelham and Jack Pope, 9 year-old Zachary Vonbergen and 6 year-old Tara Klein–the team would not be holding its 4th factory team title today.

Congrats to the “Red Team!” Lots of great talent in the clips over there…and most importantly, great kids!

*This is a little backasswords, since we’re putting out a release with his name on it before we officially told you he’s back…but watch for a little ditty on Richard’s return to the Tribe later today on News