Lane 8 BMX Podcast: Recent Episodes

Todd Wilson

If your looking for all things BMX racing you’ve found the right podcast. Here at “Lane 8 BMX Podcast I’ll speak with Olympic level racers, kids to the weekend warriors and much more. So, get comfortable, turn up the volume, and remember to snap on green.

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Kevin Halls, formerly known as Kevin Pauls, is a highly accomplished BMX racer with an impressive track record on the national stage. A three-time USA BMX National Champion and the 2015 USA BMX National #1 Amateur, Kevin has built a reputation for his speed, consistency, and competitive drive. Beyond the race track, he pursued academics at Cal Poly, where he studied mechanical engineering—bringing the same focus and dedication to his education as to his riding. Kevin’s journey blends elite-level BMX success with a commitment to growth both on and off the bike, making him a standout figure in the sport.

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Elwin Remmerts is back for his third time on the podcast, and a lot has happened since we last spoke. He captured the Dutch BMX Championship title in the 25+ category, earned an impressive 5th-place finish at the World Championships in Denmark, and even found time to recharge with a vacation in Italy alongside his girlfriend and her family. Off the track, Elwin has stepped into a new role as a coach for a local BMX team, sharing his experience and passion with the next generation of riders. With one final national race left this season, he’s already setting his sights on an even bigger year ahead.

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On this episode of the Lane 8 BMX Podcast, we head to St. Michael, Minnesota, where Crow River BMX is in the middle of a full-blown revival. With a brand-new track rebuild and the Land O' Lakes Nationals set to return this July, this longtime Midwest staple is again ready to shine on the national stage.

Jason Kempel and Dan Isaacs, the co-track operators leading the charge, are joining me. We talk about the decision to bring back the original Crow River name, the challenges of rebuilding a track from the ground up, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to host a national event. Their passion for the sport and community is front and center in this conversation.

If you care about the future of BMX, local tracks, and the people making it all happen, this one’s for you.

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In this powerful episode, we reconnect with Dutch cyclist Elwin Remmerts—once an elite rider with his eyes on the top, now navigating a new chapter shaped by resilience and perspective. After a devastating crash left him with a severe concussion and a heart injury, Elwin made the difficult decision to step down from elite competition.

But this isn't a story about giving up—it's about transformation.

Now working full-time, building a life with his girlfriend, and rediscovering balance, Elwin opens up about how the crash, while physically and emotionally taxing, ultimately put him on a path to a more meaningful and grounded life. We talk about identity, recovery, and what it really means to live fully—on and off the bike.

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Jeff has won every lap except one since the beginning of the season. Let that bit of information sink in. He only lost the one lap because of a flat tire. He says the results folks are seeing is because of carefully laid plans two years ago. Upshaw says what you're seeing is a faster first straight and an increased focus all the way across the finish line.

Currently Jeff is in Ohio visiting family and putting in work for his next races. Minnesota, Upshaw is coming to put on a show. This year his goals are firmly planted at the worlds and turning the number two plate into a one.

Jeff is always a fun interview and one of the coolest cats I've ever gotten the chance to sit and chop it up with. Enjoy.

And, yes it feels good to be behind the mic once again interview the brightest and the best. I just needed a bit of a break.

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Kristaps Veksa is originally from Latvia. Yep, the same country as Maris Strombergs is from.

He recently competed in the pump track world championships in Durban, South Africa. Ryan Gilchrist took home the rainbow jersey.

Veksa began racing around five years old in 1999 in Saldus, Latvia. He had a BMX track right behind the apartment building he lived in. So, of course he was at the track all the time. He finished sixth in his first race. Since then he's won the Latvian national championship multiple times.

He turned elite right after finishing school. It was a time when there was no U23 class so he jumped right into the deep end of racing with the big boys. He says it was a difficult time getting adjusted to the increased competition. Veksa says his break through moment came when he made the main of a euro cup in Latvia with Strombergs and Edzus Treimanis. He ended up fourth in that race.

Veksa says he decided to stop racing for a multitude of reasons. So, he decided to move to Germany. He never stopped riding but simply didn't race. Veksa began training kids on how to race. He got the bug to compete again but this time it was on a pump track. Hitting the pump track eventually led him back to a BMX track. This time he passed on racing in the elite category and went straight to the challenge class. The culmination of his hard work was winning worlds in 2023 in the 25-29 challenge class.

At the moment Veksa is working in a bike shop in Germany, riding for Radio frames, and he just proposed to his girlfriend.

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Justin Travis is the director of business development for USA BMX. He's got 17 years of experience in recreational programming of action sports. Sports like BMX racing, skateboarding to skydiving.

I've been looking forward to speaking with Justin about some of the upcoming tracks to built and where and exactly how BMX is doing across the country compared to other sports.

This interview is one of several discussions Justin and I plan to have about the sport we all love. I got lucky because he's so busy and travels quite a bit to get him when I did before Grands.

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According to the Cycling Museum of Minnesota, BMX became popular in the Land of 10,000 lakes in the 70's, with the first race in the state believed to have taken place at Rydjor Bike shop in Austin, Minnesota in 1974.

In the mid 80's is when I started racing in Minnesota. I grew up in a time where I raced on tracks from Eden Prairie, Albert Lea to Richfield, where the famous Taft Park track was and is now gone. Hell I even raced indoors at the Armory in Downtown Minneapolis during the winter.

In all that time I don't remember a state series. To me points were all about district points.

Presently Minnesota has a thriving Minnesota BMX scene and state series. The state has 10 tracks where every track gets a qualifier. The series begins In July and ends late August. The finals is held at the ever famous "Rum River BMX' in Isanti, Minnesota.

I recently sat down with Sam Falkowski and Tim Dobosenski who are on the committee that organize the series. It's the second year of the committee and they have big plans for the series.

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So, I've decided to start a series that will hopefully cover the country. I'm interested in how the state series for each state in the union is doing. Now what I mean is how have they been running, how many races they have, how many racers participate, how well is the series doing, what are some of the challenges they face and what does the future look for their particular state series.

Since I live in Florida it would only be right to start right here. Thanks to Drew Motley, Tom Johnson and Domingos Lammoglia I was able to contact head official Bill Robins.

Here's what I will tell you, Bill took me to school on how the series runs, how the tracks work together, ridership and the partnership between the Florida state series and USA BMX.

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Stefany Hernandez is a national treasure in her home country of Venezuela. BMX is in her blood and from day one it was all about tapping into her greatness. Her brothers started racing first. She says her mom would take her to the track while still in the womb. Stefany got third in her first race and it lit a fire in her belly to succeed.

She would eventually travel the world to France and Switzerland to live, train, and work. She credits French coach Thomas Allier for taking her to the next level of competition. The world stage.

Stefany would eventually win a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, become world champion, and hit World Cup podiums.

In 2021 she called it quits on her career and moved back to Venezuela. Currently she is working on multiple ventures to help BMX in her country, the youth of her area, and helping out in the family business.

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Michael Bias has had an up and down 2024 season of racing elite BMX. He's had injuries, he wasn't picked to represent New Zealand for the Paris Olympics but he did win the overall in the Coupe De France as a rider and he contributed to his team, "Bmx Besancon" winning the overall title in the Coupe De France for the first time.

In this interview we talk about his mind set for the season, World Cups, the Worlds and what's left for him to race this season. I'll tell you, he 's racing an indoor in the South of France soon and then Grands. Yep, I said Grands.

Michael is one of my favorites to speak with because he's honest, sincere, and an overall cool ass dude.

When the season ends he's heading home to New Zealand for much needed break.

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Quillan Isidore is one of the fastest elites in the world. Coming into the Olympics in Paris it looked like he was going to be an alternate for the GB team heading to Paris. For a moment it looked like he was going until a return call from Kye Whyte put paid to those dreams. Q was the second alternate after Ross Cullen. It meant he wasn't traveling to the Olympics nor did he get any swag.

The let down forced him to do a reset. He's unsure he'll continue to receive funding from British Cycling. So, he's turned his eye to coaching to make up the difference to continue racing at a high level if things don't go his way. Quillan is even looking to bring his coaching skills to the United States for a stint.

At 28 years old Quillan says he still has a lot left in the tank. He says he's clearly looking to make the Olympic team for the Los Angeles Olympics and to be honest I think he can.

Ethan Popovich is a stud. The Valparaiso, Indiana native began racing twelve years ago. He's ridden for teams like Mudslinger, DK Factory and currently Haro. He's a two time Junior National Champ, and he finished top ten at worlds in Rock Hill, South Carolina this year.

Popovich is known as a very skilled rider. He's coached Olympic Gold Medalist Connor Fields. He recently began hitting the world stage at World Cups. He's been racing nationals like crazy this season. Popovich is looking to win the national amateur title this year. Grands is a big objective at the end of the season.

Ethan says Tyler Whitfield and Olijuwon Davis are major influences on him as a person and racer.

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This topic in this episode was brought to me by Tony Stillinger, the owner of the "Extreme" team out of Florida. He's looking to increase the pro purses at races by creating a product line of goods and contributing money to the purses. Stillinger would eventually like a six race series strictly based on the money he generates from the product line.

To give context on what it's like to be a pro we reached out to Dale Holmes, a former pro who raced during the hey day of big checks in the 90's, Cam Bramer, a current young pro who is doing what he can to make a living in the sport he loves and former pro and all things BMX guru Alan Foster.

26 year old Philip Schaub is seeing a dream come true. He's made the German Olympic team for BMX. He got the call roughly two weeks after the European Championships in Verona, Italy. He was sitting at the table in his apartment when he got the call.

The qualification process to make the Olympic team started in 2022. Schaub said it was a two part process. He said a rider had to earn points racing the World Cups and World Championships. The second part he said was really up to the coach of the national team.

Schaub was nervous about making the team because of a severe injury. He had a disc prolapse in 2023. The injury was so bad that he eventually needed to have surgery. That surgery put him on the coach and it left him only ten weeks to get in shape and score some points at the World Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

He did something right because Schaub will be in Paris when the racing begins August 1st at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium.

When this episode drops we'll be 18 days out from the Olympics and 24 days out from racing at the games. In this episode I look at all the countries who have riders heading to Paris, who are the riders and what chance they have of making it to the mains.

I've even added my own predictions as to who will win gold, silver and bronze in the men's and women's races.

Adam Welter races in the 41-45 expert class. The Minnesota native has been throwing a leg over a race bike for 36 years.

I met Welter when the family and I moved back to Minnesota in 2012. We eventually were on the same team, "Venom." The team would eventually become the #1 Bike shop team. I remember Welter as always having a smile on his face and happy to always give a kind word or a bit of advice for your racing. Whenever he was in the gate he was and is always in for the win.

Nowadays Welter is riding for BlackWidow BMX. The team is one of the most competitive in the country. He's scaled back the number of nationals he races since he got married and a baby but he's still as lethal as ever.

Welter started racing when he was 7 years-old. His first race was at the indoor track Elkhorn BMX in Wisconsin. He won his first race and the rest is history.

This interview took place during the Land O' Lakes Nationals.

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Georges Kreuzkamp is German and Canadian. He's a man I believe I was meant to meet. I have a podcast, he has a well known Facebook page for older racers, I race BMX, He races BMX. He and I have a number of mutual friends even though we live in two different countries.

Kreuzkamp lives in White Rock, British Columbia. He rides for Factory Hydrogen and throws his leg over a Hydrogen OS20 and a cruiser. At the moment he's running NAG #1 in class and cruiser and he's also National #5.

Check this out, Georges younger brother is former NFL quarterback David Garrard of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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David Archibald is a winner and loves to win. His racing career started in San Diego, California. Within a short time his family moved to the state of Washington and he's been there ever since.

Archibald told he never would have thought that at the ripe old age he'd still be racing at 55. He's literally been racing for roughly 45 years. Within that time he's ridden for teams like Kuwahara, Crupi, Phoenix Factory Racing to Truth BMX.

Like I said he's a winner and the proof is in the pudding, he's been NAG #1, ROC #1, Redline Cup #1, District 3! and National #2. Archibald even had stints as an A-Pro and Vet Pro.

Archibald describes himself as relentless, mentally tough with endurance.

G.B.'s Ross Cullen is expecting the announcement this week of who is going to represent the elite team at the Olympics in Paris. The odds on favorite is Kye White.

Cullen is playing the long game and has his sights on the 2028 games in Los Angeles and the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia if Paris doesn't go his way.

At 23 years old Ross Cullen is a champion. He's already been a European Champion, twice World Champion, World #8 and a British Champion. You would think most people would call that a great career but not him. He's hungry.

When we spoke the other day he'd been home a few days after a long block of racing. I'm talking the Tulsa World Cup, World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the Music City National in Nashville to the European Championships in Verona, Italy. We talked about his season, travels, moving back to his parents house from Manchester, and what's next for the season if he doesn't make the Olympic team.

I like this dude, he's good people and with all the folks I've interviewed on this podcast I wish Ross Cullen nothing but success.

It's been a minute since I sat down with Austin McKan to talk about racing but this time things were a bit different. Austin has gone deep into coaching young riders. He even left Powerlite to start his own team.

When I caught up with McKan he had just gotten back from the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Things didn't go his way as a rider but as a coach he is over the moon the way his riders performed.

In this interview Austin is very thoughtful in his words when it comes to his riders. We touched on his coaching philosophy and we also talked about who we think will place top three at the Olympics for elite men and women.

Here you go, as Todd Parry and I promised this is his World Championships recap. We go through his training before hand, his travel and arrival in Rock Hill, South Carolina to the race itself.

Todd says he's happy with his race even though things didn't turn out like he wanted. The man is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to racing, preparation and overall life.

As always I'm happy to sit down and talk to Todd.

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At 24 years old Christa Von Niederhausern has accomplished a lot in her life. She's a three time pump track world champion. Christa won her rainbow jersey's in 2018 in Arkansas, 2022 in Chile and 2023 in Austria.

Christa originally started racing BMX right after her brother got the bug. The talented rider started doing Swiss Cups, Euro Rounds to World Cups and then decided she needed a change.

She went to a pump track event and was hooked from there. Since then she's ridden over a hundred pump tracks. Some of her favorite tracks include Lisbon, Portugal to Zizers and Grimentz in Switzerland where she's from.

At the moment she's got her hands full considering she's a full time athlete and she's in medical school to become a doctor. Christa told me don't worry she'll be ready for worlds later this year.

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If you don't know Johnny Goth you should. He's a cool ass dude. I met Goth when the family and I moved back to Minnesota. If you've hit a number of BMX scenes around the country you know some folks can be a bit standoffish until they feel you out. That wasn't Johnny Goth with me when I first met him. Every time he saw me he would speak, that went a long way with me considering I hand't raced BMX at home in years.

Goth is a smooth rider who can jump anything on a track. I had heard he'd taken a break from racing but was still coaching. I like to keep my ear to the ground and hear what's going on in Minnesota's racing scene. Goth is back racing after going to school and starting a new career. He's racing 26-35 expert and he's doing quite well.

I hope you enjoy this interview and if you seen Johnny Goth at a track walk up and say hi I'm sure he'll speak to you.

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Eddie Moore is one determined man. Originally from Axminster in the U.K. He's now living as a fully funded athlete in Manchester on the G.B. Olympic program.

His 2024 racing season started out really well with a 2nd in the first round of the national series and then a big win in round two. Moore wasn't chosen to travel to Tulsa for the last World Cups or the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina but he says he's making the best of his situation by training and staying focused on his goals.

Moore hasn't had the easiest journey to get on the Olympic program. Injuries and a lack of funding set him back. By keeping his head in the game he did enough in 2022 and 2023 to get the call up.

Some highlights for Moore include 2022/2023 national series champion and 3rd at the European Championships in 2022.

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I was excited for this interview and I think you can tell. Todd Parry is a straight winner. When he lines up in the gate you automatically know this man isn't there for anything less than crossing the line first.

We did this interview on Sunday. It was interesting to get his perspective on his start in the sport, winning his first national in Stockton, California, being the 2005 ABA World #1 Vet Pro to winning over 150 main events between 2010 - 2016 and becoming a world champion in 2017.

After taking nearly seven years off he's back to race the 2024 World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. We talked about his preparations for the race, his mental game and what bikes he's riding.

This interview will be released in two parts. So, enjoy this hour long conversation from one of the best in the sport.

I was excited for this interview and I think you can tell. Todd Parry is a straight winner. When he lines up in the gate you automatically know this man isn't there for anything less than crossing the line first.

We did this interview on Sunday. It was interesting to get his perspective on his start in the sport, winning his first national in Stockton, California, being the 2005 ABA World #1 Vet Pro to winning over 150 main events between 2010 - 2016 and becoming a world champion in 2017.

After taking nearly seven years off he's back to race the 2024 World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. We talked about his preparations for the race, his mental game and what bikes he's riding.

This interview will be released in two parts. So, enjoy this hour long conversation from one of the best in the sport.

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I feel like I made a new friend when I got to speak with Papa G. Not one of those acquaintances but a real friend. He has that way of making you feel like you've known him for years and we actually talk all the time. He was just cool and funny.

Papa G to me is one of the most well known and liked people in BMX and he isn't even pro. For years I heard about him and everything has been good. I'm like I got a podcast and I need to talk to this guy. I'm glad the St. Louis, Missouri native accepted the invitation.

If you remember Papa G had a really bad crash at Grands last year. He's still recovering from that leg breaking situation. During this interview we talked about his recovery, family, BMX in the St. Louis area, how he got started and why he plans to continue. I hope you enjoy this interview because I surely did.

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Todd Kay is celebrating 40 years of BMX. He recently was inducted into the Omaha BMX Track Hall of Fame. Kay is originally from Long Island, New York. He raced mostly NBL. His first race was at Newbridge BMX Track and from the first time getting on a track Kay says BMX was his sport. He raced as much as he could. Kay remembers well piling his friends into his 75 Chevy van heading out to local and national races.

Once out of high school Todd would go to college and continue racing on the weekend. He would eventually leave school and start working at an ice rink. That ice rink was built on the very spot where the Newbridge BMX Track used to be. Kay would eventually meet his now wife Gail at the ice rink.

Getting to Nebraska and eventually moving there was as simple as visiting family and buying a house. Once moving to the cornhusker state Kay's racing and volunteerism ramped up. He would eventually become a track operator for seven years at Omaha BMX.

To the present, Kay is racing BMX, mountain bikes and riding gravel events with his wife Gail.

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Holly Dunn is originally from Colorado. She started racing around 1982. Her Brother chad raced and she soon followed. Her first race was at Boothill BMX.

Soon after she started racing her family moved to Arizona. Moving to AZ really kicked off her racing. The first team she rode for was Bike Barn. Dunn says she raced the boys most times. She says it was normal for her and her brother to hit three local races each day on weekends. Dunn says hitting the national circuit soon followed.

Her first factory team that sent all over the country was called ESP. Literally Dunn says she hit every race she could. The one thing she told she never worried about was burn out. Leaving ESP she went to Pedal Power for a short stint and eventually landed on the all girl team Titan.

Eventually Dunn walked away from BMX. Before coming back in 2015 she would have two kids with freestyle legend Jim Burgess and living a bit of life. By 2018 Dunn said she enough is enough and moved on from BMX again. But like I say "Once BMX is in your blood it's hard to stay away." Dunn is back racing again on a part time bases. She even qualified for worlds this year.

In this interview we also touch on her friendship with Robert Raymonde, losing Burgess, and her desire to continue racing.

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Colin Stiles is one of the most colorful people in BMX. He's well known for the Transit videos series which I would think most of you world wide enjoyed. If I look in one of my bins in the garage I can guarantee you I would find probably two or three Transit videos.

Stiles is the man behind "Stile Industries" with the cool t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. He also has a long history of running BMX clinics all over the country.

What you may not know is that Colin is a former A Pro and Vet Pro racer from right here in the Sunshine State.

Colin has his own opinions about BMX and what I like about him is that no matter if his opinions are right or wrong he stands by them.

This interview I really enjoyed and it's quite lengthy so I'll do this in two parts. Enjoy.

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Colin Stiles is one of the most colorful people in BMX. He's well known for the Transit videos series which I would think most of you world wide enjoyed. If I look in one of my bins in the garage I can guarantee you I would find probably two or three Transit videos.

Stiles is the man behind "Stile Industries" with the cool t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts. He also has a long history of running BMX clinics all over the country.

What you may not know is that Colin is a former A Pro and Vet Pro racer from right here in the Sunshine State.

Colin has his own opinions about BMX and what I like about him is that no matter if his opinions are right or wrong he stands by them.

This interview I really enjoyed and it's quite lengthy so I'll do this in two parts. Enjoy.

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Anthony Cox is originally from Australia. His first move to Japan was in 1992. Before he even flew over he studied the language for four years. He stayed for four years and went back home. He says it took him till 2008 to return to Japan and live for good. Cox says he simply feels more comfortable living in Japan. He says his values are more in line with the culture.

Cox says the BMX community in Japan is relatively small. He says there's about twelve racing tracks throughout the entire country. Cox says surprisingly there are no tracks in Tokyo. He says the racing is growing quickly. Local races at one time would bring in around a hundred riders and now he says the number is up to three-hundred.

Here's something you may have not known, Cox is the sole importer and distributor for Redline bikes in Japan. Alfonso Giganti, that's right, "Papa G," is helping with that situation.

Cox returned to racing after thirty-five years in 2020. In 2023 he finished 2nd in the 30 and over division. He's planning to better that standing in 2024.

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I think it would be ok to say that Matthew Pohlkamp is a jack of all trades or rather a renaissance man. He went from having a great BMX career to becoming an established actor in Hollywood.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio he began his racing career at 11 years old. His dad bought him a Huffy bike from a grocery store. The first track he hit was River Star BMX. Pohlkamp got second in his first race. By the next year he was racing state races. When he turned expert by his own admission Pohlkamp says he got waxed. Hard work saw him eventually get picked up by the iconic brand S&M. Throughout his career he would ride for companies like DK, twice, Schwinn, Kuwahara, to Dan's Comp. Before his career ended Pohlkamp would race in the XGames and become a world champion.

Pohlkamp got the acting bug after a friend encouraged him to take an acting class. From that day he's never looked back. He's done commercials, movies, and he recently finished work on the show "Grey's Anatomy." The episode is expected to run in April of this year. So, when I first said Pohlkamp is a jack of all trades I wasn't joking.

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Tom Johnson calls Palm Coast, Florida home. Daytona BMX is his home track. At Grands in 2023 Johnson accomplished one out of two goals that season. He came away from the greatest race on earth as NAG #1 in the 56 and over class. He skillfully made it happen even after suffering a horrific crash that left him with broken ribs and blood clots weeks before Grands. He believes the rest he was forced to take actually helped him in Tulsa. I can't argue with that statement.

Johnson says he started racing in 1981 at the age of thirteen in Connecticut. Johnson says he wasn't a natural at the sport but hard work pays off. He says he raced up down the coast from Connecticut to New York, New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Johnson would eventually stop racing in 1985. He would join a band and play guitar. Before he jumped back into the sport he would get married and have kids. In the 90's he would get back on the bike and eventually turn pro. Yes, he turned pro for SE Racing at the tender age of 30 years old.

Johnson would eventually reclassify. A year out of the sport meant he would ride his bike but no racing. Around this time he moved to Florida and his racing would kick in. This guy has raced for some really cool teams like Standard, Yess, and now SSquared.

This season Johnson is focused on one goal and that is two #1 plates at the end of Grands. I believe he's going to get what he's striving for.

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August 11th 2022 Connor Fields announces he's retiring from BMX. He says it was a difficult decision to make. He says literally his career ended on a body board. He suffered a traumatic head injury during the Tokyo Olympics from a crash. Connor told me it's not the way he envisioned the way his career would end. He said there was a moment he considered coming back for one more race. In the end he decided the good didn't outweigh the bad. So, Connor decided it was time to move on with life.

The three time Olympian says he learned multiple life lessons from sport. He says he's able to use those lessons in his daily life now. A few of those traits he uses daily are discipline and focus.

At the moment he's working as the host of "Outdoor Nevada." The show is on the PBS station in Nevada. He says it covers various topics like a waterfalls, old abandon ghost towns to mountain biking . Connor says they shoot for a three month period all over the great state of Nevada. He also is working as an agent, doing some public speaking and coaching. On an elite level he's working with young pro Joey Leto.

Connor says BMX came naturally to him. He won Grands in his first year. He says he was all skill till 18-19 years old. He then was able to build that power to balance things out. As an amateur he won two NAG titles plus a NAG title in cruiser. Before he even turned pro he won a World Cup at 16 years old.

At the moment Fields says his sponsors, Chase Bicycles to Monster Energy drink continue to support him. Plus he's still working out to stay fit.

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Jason Donnell is one of the most impressive racers in the history of BMX. It's rare to say someone was talented at BMX from jump street but he was. Donnell's career spanned more than two decades. He raced on some iconic teams like GT, GHP, Redline and CW to name a few.

In this episode of the "Lane 8 BMX Podcast" Donnell and I talk about the beginning of his career, the travel to burnout several times that nearly ended his career.

These days he's helping his two boys with their cart racing, riding a mountain bike and simply enjoying life.

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Christopher Diaz has been racing for a long time. He started racing in the 7th grade in New Jersey 1989. His first race he got second. He loved it he says. Diaz raced mostly local and state races with the occasional national.He says at the time he was more power than skill. One of his favorites races from back then was the NBL's Christmas Classic. Diaz says he eventually turned expert at seventeen. He admits for a while he did sandbag for a season. He wanted to get his state number one. Diaz says the transition to expert was difficult.

financially Diaz says he couldn't get to many nationals. Things began to change when he started working for TNT. He says working at TNT was his best and worst job. Eventually the owner of TNT put him on the factory team. This allowed him to race two and a half full seasons of nationals. Then one day he called it quits. He says racing began feeling like a job.

So, he moved to Arkansas with his wife at the time and didn't think about. But as the saying goes, "Once a racer always a racer." He started racing again and eventually moved back to Jersey. He eventually began racing for TNT Bicycles and that's where he's been ever since.

Now he's living in Colorado with his fiancé Susie Levan and his mom. Yes, he's still racing.

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Tracer Finn started his racing career in 1975 with his older brother Mike. His first assigned number was #480. Finn and his brother would race on a regular basis at Desert Surf and Williams Raceway back in the day. He says he wasn't very good when he started. His first sponsor was his dad. His first idol was a racer by the name of Sam Meek.

Finn started lighting up the tracks around Nevada. At one point he was ranked #2 rider in the nation for the now defunct NBA. At the same time he was ranked #1 in Nevada in 16 and over expert. With this kind of stature his good friend Mike Miranda put in a good word for him to get on the famous CW racing team. He was always known for his jumping skills. Finn had many "Hot Shot" features in BMX Action.

Finn turned pro in 1983 but was already working in show business which is the family business as a lighting expert. For a while he promoted and ran mountain bike races, Police athletic league events, and even owned a bike shop.

For four years Finn was the team manager for specialized. He says working with riders during the X Games gave him a chance to live his childhood all over again.

Today Finn continues to work in show business. Plus, he's in the National BMX Hall of Fame.

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20 year old Jesse Asmus is a determined young man. He clearly knows what he wants to do in life and BMX. He told me in order for him to become the best he's going to have to leave Australia. He says Sam Willoughby has inspired him to strive for greatness.

Presently Asmus is ranked 4th in the world for U23. Last year he won the Oceania Championships and the overall Australian National series. Crazy to think it was his first year doing international racing. Asmus says the bigger the race the more pumped he gets to succeed.

In 2024 he's working on his gates and first straight. He's planning to do the World Cup Calendar and spend some time here in the U.S. racing.

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Factory Full Tilt is a dope team. The team got their first number one factory title back in 2018 as Full Tilt Bike Co. Since then the Minnesota based team has been under the guidance of Jim Buchanan. He's taken that team to five straight titles including one in 2023.

When I spoke with Buchanan he was at his shop. He told me there were times last season that he didn't think the team was going to be able to keep the streak alive. By the time Grands rolled around he says they won the R.O.C. and Grands. Damn! Buchanan says it's really a testament to the parents and kids who travel all over the country to make it happen.

In this interview Buchanan and I talk about organizing a team, how he picks riders for certain races, picking riders for the team, and the misconception people have about the pressures of riding for the best team in the nation.

Here's an interesting little fact about Buchanan, he restores old cars for a living.

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It is the first day of 2024 and this is the first episode of the new year. Leading us off is a young man from Switzerland, Arthur Claessens. We did this interview at the end of 2023. At the time Claessens was in the middle of his military service with the Swiss Army. Sitting down with him and doing this interview I quickly realized I liked him. Claessens is intelligent, motivated, and humble at the same time.

While doing his military service Claessens is working on his 2024 preparations for the new season. He's hitting the gym and literally riding on tracks in the dead of winter in Switzerland. He told me they have to shovel snow to ride tracks.

In 2024 his focus isn't what you would think it would be. He's not concentrating on the Olympics but rather the World Championships and World Cups. He's looking further down the road to the summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

He finished his season at the prestigious St. Etienne BMX Indoor race. He made it as far as the semi on Sunday. Truth be told, any and everyone I've spoken to about that race has told me the fields are stacked and the racing is fast. Crazy thing is he's raced St. Etienne for 14 years.

Claessens comes from a family of BMX racers starting with his dad Vincent. In fact his dad started one of the first BMX clubs in Switzerland in 1983. Out of six kids in the Claessens family four are currently racing. If you don't know is sister Zoe Claessens you've been living in a cave. She's dope.

Arthur, I wish you the best of luck in 2024.

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Charlie Williams has a long history in BMX. He's raced for such iconic teams as Robinson, Hutch, GHP, and currently Zeronine.

Lately though he's known more for the incident that unfolded at Grands with Harry Leary. He took an elbow to the back right after the finish line from Leary. Over the next month things went viral with Leary's response to the incident on social media and an interview with this very podcast. For his actions he was dropped by Factory Daylight and given a suspension from USA BMX.

Since Williams was on the receiving end of the elbow by Leary I thought it best to reach out to him and get his side of the story. He graciously agreed to do an interview with me. Not only did we speak about Grands but also about racing for Hutch and his recent move to Florida. I rather enjoyed this interview not just because of the Grands stuff but getting to speak with Charlie on all things BMX.

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By now everyone has heard or seen what happened at Grands between Harry Leary and Charlie Williams who rides for Factory Zeronine. Leary says it's been an on going thing between him and Williams all season and it came to a head with an elbow to the back at Grands .

This interview with Leary took place on December 7th while he was driving. I wanted to hear from him and get his views on the incident, the backlash, and losing Daylight Cycle Co. as a sponsor. In the end he's been suspended by USA BMX and under the same circumstances he told me he'd do it again.

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Michele Tomizioli is in the process of preparing for the 2024 season. He recently ended his season at the famous St. Etienne Indoor race in France. Just for reference St. Etienne is about an hour or so outside of Lyon.

Tomizioli is from a town called San Giovanni Lupatoto it's not far from Verona, Italy.

The 25 year old elite rider is coming off a difficult season. It all started with a back injury from the 2022 season. Right after racing the Verona European Cup in 2023 he had to pull the plug for two months. It took him a minute to get the thing straightened out. Once he got going it was like playing catchup the rest of the season.

Tomizioli has made some much needed changes. He's changed from an Italian to a French coach. This means he'll be spending more time in France next year. He thinks the change will help him when it comes to the technical skills on the bike. Literally we did the interview when he'd just come back from France from having a training camp.

Surprisingly Tomizioli's focus next season will primarily be the European Cup series, selected World Cups and the European Championships which are being held in Verona, Italy.

Dude is cool and a fun interview. I hope you enjoy our talk as much as I did.

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Quillan Isidore is one of my favorite pros. I've followed him on social media to YouTube for years. So when I started my own podcast he was one person I wanted to interview. Meeting someone you admire doesn't always turn out how you want it. But with him I had a blast getting the chance to know him.

In this episode we talked about him getting 3rd in round 10 of the World Cup in Argentina. Both weekends in Argentina according to Isidore were his most consistent. He even says it changed his mentality.

Isidore had an up and down season with winning races in Tours, France, a couple Euro cups, a British Championship, and injuries. He has a no give up attitude I admire.

We touched on his long time friendship with Tre and Kye Whyte, the changing of the guard from coach Marcus Bloomfield to former pro Kyle Evans, and the young guns Ross Cullen to the ever stylish Paddy Sharrock.

At the moment Isidore is back in training for the new season and hopefully a place on the GB Olympic team in Paris.

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Richard Huvard is the founder and owner of Daylight Cycle Co. This man has a long and prolific history in BMX. Huvard has a design background, he's started two tracks, worked with Mike Redman, ran Staats, ran factory Diamond Back and he helped with the transition of the ABA to USA BMX.

When it comes to Daylight he says he's the guy with the ideas and he has a genius team around him that bring his ideas to life.

In this interview we talk about R&D of products, The Daylight name, his team roster and where he sees his company in the future. This is one of those interviews I would advise you to make some time for it, grab a drink and prepare to learn.

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Robert Raymonde is originally from Queens, New York. His family eventually moved out west to Colorado. His cousin and George Goodall were racing at the time and it peaked Raymonde's interest and he jumped in the car with them. His first race was in Aurora, Colorado.

He says the scene in Colorado in the 80's was hot. At a local race he said they'd regularly have 70 motor. Raymonde says state wide at the time there were close to 10 tracks. He raced mainly in the Denver area racing mostly on the weekends. Raymonde says he wasn't a natural at the sport. He was fast but struggled with skill and crashed a lot.

Once he finished high school Raymonde packed up his van and drove out to California. His first stop was Sacramento. He stayed there for a bit but eventually moved to Southern California. The pro bug bit him and he raced mainly in the A-pro class. He said he knew how to work the system to not have to move up with the big boys. In 1987 Raymonde left BMX. He'd gotten married and those responsibilities took charge. 7 years he was away from racing but in 1994 he was back on a track. Ever since then he hasn't stopped and he's not planning on it.

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Brandon Cato is an enigma for me. I don't mean that in a bad way. What I mean is he simply moves to his own beat. One minute you'll see him at the track and the next minute he's focused on school and you don't see him for a while. It's not that he doesn't love BMX it's just that Cato has a variety of interests and he likes to explore them.

Here's the crazy thing, when he gets back on the track it is as if he never left. He's crazy fast and hella smooth. It's as if the guy is never out of shape. At the moment he's in school and preparing for Grands.

Being the private guy that he is I was surprised he agreed to do an interview with me. I caught up with him on a Saturday while I was in Minnesota. I literally did the interview in my hotel room. I brought my podcast equipment with me because I wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

Sitting in my hotel room looking out the window we talked about school, riding and racing for B.A.B.S, his admiration for Sam Willoughby and Maris Strombergs and the future.

Evan Schaefer started his for pro season in Houston this year He says it took him by surprise in how hard the racing was. This comes from a guy who's been racing with the pros in the Florida state series since he was an amateur. He says the toughest part is fighting for every position.

His first half of the season was plagued by a hip injury, then a dislocated shoulder and now a bad knee. So at the moment Schaefer is focusing on his health. Mentally it's been tough on him.

Schaefer says living in Sarasota is a blessing. He lives only 30 minutes from the facility that has a supercross track. He believes it gives him an advantage and a sense of comfort.

At five Schaefer started riding dirt bikes. His parents got him into BMX because they thought it was safer. Look at him now going head first down an eight meter hill.

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George Goodall started racing in 1979 when his friend Jack invited him to a BMX race. He was living in Boulder, Colorado with his dad at the time. His first race he got last in every Moto. A month later Goodall made the box and the rest is history.

George says riding the streets of Boulder helped him become one with his bike. He raced a lot on the local scene at the Adam's county indoor and at Castlerock. He attributes the rides from Robert Raymonde's dad for helping getting to races to improve.

He didn't hit the national scene until he was 15 years old. Goodall says the national racing wasn't easy for him. By the time he was 18 years old he turned pro. He sums up his pro career even after turning AA pro twice as a "5th place semi guy." He would eventually retire because of family commitments.

As soon as his son was able to race Goodall turned his attention from show cars back to bikes. He would eventually race for Redline. Some people have all the luck when having teammates like Jason Carnes, Denzel Stein, Alise and Sam Willoughby to Jeff Upshaw. The team would eventually fold and Goodall would end up racing for his current sponsor Supercross.

I had a lot fun with this interview. Goodall is funny, informative, and an all-around good guy.

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Martti Sciortino is a member of the Italian National BMX Team. He's a six time national champion and a 2 time European Champion silver medalist.

This interview took place right after the Sarrians, France World Cup Races and just before he flew off to Argentina for the final World Cups of the season.

Sciortino is a really chill dude. He's raced all over the world including here in the U.S. and Grands twice. He says he likes racing in the states and that level of competition is high. His only gripe is that he thinks the tracks aren't technical enough. Sciortino says racing the elite class can be humbling. He says he's never been a first straight guy so he's had to learn how to maneuver within the pack.

He started racing in 2004 when he was six years old. His parents took him to a track about 30 minutes from their home. Sciortino says he got good quickly but by the time he was a teenager things got tough. He considers himself a late bloomer.

Sciortino says he's fully focused on making the Italian Olympic team heading to Paris in 2024. He'll be 26 next year so he'll decide whether he wants to take his racing a bit further to the L.A. Olympics.

Outside of BMX Sciortino recently finished his degree in sports science and is planning on pursuing his masters.

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Weston Meurlot is a cool ass dude. I've spent some time around him because of racing the Florida State Series. He's down to earth but focused.

2023 is his first year in the pro ranks. So far it's been a steep learning curve but he's adjusting. Meurlot started his season in Houston, Oldsmar, and then Tulsa. Oklahoma is where disaster struck. He was there training at a USA Cycling camp when he crashed face first into a jump. He lacerated his kidney and spleen and strained his PCL in his knee. Meurlot was out of racing for a solid 3 months. He said the hardest part about recovery was sitting still.

For the past three years Meurlot has been coached by Arielle Martin. He says she's tough as nails and quite analytical in her approach. Meurlot says she's the perfect coach for him.

Meurlot says getting to full health is his goal and he's looking forward to the rest of the season.

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Nathan Anderson is truly one of fastest and most skilled 15 experts in the country. He rides for Black Widow, a team that is always in the running for bike shop team of the year.

Anderson's season started early and it really hasn't let up until recently because he also plays football. So, this kid is having to split his time between training for BMX, football and school. He credits BMX for giving him the discipline to manage it all.

This year he's accomplished his first goal of winning a state championship. Now, he's trying to get in the N.A.G. 5 challenge at Grands.

I've known Anderson since he was probably 8 years old. He's always been a good kid because he has great parents. I would also say the folks and teammates he has at Black Widow have helped to keep this kid focused and humble. To tell the truth I'm biased and I wish him nothing but success in whatever does.

Jessie Smith is one of my favorite interviews so far with this podcast. Yes, this young lady from New Zealand is a six time world champion but it isn't just her racing that I adore about her. It's her self awareness. Jessie was at the top of a young career in BMX and realized something wasn't right. She needed and decided to work on her mental health and she made the decision to step back and focus on it. She says she simply couldn't figure out her "why" when it came to racing.

It's been several years since Jessie made her decision to take time away from elite racing. So what has she been up to? Well, of course she's worked on her mental health but she's also worked as a house painter, day laborer, farming to working at a motorcycle shop among other jobs. Jessie says she's trying to live a full life.

Jessie says she's blessed to have a great core of family and friends who have supported her journey of inspiration, revelation and pride learning who she is away from the bike. Don't sell her short Jessie is looking to race again. She says she's been riding a bit. So, I say watch out ladies Jessie Smith is coming.

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Jake Peebles started racing in the summer of 1996 just before turning six. His first race was at Oak Creek BMX which is still going strong to this day. He says BMX was quite a learning curve. It took him 3 years to make a national main. Peebles says he's thankful to Greg Hill and Harry Leary for their guidance when he was young.

By the time he was sixteen Pee blew had won Grands and was picked up by Dan's Comp. He eventually went pro in 2010. He says the toughest part about going pro wasn't the physical but the mental aspect. He says if you're used to winning and then struggling to make mains it's easy to lose confidence. He's thankful for the A pro class that gave him a chance to ease into the pro ranks.

In 2012 Peebles tried to make the long team for the Olympics but because of a crash he didn't make it.

He started his team J.E.T BMX in 2014 because of his love for coaching and desire to pick his own sponsors.

Presently he's coaching, running his team and racing Vet Pro

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Elwin Remmerts is a BMX talent. If you watch him race or even practice you'll quickly understand why I said that. He's incredibly skillful and smooth around a track.

Remmerts started his 2023 season in France. From there he hit the Euro Cup races in Verona, Italy, Zolder, Belgium, and recently Portugal. He's also raced World Cups this year in Papendal, his home track to train on and Turkey. At the Dutch National Champs he struggled a bit but his best lap of the day was the final. He ended up 5th in the race. He only has about four races left in the season.

In this episode we talked about his start in BMX and traveling with his family including his uncle to races. We spoke about him joining BMX JETT with South African Tyler Klumper, and about his future plans with racing.

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Dion Newth is from New Zealand. It's roughly two weeks out from the worlds in Glasgow, Scotland and I reached out to Newth who races in the 50 -plus class in cruiser. I was curious how things went for him. He ended up 5th which is a bit of a disappointment for him.

Newth began racing when he was 10 years old. He raced until he was 30 years old and then walked away from the sport. And within that time he says for 10 he simply rode a mountain bike and enjoyed life. He even moved to Australia for a bit. But in 2015 he got the bug again to race BMX. Since then he's won 8 national titles, 3 Oceania titles, and a world title.

Dion says there was a point where he dealt with some mental health issues and he credits BMX for giving hime some focus.

Not retaining his title Newth says it has lit a fire in his belly to come back in 2024 and win it all over again.

It's almost two weeks out from the Worlds in Glasgow, Scotland and I got a chance to sit down and speak with Colombian Carlos Ramirez. If you don't know he ended up with 4th overall.

Ramirez says he had to work his way through the LCQ or last chance qualifier to move on. He says the track didn't fit his skill set. Ramirez says the track isn't his favorite.

Ramirez says he hasn't produced the results he's been looking for in the World Cups and at the World Champs this season. He says he's made mains but that's not enough.

The rest of Ramirez's season is filled with racing He's got World Cups, races on the U.S. circuit, races in Colombia and finally Grands.

Ruben Gommers in my opinion is the best elite racer from Belgium. Recently Worlds didn't go his way. A few technical mistakes and he was out in qualifying. But, I want you to know that his season till then was phenomenal. He's won four rounds of the Euro Cup. In fact I believe he's leading the year long series with a red plate. His next race is in Portugal.

Gommers says he was a kid growing up who was always on his bike. It was his mom who got him into BMX by taking him to a local track. He says he got good pretty quick. How about this stat, Gommers has been Belgian national champion a staggering ten times in his career.

This season he's been dealing with a bad knee. It's an injury that stopped his chances of defending his national title this year. He told me next year he's looking to get his sleeve back.

This interview took place a day before Gommers left for Portugal.

Cory Franzwa is one of the nicest guys I've met while putting out this podcast. He happiness and kindness is infectious. I really enjoyed talking to him and getting to know him as a person. Franzwa is a a fellow Minnesotan who I know I've crossed paths with while living back home.

At the moment Franzwa is leading the 26-35 expert class in points. Now, if you know anything about the class you know it's extremely competitive. He has to race guys like Alec Bob, Tyler Smith to Austin McKan. They are all racers I've had the pleasure to interview.

At the moment Franzwa is living in Utah and racing for Northwest BMX. Before he put down roots he was living in Maryland and racing Lethal Threat Racing. I want to send a special shout out to Dwaylon Carter for helping get this interview.

In this episode Franzwa and I talk about his racing roots, the Minnesota State Series and the hard work he puts in to be a bad ass on the bike.

AT 36 years old the Wetumpka, Alabama is enjoying life. He's got a wonderful wife and child, he's racing Vet-Pro, and he rides for truly one of the top bike company in the world, "Chase."

Barry started riding a bike at 3 years old. His parents got on the track and he loved it. In fact his mom and dad took over the local track. By the time he was sixteen he was a world champion.

He eventually turned pro and in 2008 he won the Florida pro title. 2010 he won the ABA pro cruiser title and 2012 Barry made it to the final four of Olympic Trials.

Barry began to dabble in freestyle and MTB. 2013 saw him win dual slalom national champs. He's won multiple crank works medals, and a silver medal at BMX national champs.

In 2016 he got second to Corben Sharrah in the Olympic Trials. The next year saw him hi the Harley flat track racing and a desert race, the "Mint 400."

Barry has participated in the XGames in two different sports.

Now, he's racing Vet-Pro with a number on tittle from 2022 and looking to repeat in 2023. But before he can do that he's the World Champs in Glasgow, Scotland.

At 11 years old Ti is making a name for himself. At the recent European Championships he got 4th. Last year he won a national title. Now he's training for the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland staring August 6th.

Ti says he was 5 years old when he went to a local track with some friends and fell in love with BMX. His home track is Hackney BMX in Haggerston Park in East London.

In his first race Ti landed on the top of the box. He says it took him two years to move up to expert. Since then the kid has been on a terror winning bike races.

If you've ever seen Ti ride you would agree with me he is one of the most skillful kids around the globe. He has a social media presence that showcases his skill on the track and it also shows he's a fun loving kid who likes to have fun with anything he's doing.

Two years ago Tre Whyte, the former British elite pro who is now retired began coaching Ti. Tre joined the interview to speak about Ti's work ethic, skills and determination.

David Graf finished his illustrious career in 2021 at the Worlds right after winning a bronze medal. He says the moment was special and he felt fulfilled.

Graf retired and quickly turned to coaching. His first job out the gate was the Swiss National BMX Team. He was prepared to step into the role because he'd already taken coaching classes. So when he was approached in 2019 he jumped at the opportunity. The Swiss team is filled with heavy hitters like Zoe Claessens, Simon Marquart, Cedric Butti to Renaud Blanc. Graf says coaching is a lot of work but it's easier than being a racer.

From the very beginning Graf was successful in BMX. He did his first worlds when he was seven years old. He was a later bloomer when it came to racing elite. He says he didn't really come around until he was 26 years old. He literally won his first World Cup in Verona while racing his last World Cup.

David is enjoying being a coach. He and his wife are expecting a new baby girl.

When I called Corey Willert he'd just come off a successful weekend racing the Midwest National at Rockford. He swept the entire weekend in class and cruiser.

Willert started his national season in Georgia, then Tulsa and then to Rockford. He's got six wins so far.

Willert likes to race locally in Minnesota. He says it gives him a chance to continue to improve. He likes doing the Northland Fire and Ice series at Rum River or any Pro-Am he can get his hands on.

He started racing in 2001 but then stopped for over 15 years. He then got back into racing because of his oldest son at the end of 2019.

This year he's riding for Alpha Factory. He that phone call was sweet letting him know he'd made the team.

37 year old Charly Gaillard is from France. He lives just outside the City of Vesoul in a small village. In his words he lives in the middle of nowhere. Charly loves it because it's quiet. He races the masters class at UCI races or 30 and over in France.

Charly says racing in France is much different than in the U.S. He says there isn't much racing during the week. Racing is based around big events like the French Cups and then a bit of club racing.

Charly got on a BMX bike in 1997 but his first races was in 2000. By 2010 he was an elite pro. Charly says things didn't workout in the elites and he decided to race his age category. Since then Charly has won a lot of big races like the N.E. French Championship in 17-29, 30-plus National Champion, European Champion 30-39 in cruiser, and last year Worlds #1 in cruiser and European Champion on his 20.

Charly says his dad is a big influence on his racing. He plans to race as long as he's having fun.

At the moment Adam Carey is recovering from a serious injury he suffered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His foot came out of the pedal while jumping a triple. He's got three surgeries, 21 screws and three plates for coming up short on that jump. Adam told me recovery has been slow but better than the surgeons expected. Now he's thinking about pushing himself on the bike.

Adam says his amateur career wasn't that great. He says he didn't really blossom until he hit Junior Elite. He didn't start racing elite properly until 2009. Adam says it took him till 2013 to really thrive in the elite category.

Racing in China presented Adam with an opportunity of a lifetime. He was offered the job as head coach for the Thailand BMX National Team. After a successful stink in Thailand Dr. Carey and yes he does have a Phd went back to Australia and began working in academia.

Currently Adam is working on getting healthy, helping with development academies, coaching through his business @20inchtraining, and producing dope frames through his brand Tempo.

Jonnie Vance is a level headed guy it's one of the first things I noticed about Jonnie. He's very clear on what he wants in BMX and life itself.

Jonnie started racing BMX at at 15 years old. Since he didn't have novice riders to race against it forced him to race with experts. He says racing with the experts helped him improve quickly. He got so good he was able to go to college on a scholarship.

In 2020 Jonnie turned pro. He's made steady progress. He was able to work and ride for Supercross by simply sending an email to the owner offering more than just racing for his support. Jonnie worked for the company behind the scenes on their social media and writing product reviews. All good things must come to an end and Jonnie is now riding for FullTilt on a special deal.

The Baltimore, Maryland native says continuing to make progress as an elite and he's looking for a break through ride to hit the top box.

Mathis Ragot Richard is dealing with the results of a bad crash a few weeks ago. He knocked himself out, broke some bones in his hand, his shoulder is dislocated with torn ligaments. The cool thing about his situation is that he's philosophical about what happened.

The sad part about this crash other than the injuries is that the crash put a halt to a great season. So far he's only missed two finals for the European season, he's made all the French Cup finals, and made one podium. To say Mathis has been consistent is an understatement.

The World Cup in Turkey was his main objective this year. He was trying to qualify for the worlds in Glasgow, Scotland. Who doesn't want to be world champion.

So at the moment he's trying to figure out what comes next and when can he get back on the bike.

Cam Bramer is a busy guy. Recently he was in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a month and some change. While there he and Anthony Bucardo helped out on a junior development camp. He then participated in a Team USA camp before the national champs.

The Legacy nationals didn't go as well as Beamer hoped. He had nothing but outside gates the first day. Saturday he didn't race. He said he wanted to save his legs for Sunday. Sunday was good but he says he didn't have his best gates. Cam went for the win but sadly he ended up locking up with Spencer Cole. Brayden Kempel took home the Stars and Stripes.

This year Bramer decided to leave Supercross for hi own individual sponsors. He says things weren't working out at Supercross and it was time for him to explore his options.

For the rest of the season Bramer plans to hit some world cups, race more nationals and simply have some fun.

George Costa is the man behind Rennen Design Group. Costa is devoted to the technological advancement of BMX racing. He's know for his chainrings, the Rollenlager, to decimal gearing.

But did you know that Costa was a biker racers himself. He was pretty good at racing. He raced in the Northeast from Rhode Island to Massachusetts. Heck, he even went to worlds in Waterford Oaks, Michigan in 1994.

His story though isn't just about BMX. Costa went to a technical high school then went to UMass Dartmouth and got his masters at MIT. Upon finishing his masters Costa worked for a defense contractor as an engineer.

The pull of BMX and let's say a chance meeting with his future partner put him in the path to a return to his beloved BMX. Today Costa is known as innovator of bike parts recognized and used all over the world.

Jack Davis got into BMX through a friend and his dad. He says he was good right from the start. He says it was the speed and the jumps that got him hooked.

Davis is originally from Tamworth, New South Wales. What is Tamworth famous for? Country music.

In his career so far Jack has won two state titles and two national titles. When he was young Jack describes himself as a power rider. He says his dad had him in the weight room at quite a young age. He credits his family's move to Canada with helping him work on his skills. Since it snows 6 months out of the year he says his mom would take him to an indoor bike park in Toronto to ride.

At the moment Jack is living in the Tampa, Florida area racing and training. He says he would be nowhere without the support and love of his family.

In this episode Tommy and I talk about winning the Kellogg's series in England, his world title, his retirement from racing, and what's life been like since he stopped racing.

Brackens says his career didn't end the way he had hoped. He even believes he had a lot more in him to continue. He's thankful for the life long friends he's made from racing. He says being in the hall of fame is a blessing.

Tommy Brackens was born and raised in South Central LA. His first race was as a 16 and over novice at the Valley Youth Center in 1978. Tommy got second in his first race.

Tommy says he got good quickly when it came to racing. Here's the thing...Tommy had a very short amateur career. His amateur career only last two and a half years and then he went pro.

It was a fight for Brackens to turn pro. His sponsor at the time wanted him to stay amateur. Tommy's first pro race he got second. He raced A pro for a short time. He was winning so much they bumped him up to AA pro.

In 1984 Brackens earned national number three as a pro with the NBL. IN 1986 he won the IBMXF World Championship and earned national number two in the pro class the same year. He would go on to earn the nickname the "Human Dragster" because of his speed.

During his career Brackens would ride for some iconic teams like Powerlite, Torker to GT. He retired in 1990 and started Brackens Racing Products.

Today Tommy Brackens is living his best life in Georgia.

Danny Caluag says he got started in BMX because of his neighbors. He. says coming from team sports he loved the individuality of BMX. Danny says clinics helped with his progression in BMX. He says BMX didn't come naturally to him. Danny is one of the few people I've interviewed to say local racing helped him make a seamless transition to racing nationals.

In 1999 Danny got his first factory ride 13 years old. He says the offer came after he crashed at Grands and knocking himself out. Danny says the best advice he could give a kid about riding factory is believe in yourself. He says one his crowning achievements is being Nag 1 in cruiser, in class, and NBL.

In 2005 Danny turned pro. He turned pro at a time where the field was loaded. Think about it, Christophe Leveque, Bubba Harris to Kyle Bennett. His first race as a pro was Phoenix. He didn't win. By the beginning 2006 Danny was AA pro. Danny actually went to school then quit and went back to school while racing as a pro. After nearly quitting BMX in 2011 the Philippines reached out to him to help with racing the Olympics and that's exactly what he did in 2012.

Currently Danny is living in California with his wife and kids. He's working as a full time nurse and going to school for his masters. He's even planning to try and make the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

March 25th, 2023 Brandon Tehiko announced he was retiring from elite BMX racing. Tehiko says concussions played a big part in his decision.

He started racing at 8 years old in Melbourne, Australia. His mom took him to a track and he was hooked. Tehiko's dad was all in on seeing his son achieve his goals. By the time he was 13 Brandon won his first national title. He would go on to become a six time Australian national champion and multiple state champion.

Now that he's retired he's looking forward to his son being born, body building, coaching, and a life filled with Jesus Christ.

Taylor is back to racing. He took a four year break to explore life, build a career, and plan his future with his fiancé.

Four months ago after getting the itch to race again he did just that. He dusted off his old Haro and hit the track. Taylor say the conditioning is the hardest part but when it comes to skill it's like he never left. He's been racing the "Fire and Ice Series," at Rum River Bmx in Minnesota. It's a super competitive season long series that actually draws talent from across the country.

Taylor says he started racing in 2004 at the age of 6 at Rum River. He says it took him several years to move from novice to expert. His first big team was Mike's Bike's, then Shield Team Storm, and eventually on to Haro Promax and Factory WIAWIS. In 2017 he won a cruiser world title.

The Cambridge, Minnesota native says he's back to racing strictly for the fun in the 21-25 expert class. And the possibility to mentor young riders while racing for "Black Widow Racing."

Michigan native Chris Jeffrey started racing in 1976. He was 12 years old. The track he raced on was Waterford Oaks BMX track. He says the tracks back then were raw, lots of pedaling, flat turns and not a lot of jumps. Chris says the scene back then there was a high moto count.

Chris says he lived on his race bike. He wasn't always at a track but you find him riding his bike around town.

Chris' progression was quick in the sport. By 1981 he turned pro at 16 years old. His 1st race as a pro Chris raced Tommy Brackens. It was also Brackens' 1st race as a pro. He says he was more of a skill guy. By 1989 Chris was racing mountain bikes. His journey into mountain bikes would last 12 years. Several friends got him back out to a BMX track and by 2010 he was back racing.

Chris is currently working on opening his own bike shop " Crank Cycle and Fitness" in his hometown.

380 or better known as Anderson Souza from Brazil is in the process of recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in Colombia last year. His recovery has been difficult with infection, 3 surgeries, and now rehab. Things have finally gotten on track for Anderson. He's back to lifting weights, doing sprints, and by the time you hear this he should be cleared to train on a track.

Souza started racing at 7 years old. His dad planned for his son to race motocross but that didn't happen. Since his humble beginnings Anderson has won 6 national championship titles, 3 continental titles and was world #3 in 2018.

The Orlando, Florida area is where he calls home when he's int he states. 2023 is a big year for Souza because he's chasing Olympic points.

Race Lee was born in Wichita, Kansas but was raised in Derby, Kansas. He started racing when he was 6 years old. He says he wasn't all that good at it when he started. He grew up racing Emery Park BMX which is the same track his dad used to race when he was a kid. He says the scene in Kansas when he started racing wasn't very big. Yet, it didn't take him long to move up to expert.

Race says he considered himself a pack rider until he was about 15. He says winning his cruiser main at Grands changed a lot for him. He says that race helped him get picked up by Full Tilt. Riding for Full Tilt has given him a chance to travel to Minnesota to race and live. Now, he's working for Fritz and the gang and living full time in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Currently he's racing 21-25 expert.

Brandon Roharik started learning how to ride a bike at 4 years old. His uncle used to race in Florida so he eventually ended up on a BMX track. At first Brandon wasn't really into the racing side of things. What hooked him on riding and improving his skills was some trails down the road from his house. He says those trails truly helped him improve. In fact he still rides those trails to this day.

When he did hit a track to race he says Ohio racing was tough. So tough it was hard for him to move up to expert. Brandon eventually began killing it locally in races. He began venturing out to nationals. At 17 years old he got picked up by All-Tow factory team. He began traveling. One year he says he missed 40 days of school because of all the travel.

Brandon says getting on Standard changed his mindset on racing. He says he was dealing with a bit of burnout. Brandon says Standard gave him the opportunity to not f worry about team sheets to being able to ride what he wanted. Brandon turned pro with Standard. He says his first race was Powder Springs and it was rough. Brandon says it took him a while to feel comfortable where he was at.

At the moment he's in a transition phase of his pro career. He's in nursing school, doing some coaching and looking forward to the Vet Pro class.

Dwaylon Carter didn't start racing BMX until he was in his 20's. He would see flyers in a local bike ship about racing. Then a couple of friends got him on the track and the rest is history. According to Carter he wasn't very good when he started. In fact he says it took him about five years to see any progress in his riding. From that time he's won a number of nationals and even earned N.A.G. plates.

In 2010 Carter and friend started Lethal Threat Racing. He says he wanted a team that was inclusive and family oriented. The team began with around 15 riders and currently has 20 riders. In his words it's quality over quantity.

Now if you know anything about Dwaylon Carter it's that he's a workout king. If you check out his instagram account you will see him constantly and consistently workout. His nickname around my house is the "plyometric man."

Currently Carter is working as a firefighter in Maryland. He has 3 kids with another baby on the way with his lady.

Emilio Falla is from Ecuador and currently living in California. When I spoke with him he had just flown in and hit practice at the Lone Star National in Houston, Texas. That race was the last elite race he did in his career before switching to Vet Pro.

Falla started racing at 3 years old. He was a kid full of energy. In front of his dad's office in Ecuador was a BMX track. So, his parents took him over to the track and as they say the rest is history. He would eventually become the first world champ in Ecuador's history.

Falla was a natural on the bike and his list of accomplishments back up what I'm saying. He was 18 times national camp of Ecuador, 7 times Pan American Champ as an amateur, and has 2 bronze medals in the Pan American Championship in elite men. Oh, did I mention he's done two Olympics to boot?

Currently he's racing Vet Pro and working for Bombshell. Falla is married and helping to raise three great kids. I'm happy for this man...life is good.

Michael Bias is somewhat of anomaly when it comes to New Zealand BMX. He spends his entire season racing in France for BMX Besancon. It was Michael's dream to race in France and now he's living the dream. His teammates include the reigning u23 World Champ Leo Garoyan to Jeremy Rencurel. Michael is getting the opportunity to race Euro Cups, the Coup de France, and World Cups. If you've never heard of the first two race series just recognize they are very tough.

2023 is an important year for Michael when it comes to chasing Olympic points. So racing World Cups and other qualifying races will be at the top of his list.

I spoke with Michael when he was back home in New Zealand on a break. By the time you listen to this episode he will be back in France for his team presentation plus preparing for the coming season.

Patrick Coo started riding and racing at Bellflower BMX track in California. He knew right away BMX was his thing. He says he progressed quickly. On any give day he would be around pros like Maris Stormbergs, Matt Pohlkamp to Javier Colombo. Patrick got his first win at a national while he was an intermediate.

Patrick says when he started racing in California racing was alive. He says depending on the track you could get 50-60 motor at a local track.

The teams he's ridden for vary from Havoc, Bike Alley, Hyper, Phoenix, Yess, Full Tilt and currently Velocity.

His choice to turn pro was to help the Philippines get Olympic points. Patrick says it forced him to work on his gates, fitness and get organized. 2023 is an important year for Olympic points. So, he'll be doing the entire World Cup calendar plus a number of races in Asia.

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Tyler Smith didn't make it to Grands in 2022. He was injured. He went from leading 26-35 expert to finishing off the year N.A.G. #8. He's philosophical about the situation. Tyler says it was supposed to be his last race. Instead it has given him motivation to continue to race and eventually race Vet Pro. His focus is clearly on Worlds 2024.

Tyler started racing when he was 11-years-old and he never really stopped. The Georgia native living in Florida has ridden for some iconic BMX teams over the years. He's ridden for Haro/Promax, Answer Squared, Throwdown to currently hitting the tracks wearing Corsa Wear and 110% Nutrition.

This season Tyler expects to race a lot criss crossing the country before turning pro again.

This interview was a lot of fun and Tyler is a great story teller. I hope you enjoy.

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Shane Harlow's racing has been on a different path the last couple of years. He got married, had a kid, and bought a house. He isn't training and racing as much but the desire to win is still there. Grands for Harlow went like this...he made all five mains he entered and he didn't finish worse than 4th in any of the mains.

Harlow's been riding BMX track since he was 4 years old. And he began racing nationals at the age of eleven. He says improvements were a long process. Harlow's first race was at Paris BMX. He says he was one of those kids who simply loved to ride his bike so riding the track was fun. Check this out, from the age of 4 to 27 Harlow has no gaps in his racing.

Currently Harlow is works as an electrician. He rides for Elite Vendetta and he's currently N.A.G. #4 in the 26-35 expert class and N.A.G. #1 in cruiser 26-30.

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Mrs. Kittie says she got started racing in Bmx on a dare from her son. Her first race was the Mother's Day race in 1988 at a track in Iowa. She didn't but she was hooked on Bmx ever since. When Mrs. Kittie started her journey into Bmx she was going on 40 years old. Around that time Iowas had seven tracks. Soon the family would venture out to neighboring states to compete. Here's the thing, at the time there were no women's classes so she raced with the men.

At the time Mrs. Kittie primarily raced NBL in and around the DesMoines, Iowa area. She not only raced NBL but she got involved in the board and was at one time volunteer of the year. One of her biggest accomplishments was helping to start the 80/35 BMX track.

On average Mrs. Kittie races 50-60 times a year. Plus she's done every Grands since 1990. And this is a woman who has had both hips and knees replaced. At 75 years old this former teacher and principal doesn't appear to be slowing down.

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Jason St. Romain is Louisiana native. He was raised in New Orleans but now live in the Baton Rouge area. His first bike race actually wasn't a BMX race but something like a cyclocross race. He finished paying off his Auburn that he had on layaway and started racing unsanctioned races. Jason says he wasn't very good and it took him a while to win a trophy. He eventually turned expert when he was 18.

By the time Jason was 20 he was pro. He and a friend agreed to turn pro after the NBL Grands on year and that's what he did. His first pro race was in Florida. Jason was pro from 2000-2006. He reclassified when his son was born.

In this episode Jason and I talk about racing as older men, joining Claiborne with his son and racing Grands in 2022.

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Jim Bramer recently accomplished his goal of becoming NAG #1 in the 51-55 cruiser class at Grands. He earned it. It's a huge accomplishment over a long career of BMX that started in 1981 at South Park BMX track in Pennsylvania.

As the years went by he stopped away from BMX. He grew up, got married, and moved away from Pennsylvania. By 2009 he was back in the thick of it when it came to racing. Jim and his wife were criss crossing the country with their boys having fun and chasing points.

Jim says it didn't take him long to get that winning feeling back. He however take a long time to clip in. He eventually started team Thunder and his wife Rhonda started running South Park BMX track. Black Crown factory team was soon to follow.

This years Grands was a difficult one but Jim was able to focus and do what he's done all year...win!

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Cal Strickland is from a city called Preston in the U.K. He has three older brothers who used to race. Once he found out what they were doing he wanted in. So his mum and dad found the nearest BMX track and Cal began racing at the age of 6 and he hasn't stopped since. By his account he wasn't really good until he was about 14. Cal says between the ages of 16-20 he could have taken racing a bit more serious. He says he didn't train he just kind of rode his bike.

At 16 he spent a short time on British Cycling's talent team. He says they took him to a couple of races in Holland. He eventually left because he was keen on the structure thing at the time.

Call was national champ at the age of 16. He did one year in Junior men and jumped right into elite men. Crazy thing is he didn't clip in till he was 18.

Over the years Cal has been world champ in the 25-29 years old category in Zolder, Belgium in 2019. He's currently Masters World Champion. He was the title this year in France.

This year Cal crossed the Atlantic to race the Grands. In this episode he talks about his time at Grands, racing in the U.K. and how he got started in BMX.

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I kept a close eye on what Chris Kennedy was doing this season on the track. The dude was simply winning bike races left and right. In this episode Chris and I talk about his season, training, and racing Grands.

This episode I sit down with Jeff Upshaw and discuss his training for Grands, his mindset while at Grands, what he thinks of the final results on the week.

With this short episode Alan and I go through his Grands prep, his mindset going in and his racing through the R.O.C. to Grands. Plus you'll find out what's his plans are for the rest of the year and 2023.

Ronan Weber is from Cairns, in the state of Queensland, Australia. This young man recently graduated from Marian University with a graphic design degree. Weber made the decision to stick around in the states and working full time as a graphic designer but he's also helping to run the Indy Cycloplex Bmx Center.

He started racing at 5 years old after a family friend invited his family down to the local track. Weber says he and his sister started racing soon after that first visit to the track. He says the BMX scene in Australia is thriving with technical tracks and great racing.

At 15 years old he won his first national championship. He discovered Marian University while living in in Australia. He was following Justin Posey and Felicia Stancil and recognized their jerseys. He applied and got accepted to the school.

Currently Weber is living in Indianapolis, racing 21-25 expert, and working full time.

Alan Hudson is a California native living in Phoenix, Arizona. His first race was at Apple Valley BMX. Neighborhood kids brought him to the track and at 9-years-old he was hooked. To pay for races he would work at the track. Between the ages of 13-15 Allen hit the national scene and began to win races. He also got his first factory ride with Enigma racing. The team gave him the chance to race quite a bit in Florida and NBL circuit.

Alan turned pro at 16. By the time he was 18-years-old he was racing with the elites. College came a calling and he reclassified to A pro. Alan rode for Mars Hill University in Asheville, North Carolina. The opportunity would allow him to race BMX and MTB National Championships.

Once he finished college with a political science degree Alan moved around a bit. He lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle and then back to Phoenix.

At the moment Alan is racing for Remix BMX in the Vet Pro class. We sat down and talked about his training for Grands, living in Phoenix and the Vet Pro class.

Cam Moore started out racing motocross. He raced until he was seven when he broke both his femurs. That's when his mom called it quits on that sport and got him into racing BMX. The first track he ever rode was Capital City in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cam's first serious team was Spinners/Redline. There were some heavy hitters on that team like Cole Tesar to Justin Posey.

Cam says as a young kid he progressed quickly because he was always riding his bike and pushing himself. Imagine winning your first NAG number one plate in your second year of racing.

When he was 14-16 he rode for Answer Rennen, 17-18 expert he rode for Haro, when he turned A pro he went to Yess and now he rides for Supercross BMX.

In this episode Cam and I talk about him making the decision to go pro, racing with the elites, and racing world cups.

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Simon Marquart comes from a cycling family. His mom and dad were professional mountain bikers. He started riding a bike at three years old. By the time he was 4 he'd already done his first BMX race. But the current world champion actually missed his first main ever. Missing that main is still a sore spot with him.

Racing as an amateur in Switzerland and around Europe Simon says he did quite well. He says he wasn't the most skilled rider. But what he lacked in skill he made up for in work ethic. Simon believes it's what has helped him achieve his goal of becoming elite world champion.

He would eventually join the UCI Center in Aigle, Switzerland. Liam Phillips, the former British pro is his coach. You'll be surprised at how basic Simon's training is.

Here's something you may not know, Simon is the first Swiss rider to win a World Cup. And when it comes to his World's win it's cool to hear about his mindset on the day in Nantes, France.

During this episode you'll also hear about what Simon is like off the bike and what he plans to do once he retires.

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Raul Gomez is Florida through and through. He got into BMX because his uncle used to race BMX. In fact his uncle took him to his first race. Raul got 2nd in his first race. He says it didn't take long for him to move up to expert. Raul says what helped him progress so quickly was participating in other sports but also riding his bike a lot with friends. He raced his first national at 15. Raul says for the first year he was the kid known as 5th in semis. But once he advanced to his first main things just clicked.

At the age of 20 he took a 7 year break from racing. He ended up getting married and having two kids. By the time he was 23 years old he was divorced and raising two kids. Raul says he was simply adulting during this time.

But it was a friend he worked with who was interested in racing BMX. So, he dusted off his bike and went to the track with him. That's all he needed to get the spark back for racing. In 2011 he faced his biggest challenge to date, cancer. He beat it and soon after began training again to race.

Eventually he would turn vet pro, re-classify, and go on a run of wins in 46-50 expert. He would retire from racing in 2017 but he didn't put down the bike. Raul bought a dirt jumper and kick it on some downhill mountain bike trails. At the moment he's hitting big jumps and heading on trips with friends like Shawn Diprete.

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Kyle Evans grew up in a family who loved motorcycles. From the time he could walk he was on a motorcycle. He even became national champ. But finances were tight and his dad sat him down and told him he had helped him as far as he could and that he needed to attract a big time sponsor to continue. Things didn't work out but Kyle kept riding his motorcycle.

Kyle discovered BMX while out riding with his dad and being chased by the cops. While hiding out from the cops they noticed a BMX track and went over to check it out. They went over to the track and ran into Paddy Sharrock and his dad. Kyle ended up riding the night out and never looked back.

Kyle lives to ride his bike. Even now that he's retired the feeling hasn't changed. But that love of riding is what helped him progress in BMX. He literally rode parks, the streets, and tracks in the area.

He says as an amateur he never won a U.K. national, European round, and only went to one worlds as a junior in Copenhagen. But when he turned elite that all changed. Kyle began to win European rounds, making podiums at world cups, winning nationals, and eventually becoming European champion.

Kyle says he retired a few years back because the path to the Tokyo Olympics was unclear. From there he built tracks, worked for the UCI, and now is back home with British Cycling.

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Greg Romero wanted to race motorcycles but ended up on a BMX bike. He says for the longest he felt like he didn't belong. He says his break through moment was beating Geoff Schofield, a little ripper on GT at the time. Greg would eventually get on "Boss." One of the best stories in this podcast is how he got to travel with his dad to races. I'm still laughing.

Greg says between the ages of 8-20 he only had one dominant and consistent season. He says he struggled with his purpose in BMX.

In 1995 he went pro. Greg would eventually win over 100 races in his career before he retired. He eventually turned too coaching and created BMX Training.com.

Currently he's working as an entrepreneur. He's all but stepped away from coaching.

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This interview with Australia Josh Mclean takes place while he's in Bogota, Colombia. He's in between World Cup rounds.

I first met Josh a few years back at the Wisconsin State Finals. The race had a great purse and it attracted the likes of Anthony Dean, Alec Bob to Josh Mclean that year. A few years pass and Josh moved to Florida and I soon ended up in the sunshine state also. It's common to see him racing the state series along with all the pros who've moved to Florida.

In this interview we talk about racing world cups, injuries from racing, his start in BMX, and his move to Florida.

In this episode I interview Drew Motley. We talk about what got him interested in racing. Drew had his first race in St. Louis, Missouri. He turned expert at 15 and struggled. He wasn't used to the physicality of the racing.

Drew eventually moved to Florida from Illinois. He says he tired of being cold and I can't blame him. He says the move helped him make a shift in how he looks at his competitors. It's also a time when Drew and his wife Lisa, began running teams. They started with Morphine, then Yess, and now Hydrogen. You can expect frames before Grands.

Drew is one of the top 51 and over experts in the country. He's approachable, chill, and a serious competitor.

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When Greg Hill thinks of starting out in BMX he points to his first bike a "Royce Union." He rode everyday as a kid. A friend of his in school got him started racing at 10 at Escape County BMX Track. He says he never thought about a future in BMX because BMX was so young. Greg says as a rider he didn't progress quickly. In fact he would even get beat by his future wife Liz.

Greg says the biggest impact a team has ever had on him was SE Racing. He says that's when he decided he wanted to go pro.

This interview covers Greg's amateur and pro careers. We also talk about him meeting the love of his life, Liz. Our conversation hits on topics of USA BMX, current pros, clips vs flats to racing in UK.

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Rum River started as an outdoor track in Isanti, Minnesota. But the folks in the Land of 10,000 Lakes wanted an indoor facility. A facility to that would give their riders a chance to compete on the national level. So, they came up with the idea of covering the track. Allowing riders to train 365 days a year. In 2012 the folks at Rum River began crunching the numbers and meeting with the city. The City of Isanti liked the idea and backed the group. The building was built with financing of bonds to the tune of $2.5 million. In August of 2014 after the last outdoor state final ran construction began. The grand opening happened in March of 2015. This is interview is all about Rum River as a facility, the number of riders, the amenities, and has Minnesota BMX grown because of this state of the art facility.

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Fede Villegas is from Mendoza, Argentina. Racing Bmx was a family affair, his uncle used to race along with his brothers. He says he was super competitive when he started. His parents had to remind him to have fun at Bmx. Fede says looking back he was more of a power rider who till this day still focuses on his skill.

He says racing in Argentina is much different than racing here in the U.S. Villegas says Argentina doesn't have as many tracks as we do here in the states. Plus, most folks race nationals and there isn't much local or state races in his home country.

Thanks the Argentinian national team he got a chance to do some international races.

His first major sponsor happened when he was a junior. He was sponsored by a DK distributor. Then as an elite he began riding for Crupi. During his time with Crupi he was able to design a frame for the company. He's now riding for Rift, Tangent Products, Rock Star Energy, Fly racing, and Restorative cbd.

In 2021 Villegas decided to move to the U.S. full time.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Robert De Wilde started racing at 5 years old in 1982. His local track was Kampen, a city in the Netherlands. A friend from school dragged him out to the track. He joined the club at the track. He credits the coach at that track for helping him become an all-around racer. Robert says he saw himself as a pack rider in his early years as an amateur. He says it was a blessing because it taught him how to race.

BMX fit Roberts personality. He says he's not a team player and enjoyed the individual aspect of the sport, the creativity, and speed.

Over the span of his career "Afro Bob" was Dutch national champion no less than six times, World Champion twice, European Champion twice.

He turned pro at 21 years old in 1999. During his career he raced for GT, Giant bicycles, Staats, Troy Lee Design, Maxxis, and Redline.

Afro Bob retired at 35. He's been a stay at home dad for years and helps out at Bellflower Bmx track.

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Dr. J Rich started racing soon after his brother started. In fact they even shared a bike to race until one Christmas in Las Vegas. Their dad bought a Torker and a GT as presents. Jason's brother was really good. He was win Grands at 14 expert good. He says it took him a minute to find his feet. His dad didn't take him serious until he started training on a regular basis.

One of his first big factory sponsors was Auburn. One day a van showed up at his house and Todd Corbitt had all the factory goodies. Jason even went on a summer tour with them. Jason turned pro his senior year of high school. He says he turned pro just to say he raced pro. He went to college and continued racing.

Phoenix, Arizona was his break through race as an A pro. By El Paso Jason says he bumped himself up to AA pro. He eventually left Auburn and went to TNT, Giant and a plethora of other sponsors.

Jason graduated and eventually retires but not before he wins a Pan Am Gold medal. He gets his MBA and by 2010 he's got his doctorate. In 2012 he's working with athletes at the Olympics.

Since then Dr. J Rich has done some commentating, written a couple of books and he's even started racing again as an amateur.

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Dale Holmes started racing in 1982. His first race was at the Nottingham Outlaws BMX Track. Locally and regionally he got into the top 3. 1985 he got his first national win at 13 years old. England is such a small country but Dale says there were a lot of tracks all over the place. His training program when he was young consisted of riding a lot at the track and racing. The system paid off because he won British Championships, National number 1's and nationals throughout the country. At 16 he turned pro in the superclass. In 1990 Dale came to America to race in Florida. It took several more trips and around 1996 to make a full commitment to live in the states. He chose California for is base. Dale credits Christoph Leveque and Dave Cullinan with showing him how to train. Dale career was long and fruitful. He won 2 world titles, European title plus a World Cup title. He retired from elite racing in 2006. He jumped into MTBing for a year but went back to race Vet Pro. Currently Dale has been running his "BMX Pro for a week summer camps," for 9 years now. He's even started a clothing company called "Divide."

Shawn Wade is an Illinois native. He didn't start racing until he was 15. Before he got on the bike he raced motorcycles. He grew up at motorcycle tracks watching his family race. Shawn's first BMX race was Mother's Day 2001. The first 15 years of his racing career he only raced class and not cruisers. But, as fate would have it he's known as a cruiser guy. Wade credits his success to simple hard work. He's says once he started lifting weights it was a game changer for results on the track. He's now racing 36040 cruiser and it's been a challenge. His 1st national this year was Nashville and he took a beating. But that thing called hard work has seen Shawn come on strong. In this interview you'll learn about why he doesn't race class, how he got into music and riding for Alpha factory team.

Elliot McGrath is from New Hope, Minnesota. He's considered a BMX legend in the state of 10,000 lakes. Elliot first started riding bikes with his brothers by making jumps. And then he got his chance at the old Rehbeins indoor track that was in a barn in Lino Lakes. By the time Elliot was 14 he was on tour with Stile Industries. He says his class was really hard with Corben Sharrah, Conner Fields, Tory Nyhaug to Tommy Zula. He credits the class for him becoming a better rider. At 15 Elliot took a break from racing. Eventually he would return motivated. He eventually turned pro after missing out on an amateur title. Racing A pro went well. But when he went AA the competition was much stiffer. His last sponsor as a pro was Staats. His last race was a little over 2yrs ago in Sarasota, Florida. Elliot says he's retired but interested in racing some vet pro races.

Tyler Klumper is a continent jumper from an early age. He started out in Africa and then moved to North America. Florida is where the Klumper called home here in the states. Tyler raced motocross at an early age. But once he got on a BMX bike at the old Oldsmar track motorcycles eventually fell to the wayside. By the time he was eleven Tyler was back living in Durban, South Africa and would quit racing a year later. Before he walked away he earned a worlds plate on his cruiser. At the ripe old age of 17 he was back on a BMX bike and at 18 he moved back to Florida. Tyler had six productive years in Florida but recently moved to the Netherlands to be closer to family and race the euro circuit.

Henry Leners is an 11-year-old Minnesota ripper. He started at 2-years-old riding a strider bike. By the time he was three he was pedaling around the track. He turned expert at 5-years-old and progressed quickly with his skill. Henry has ridden for Synergy, Venom and currently he's on Ssquared Factory Team. His favorite track is STMA BMX. This soon to be 6th grade this fall not only races bikes but he plays tackle football. Henry says it can be tough to balance both sports. His next big race is the Tar Heel Nationals in North Carolina. I caught up with Henry right after the state race at Mankato BMX. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Joey Leto first showed up at a BMX track at the age of three. He was called the neighborhood legend. Joey says he wasn't very good but he loved riding his bike. Sarasota BMX was and is his home track. He got serious with racing around the age of 11 when he started racing the Florida state series. During his amateur career he rod for All Tow Wrecking Crew/Yess to Full Tilt. Joey's amateur career was capped off with NAG #1 plate in the 17-20 expert class. He turned pro and started racing for Corsa Wear and eventually switched over to Staystrong. He says the biggest adjustment to racing pro is not racing as often as he did as an amateur. Currently he's mixing racing and going to school at Lindenwood University in St. Louis, Missouri. Joey is studying para-medicine. His next race is Louisville.

Tre Whyte got into BMX by a suffusion from a friend of his dad's. In his first race he got second. Before he knew it his entire family was involved in the sport of BMX. He says he progressed quite quickly through the ranks. In his first season he became national number two. CK Flash, a former DJ and racer was instrumental in his career. CK helped to revive the now famous Peckham BMX club and track. By 2008 the club had seven British Champions. With many of the riders joining the national team including Tre. In this interview we talk about joining the national team, the training and eventually why he left. At the moment he's doing a bit of coaching, modeling, and competing in electric scooter racing. And yes, Tre still gets out on his GT.

Rayne Lankford was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He's now living in Florida with Jeremy Smith and Will Grant at their BMX farm. He did his first race as a kid at Armadillo BMX in Conroe, Texas. He describes himself as someone who loves to ride his bike. Rayne says he was never an amateur that won a bunch of nationals but that never stopped him from dreaming about turning pro. As an amateur he rode for big teams like Throdwn to Full Tilt. Now that he's pro he rides for TBone BMX. By the time you listen to this podcast Rayne won the Pro-Am at the Gold Cup Qualifier at OkeeheeLee Bmx.

Eric Spears got involved in racing Bmx in the 80's. He says BMX magazines got him hooked. His first race he got beat by his brother Tony. When he was young he did a lot of NBL racing. Eric says he knew early on that he wasn't going to be pro. But he always had a desire to contribute to the BMX culture. Eventually Eric and his brother decided to start their own product line. They started out with grips and came up with the name "Truth." They started out selling grips and then sold seat clamps and by 2014 they were selling frames. With over 150 frame companies the BMX market is competitive. Eric says word of mouth and Facebook has help his company grow. Eric even started his own bike shop called "Bike Connection." I recently spoke with Eric about the BMX industry, supply chain issues, and the future of Truth BMX.

Alec Bob started racing BMX at 9 year old in Dallas, Texas. From the first time he rode a track he knew BMX was his sport. Alec actually started racing at the same time his sister Kristen did. His amateur career culminated with as a world champion in 17-24 age class in 2017. He turned pro and then went to Marian University on an athletic scholarship. While attending Marian Alec he was on four championship teams. Once he graduated he took a year to race and live at his parents house but the west was calling. Alec moved to California to work for BOX Components. After a year he left BOX and moved back home to focus on racing. He's now currently living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, working for USA BMX, racing for Divide clothing and Redline bikes. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Here's a fun fact about Will Grant: he grew up in the Olympic National Rain Forest in Washington State in a cabin. But, by the time he was 8 the family had moved to Florida. And by the time he was 10 he was fully committed to racing BMX. He turned pro at 16 and 3 months later he tore his ACL. That injury was part of a string of injuries that hampered his career. By the time he was 25 Will says he had pain everywhere. And then he met Jeremy Smith. He says Jeremy helped him focus. With Jeremy's help Will started eating better, working on his mental and physical health and riding again. So far he hasn't raced this year but says he's planning on it. At this moment he's putting all his energy into the BMX compound he and Jeremy are building here in Florida.

Trenton Duvall is a chill dude from Minnesota. Originally he started racing in Michigan but by the time he and his family move to the Land of 10,000 Lakes he was a full fledged biker racer at 7. Some of the teams he's ridden for over the years include Mike's Bikes, Full Tilt, and Yess. So far this year he hasn't raced because of a back injury. So at the moment he's focusing on getting healthy, music and living life. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Greg Turnage started racing in 1973. He simply wanted to be like his motocross heroes. Greg's mom wasn't to happy about his choice in sports so he turned to the bike. He had a Schwinn cotton picker. Then he had to convince his dad to miss church on Sunday's. He was able to convince his dad and took 2nd in his very first race. Two years later a track opened up in Vallejo, California and his racing took off. He says back then local racing was king. He got his first of many pictures in BMXA magazine while racing the top guys in the 16 over open class. Greg says during that time in the 70's there was immense competition between Southern and Northern California riders. Surprisingly his racing career came to a halt because of bad grades. It would be just over two years before he would line up in a gate. Eventually he started TK racing. . .AKA Turnage Kreations. Greg's pro career lasted from 1980-1987. He came back to racing in the late 2000's because of friend Brian Simmons and Bay Area BMX. Since then he's enjoyed great success on and off the track. I hope you enjoy this interview because I surely did.

Renato Silva got his first BMX bike win 1993 while living in Brazil. At 13 he gan riding the streets of his neighborhood. Then he found a track by his house he never knew existed and was hooked. Renato won his very 1st race which was a tryout for a team. He says he always wanted to come to the United States. In 1993 he sent to the worlds in Paris but instead of returning home he got his visa and moved to the U.S. he lived in Boston but soon moved to California. He turned pro in 1995. The team many people remember him riding for was Diamondback. I recently spoke with him about having to go back to Brazil over visa issues, his career, and what he likes to do away from the track. Enjoy.

Billy Griggs started out wanting to be like his motocross hero's on a bike. Griggs and his friends began building jumps to clear. By 1981 he began his racing career. His first race was at the famous Orange YMCA track. He got third in the 12 beginners class. During his amateur years he rode for some iconic brands like CW Racing, Redline, Schwinn. The Schwinn deal didn't last long and ended badly. Turning pro for Redline was a dream come true. He also made a lot of magazine covers in his day. By 2000 he officially called it quits on being a professional athlete while working for GT in their R&D department. By 2003 he left the bike business all together. He eventually took a job with Razor. By 20123 he was inducted into the hall of fame. Now, I can't tell you everything but if you listen you'll hear about working for "Chase Bicycles," coming back to race and his life at home. Enjoy.

Austin McKan didn't start out racing bikes. Instead this young man enjoyed skateboarding. Born in Springfield, Missouri Austin didn't get the bug for BMX until his dad Greg took him to a Jason Carnes clinic at a local track. The next year Austin began racing. But, this isn't a fairytale story where he came out destroying folks, in fact it's the complete opposite. Austin had to work at BMX to improve. He says I didn't realize I could get fast until last year. He's thankful for having the support of his parents Greg and Teresa McKan but also the support of his BMX family and friends like Nic and Donovan Long, Bubba Harris to all the tracks in Missouri. Currently Austin is terrorizing everyone in the 21-25x class with his speed and skill. He says don't count him out when it comes to going pro again. We recently spoke about his early days of racing, family, and his love for bow hunting. Enjoy.

Harry Leary is a legend in the sport of BMX. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley he started racing somewhere around late 1972-1973. His first race was at Cortes Park where he won his class and his reward was a some handlebars and grips. His first real sponsor was Coates Schwinn but he eventually ended up JMC. How many people can say they were invited to the very first ABA bike race? Being a big shot at his local track Harry says he had to search out to find the other legends like Stu Thomsen and Greg Hill for competition. He left JMC and landed on one of the most iconic BMX teams of all time "Diamond Back." When that team came to an end he bounced around from sponsor to sponsor and eventually landed racing mountain bikes where he has a Silver Medal from the 1989 Mountain Bike World Championships in Dual Slalom. And a Bronze Medal from the 1990 Mountain Bike World Championships in Dual Slalom. He also has a couple titles for Vet Pro. Since 2007 he's been racing in the amateur ranks and killing it ever since. This was a fun interview, enjoy.

Manuela Roldan just turned pro for the 2022 season. And she's shown she can handle the step up already with the big dogs of BMX. Manu, as she's called around the track was encouraged to try BMX by her grandparents. Once on the bike she knew BMX was her sport. While living in Columbia she hit the tracks in her area as much as possible. Her skill on the bike is impeccable. Her attitude is positive and refreshing. Last year she rode for Bay Area Bmxers, a team run by Howard Cato. This year as a pro, this former NAG 1 is doing her own thing with a multitude of sponsors to get her to the races. Manu says her idol is Mariana Pajon, the two time Olympic gold medalist and world champion. She says a good season for her is to be consistent and make as many mains as possible. Recently she sat down with me to talk about her beginnings, her love for her grandparents, and her desire to win. Enjoy.

Andre LaCroix is a young pro working towards his breakout win and a long career in BMX. His first pro win was actually the National Championships of Peru. That win let him know he could race with the pros. But here in the states where the level is so high it made him realize he had to learn how to race with the elites consistently. Andre isn't afraid of hard work. This year has seen some changes when it comes to sponsors and coaching. We spoke recently about living in Oldsmar, Florida, the state series, training and what would make his season a success. Andre LaCroix is a cool dude and I think you'll enjoy this interview.

Eric Sweets started racing at 14 years old in 1981 at the old Ascot BMX track in Caden, California. He walked away from the sport of BMX when he was 20 years old. In that time he had a family, he was going to school and working. Eric eventually moved to Las Vegas to be closer to his parents. And, once again the BMX bug took hold of him. He's been racing ever since and enjoying success like no other. He's currently racing for the B.A.B.S factory team run by his longtime friend Howard Cato. I spoke with Eric about life in California, his career outside of Bmx and his documentary he's currently working on. Enjoy.

Jeff Upshaw started racing at the age of 7at Valencia BMX in California. Eventually his family moved to Dayton, Ohio. He was not only a successful amateur but BMX kept him out of trouble. Jeff is a big deal. He's been an 8x state champ, 6x Gold Cup champ, 11x national champ, Junior World #6, and a 2016 team USA Olympic alternate. He's currently living in Boise, Idaho and pushing the sport forward with his "Driven Cycling Academy." The father of a young daughter and fiancé says life is good. Enjoy.

Chris Kennedy started racing as a kid when some friends of his mentioned a track was starting up in his hometown in Louisiana. He did well locally and even had success on the national scene as a kid. But once he found cars and girls in high school racing took a back seat. By 1986 he was done with racing. 20 years go by and in between that time he went to college, started his career in insurance and started a family. He even did a bit of motocross. In 2006 he bought a Redline cruiser. And since that time Chris has been racing full time. I recently sat down with him and we chatted about family, racing in Louisiana, Black Crown and racing in the ever competitive 51-55 expert class. The next time you see him ask him about being the sprint king of Delaney Dr. Enjoy.

I've known Marcus Moore for years. I remember seeing him racing the tracks in Minnesota and saying who in the world is that kid! Right now he's one of the top 16 experts in the country while riding for Black Widow. Marcus' season has started out well with wins at several nationals. I recently spoke with him by phone. We talked about Minnesota BMX, his favorite tracks, and preparing to move to the very competitive class of 17-20 expert. I think you'll enjoy this interview because it shows at 16 years old Marcus is thoughtful, hardworking , and likes to have fun.

Jordan Miranda was a consemate professional BMXer. He is known as a skilled rider and a man who strives to be the best he can be on and off the bike. He has a desire to inspire the younger riders in today's Bmx scene by interacting and teaching them all that he's learned throughout his career. Not long ago Jordan retired from BMX and became a firefighter. He and his family also bought Metro BMX and now run one of the most storied tracks in California. I recently sat down with Jordan to talk about his career, his career change, running a track, and family life. I really enjoyed this interview because Jordan is a humble dude.

If you'd like to see the interview just click this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPIUNW1yuhm-M6nE9e7zkw

When I think of Howard Cato I think of a leader, a man of his word, and a damn good bike racer. I first met Howard at a national a few years back. He approached me like he already knew me for years and he's been that way with me since that day. It's evident Cato loves his team and riders. Bay Area Bmxer's are always looking clean in their kits from a fresh new design every year. In 2021 B.A.B.S. won their first national bike shop championship after many years trying for the title. In 2022 Howard as moved his team to the top tier of the sport, he went factory. Recently I sat down with him to discuss Bay Areas championship run, his riders, and going factory. I hope y'all enjoy the interview.

Pro BMX racer Jeremy Smith has raced his way to top of the BMX world. Currently he races for DK a team he raced for as an amateur in 2009-2010. J-Smooth not long ago won the 2020 Pull Magazine Golden Crank Pro of the Year award. The Dayton, Ohio native calls Florida home. Crazy though, he grew up in DK’s hometown of Dayton. At the moment he and Will Grant are in the process of working on their BMX compound. The things they have planned for that space is insane and I can't wait to see it. I recently sat down with Jeremy, literally in his dad's truck at the Sunshine State National to talk about his start in racing, amateur career, his pro career, and life in general. I hope you enjoy this interview with one of the coolest pro's on the scene.

Domingos "DL" Lammoglia love of all things BMX began when he was a teenager. Lammoglia was 14 at the time, and now, 22 years later, he hasn't strayed.

There's nothing that Lammoglia doesn't enjoy about BMX. He has competed at the highest level, and has been coaching for decades. Some of the riders in his stable include pro racers Jerry Smith, Anderson Souza to Mattia Fulan from Italy.

DL as he's known has had his own success from 2x UCI BMX World Champion 14x South America Champion USA and Brazilian #1. He's been racing for over 37 years 32years as a PRO.

I recently spoke with him about his coaching methods, spotting talent, and why he continues to line up and race.