July 2, 2013 at 3:50 p.m.
Hodag BMX Club's Race For Life, Wisconsin state qualifer set for Friday and Saturday
Hodag BMX Club's Race For Life, Wisconsin state qualifer set for Friday and Saturday
The club will host a doubleheader of bicycle races Friday and Saturday culminating in Saturday's state qualifier race, which organizers say could bring as many as 200 riders to town.
The weekend kicks off Friday evening with the track's annual Race for Life event, which is an event that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Riders will be canvassing the town leading up to the race, and during tomorrow's Fourth of July parade, seeking sponsorships for the race. Donations can be made any time up to the start of the races at 7 p.m. Friday.
"They could even sponsor directly there at the track (on race night) if they wanted to. But otherwise, be on the look out for riders who are asking for donations and sponsorships," said Hodag BMX Club board member Brian Sturtevant.
Sturtevant added the club has been consistent over the years with the money it has raised through the Race For Life.
"At least as long as the track has been in service, they've contributed at least $2,000 a year to the society. We expect to get that much money again this year," he said.
The race attracts a higher number of riders than normal because it is pays twice as many USABMX district and state points than a typical race night. Also, it is one of two races at the track that does not require a USABMX membership to race.
Saturday, the club will host its state qualifier, which pays double points toward the Wisconsin BMX championships, which will be held Sept. 14 and 15 in Wisconsin Rapids. Riders need to participate in at least three state qualifier races to be eligible for the championships, meaning plenty of riders from other tracks in the state will be in attendance Saturday.
"We can roughly expect on the order of 200 riders," said Sturtevant, who figured there would be roughly 40 classes flighted by age, gender, skill level and type of bicycle.
Spectators are encouraged to attend, even if they do not already have a rooting interest. Admission is free and concessions are located on-site. Saturday's races will begin shortly after noon.
"They are just exciting to watch and something that's fun to do on a Friday night in the middle of the summer for visitors in the area and other people in the community as well," Sturtevant said. "They can get a real taste of that at the big events, but even at our regular race, they are fun to watch. We have concessions and you can just watch the races."
Following this weekend's doubleheader, the club will race on Monday nights the next two weeks, highlighted by the Warnicke Scholarship race July 15.
"It's another charity race and the proceeds go to a scholarship program that provides funds for BMX races," Sturtevant explained.
The track will return to its typical Friday night schedule July 26 and race on Friday nights through the end of August.
The race season started May 24 and on average, the track is seeing an increase in riders this year.
"We're getting some new, younger riders, for sure," Sturtevant said. "There's actually been quite a bit of interest this year. We're always looking for new riders. I think we're in the development phase right now. So it's a really good time to join because of the number of novice riders to race against. That makes the races a lot of fun for beginner riders."
Sturtevant credits the increase to awareness and accessability.
"It's just a general awareness that the track is there and getting the word out," he said. "We have such an incredible resource here locally. There are not that many tracks across the state and we have one of them. And we're the only track in the state that is free and open to the public any time. Most of the BMX tracks, in general and certainly in Wisconsin, are closed down unless they are racing. We have a really nice facility here that's open and available."
The track is located on Lynne Street in the southwest corner of West Park. The track features three banked turns and several jumps. For more information about the Hodag BMX Club, visit www.hodagbmx.com.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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