July 19, 2017 at 1:06 p.m.
Hodag BMX Club on display during doubleheader weekend
Hodag BMX Club on display during doubleheader weekend
Riders from around the state and the region will descend on the Hodag city for a two-day show that kicks off with the BMX competition of the Badger State Games Friday night and wraps up Saturday afternoon with a USABMX Wisconsin state qualifier race.
The club's progress was evident Monday night during one of the weekly races it holds throughout the summer at the track, located on the back end of Rhinelander's West Side Park. Reconfigured to a longer, more demanding layout last year, the club was able to pave its three high-banked turns this spring, which track operater Rob Deede said has made for a faster track.
"It's shaved about six seconds off our lap time for the older experts," Deede said, adding that the paved corners have widened the racing line and created more passing opportunities. "19-27, 28-35 Experts are doing like 35-second laps. It's really fast. And we have one of the longest tracks in the state."
There were more than 30 riders, ranging in age from 4 to 33, on Monday night. That was once considered a strong turnout for the club on a weeknight. Now, it's one of its lighter showings and Deede said fellow track operators are taking notice.
"One of my friends, Paul DePauw, who runs the East Moline track down in the western side of Illinois, he came up on a Friday night ... and he's like, 'You've got 15 motos here and over 60 riders in the middle of nowhere.' We're kind of like the Blue Mountain state of BMX," Deede said. "We're in the middle of nowhere, but we've got a really great program. It's fun. Friday nights the bleachers are full. It's awesome."
Deede credited the club's positive attitude, family-oriented atmosphere and community support for its success.
"We might be riding bikes here, but we're teaching kids really great life lessons," he said. "That's what it's all about."
Friday night's race is a combination event. Not only will it be BMX's second appearance in the Badger State Games, it will be the club's annual Race For Life event, a race put on by USABMX-sanctioned tracks around the country to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and their ongoing efforts to fund research, find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.
"Every year we raise over $2,000 to donate to the LLS," Deede said. "It's a great event, not only for Badger State Games and the LLS, but also it's a race where you don't need to be a (USABMX) member in order to race. You can just show up and ride the track, support a great cause and have a great time."
Saturday, attention will shift to the state qualifier. Hodag BMX will host the sixth of eight qualifying races state wide where riders can accumulate points for the state finals Aug. 27 in Oshkosh.
Deede said the average state qualifier draws anywhere from 150 to 200 riders, though this weekend's turnout may be slightly smaller with the 2017 World BMX Championship set for July 23-30 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
"A lot of kids have to leave early to go to Worlds but, still, there's a lot of excitement with everything we've been doing, all the hard work the volunteers have been putting in here at the track," he said.
Registration for Friday night's races will run from 6 to 7 p.m., with racing shortly thereafter. Saturday's program will get underway a little after noon, following registration from 10:30 a.m. to noon. There's no admission for spectators and concessions are located on-site.
Weekly races are held Monday and/or Friday nights at the track through the end of September with practice sessions on Wednesday nights. When not being used by the Hodag BMX Club, the track is open for public use. For more information about the club and the track, visit www.HodagBMX.com or check out the club's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Hodag.BMX.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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