Racing
bikers
dig up
the dirt
\ .
Michelle Paulman
. Senior Editor
Dirt and dirt bikes flew this week
end in Lincoln.
About 2,500 racers and fans
gathered at the State Fair Park Coli
seum Friday, Saturday and Sunday
for the Mid-America National BMX
competition.
The event, sponsored by the
American Bicycle Association, drew
almosl750competitors, ranging from
3 to 44 years old, said Joe Thoms,
local BMX organizer.
“It was packed,” Thoms said.
Three to eight racers competed in
123 heats, called motos, and had three
chances to qualify for the mains, or
finals. Amateurs raced for one of the
300 trophies, while the professionals
earned money for placing.
People from as far away as Texas
and Ohio came to Lincoln to race
their bikes over the dirt mounds and
curves built on the floor of the Coli
seum, while friends and family cheered
them on from the stands.
Terry Stark of Bartlesville, Okla.,
said he took his three children to
BMX races across the Midwest to
compete.
“It keeps them out of trouble,” he
said.
Mic^^Paulman/uN
Clockwise from left: BMX racers pick up their trophies after competition. Jamie Do (No. 20) and
Brandon Crocker (No. 10) of Lincoln try to catch the pack in the 14-year-old expert-division race
Saturday. Billy Au of Columbus, Ohio, races Saturday in the pro division. Kris Hansen and his
father, Roger, of Manitowoc, Wis., fix Kris’ bike before competition.