2019 USA BMX Cajun Nationals Race Report

Filed under General on March 14, 2019 | Comment(s)

Stop No.6 on the USA BMX national series returns to Cajun Country; and one of the most fun indoor tracks we ever build. The action inside the Ike Hamilton Expo Center is always a blast, and it is always a super fun national to attend.

This year's Cajuns track wasn''t as wild and wacky as last year's corkscrew corner, but it did have the traditional "something different" added to the design. The third straight was slightly 90's-ish, with a row of short rollers spaced evenly 15-feet apart. They were low and riders were torn between doubling them up, manualing between 'em or rolling thu 'em at speed. Throdwn's Adam Scott described them, "They are sort of like the early 6-packs ABA used to build."  

MAIN TIME!
While motos are always exciting, nothing ever compares to the mains. Adrenaline flows a lot more when you're on the gate for a main, and the riders always step up the action and intensity when the trophies are on the line. 

The 17-20 year old ranks are always one of the most anticipated, no matter what race you are at. It's the one class you never want to miss.  On Saturday, the ROC#1 of Alex Antil, for Factory Free Agent, picked up his first major 17-20x national win. Afterward, he told us that the double ROC wins back in November of 2018, "was my first big win." Surprisingly, he'd never won class at a regular national ...until now.  

17-20 EXPERT - Saturday

• 1 ALEX ANTIL, FREE AGENT-BOX, SAINT MICHAEL, MN
• 2 RAYNE LANKFORD,  FULL TILT/RADIO, HOUSTON, TX
• 3 CAMERON BRAMER, WIAWIS/LSG, SOUTH PARK, PA
• 4 ARAM SCHWINN, HOSTILE/ANSWER/SSQUARED, MAGNOLIA, TX
• 5 TYLER NELSON, VENOM/BMA, CHISAGO CITY, MN
• 6 NATHANIEL COTTON, LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY, WENTZVILLE, MO
• 7 TYLER YOUNG, SAN ANTONIO, TX
• 8 TYLER BENDER, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI

In the girls class, the main event was loaded with some familiar names. Blackcrown's Korie Gilbert and LandStar's Sailor Martini would end up dicing it out all weekend for the W, and the two really put on a show.

17-20 EXPERT WOMEN - Saturday

• 1 KORIE GILBERT, BLACKCROWN BMX, PEARLAND, TX
• 2 SAILOR MARTINI, LANDSTAR RACING, ALVIN, TX
• 3 SKYLAR SCHAETZ, SSQUARED, WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
• 4 STEVIE TOMPKINS, VENOM/BMA, MANKATO, MN
• 5 ABBIE JOHNSON, PICKLE JUICE, MESQUITE, TX
• 6 SARAH WEESE, FT. LEWIS COLLEGE, RIVERSIDE, CA
• 7 RALEY STRIPLING, ELITE RACING, MANCHESTER, GA
• 8 JERSEY PICCARRETO, CORSA RACEWEAR, FORT WORTH, TX

NOVICE-VILLE!

While the Expert classes were full of surprises, we have to admit, some of the largest turnouts and by far - the most entertaining mains of all, came in the Novice ranks. After all, Monroe/West Monroe Louisiana is the home for Rebel BMX, and track operator Ted Bailey is the commander in chief of the flat-pedal revolution. Rumor has it, that in this town - local police could arrest you if you run clipless pedals. (Of course, when the National rolls into town for this weekend, local law enforcement looks the other way.)