Chicagoland BMXers go all-out at the 2011 ABA Grand National bike race

“Race ya!”

Before they can pronounce the word competition, some kids discover that they’re born to race, realizing how great it feels to reach a finish line, imagined or otherwise.

Add two wheels to the mix and racing takes on new dimensions of speed, excitement and fun. BMX Racing is a sport in which that spirit evolves into a positive, fitness-centric lifestyle for tens of thousands of kids worldwide. At the neighborhood level, 216 tracks in the U.S. host friendly competition (which doubles as valuable family time). The best local competitors participate in the annual American Bicycle Association (ABA) National Series, a 26-race circuit held in venues from Cape Cod to San Diego.

As with regular races at the local track, boys and girls, moms, dads and even the occasional grandparent compete for points and the trophy of the day. The season finale, the ABA Grand National, brings racers from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries to Tulsa, Oklahoma over Thanksgiving weekend. Among BMXers, the event is known as “The Greatest Race on Earth.” The Chicago area is proud to lay claim to three top-ranked riders, and TOC Kids skipped the turkey-and-slider stuffing on Aunt Cindee’s dinner menu to bring you their stories.

This year’s two-day summit was the largest event in the sport’s 42-year history, with 3,425 participants, ages 3 to 69, racing in more than 100 age and proficiency classes. At stake were coveted national ranking points, which lead to national and age group titles, the ultimate prize being a #1 bike plate for the 2012 season.

It was a weekend of triumphs, challenges and disappointments, exactly the kind of character-building experiences parents enjoy sharing with their kids. Racers gain essential life lessons, indelible memories from the road—and perhaps a six-foot-tall trophy to take home, if all goes well.

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Gavin Freewalt of Schaumburg; races 9 Expert
“The G-Man,” as he is known, is a three-time National Champion in the National Bicycle League, which recently merged with the ABA. Freewalt finished the 2010 ABA season ranked fifth in his age group, and went to Tulsa looking to be one of eight riders in his 48-competitor class to make Sunday’s main event. He has been racing BMX for nearly half of his life, and exhibits a deep passion for racing and consistent improvement.

Felicia Stancil of Lake Villa; races Girls’ 15–16 Cruiser and 16 Girls
Say “Felicia” to anyone who follows this sport and they’ll know exactly who you’re talking about. With 18 National and 10 World Champion titles to her credit, Stancil is Team USA’s brightest female star for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A star athlete also in basketball, floor hockey and volleyball, Stancil stepped away from school sports this year to train full-time for a shot at living her Olympic dream. Stancil races 20" and 24" (“Cruiser”) bikes and arrived in Tulsa in virtual ties for the tops of both classes. Stancil will progress to the Junior Elite class in 2012 and race against fellow Olympic hopefuls.

Tyler Whitfield of Rockford; races 16 Cruiser and 16 Expert
An unassuming young man with the introspective intensity of a chess champion, “TyWhit’s” résumé is full of titles, including a 2007 World Championship. An honor student who counts music and fine art among his off-track interests, his on-track artistry has earned his YouTube videos more than 120,000 views. Like Stancil, Whitfield races 20" and Cruiser bikes, and rolled into Tulsa looking for at least one championship plaque to add to his mantel.

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At the races: Freewalt
At the Grand National, riders have three heats, or “motos,” to advance to Sunday afternoon’s qualifying rounds. Sunday morning’s third round moto would serve as a “last chance” qualifier, although our three local heroes qualify during Saturday’s motos, allowing them to save their energy for more demanding quarter- and semi-finals.

In those quarter-finals, Freewalt is first to race and must place fourth or better in order to advance. His competition—racers from California, Nevada, Texas, Maryland and a fellow Illinoisan—is intense.

The gate drops and Freewalt is off to a solid start. The pack closes tightly. G-Man leaves the first turn in sixth place; he has to pass two racers, or it’s all over. As the last turn comes into view, he’s already passed one. His front wheel is even with the fourth-place rider’s cranks.

The sprint is on in the home stretch and it’s neck-and-neck. When the final order is announced, Freewalt is…fifth, by inches. His race is over for the weekend. He takes the disappointment in stride, however, and cheers from the stands for his teammates.

Stancil and Whitfield both make it through their respective semi-finals. The day’s 114 main events will decide the season in many classes.

At the races: Stancil
From her first pedal out of the starting gate, Stancil leads her 15-16 Girls Cruiser main event by a wheel, although Adrian Sanders of Leawood, Kansas isn’t giving her a cake-walk. Still, Fly’n Felicia holds the lead, and crosses the finish line first, earning her another National title.

Stancil’s 16 Girls main event is packed with talented competitors, chief among them Lauren Whisler of Corona, California.

Into the first turn, Whisler enjoys a slight lead, but definitely not wide enough for her to get comfortable. Stancil is a powerful rider and she quickly closes the gap on Whisler as the pack bolts down the track’s second straight.

A Grand National main event is a very unforgiving environment; the slightest bobble or mistake can cost you the title. Landing a 10-foot jump, Stancil’s body position isn’t quite right. She stays on two wheels heading into the second turn but the error causes her to stray to the outside and extinguishes her chances of a win. Whisler takes home the first place points and the #1 plate for the season; Stancil earns second, for the day and the season.

At the races: Whitfield
Next on our watch-list: Whitfield’s 16 Cruiser main event, which he enters following a bad crash during an exhibition race on Saturday night. When we speak with him on Sunday morning, he’s clearly hurting and says he’s considering a withdrawal from the day’s race.

But he pushes through the pain to ace both semi-finals. For the main event, Tyler is in the starting gate next to on-track rival (and off-track friend) Maliek Byndloss of Cape Coral, Florida. Battles between these two remarkable athletes always bring the crowd to its feet; today proves no exception.

Byndloss holds the lead for the track’s first half, but Whitfield stays close, waiting for an opportunity. As they come down the third straightaway, Whitfield pulls even. The crowd is on its feet. Heading into the final turn, Whitfield’s incredible skills put him inches in front of Byndloss. He shoots past the competition and opens up a sizeable lead by the time he reaches the finish line. He trades the #3 on his bike for a #1.

In the 16 Expert main event, Whitfield’s neighbor in the gate finds trouble on his way down the starting hill and the two riders bump, sending Whitfield into another competitor and both to the ground. The race concludes with a photo finish between Maliek Byndloss and Justin Anderson of Bakersfield, California.

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 When we return to Tulsa in November 2012, there will be six new Olympic medalists in BMX racing and thousands of new amateur racers attending their first Grand National; we have every confidence that the three profiled here will be in the title chase once again.

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Get into BMX bicycle racing locally at Steel Wheels BMX, located 39 miles from the Loop in Hobart, Indiana (709 N Hobart Rd, 219-947-3556, steelwheelsbmx.com). Its indoor facility is open from October to April. Outdoor venues in Elgin and Rockford, as well as Steel Wheels’ sister track in Portage, Indiana, are open during the summer months. Visit ababmx.com for more information.

Mike Carruth is editor of BMX Racing website bmxnews.com.