Track Director’s Words:  

Thanks to all the people who attended the Competition Congress last month.  Paul and Karol Rieger, Stacy Snukis, Sandy Spahn, Sandy Gross, Dave and Nancy Smith and Valerie Keyser all attended from our track.  It’s good to see some new people getting involved.  Hopefully, everyone learned more about the inner workings of the BMX community.  Thanks to all our volunteers who help us out.  Special thanks to Valerie Keyser and Stacy Snukis for running the office while Sandy Gross was away.  All you volunteers keep CCBMX going.  Can’t do it without you!  Volunteers working make it look like the track runs smoothly, and that only happens when we all work together for the kids.  Thank you, again.  We are in the last stages of finishing the changes in the track.  Rider comments have been good about what has been done already.  We can always use YOUR help on the track.  Every little bit helps.  If you have questions or comments feel free to contact me anytime at the track. 

Mike Gross, Track Director
 

Ask Doctor BMX: 

 I got a question from ”J” who asked: “I just signed up my 5 year old son for BMX.  I’m having a hard time deciding what bike to buy for him.  I want him to be able to compete, but he is also involved in other sports.  I’ve seen the prices of these bikes and I don’t want to just jump in and spend money without some guidance.  Do you have some suggestions?” 

I answered: Buying a bike is a lot like purchasing a car...you can get cheap transportation or a sports car.  Many young riders start on an inexpensive bike or a used bike and move up if they show that they are serious and will keep at the sport.  My son started with a $70 K-Mart bike and now has a custom bike worth about $2000.  The first thing to do is go to a bike shop like Cape Coral Bikes or Paradise Bikes and work with a sales person to determine the correct size bike for your son.  It is important to end up with a bike that fits him.  Once you know the size you are looking for, price out the new entry level bikes and also ask around at the track for good used bikes.  Good people to ask at the track are Chuck Carroll, Todd Lackey and Mike Powers...they seem to always know who has bikes for sale.  A used bike can be a great start for a new rider.  From experience, the bike is about 30% of the race and the rider is the biggest 70%...it’s mostly the legs and the skills of the rider.  Welcome to BMX!  I hope that you and your son enjoy the racing and the family atmosphere at Cape Coral BMX.

New Rider of the Month    

This new rider only started BMX at the New Year’s Day races.   Isaac Giuliano is a 6-Rookie and he was on training wheels two weeks before that.  Wow! Has this young man improved!  When he was first on the track, he could not get up over the big hills.  His dad, Chris, would run after him and catch him before he slid back down.  No more.  Now he pedals everywhere and is jumping some of the low hills.  How much has he improved?  Well, at the State Championships Isaac earned the #11 plate in the big 6-R class.  You cannot miss his helmet when he is on the track.  Isaac came to several of the New Rider clinics and listened to Todd Lackey and Mike Powers and then went out there and did what they told him to do.  Now he is beginning to do some jumps with BOTH wheels catching some air.  He says he really LIKES to jump!  He says that’s the best part of BMX so far.  The worst part is crashing.  He did some of those when he first got started but not anymore.  His skill level has gone way up.  Now Mike Powers is asking him for his autograph!  He likes to ride with his brothers, Tyler and CJ, and sometimes with his dad, Chris, too.  Isaac has learned to balance on the starting gate so no one has to hold him up, now.  “My brothers and my dad help me on the track a lot,” he says, “and dad works on my bike for me.”  He will be going into the first grade at Gulf Elementary when school starts.  He took some of his photographs and trophies to school last year and his friends think it’s cool that he races.  One of his school friends, Anthony Miltko, has started racing now, too.  Isaac says, “I want to say “thank you” to my dad for all his help and to Todd and Mike for teaching me to ride BMX...Oh, yeah, my brothers, too.”  Isaac is getting better, smarter and faster on the track every time he races.  He can’t wait to get started racing for the next State season.
 

Father’s Day Race  “True Rookie” Dads

On Father’s Day,  three dads who do not race BMX came out and put it on the line.  All these fathers are great supporters of the BMX sport and especially of their own kids who race.  It was a safe race...no wrecks...and a lot of fun to watch.  They raced three motos and then a main. 

The winners were: First Place, Jeff Santella; Second Place Carlton DuPree; and Third Place Gary Kompinski. 
 

Father’s Day Race “NBL Dads”

The “NBL Dads” were those fathers who have raced BMX or are currently racing BMX.  About twelve dads signed up to race and they were divided into two groups which each raced three motos and then the top 4 in each group raced in the Main.  It was a really fast race! 

The results were: 1st, Todd Lackey; 2nd, Tim Peters; 3rd, Brian Callahan; 4th, Rob McManus; 5th, John Hamilton; 6th, Bill Marceau; 7th, Scott Raymond; and 8th, Chuck Carroll.  Congratulations to ALL the dads who raced, even if they did not make it to the Main.  These dads are out here supporting their sons and daughters and know what it is like to get out on the clay and race.  Thank you to all the dads of BMX.  Our kids appreciate you and look up to you.
 

Who’s Who? 

When you go to the registration window you will usually see a pleasant and efficient blonde lady looking out at you.  That’s Sandy Gross.  Sandy is the Cape Coral BMX President of the Parent Council and her whole family is involved with BMX.  Sarah and Nick are top-notch racers and husband, Mike, is the Track Director.  Sandy started volunteering when Nick started BMX in June of 2006.  Sarah started in October and Sandy was already helping out as a scorer on race nights and working in the office helping Smitty.  She learned how to work the race computer and do the registration paperwork. 

A hundred things go on in the office to make it run smoothly, and Sandy is a big reason why it does.  Besides BMX, Sandy likes to go fishing and shelling on Cayo Costa Island.  She volunteers at the State Races as a scorer or a gate verifier.   Sometimes she works with Smitty to hand out trophies at the State Races, too.  Sandy works at the Lee County Mosquito Control. She is a Trap Truck Supervisor in charge of mosquito surveillance. She is a 15 year veteran in the “mosquito wars”.  Sandy grew up in Lee County.  She  is a 4th generation “Lee Countian” and grew up in East Ft. Myers in Tice.  Sandy says, “Both of my kids race and I’m always fearful that they will get hurt, but they are good riders and don’t try to do tricks or ride when it’s not safe.  I can’t keep them in a bubble.  So far, they have had no really bad crashes.”  She says, “It’s really nice having both in the same sport so Mike and I can both come to the track instead of one of us going somewhere else to carry kids around.” 

Sandy says to parents, “If the kids really like something they will succeed at it.  If you get involved with it, too, they will see your support and interest in what they do and they will value that.  They will know that you are there for them and they are important.  Being here allows me to see my kids ride, grow and improve at something they really like.  BMX is a great family sport.”  With parents like Sandy Gross, all our kids are benefitting.  Thank you, Sandy, for the time you give us when you volunteer.
 

Rider of the Month 

Dan McGrew races in the 21-Novice class and has been racing here for about 5 months.  He raced here about 10 years ago when he was 11 but only rode for about a year.  When asked why he came back to BMX, he said, “ I needed to get back into shape.  I never really liked team sports and I remembered how much fun BMX was, so here I am.”  He caught on to the BMX racing pretty fast...at the State Championships he earned the #10 plate in his class.  He said that he was surprised at that and has now set his goal to get the #1 plate next year.  Big plans! 

Is the exercise working?  When he started 5 months ago he weighed 220 pounds.  Now he weighs 183, so something is working.  He said he also did one other thing to lose weight.  He gave up drinking beer.  That and the exercise has made the difference.  Asked what it will take to earn the #1 plate next year, he says, “ I have to be here at the track all the time.  I have to be serious about training and eating right.”  He didn’t have a bike, so he went on ebay and bought two bikes, stripped parts and built one really good bike from the parts. 

Dan volunteers at the track, too.  He helps out running the starting gate and has worked on rebuilding the track at the work parties.  Dan is a graduate of Mariner High School and now works on Useppa Island remodeling buildings there.  He is a student at Edison College and is majoring in Public Relations.  Dan says, “If I’m going to complain about something then I should be here to do my share to make things right.  That’s why I volunteer, and I like helping out.”  This is a racer to keep an eye on.  The 21 year old racers are a formidable group and our Dan McGrew is already one of the best looking to get only better.
 

News from Competition Congress

Cape Coral BMX had a good number of representatives at the Florida Competition Congress in June.  It was confirmed that the local races will continue to have three motos and a main unless weather is inclement or races are running late a local curfew is in place.  It was also decided that if a race is on a school night, the local Track Director may opt to run a 2 moto transfer and then a main.  The 2008 Summer Series will run from August 1 through October 31.  Racers must have 8 races to qualify for the Championship Race.  Official rules are posted on the floridabmx.com website.  There is a change in the race locations: the St. Augustine track is undergoing construction, so that race has been moved to Daytona BMX.  The date stays the same, September 13-14, 2008.  There was some talk going around (unconfirmed by the NBL) that the President’s Cup Race and the Christmas Classic Nationals may NOT be held in Ohio this year, but move to somewhere in Virginia.  The President’s Cup races have been held in Columbus, Ohio almost every year except for two years that it was held in Orlando, Florida.  More information will be learned in the coming months.
 

Jersey Design Competition
 

Do you have an idea for a really cool looking BMX jersey?  Someone at our track is going to design the jersey that all the Cape Coral Riders who complete 8 races during our Summer Series will receive as an award.  Not an artist?  No problem!  Can’t draw?  No problem!  You can either pick up a blank template at the registration window or go to the capecoralbmx.com website and download the template there.  Just sketch out a rough draft about your idea.  Put the colors in that you like.  The designs turned in will be checked out by a group of parents and riders and then the best designs will be up for a vote from you.  The best design idea will be sent to Hot Shoppe Designs where their artists will take your rough draft and make it into  a professional looking BMX jersey.  Would it NOT be totally cool to have your design made into a jersey?  The design chosen last year was drawn up by Nick Gross.  Whose design will it be this year?  It could be yours!  Get the ideas going and turn in as many designs as you can think of.

Click here to go to the template.