SECOND TIMES A CHARM - Labor Day Nationals

from Pull Magazine October 2020

Cornhusker Nationals

SECOND TIMES A CHARM

LEFT: Two-Time AMA Supercross Champion Chad Reed hangs out in the stands with his kids. They have become Rock Hill locals since he retired from racing.

Words & photos by Gmo

t just seems like yesterday that we were in Rock Hill for the Carolina Nationals and here we are again. After Nashville was unable to host the Music City Nationals on Labor Day weekend, we pivoted things back down to arguably the most impressive BMX facility in the country. The City of Rock Hill again welcomed everyone with

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open arms and provided another opportunity to host a fantastic event.

Friday kicked off with 209 motos of HOT racing action. The Pro Open class saw the return of defending National #1 Pro Connor Fields and he would win two of the three days. On Sunday he would jet off to another race in Red Bud, Michigan to support friend and former BMXer

Christian Craig in his AMA outdoor MX race. Living the life. On Sunday, Florida’s Brazilian transplant Anderson Souza would take top honors, followed by Jeremy Smith and Joshua Mclean.

This weekend saw increased rider counts in most of the classes in contention for the national title chases. This meant that riders were

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Defending National #1 Pro Connor Fields hadn’t raced since the USAC National Championships in Houston and didn’t miss a beat. He won Pro open both days.

laying it on the line come main event time. One such rider was Florida 12X Clay Sheffield. Most folks won’t recognize that name just yet but the watchful eyes over at Daylight Cycle Co. quickly added him to their factory squad. With two big wins in the class, this up and comer will soon be the talk of the staging chutes.

The 13X class had the highest rider

count at 36 for the weekend and it featured a rematch that we’d been waiting to see for some time now. Answer’s Marshall Gehrke is right in the middle of a late season push back to the top of his class, while four-time World Champion Cole Frederick, was looking to stay on top of the heap. On day one, Gehrke would rocket to the front of the main event from gate eight and never look

back. Saturday was a different story with Frederick leading 99.75% of the main, but Gehrke poked ahead when it mattered, at the finish line. Sunday marked three in a row for Marshall and the Answer squad. Great racing all around.

Also picking up some points on their quest to the national title was defending cruiser champion Rowdy

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Holzer. With 13 riders and 14 riders each day in 11 Cruiser he’s looking primed to repeat as champion and bring a cup to the Profile Racing camp. Surprisingly, the current points leader 12 year old Ryder Lawrence didn’t race Cruiser this weekend, leaving the possibility of extending his lead in the wind. Time will tell if this was a wise decision.

The 15-16 Girl Expert class was a heater over the weekend with Bay Area’s Richelle Shriver taking two of the three days. Haro/ Dvide hotshot Brooke Craft would put it all together on Saturday and secure the victory. In the 13 Girls Expert class we saw a display of power and skill that we haven’t seen in a while. J&R’s Alexis Alden put huge gaps on the class during nearly every lap and did it on the cruiser as well. She very well could be up for both titles in Tulsa.

The little Experts put on a show for the crowds in Rock Hill and battled it out for trophies just as tall as they are. In the 5 & Under

LEFT: Reality TV star Daniel Johnson came to watch his friend Marshall Gehrke race and decided to race himself.

LEFT: The “Moto Slayer” Ezra Costa took the win in the 6 & Under Open class in Saturday.

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LEFT: Matthew Meekins flies out front of a qualifying round in 17-20 X.

ABOVE: Things got tight in the 11 Intermediate semi as Bohde Rawdon (51) fends off Hudson Kennedy (206) for a transfer spot.

Expert class we witnessed great racing between Alpha National’s Jacob Colwell and Redman’s Dylan Myers. When the smoke cleared Colwell racked up three more wins on his quest to be NAG champion. In the 6X class his teammate Danial “Warpath” Johnson would go toe to toe with Florida’s green Mohawkian Troy Greene. These two would swap leads every time they hit the track. They would split the three wins with Johnson nabbing two and Greene taking it on Saturday evening.

If Rock Hill was any indication of how the crazy 2020 season will wrap up, we are in for some exhilarating racing in the final months of the season. Thank you to the fine folks of the City of Rock Hill for having us again and for providing one of the premier facilities on Earth. Until next time….

RIGHT: Cedric Cade was untouchable in Rock Hill, winning all three days in 14X.

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ABOVE: Everyone had their eyes on the prize in 26-35 Intermediate on Saturday.

LEFT to RIGHT: Christa Luna (GC1) and Brooke Stevens had an entanglement in 13-14 Mixed Open on Saturday.

5 & Under Novice was chock full of kids.

DATA:

Date: September 4-6, 2020

Location: Rock Hill BMX

City/State: Rock Hill, SC States Represented: 42 Moto Counter: Fri: 209 Sat: 241 Sun: 210

Kings of Pro Open Connor Fields (Friday & Saturday) Anderson Souza (Sunday)

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Team Winners (Bike Shop & Factory): Fri: Bay Area BMXers & Answer Sat: J&R Bikes & Full Tilt-Radio Sun: Bay Area BMXers & Full Tilt-Radio

TRIPLE-TRIPLE! (three wins all three days) ROWDY HOLZER 11 Cru, 11X & 11-12 Xopen (DOUBLES X 3 (two wins all three days) ALEXIS ALDEN 13 Girls & 13-14 Gcru CHAD STREET 41-45 Cru & 41-45X DOMINGOS LAMMOGLIA 51+X & 51-55cru SAWYER SMITH 6under Mixed & 6 Girls

DOUBLES X 2 (two wins on two days)BLAISE PEREIRA

15X & 15-16 Xopen

CYNTHIA PAPPAS

41+ WX & 46-50 Wcru

DOUBLER’S (two wins, same day)

IASHTON HESTER

7under Cru & 7X

BROOKE WALSKI

9 Girls & 9-10 Mixed

CAMERON BRAMER

17-20X & 17-20 Xopen

DANIEL JOHNSON