The 2012 Gator Nationals rolled into Oldsmar BMX to thunderous applause. The motos were stacked with over 1,000 riders including National and World Champions. Team CycleCraft braved the 20mph crosswinds and cold weather arriving ready to rumble with more than a dozen racers of their own.
The star rider for the weekend was Randy Winfrey. He took on well known riders like National Number #1 Shawn DiPrete and Florida's own Guy Gibbs. Randy scored back to back 1st places finishes in the 36-40 Expert division. Could he be the next National Champion in this division?
On Sat Women's Master rider Michelle Cairns battled Felt's Meredith Lidstone for her first National win of the year. On Sunday, Michelle was placed in a much larger group facing younger racers like Answer Rennen's Shelby Stacy but she still managed land herself on the podium in 3rd.
Paulo Moreira displayed how comfortable he is at big races when he went bar to bar against FBN/Hyper's Lance McGuire and Free Agent/Rockstar's Stephen Larralde. Paulo kept himself in the top half of competitors with a 5th place finish on Sat and 4th on Sun. He is truly a model for grace under pressure.
Meanwhile, Vinny Moreira broke through a field of 18 at Vet Pros to make the main and land in 6th on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Vinny Moreira broke through a field of 18 at Vet Pros to make the main and land in 6th on Sunday.
The Tiny Might McKenzie Gayheart enjoyed the view at the front of the pack all weekend. On both days she battled National Champ Bailey Brannen and Sportsblast rider Jamie McHenry. On Sat she took 1st on her 20" and 2nd on her Cruiser. On Sun she took 2nd on her 20" and 3rd on her Cruiser.
'K Town' Kaylee Reynolds took the long drive down from Georgia to duke it out with 12 other riders in the 13 Girls Class. She made the Saturday main taking 8th place.
'K Town' Kaylee Reynolds took the long drive down from Georgia to duke it out with 12 other riders in the 13 Girls Class. She made the Saturday main taking 8th place.
'The Mailman' Shane Hall had bad luck in the 20" division suffering a slipped pedal and a broken chain keeping him out of the mains. However in the Cruiser class he took on riders like Free Agent/Rockstar's Juan Marin and All Tow Wrecking Crew's Kody Wong with Shane more than holding his own taking 3rd place on both days.
11 year old Joey Leto struggled through the Saturday races without making the big show. However his persistence shined through on Sunday when he scored 5th on Cruiser and even more impressive was how he battled through 17 riders to make the main on his 20 inch for a 6th place finish.
11 year old Joey Leto struggled through the Saturday races without making the big show. However his persistence shined through on Sunday when he scored 5th on Cruiser and even more impressive was how he battled through 17 riders to make the main on his 20 inch for a 6th place finish.
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| Photo by Sniper-shots |
How tough was the competition at the 2012 Gator Nationals? Some race categories had as many 50 riders and the track did not allow for even the smallest of mistakes. Thomas Marchese, Bobby Owens, Brenden Kozicki, Allison Marchese, Justice Gagnon and Kody Garrett all could not find a path to the mains. We appreciate their valiant efforts.
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| Photo by Sniper-shots |
The weekend was not an option for a handful of team members who had to sit it out with colds. Out sick was Tony Lehman, Patrick Deats, Jeff Upshaw, Jordan Preston and Kevin Cacavalie. Considering how chilly it got during the races, especially on Sunday morning where it reached 38 degrees, it was probably better that they rested. We wish them well and hope to see them at the next big race.
One final announcement - Factory CycleCraft now has its very own Team Website. This is where people can learn a little about the riders and check out CycleCraft news updates.
Take a look at the Team Site here:
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