ABA leading the way in promoting BMX racing.

[miken1973]

when it comes to the sanctions tracks are like a hot drunk chick in a bar they will tell what ever you want to hear to get you home with them. But the next day after the deed is done the story changes. I havent been around much in the last few years but in the 15+ years I did race that was the story with bolth sanctions. A lot of tracks went aba or nbl and they didnt get the sopport they needed. NJ is probably prime pickens for the ABA to come in and jump start bmx in this state or take over. Ridership and moto counts are WAY down. A huge part of the kore families that did NJ bmx good are no longer around because people moved on or grew up. I am not down playing the scene now and those who sopport it because there always be a solid local core who do a great job but its just different and a whole lot smaller. Maybe its just my time has passed and its not the same. Hats off to those still around or came back. I always said the national/reginion programs are what killed the NBL. after 1990 ABA just died out a bit in NY/NJ area. I always liked the gold cup championship and how it was more local oriented. when I first started i couldnt go to nationals because i was beginner or novice some form of eliteness or higher level of compitition needs to return. I the argument becomes what about my kid or it should be for everyone and yes it should but thats what locals programs should be for. Dont listen to Bob or Clayton they could more but its a buisness and as long as there getting paid they dont want to change the recipe.

[CrazyCraig]

Okay, not trying to start anything, but it appears that bonspeedMedia is a brand new venture, because there is nothing about it any where on the web that I can find except for the news releases and links back to the ABA site.

Yes, Brad is the president of bonspeed and they have built some really cool concept cars for several companies (basically tricked out versions of existing higher-end production vehicles). But no where do I find that they currently are involved ANYWHERE in actions sports promotion.

I am not trying to dis Brad, he did alot BITD, but the ABA makes this major news release touting a “media specialist” that I cannot find evidence of ever doing anything special in the media.

So it appears the ABA is rewarding one of their own instead of going out and getting an outside expert on promotions. I may be off base so someone tell me if I am.

[bmiddaugh]

DAMN, the men here ALWAYS get to the bottom of things…
NJ is DANGEROUS.
Very cool Craig, hehe….

[dunrite9]

But it does say he was Director of World Wide Marketing for Vision Sports .
An we know the ABA doesn’t have to explain BMX to him.
Personally, I know I’m more comfortable hiring someone I know and trust.

HEE HAW!! 😆

[s4lnj]

a couple of years ago the ABA was handing out free race flyers and doing some promoting at supercross races— i thought it was a good idea but they never seemed to follow through– had they set up a pro only small series to go along with the supercross series, to be run right before the big supercross mains– they could have really caught some attention—guys that were there with thier kids that couldn’t afford dirtbikes would jump all over it— and there is more than a substantial amount of outside sponsorship in supercross–

i know, the pros are busy cahsing the national titles— ok — throw some big dollars into the mix— i bet the pros need money more than they need a #8 plate next season

this could be done at ATCO— they have some extra space– just a thaught

[bmxmom156]

leave it to craig to be the next matlock…

if you old time aba-ers can explain to me what the diff in nationals the aba offers to ams as compared to nbl? from what i see that amature top 20 list is the people who go to the most races( ie spend the most money?) what exactly is their equiv to our national number? they put all the novs/ experts/rookies in the same pot for standings? and i dont get this district thing either?? can someone explain- we really never did it for points so is am just trying to explain that list they posted in that article.

we only did local aba races(and a redline cup or 2) back when bensalem was a hot spot and also some seacaucus cause it was so close.

[LeadSled1]

Hopefully I can help you out on this one.

The top 20 list is not who goes to the most races. Only your 6 best scores count. I got into the top 5 with only 6 scores (3 weekends). I am now in 6th with 8 scores as some people moved up.

Since you only get points for your main it is a lot more economical for me to race ABA. In the NBL you have to get 1st in every single moto and the main to get the best points. One bobble in any of the 3 motos and your score is shot. In the ABA you can take 8th in the first moto (fall, equipment problem etc.), come back in the second moto and transfer, win the main and get the 1st place points.

Someone always gets the 1st place points at an ABA race. Very few do at the NBL nationals, it is hard to get a perfect and it gets them all to come back and try again at the next national.

Since the ABA Grands counts for double national points you can really make up some ground there if you make the main. How things fall out for moto selection has no impact, unlike the NBL Grands where moto selection can make or break you.

The ABA only plates the top 10 per age group (called NAG for short, National Age Group). This makes it much harder to get one of those plates and they are very prestigious. The plate is grey.

They also award what is called national numbers. It is your best 6 scores compared to every other racer in your gender and tire size class. The plate is black.

Next is the ROC (Race of Champions) which is the Friday before the Grands. The winner of that race gets a gold #1 plate that they can run anywhere for the next year.

Then there is the Redline Cup which has a series in each region. At the final, the winner gets a red #1 plate that they can run for the next year.

The district points give you a number in your district that you can run anywhere, including at the nationals. If you are district #1, that is your number and you run it everywhere. This is a white plate.

bitd, we used to be able to run our NBL state plates in any state. This is similar to that but on a total point accumulation. This one is for the people that race a ton of local events. Similar to the state highpoints in the NBL, but the NBL one is more scewed towards national riders. A perfect at an NBL national gives you 800 local points, where in the ABA it is only 300. This gives local only riders a chance to compete for the district plates and not get completely blown out of the water.

Let me know if that helps or if there is anything else I can help with.

[bmxmom156]

so if you are going for a nag plate and just say you are 16. all the 16 yr olds in all proficiencies race for different points at a national? do the main points count the same for rookie/ novice and expert?

because like in the nbl where rookies jsut say get 40 for 1st in a moto they still get 20 for 1st in the main. so in aba if they only count main points do all the proficiencies get 20 for 1st place in the main, making all the 16 yr olds( rookies/ nov/experts) going for the same 1-10 nag plate?

does that make sence to you? i dont know if i am explaining my question correctly.

i was curious if they dont break down by proficiency for nag how do the experts compete for rookie points and if thats true what encourages the rookies to move up? just curious.

i like the main only points better plus gives you a chance to get to the main if you get stuck with 4 really good riders in a moto you still have a chance to make it once he is qualified and gone out of your moto. the thing i dont like is if you do win and you sit then you dont get the track time. i remember when we used to go to secaucus my son used to not win the motos on purpose just to get the track time. how does that work at nationals when you really need 3 motos to get used to it?

thanks for the info

[LeadSled1]

The points break down for mains go:

Novice (NBL Rookie:
1st 60
2nd 50
3rd 40
4th 30
5th 20
6th 10
7th 8
8th 5

Intermediate (NBL Novice)

1st 120
2nd 100
3rd 80
4th 60
5th 40
6th 20
7th 15
8th 10

Expert/Girls/Cruiser

1st 240
2nd 200
3rd 160
4th 120
5th 80
6th 40
7th 30
8th 20

All do go for the same NAG plate but with the Experts getting more points (harder class) they usually get the plates. This gives the Intermediates and Novices something to move up for.

ROC and Redline cup plates are based on age and class, so Rookie, Novice and Experts all have their own #1 plate.

With the qualifying you will see that Opens are huge at the ABA evens. They have mixed opens for Novice, Intermediate and Girls and then Open for the Experts (mixed age).

I like because if I go out and do good in the first moto I know I am garaunteed to make it out of the motos. If I screw up in the first one I know I still have a chance in the second moto.

Plus with the way they do practice you get a good amount of track time.

[bmxmom156]

on brother i just typed this and it disapperard…haha

anyway the redline cup races are the equiv to our regional series?

so the national races to race the open it would be a little more expensive if all the riders did it like you say so that makes it $$$. also when you say open is the 16 over $$ open like ours? for the older riders? then the younger experts do the 11-12 open which dosnt count for anything point wise- just ifyou use them on a team sheet? so its basically a paid practice to get you more track time and go against faster riders.?

let me know if i am understanding this correctly.

i get the points thing w/nag titles that makes sence to me now. i thought it was based on your total races not your best 6 its like our age group nat rankings but we use best 5.

just too bad they couldnt get their sh** together and combine for the good of the sport… if they add 2-3 aba tracks in nj just think of it then add in the 3 we already have we can run races 5 times a week…. if possible… i am reluctant to get involved due to the nationals being so far even best 6 where are you going to get 3 weekends of nationals besides delaware and kingston? and lets face it most riders need more than the min races to get decent points so travel is necessary… but not plane travel… i am not familiar with many other aba tracks around here. they would have to hit pa big time and maybe infiltrate ct or tri state area more. who knows.

thanks for the info-

[bmiddaugh]

More tracks=
more places to ride=
more riders.
Just need promotion and egos put aside.
We had about 23 tracks in NJ back in the 80’s.
I don’t believe 5 or 6 is going to hurt the sport.
Everyone for some strange reason believes that adding a track means you have to race it every week.
No, just race what you like and GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM.
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM
GROW YOUR LOCAL PROGRAM.
Forget Nats, regionals, all the other stuff
the kid on the walmart special is most important right now.

[LeadSled1]

Redline Cups do not count for national points.

I hit Atlanta, Tennessee, Massachuesetts and Pensylvania for my scores. I missed Florida and there still is Delaware in October.

[bmiddaugh]

Back in my day, 79-85, I raced both.
It’s very easy to race aba
VERY.
You only get points in the main.
Someone at every race is not going to make it, so yes, the feel good thing of everyone gets a trophy goes out the window, BUT this is racing, so somebody has to lose.
They always run mains.
3 motos- transfer out.
run main.
They do state series but they ALL run under the same rules, those plates like nbl plates can only be run in state.
At all races you go to you get district points, that count towards your district plate that you run anywhere, (sorta like a regional plate, but you aren’t sucked into the money machine of having to hit some dumb regional championship). In the 80’s NJ had 4 districts, the biggest being in south NJ and far north NJ.
If you want a high district plate you better be racing lots of locals or kicking national ass as district points are also earned at nationals.
Nationals are best left to Lead explaining.

[dunrite9]

It’s also nice to have a track running every weeekend for the biginners & novices, and not closed becuase of a national or state race.

[bmiddaugh]

Look dunrite beginners and novices have their place and that place is putting money in the nbl’s pockets at nationals.
Locals, come on man, hows that gonna feed the rolling atm? 😆

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