Lahee Park welcomes NAG Series opener
Register now to take part in the first national event for the BMX 2016 season.
MORE than 150 riders are gearing up for the opening rounds of the 2016 SA BMX National Age Group (NAG) Series at the Lahee Park BMX track on 2 and 3 April.
The host club, Lahee Park BMX Club, have a mellow track that is not too technical. The club’s chairman, Tim O’Brien, said the jumps are not too high and the start ramp is very low, which will encourage a broad range of riding abilities. “The track is built like the ABA tracks in the USA,” said Tim. “It will suit the stronger rider because they won’t be gathering as much speed on a lower start ramp as they would on an eight-metre-high ramp, so they have to pedal hard to build up that speed.
“It also attracts the newcomers to the sport, whereas the sheer scale and technicality of a track like Giba Gorge, which is built to world standards for elite racing, could very easily scare some potential starters away.”
All age groups are invited and all riders must belong to a BMX club to take part in at the first national event of the 2016 season. Official gate practice is on Friday, 1 April from 2pm to 4pm and the race for leg one will start at 10am, leg two will start at 1pm on Saturday, 2 April, and leg three will start at 9am on Sunday, 3 April.
O’Brien said that the race is a big event on the club’s calendar and all members will be racing at their home track for the national event. “There will be over 150 riders here,” he stated.
Although attracting a national field that will largely have their focus on scoring points for the overall series, O’Brien says that the BMX club places a large focus on beginners. “We’re all about developing the sport, so you will see lots of dads on cruisers racing with their kids. We also host coaching clinics here.”
KwaZulu-Natal cycling development officer, Tyrone Johns, said he was looking forward to taking his development riders to a venue close to home. “The whole Giba Gorge development team of 10 riders will be there and five from the KZN cycling development team, but they all train and race together.
“Lahee Park is one of the oldest BMX tracks in the country and it’s really rad,” he continued. “There is a large focus on the family vibe, with lots of parents and children racing, which is very cool.”
