Riders stoked after makeover to Westmoreland BMX

The dirt racing track at Westmoreland BMX in Allegheny Township’s Northmoreland Park, with its varying jumps throughout the S-shaped course, had not be altered in more than a decade.

That changed in November when the track was leveled and redesigned. The course’s length and the position of the turns and straightaways were not moved, but all of the jumps — their height, position, length and complication level — were changed.

“We had the money and the opportunity to do it,” assistant track director Russell Edwards said. “It was something we wanted to invest in.”

After a week of work, the track was complete. However, with the late-fall weather turning colder and unpredictable with the chance of snow, course officials decided to keep riders off the track until the spring.

“We also wanted to give the dirt time to settle in,” Edwards said.

Races resumed in late April, and Edwards said the reaction to the changes from the riders of all ages and experience levels was positive.

“We wanted to make it a little more challenging,” Edwards said. “We also wanted to have a lot of different aspects to the track so the riders can do a lot of practicing and riding here, and when they go to other states or tracks, they can be prepared to ride those different courses.

“There have been riders in their 20s like (BMX pro) Nick (Dawson), who have been riding here for 17-18 years who knew every inch of the track. It was an interesting change for them. It’s taken some getting used to.”

Dawson, a 2015 Plum graduate, is in his second year as a BMX pro.

“Change is good,” said Dawson, who will be in Rockford, Ill., this weekend for the USA BMX Midwest Nationals pro race.

“They had just started (the work on the track), and I drove up after work one day and was like, ‘This is sweet. They’re changing everything.’ I didn’t expect as many changes. It was so different. Everything is deep, tight and technical. It’s more European style. It’s fun. It’s nice to have something new.”

Edwards said some of the top riders from the South Park BMX track have traveled to Westmoreland on Tuesdays to get in practice and test the new track.

Westmoreland BMX hosts Tuesday evening races throughout the summer and into the fall. The track will be the home for a Gold Cup regional qualifier and a state qualifier July 20-21. More than 700 riders are expected to test their mettle over the two days.

“A lot of people will be camping out all weekend,” Edwards said. “Those races will be a sight to see.”

BMX Racing League

This year, USA BMX launched a program at tracks across country for beginning riders.

The six-week program provides instruction with the hope people becomes more familiar with how BMX racing works. Every track follows the same format.

Twenty riders ages 5 to 14 and one adult signed up for the Thursday spring program at Westmoreland.

“We taught them how to read the motos (race heats), how to get lined up in the chute, how to get positioned at the gate and how the normal races are run,” Edwards said.

“It was nice to see because it wasn’t very intimidating for anyone. Everyone was new. It was exciting to be able to coach some of these kids and watch them become more involved.”

The new riders raced with the regulars for the first time Tuesday.

“We threw them into the fire, and it was exciting to see how they stacked up against some of the locals who have been racing every week for several years,” Edwards said.

For new racer Clint Edwards, 37, a Freeport resident, it was fun to learn about racing at the local track with his son Tyler, 5.

“I’ve ridden bikes my whole life but never raced,” said Edwards, who is no relation to assistant track director Russell Edwards. “We came here in the fall and Tyler started getting into it. We joined the beginners league to learn together. We have a better idea of how to handle the turns and the jumps and do it in a safe manner.”