Durango BMX riders opened the Colorado state qualifier season with an impressive showing full of victories at Grand Valley BMX in Grand Junction on May 30, where 11 Durango BMX athletes joined a large crew of riders from Cortez and the surrounding area.
The competition at Grand Valley BMX brought riders from across the state in the first of 10 state qualifying races for those vying for a coveted 2026 state plate. This year riders will need to compete in five state qualifiers to earn a chance at a state plate, with the state championships being held at Durango BMX in August this year.
First to race from the top of the starting hill were the cruisers, where riders compete on slightly larger 24-inch wheel BMX bikes. Eli Hall, the 2025 Colorado State No. 1 10-year-old cruiser rider, claimed the top spot in the 10–11 cruiser class, while Carter MacNiven also earned a first-place finish in the 13-year-old cruiser division.
Louis Vito, 7, raced up against a field of 9-year-olds and brought home an impressive second-place finish. Daniel Brown rounded out the cruiser results with a second-place trophy in the 16 cruiser class.
The action then shifted to class racing. Leading off for the Durango BMX contingent was 9-year-old novice rider Sam Vito, who decided to give BMX racing a try just a few weeks ago after spending the past year cheering on his younger brother, Louis from the sidelines. Competing in his first-ever state qualifier and just his fourth BMX race overall, Sam rode to an impressive third-place finish in the 9 Novice class.
Also earning a spot on the podium was Justin Brown, 47 Novice – known around Durango BMX as the “Durango Track Whisperer.” Staying true to his signature racing style, Brown lined up in a pair of jeans and powered his way to a third-place trophy.
The spotlight then turned to Durango BMX’s intermediate riders, the division racers advance to after earning 10 wins as novices. Louis “Lou Dogg” Vito continued his strong season with an impressive second-place finish in a highly competitive 7 Intermediate class.
The day concluded with Durango BMX’s expert riders, the sport’s most advanced class, reserved for racers who have earned 20 Intermediate wins. Julia Koskinen, competing in the 10 Girls Expert division, stepped up to race against a field of 10 and 11-year-old Intermediate boys and powered her way to a fourth-place finish.
Eli Hall continued his dominant season in the 10 Expert class, once again claiming the top spot on the podium. In the 13 Expert division, Carter MacNiven battled to a thrilling third-place finish, edging out the competition in a nail-biting sprint to the finish line. Daniel Brown added another podium result for Durango BMX with a second-place finish in the 16 Expert class.
Charlie Sage, 10 Expert, despite having a newly broken arm, kept his state plate hopes alive with a gate bump, meaning he walked up to the start, did not race, but it counted as a race, so that he can hopefully heal up and race for a top spot later in the season.
A select group of Durango BMX racers also traveled to Eagle County BMX on Sunday, May 31, for a second state qualifier weekend race. Sam Vito, competing in the 9 Novice class, earned another podium finish with a strong third-place result. Louis Vito continued his successful weekend by taking third place in Cruiser and finishing second in the highly competitive 7 Intermediate class.
About Durango BMX
Durango BMX is a nonprofit organization supporting BMX racers in and around Durango. We partner with the City of Durango Parks and Recreation to bring local BMX racing and events, as well as support racers who compete at state and national events.
Durango BMX has racing for all ages and levels every Friday evening through the fall.
