The recent boom of Durango BMX was evident at the state championship races last weekend in Grand Junction.
Durango BMX has grown from an average of seven riders participating in Friday night events at the track at Cundiff Park to an average of 35. There are 14 BMX tracks in Colorado. In 2015, Durango ranked last in track points based on ridership and new rider sign-ups. This year, Durango BMX ranked third behind only Dacono and Grand Junction, and Durango BMX prides itself in having the only track open to the public every day.
After having two riders, Ethan Deem and Wesley Speicher, bring home plates at the Gold Cup Regional Finals in California two weeks ago, 14 Durango BMX riders earned plates for finishing in the top 10 of the state’s overall standings last weekend in Grand Junction.
Deem claimed first place in the state finals race for riders in the age 9 intermediate category. That helped him clinch the final standings championship.
Rebeccah Sheppard also claimed second among women riders age 21-30 in the state race and in the overall standings.
Oren Moore claimed first in the age 11 intermediate division in the finals race and was second in the final standings.
Leit Schaffer finished second in the standings in the 14-year-old boys intermediate category. He also finished second in the finals race.
Specicher finished third in both the state race and final standings for riders age 8 intermediate.
Nate Buswell finished third in the age 36-40 cruiser race and second in the 36-40 novice state finals races. He finished third in the final standings in both events.
Cole Chism finished fourth in the state race in the 10-year-old cruiser event and was ninth in the race for the age 10 intermediate division. He finished third in the cruiser standings and 10th in the intermediate standings for his age group.
Levi Musgrave finished the season in fifth in the race for boys 5-and-under in the novice category. He took third in the final race at state.
Noah Foutz placed third in the race for riders age 6 intermediate and wound up fifth in the final standings.
Cody Buswell was also fifth in the final standings for age 7 intermediate boys and rode to fifth in the state race.
Graham Musgrave was seventh in the final standings for boys age 6 intermediate. He placed sixth in the state race.
Grey Saren rode to seventh in the series for boys age 7 intermediate. He finished sixth in Grand Junction.
Drake Loughman also brought home a plate for finishing ninth among boys age 6 intermediate, and he finished ninth in the state race.
Henry Anderson was ninth in both the final standings and at the state race for boys age 11 intermediate.
Preston Loughman rounded out the Durango BMX final standings plate winners with a 10th-place finish for boys age 8 intermediate. He finished ninth at the state race to secure his plate.
Hayden Raymond put together a great race to finish second in the 19-27 age expert division in the Grand Junction race.
Diego Lopez also rode to ninth in the age 15 intermediate race in Grand Junction to finish second overall in the division, and Hayden Dubit was ninth in the race for age 11 expert boys to place seventh in the overall standings.
Durango BMX hopes to build an indoor facility for year-round use with goals of hosting a national championship event in the next 10 years.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
