Regional Championship, LCQ, NBL Changes, William Update, and More... Whew!

August 14-15, Peachtree City, GA

Whether we're at a Four Seasons or an Econo Lodge, I do not trust hotel alarm clocks. I awoke suddenly Saturday morning to a strange blue light coming from the clock. "Vann-- Vann! Did the alarm go off?" Grunt, nudge. I took that as a yes. I dressed in the dark, washed my face, brushed my teeth, applied fresh contacts, and was already thinking about what my Waffle House breakfast would consist of. Just as I was moving to flip on the lights and wake the boys, Vann sat up. "What are you doing!?" Me--"Getting dressed!" (Like, DUHHH!) Vann groaned and  fumbled for the clock-- "It's 1:45 in the morning!"

I crawled back in bed. It didn't take me long to get ready when the alarm actually did sound at 6.

Vann and Wyatt- SE Regional Championship, Peachtree City, GA

It was time for the Southeast Regional Championship. We've attended this event for the past five years, and this was the best turn-out since Albany five years ago. We were there exclusively for Wyatt, and it pained William to watch from the sidelines. He had hoped to race 9-10 cruiser that day, but his arm would not allow it (see previous blog). A two moto transfer had been called due to incoming weather. Mains had just begun when the sky opened up. Deciding how to handle these situations is always a tough call for track officials. Fortunately, this was Peachtree City BMX, and with Shayne Robinson in charge, it was handled with finesse. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. We were sent away with instructions to check the track hotline every hour. That turned out not to be necessary, as word quickly spread through some sort of BMX ESP that the gate would drop at 5:30.

Wyatt had pulled seconds in motos, and returned to the track with high hopes of winning the main. Honestly, I think he wanted to get it over with and go swim in the pool. He ended up with a second.

Later at the Peachtree Wyndham, parents and kids gathered at the pool for our long awaited happy hour. The kids had a blast, and the scene was reminiscent of "Caddy Day" at the Bushwood Country Club. I only wish I had a baby ruth.

Sunday was the Last Chance Qualifier for the Grands. I'll keep it brief. Wyatt brought in his first perfect EVER. Thank you PTC BMX for a great weekend!

Wyatt's Main (7 rookie)

On our drive home, I was phoned by my friend Dede with word of the NBL changes. Wow! I'm not sure how other BMX families feel about this, but it's going to be a tremendous savings for us. With two riders, one of which races class and cruiser, we're used to paying $300 in entry fees for an event weekend. Now we won't hesitate to race as often as possible, and will most likely put Wyatt on a cruiser as well. If I understand the new proficiency changes correctly, Wyatt will automatically move to the new "challenger" class after the Grands. This is great with us, as we had already decided to move him up anyway. I won't summarize these changes. You can read about them here.

I'll close with a quick William report. He's almost able to fully straighten his arm, and is working to bend it beyond 90 degrees. He's constantly bending, stretching and twisting. He'll start riding this week, with plenty of wrist support and elbow protection. William has decided to ride the Grands no matter what. I know William, and I know he'll grit his teeth and give it everything he has. Please send him good thoughts!

BMX Mom