If you have never raced BMX before, come and try your first race for free. When you're hooked, go to Cycling BC (see the link on the home page) to order your annual racing license, then come back to our track for more racing!
Your first task at the track is to check in at the moto shed between 5:30 pm and 6:15 pm on a Thursday to get registered and pay your race fee for the evening (free for half-track, $5 for full-track). Confirm with the registration counter that your name, age/skill category, and your bike's plate number are recorded correctly. Then put on your safety gear and head out to the track to practice.
Just after 6:30 pm you will hear an announcement that the "riders' list is posted". This is your cue to go to the big wooden board on the side of the concession stand to see the list of all riders registered for the race--you need to check that your name, age/skill category and plate number are correct. This is very important--if there is an error, head to the registration desk to request a correction. If you fail to get this corrected, your race results may not be recorded by the finish line judges.
The registration volunteers will then enter any necessary corrections and shortly afterwards you will hear an announcement that "motos are posted". Go back to the wooden board to find out the number of the moto you will be racing in, and which lane you are assigned to. You will be entered in three motos for the night, and lanes are assigned randomly by the computer program. There might be, for example, 18 different age/skill groups for the evening. Starting at 7 p.m., each of the 18 groups take a turn to race their first moto, then the half trackers finish up their racing. Then each of the 18 groups race their second moto. This is followed by a short break, and then the third and final moto for the evening. As an example, you may be racing in moto 7/lane 3, moto 25/lane 8, and moto 43/lane 1.
At 7 p.m. the announcer will say "all riders to staging". This is your cue to head up to the start gate. The riders in moto #1 will get themselves to the front of the line, then moto #2 and so on. There will be a "staging" volunteer at the gate with a copy of the moto sheet who will call out the names of the riders in each moto and remind them of their lane number as they move onto the gate. Young riders who are new to the track may have their parents at the gate to help them out as well until they get comfortable. Another tip is to write the moto numbers on your young child's arm if they feel overwhelmed by trying to remember when to be ready!
Once the riders have completed all three motos for the evening, the finish line volunteers take their recorded results to the moto shed. The results for each moto are entered into the computer and overall standings for each rider are calculated. All race results are then posted on the website later in the week as well.