2022 Pro-Am
An annual staple, in the lead-up to the Midwest Nationals, The Hill Pro-Am has attracted top-talent from all spheres of the BMX community, in it’s many-years of running.
The Hill, it’s sponsors and volunteers work hard to bring-together a high-profile event, set among one of our weekly single-points races.
This is important to the crew, because it gives our local families an opportunity to see top-tier racers do their thing on our track–and plants the seed for all of our aspiring racers to see what’s possible in the sport of BMX Racing, when you “put the work in.”
For 2022, we had stacked-racks of these star riders, and it was awesome (as it always is) to see all our local riders’ eyes-glued to the track, cheering-on their favorite, among those who gated-up for the Big Show.
In the final gate-of-eight, we had (in order of finish)
Ethan Popovich
Olijuwon Davis
Noah Barton
Trevor Kotrba
Josh Sterling
Stefan Fahy
Nate Hathcock
Jeff Kiefer
There was contentious racing, in all four rounds, with pulse-quickening action for the fans–just as a top-flight Pro-Am should be.
Ethan “E-Pop” Popovich was fresh-off his win of the Junior Mens class, at the USA Cycling Elite National Championship race, held at the newly-opened USA BMX Hardesty National BMX Stadium in Tulsa, OK.
During the intermission, before the third round of Pro-Am Racing, Ethan was invited to address the crowd, to tell us of his experience at the race which earned him the lauded “flag” sleeve, for the next 12 months.
We will be cheering-him-on this month, as he heads to Nantes, France for the UCI BMX World Championships.
The other Podium finishers, Olijuwon “OD” Davis, and Noah Barton are both long-time fixtures at The Hill, and there was definitely a “Hill Pride” cheering section for them, and the other riders who call The Hill home.
The day started out with a “Captain” Nic Long clinic, which riders from several states came-in for, then stuck-around to race the evening program.
Liberty BMX offered a $100 “Holeshot Award” for the Pro-Am, and Nic DOUBLED it, just before the main event touched-off. E-Pop got that holeshot cash, in addition to the top-step check.
Big thanks to Amy Home Services (link below), who stepped-up to provide the purse…and to all riders, both local, and otherwise, who came out to make this one of the best Pro-Am races we have had.
We look forward to seeing the Top Guns again for our 2023 Pro-Am!
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