Sunshine, racing and BBQ at the Hawks
The third and final round of the Hawks BMX Club Summer Series gave us just about everything we could have asked for: sunshine, great racing and, somehow, no wind. Anyone who’s spent a day at the track knows that last one is worth celebrating.
Club races are a brilliant way to get started in BMX. For newer riders, it’s a chance to build confidence and learn how a race day works, from checking the moto draws and finding your pen number to knowing which gate you’re on. For our more experienced riders, it’s another chance to race hard against their club friends. We had riders across the Mixed 6 & Under category, novice age groups through to 17+, and expert groups from 7–8 through to 17+.
Well done to every rider who took part across the three rounds. Whether you were chasing a series result, racing your friends or finding your feet at your first club race, you helped make it a great summer of racing and we hope you enjoyed the series. To our newer riders, we hope you had fun and learned the ropes. If you’re already looking at the winter race calendar, you’re on the slippery slope! Before long you’ll be planning next summer’s races too!
A big well done to the riders leading the standings in their categories:
Mixed 6 & Under: Larissa Thorose
Mixed 7–8 Novice: Leo Christian
Mixed 9–10 Novice: George Waple, followed by Gurmaan Pal and Noah Rose
Mixed 11–12 Novice: William Deverell, followed by Callum Rose
Mixed 17+ Novice: Chris Whapshott
Mixed 7–8 Expert: Erin Thorose
Mixed 9–10 Expert: Augustus Bartolini, followed by Ethan Thorose and Charlie Christian
Mixed 11–12 Expert: Harvey Corcoran, followed by Aneurin Markiew and Elian Little
Mixed 13–14 Expert: George Cruikshank, followed by Eli Kelly and Armaan Pal
Mixed 15–16 Expert: Santiago Montano, followed closely by Louie Arpino
Mixed 17+ Expert: Tom Budd
The club presented trophies and medals to the series winners, along with a few special awards. Congratulations to:
Most Improved Male Rider: Alfie Ford
Most Improved Female Rider: Rachel Pritchard
Coaches’ Male Rider of the Year: Harley Laker
Coaches’ Female Rider of the Year: Larissa Thorose
Riders’ Rider of the Year: Larissa Thorose, voted for by her fellow club riders
Special Recognition Award: Anita Wong, for her hard work this year and amazing worlds result
Once the racing and presentations were over, the BBQ was fired up in the glorious sunshine. Our catering team put on another lovely spread and made sure everyone was well fed. Thank you to everyone who donated towards the food. Your generosity shows just how much this club means to its members. A special thanks to Riccardo, who raced that day before taking charge of the grill. His speed out of the gate clearly carried over to the BBQ, with food coming out at a cracking pace.
Great racing, great food and plenty of time to catch up with everyone in the sunshine, while the kids had fun away from the track too. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish the series.
Thank you to the club committee for organising all three rounds, and to every volunteer who stepped in to make the racing possible. These events simply wouldn't happen without people giving their time for the kids. We really appreciate it.
The racing doesn’t stop there. This weekend, Hawks riders are heading to Merton for the first round of the London BMX Winter Series. It’s a great one to try, especially for novice riders ready for their next race. You can find the full event details on British Cycling or take a look at our Facebook post about the race. While you’re there, give the Hawks page a like and follow us for more upcoming races and club events.
