ABA ROC and NBL President’s Cup Merge
Just in to the BMX News Command Center: The ABA Race Of Champions and the NBL President’s Cup will merge for 2011, to become the USA BMX President’s Cup Race of Champions, held on the Friday of ABA Grands Weekend (November 25, 2011) in Tulsa, OK.
Many of the traditions of the storied NBL classic will be brought to Tulsa, including the “Parade of States” (where all the riders from each state, led by their state’s flag, will walk the track, in a show of state unity). The race will also feature a cup, to be taken back to the winning state (as in previous President’s Cup races), and a banner of all previous President’s Cup winning states since 1985 (ala the “National Champion” banners the ABA has always displayed at the Grands).
The race will remain a “by-qualification-only” event, as both events have been in the past. The ABA Race of Champions qualification criteria are finishing in the top 10 in the ABA State Series, based on age and class (i.e. top ten 8-year old experts). On the NBL side, riders will qualify who have finished in the top 15 in their NBL State Series, based on age and class.
For the Friday event, the stands will be divided by state, so state teams can strategize on how to win the Cup. This will also provide a great opportunity for the ABA and NBL riders who do not normally “see” each other on the state and local level to meet, and compete as a team–all cheering for one and one cheering for all.
The award of the day will carry the “President’s Cup” theme, with cups for all classes. In addition, each class winner will receive a ROC/President’s Cup #1 number plate they can run after the race (ala the ROC #1 in ABA), as well as a “vehicle sticker” you can use to pimp your ride with your #1 honors.
We think this is a great melding of the two cultures, in putting together two world-class events in one venue–an “appetizer” to what will come in 2012.
BMX News will have more on this important development in the unification of ABA and NBL, in the coming days.
—Mike Carruth
