With 2011 only just gone and 2 weeks into 2012, getting everything together for the first round of the BMX National Race Series was always going to be a challenge. With a stressful lead up to the weekend, Troy Lee Designs came through, and 2 lovely boxes arrived at Shiner.

Round 1 was held at Manchester’s new £24 million National indoor BMX facility sporting a Supercross 8m start hill for the Elite riders of BMX. Saturday was mainly practice with all the newly kitted out Redline Troy Lee Designs riders looking good. Evening came and it was time for the first Supercross race of the year.

Cal Strickland and Andy Clucas had some tough competition from the likes of the Dutch and Belgium National team. Andy was looking good in his 1st and 2nd motos, but in the 3rd it was looking tight into the first corner and he clipped a rider, which took him out. Cal made it through his motos and went into the semi. The lineup of the semi could have easily been a World Final with some of the fastest riders in the world. Gates dropped and all was looking good, but in the end, Cal came in 5th taking his chance of the final away.

Sunday arrived and it was time for the first round of the National Series. First up was cruiser and World No.1 rider Alan Hill, who easily made it into the final and came in 2nd. Alan was not so luckily in Masters 30+ and had to settle for a 1st place in the B-final.

Championship Womens rider Ayesha McLelland had a tough start to the season with a big increase in riders wanting to qualify for the World Championships in Birmingham. Ayesha sailed through to the final, but with a bad start in the final, Ayesha rolled in at 5th place.

With Andy Clucas having to pull out of the Elite Men's race due to his crash on Saturday, it was all up to Cal Strickland to pick up the slack. Elite Men was still looking extremely stacked with some of the foreign riders staying to race. Cal made it through his moto’s and made the top 8 in the Elite Men final and came in 7th place.

With 12 rounds remaining, round 1 was not to bad a start for the Redline Troy Lee Designs team and with the best looking race kit it can only get better.

Redline would like to thank it’s sponsors - Troy Lee Designs, Tioga, Tacx, Airace - for all their support.

Photo by Spencer Moret

Rider Cal Strickland