USA BMX Announces 5-Year Partnership With Visit Austin

Filed under General on August 28, 2023 | Comment(s)

Annual national racing event to be held at Travis County park in nearby Pflugerville

TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 21, 2023)—USA BMX has entered into a five-year partnership with Visit Austin to host the Texas Nationals at Capitol City BMX in nearby Pflugerville for the next five years, with the first national race slated for October 2024.

For the 2024 season, USA BMX will hold 29 national racing events at sanctioned tracks across the country, commencing with the Sunshine State Nationals in Florida in January and concluding with the Grand Nationals in Oklahoma over Thanksgiving weekend.

Each national race draws hundreds or even thousands of BMX riders, fans and spectators to the area to take part in each exhilarating multi-day event, generating anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to over $1 million to the local economy.

“The Austin Sports Commission is proud to welcome the USA BMX Texas Nationals, its competitors and fans to Austin,” said Drew Hays, director of the Austin Sports Commission. “The event is estimated to bring in $13 million in direct economic impact over the next five years to our community. Beyond that, we look forward to showing USA BMX competitors and fans why Austin is such a great city to compete in. From BBQ to live music, there will be no shortage of options for folks to enjoy while in town for the race.”

Capitol City BMX was built by and is owned by Travis County Parks. The world-class BMX racing facility stands at the edge of Northeast Metropolitan Park in Pflugerville and operates sanctioned practices, races and clinics.

“11 years ago, the forward-thinking officials at Travis County Parks saw a need in the community for a best-in-class BMX facility that would bring the community together,” said BA Anderson, CEO of USA BMX. “We see this kind of groundswell happening all over the country in areas that don’t yet have a safe place for people to ride and race together. With Austin being one of the most vibrant and dynamic destinations in the country, it’s so exciting for us to join forces with Visit Austin to provide nonstop thrills and adrenaline to everyone in eastern Travis County who wants to be part of a welcoming sports community.”

Travis County Parks regularly reinvests in Capitol City BMX for necessary upgrades and amenities that keep it up-to-date, including a significant reinvestment to prepare the track for an influx of visitors and riders coming here for the Texas Nationals each year as part of the partnership with Visit Austin.

The rising number of cycling events as well as various government and employer initiatives is driving demand and interest in bicycling programs everywhere—a trend that USA BMX hopes will impel local parks and recreation departments without a BMX program to consider investing in one.

“We hear all the time from folks in areas across the country without access to a track who desperately want one in their community,” Anderson said. “They realize the importance of these kinds of facilities that allow people to come together and have fun. We applaud parks and recreation departments and local governments across the country that see that vision and bring it to life.”

About USA BMX

Established as the American Bicycle Association in 1977 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, ABA is the nation’s largest cycling organization with more than 70,000 members with combined racing and freestyle events at more than 300 sanctioned BMX tracks across the United States and Canada. ABA empowers and elevates the early stages of bicycle development by creating opportunities through facility development, programs, and national events. As a result, ABA has developed a structured blueprint. A cyclist can progress from humble beginnings on a balance bike to becoming a BMX Olympian by establishing these roots.

Through STEAM, scholarships, freestyle amateur events, the national series, the Olympics and new facilities built across the United States, these four pillars under the USA BMX organization will impact young riders and families: USA BMX Foundation, USA BMX Freestyle, USA BMX Racing and ABA Ethos.