By P.J. DiPentino
Berthoud Recorder

Berthoud’s very own BMX race team, Rocky Mountain Racing, has been busy traveling on the national circuit. The local race team RMR traveled last month to two very big competitions. The first was a Redline qualifier held in Rock Springs, Wyo. Rocky Mountain Racing sent a dozen riders to this event with great results.

Team leader Gabriella DiPentino led the pack, losing only one race all weekend with a dominating performance. Little sister, 6-year-old Olivia, won her first big event as she made her first “big race” with the race team. Brad Grenda and Alex Sabados fought it out all weekend with a tough group of 13-year-olds. Grenda won the event with Sabados in second place. The little guns Phillip “The Flyin’ Meatball” DiPentino and Kaleb Killsnight were a great force in the 7- and 8-year-olds. When it was all completed, the Berthoud RMR gang took home a lot of trophies, and everybody will advance to the Redline Cup Championships.

The following weekend three of the RMR riders traveled all the way to Desoto, Texas, to compete at the 2009 National Championship/World Qualifiers. Gabriella DiPentino and Brad Grenda both attended, representing our little town. DiPentino struggled racing the best female riders in the country. She made her main event one out of the three days bringing home a 5th place finish. Unfortunately this was not good enough to qualify, and both made it to the semi qualifiers but did not make the main event. Grenda did an awesome job, attending this big event for the first time. His racing on the national level is getting better every time.

Six-year-old Kaleb Killsnight, Rocky Mountain’s little guy, did a great job at the World qualifier in Texas. With a second place finish, he was the only RMR racer to advance. Killsnight has earned a spot with the 2009 USA national team and will be traveling to Australia this summer to compete at the 2009 World Championships.

Not attending was Berthoud’s world champion Wyatt Bell. Bell has previously qualified and will be joining Killsnight in Australia this summer. Bell is the returning World Champion and will be tough to beat again this year. In all, the local racers are really stepping up and making some noise on the national scene and we expect nothing but great results from our local kids in the upcoming season.