| BMX racing is a type of off-road bike racing. BMX | | | | lightweight deriviative of the standard twenty"-wheel |
| bicycle races are short races on purpose built off-road | | | | single-speed youngsters bike. Variations include larger |
| single lap racetracks. The track commonly consists of | | | | twenty-four" wheel BMX bikes and infrequent |
| a starting gate for up to 8 racers, a groomed | | | | multi-speed bikes. |
| serpentine soil racecourse made up of various jumps, | | | | While BMX racing is an individual sport, racing teams |
| banked and flat corners, along with a finish line. | | | | will often be formed from racers in different |
| The organisation of BMX racing is facilitated by a | | | | classifications for camaraderie as well as often for |
| number of regional and international sanctioning bodies. | | | | business exposure of a sponsoring organisation or |
| These sanctioning bodies provide a set of regulations | | | | company. BMX racing rewards strength, quickness, |
| governing the conduct of the races, stipulate | | | | and bike handling skills. Many successful BMX racers |
| age-group and skill level categories among the many | | | | have gone on to leverage their abilities in other types |
| racers, and maintain some kind of points accumulation | | | | of bike and motorcycle competitions, particularly track |
| system over a racing season. The sport is largely | | | | cycling in the more explosive sprint events. |
| participant-driven with the typical racer age of around | | | | BMX Racing became a medal sport at the 2008 |
| 13 years. Professional ranks exist for both men and | | | | Summer Olympics in Beijing and after a successful |
| women, where the average age is higher. | | | | debut will continue to be a medal sport in London 2012. |
| A BMX bicycle is a strong, relatively quick-handling, | | | | |