BMX Pro Spectacular Takes Over Tulsa Fairgrounds

The greatest BMX race on earth is back in Tulsa for the 18th year.

Thousands of people have piled into the River Spirit Expo Center for the races. Organizers say it is the biggest BMX race there is in the country. And it may be the closest people there will get to seeing Olympic-caliber BMX racing.

For this pro spectacular, three pro racers will go head to head.

Spectators will see an Olympic gold medalist from Australia going up against a French and American racer. Of course, the Tulsa crowd is rooting for American racer Connor Fields.

There will be multiple other races throughout the event. Those racers will battling for several pro titles and a fastest amateur crown.

Nearly 4,000 amateurs from 45 states are here this weekend to compete.

“You gotta watch the action,” Tulsa Sports Commission Executive Director Vincent Trinidad said. “It's very fast it's over in a matter of seconds.”

Trinidad says if you're a race fan, the USA BMX Grand National is where you need to be.

"This is the best event that the USA BMX has it its entire season,” he said. “They have 35 national events but this is the granddaddy of them all. It's called the Grand Nationals.”

Leading up to Thanksgiving weekend, crews hauled in 600 dump truck loads of dirt, packed it down and molded this into a Olympic style BMX track.

Over 3,800 professional and amateur racers come here from different states and countries.

Those racers will battle for several pro titles and a fastest amateur crown.

"It's the biggest thing in the world,” Craig Barrett said. “We call it the biggest race on earth and it lives up to that name that moniker."

Having such success with this competition, Trinidad is hoping to bring the USA BMX headquarters to Tulsa.

Trinidad says right now the sports commission has a proposal drawn up as part of the 2025 Vision 2025 plan.

"Being able to enrich our community with programming, being able to impact our youth get them out to there and have healthy lifestyles and exercise and bicycling, it's a great endeavor for us,” Trinidad said.