I’m on the flight home from the long beach pro/celebrity grand prix and I am so stoked I won it this year. The race ended after 8 laps due to a couple of big accidents on the track. I finished with an 8 second lead on Martina Navratilova who finished in 2nd and Josh Morrow in 3rd place. Not only was the race exciting, but meeting and getting to know all the other celebs was a priceless experience.

I mean think about it, hangin out with George Lucas, Martina, Bucky Lasek, John Salley (the best damn sport show), Emily Procter (CSI Miami), Kelly Hu, Aisha Tyler, Kathryn Morris, Robin Quivers (Howard Stern show), and Kendra Wilkinson (the girls next door), Scott Kelley and nascar truck champion Mike Skinner. All in all everyone was super cool and very personable.

Friday morning was a practice session followed by qualifying that determined what position you started in. After the practice session Bucky and I had the fastest laps out of everyone. (Bucky-1:46.603, Dave 1:46.903). Bucky raced pro this year so that means he starts 30 seconds back and technically we were not racing each other. Next, qualifying is a 30 minute session and the driver with the fastest lap gets pole position and wins $15,000 to donate to the charity of his or her choice. I won the pole with only .75 of a second ahead of Martina. Martina is fast and consistent, so I knew the race would be a good one.

Race day is here. I wake up super early trying to picture what’s going to happen? How the race will end up? I get so nervous, but not like the X-Games nervous, more excited like an anxiety attack. Anyway, the race starts with two pace laps and when you see the green flag, it’s on. We come around turn 11 and see the green flag and I get a great start. Martina misses the start and Josh Morrow takes over 2nd which helps me because now they’re fighting over 2nd and I’m out front gaining as much space as I can. Each lap I was gaining close to a second.

They called the race after George Lucas and Anna Marie collided in turn one and I was annouced the winner of the 2007 Long Beach Grand Prix pro/celebrity race. Pretty sick. Check out the photos.

See ya,

dm

Mirraco’s Ryan Guettler was presented the BMX Plus! Dirt Jumper Of The Year award. The readers of BMX Plus! could send in their votes of best Dirt Jumper of the year (Guettler this time), best Freestyler of the year (Mirra from 1997-2005) and Racer of the Year.
Congrats to Ryan for yet another award.

Results:

2006 Dirt Jumper of the year:

1. Ryan Guettler

2. Corey Nastazio

3. Anthony Napolitan

2006 Freestyler of the year:

1. Ryan Nyquist

2. Mat Hoffman

3. Dave Mirra