SEVERN, Md. — Much like riding a bike, this weekend is something folks from all over the country won't soon forget.
Bicycle racers of all ages are converging on Severn this weekend for the USA BMX East Coast Nationals competition.
"We've got people from all over the country here racing BMX at our track," said Tom Sinchak, the track president for Chesapeake BMX, the Severn racecourse hosting the three-day event.
Parking for the competition, located within Severn-Danza park, is $10 per day. Races, according to the organization, begin at 9am on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.
Emma Martin, a high school senior from Elkridge, has raced, and won, at the track, since she was in elementary school.
"It can be stressful but it can be exciting at the same time. Definitely a lot of pressure sometimes, but if you ride good under pressure it's awesome," Martin told WMAR.
The Chesapeake BMX track, located at 726 Donaldson Avenue in Severn just south of Baltimore Washington International Airport, is open to bicycle riders year-round as part of the park, and hosts organized races.
The track, and its community, is fueled by the hard work done by volunteers and families.
"It feels great," Sinchak added. "We have a lot of volunteers, we're an all-volunteer organization. And we work really hard to make this a really nice place to race and it's fun to have a lot of people here racing."
No matter who crosses the checkered line first, the competition is a win for local business.
"What that brings to the community and residents here is, economic impact. With hotel stays, with restaurant visits, with attraction visits. They all really come together," Kristen Pironis, executive director of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, told WMAR Friday.
"It's awesome," Martin continued. "I look at the little kids who I feel like were just like me when I started. It's pretty cool seeing them doing what I did."
Our meteorologists are predicting a beautiful early autumn weekend for the competition.
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