After turning pro just a year ago, Allen Currier has shown that he may have what it takes to make a real impact in the upcoming 2008 season. After an incredible win at the NBL Grands in Junior Men, Allen started the season off with some great racing in Woodward, PA. Read on to hear what Allen had to say after the races in Woodward.

The Basics:

Name: Allen Currier

Age: 18

Class: Super-X

Sponsors: Bizzarro Racing, Intense bikes, JRA of Medford MA, Fly Racing, Cane Creek, ODI, Thomson, Profile, KMC, THE.

Location: Bethel, CT

What got you into racing? My brother was in the volunteer fire department in Bethel and he was an EMT. He used to EMT at the track every week so one week me and my parents just stopped by the track to see him and the next day I was there with my bike riding all day long. For a few months until I started racing I would ride for hours until it was dark and I couldn't see to ride anymore.

How long have you been racing? 12 years

Old School Stuff.  Currier leading the way on the big bike under A.J. Bontorno.  Thanksgiving National 2004.

What do you do outside of racing (work, school, etc. give us some background)? I go to school part time at Western Connecticut State University but I plan on becoming a full time student. I don't work right now so in my free time I go to the gym, ride as much as I can, hang out with my friends and my girlfriend, just try and have fun and that's pretty much it.

What is your favorite thing about racing? There are a lot of things I like about racing, I like the competition, I am very competitive and hate to lose, but since I have been racing pro I have learned to accept losses a lot better because your not going to win every race. It just makes you work harder to try and improve for the next race. Another thing I like about racing is the improvements you can see yourself make and the feeling of having that perfect lap or doing something that you didn't know you could do weather its beating someone you didn't think you could or taking a line through a rhythm section that seemed impossible to you at first. Its all about improving yourself and making yourself better.

Allen taking the low line while flying the Bizzarro colors under Jeremy Rauch at the Thanksgiving National in 2004.

What is your least favorite thing about racing? Least favorite thing about racing is definitely the little kids parents who yell and scream at their kids, all they are doing is taking the fun out of it for their kids. That and people who think they are better than everyone else just because they win a few races or they are a top rider. It doesn't matter what national number you are or how many nationals you have won, we are all just riding bikes trying to have fun and race.

 

Favorites:

Favorite track? Bethel, CT and the Grands.

Favorite National? X-mas classic in Ohio

Favorite hobby outside of racing? Well since everything I do pretty much revolves around racing the only other thing I really put a lot of time into is going to the gym.

What would you be doing now if you weren't racing BMX? That's a real hard question for me to answer because I have been racing BMX ever since I can remember, its hard to think what my life would be like without BMX. But I would probably be playing some other sport because I played football and baseball when I was younger but I stopped because it took too much time away from BMX. That or I used to race go carts but I missed so many BMX races one year so I quit, but I wouldn't mind racing some kind of car or something like that.

Have your parents supported you in your pursuit of BMX? My parents have supported me more than anyone else since the first year I started racing and they still support me. My dad likes going to the races just as much as I do sometimes I think he enjoys going more than I do. My mom supports me by believing in me, even at times when I doubt my own abilities she always believes in me and is telling me to take it to the next level and step up.

What was your biggest win? There are a few races that are really important to me that are not necessarily "big" wins like my first pro win in Trumbull and a local race they do in Connecticut where each track picks a rider and the race for a cup which the winners name is put on the trophy forever. But the biggest win just because of how many people were there to see it and because of the caliber of riders has to definitely be the junior men grand’s win, its unbelievable to me.

Racing:

The NBL Grands had to have been pretty crazy for you. After making the main, you were the beneficiary of a big crash in the second turn. Tell us how the weekend and the race went. Yeah the grands was a pretty crazy race for me. I felt really good going into the weekend, I had been riding everyday up until then and I felt fast. I raced Elite men in the UCI race Friday night and rode good but didn’t transfer out of my moto’s but I had the track pretty dialed. Saturday I knew I had a good chance in Junior men I rode good all through motos and kept thinking to myself that I could have a chance to win. I drew gate 8 for the main which didn’t bother me because I had outside all weekend and I would high low the first turn every time and it worked. But in the main my plan was to just pedal the top of the turn and be ready for everyone to come up into me. I had a good snap but when I went to pull for the first jump I hit it a little bit so that put me back in 6th. I pedaled the top of the turn and had no one in my way down the 2nd straight and next thing I know I'm passing for 3rd into the 2nd turn. Then I look up and see Logan Collins and Joey Bradford leaning on each other so I cut low, they fell, and I look up and I remember thinking if I could still jump the pro set even though I had lost all my speed by going low in the turn. So I rolled though the whole pro section which was probably the worse part of the whole weekend. I get to the last turn and get passed and I remember thinking no way I didn’t go through all this just to lose on the last straight so I rode the white line all the way down the last straight and barley got the win at the line. I really didn’t even know how to react after the race I was happy but I would have liked to see everyone stay up and see how I would have finished because I had the pro section down pretty good, I still wonder if I could have pulled it off if everyone didn’t fall, but a win is a win.

The racing also got pretty heated in Woodward. Tell us what went down and how you finished on the weekend. Woodward was a good weekend for me. Saturday I think I won all my motos and I knew that Phil Delizia was looking fast. We got to the main and he took the lead early and ran away with it, I took 2nd. Sunday I was determined to try and stay with him and not let him pull away, he had the inside in the main and took the lead into the 1st turn. I railed it and just had a lot more speed than him and got by him pretty easily down the 2nd straight but I knew it wasn't over yet. He high lowed the 2nd turn then right before the double out of the turn we hit and he went down I rode off the track and lance ended up with the win I got 5th. Everyone was coming up to me after the race saying it was a dirty move but I don't think it was dirty but I don't know if it was the best move to pull when he did we still had half the track left. But if I was in his position I might have done the same thing, if I have a chance to win I am going to take it, and that's what he tried it just didn't work out, but that's racing.

What are your racing plans for the 2007-2008 season? What class will you be racing, what races will you be attending? For 07-08 I want to get to as many races as possible, no sure how many that will end up being. I will definitely be at the x mas race and south park for the bigger races but I don't know where else. I just want to race as much as I can because the only way you get better is by racing people especially people that might be faster than you. I will be racing the super x class this year and hopefully I can hang in there with those guys. I will be at all the local nationals near my area of course and I really don't know where else, I guess wherever I have to go to race as much as possible.

What are your goals for the upcoming season? To get to as many races as I can maybe go out west a little or just to places I have not been. And just to train harder than I did last season and try and get faster.

Anybody you would like to thank?  I would like to thank first my parents for giving me every opportunity to succeed in BMX and for their support throughout my years racing. Also Chris Keller for getting me in the gym and pretty much forcing me to start training ha. Of course I have to thank London Wilmot and everyone on Bizzarro Racing for giving me a great team to ride for, for all these years, there's not a better team out there, there's no drama, no pressure just a good atmosphere to be around on race day. Last I would like to thank John Falis for keeping me motivated and going to the gym, and thanks to everyone who encourages me and supports me.