Mongoose pro racer Payton “P-Nut” Ridenour started the 2023 USA BMX season with a big win at the Lone Star Nationals in Houston, TX! On Friday and Saturday, P-Nut and teammate Cam Wood both managed to land impressive 3rd place finishes against stacked classes of Men's/Women's elite pro talent. On Sunday, P-Nut leveled up and scored the win with UCI points hanging in the balance! We caught up with her after her big weekend:
What a great way to start the year! What was your mindset going into the weekend?
P-NUT: I’ve put in a LOT of work this offseason on and off the bike. I felt very confident with my riding and trusted all the prep I had done up to the first race of the year. This was the first time a while that all the pieces started coming together for me, so it feels good!
Has the move to Tulsa and riding the USA BMX HQ track helped?
P-NUT: Even though the initial move to Tulsa was tough (completely different world out here than PA!) it’s finally starting to feel a bit like home. Having a supercross track only ten minutes from my house is a game changer for me. Not only has it allowed me to ride through the winter, but also has upped my comfort levels on these bigger scale tracks.
What does the rest of the year look like for Payton?
P-NUT: World domination, ha-ha! Just kidding, but it’s gonna be a great year between USA BMX Nationals and the UCI World Cup series. I have an awesome circle around me (my mom and dad and coach Arielle Martin-Verhaaren), and I’m ready to give this year everything I’ve got and keep building on this solid foundation we’ve built. This is just the beginning!
Photo credit USA BMX and Katie Frezza.
