Mongoose BMX race pros Cameron Wood and Payton Ridenour had finished off a solid weekend in Louisville with a pair of 1st Place finishes in the Elite division at USA BMX's Derby City Nationals. We caught up with our two pros to get their thoughts on the races.
From Payton "P-Nut" Ridenour:
What was your mindset going into the weekend?
PAYTON RIDENOUR: Going into the weekend I was super excited! I've only been racing down the supercross hill the past few months, so I was feeling really comfortable with that style of racing--I love it! I've been training nonstop between world cups, nationals, worlds, and the Olympics, so I felt physically and mentally well-prepared. With that being said, a lot of the hard work I've put in hasn't shown off as much as I would have liked it to at these past few races, so to actually execute great laps in Kentucky was an awesome feeling.
How do you feel about you and Cam getting the exact same placings throughout the weekend?
PAYTON: Cam and I both finished with a 2, 5, 1 throughout the weekend. It's awesome to see team Mongoose doing so well and I was stoked for both of us. The Goose is loose!
Did the rain affect play a factor in how you raced Sunday?
PAYTON: The rain played a small role in how I raced Sunday but not too much changed. I absolutely love racing in the rain so it was more fun than anything. I was cautious in the corners because they were a little slick, but besides that the rest of the track was good to go.
Lastly, How did you get those big trophies home, ha ha?!
PAYTON: The trophies the track made to give out to us on Sunday were awesome! I drove to Louisville with my parents so luckily it was no problem getting it home, haha.
From Cameron Wood:
What was your mindset going into the weekend?
CAM WOOD: I was happy with the way the World Championships went a week prior, but I was still the same dog at the dish just excited and hungry for another opportunity to race. Right now everything is new and exciting to me with it being my first full year racing as an elite men, so I’m loving all of the competition and just taking it one race at a time.
How do you feel about you and Payton getting the exact same placings throughout the weekend?
CAM: I never realized that until now hahaha. Pretty ironic. It was cool that we doubled up on Sunday. I was watching her race from the hill and the Mongoose sweep was definitely in the back of my mind.
Did the rain affect play a factor in how you raced Sunday?
CAM: It definitely had an affect earlier in the day. I was a little cautious as the corners were super slick, my tire was spinning out of the gate, puddles at the bottom of the hill, etc. I was able to have some pretty good scores and get an inside lane in the main. By the end of the day it was mostly dry, and in the main event all of those things kind of just don't matter anymore. Everyone knows it's the last lap of the day and the intensity rises.
Lastly, How did you get those big trophies home, ha ha?!
CAM: I managed to fit it in my “Golf Bag.” On the way there my bag was 49 lbs; for those that don't know, there is a 50 lb limit. The bag with the award had to have weighed at least 70 pounds, but when I set it on the scale I laid it flat and somehow the scale said 39 pounds. I thought for sure I was gonna have to pay the overweight fee but I got away with it..
