“As part of my own interest in sticking with it and at the discretion of our partner, USA BMX, it wasn’t long before we found a place to put a track and set up shop again.” That is when the passion of BMX met the open arms of Westerville. “To this day, Westerville has been a great partner. It is so uniquely Westerville how everyone involved from the beginning still engages with this project,” Buehrer recalls.

Construction of the track began in August 2021, utilizing a 100-person, all volunteer crew working well over 500 hours to finish the course. After only two months of diligent work, the track welcomed its first riders and started scheduling events. “That’s something that doesn’t usually happen,” Buehrer told me. “More often than not, courses that take on large scale events and daily use alike don’t just happen in under a year.” Buehrer credits the successful construction of the track to USA BMX and many diligent, hard-working volunteers.

The track is open during “outdoor season” which is April through October. The numbers it has seen are remarkable even though the location may be a bit off-the-beaten path. “It can be tricky to find us,” Buehrer notes, “And even those who come here don’t always know about all the opportunities we have for our beginners and experts alike.”

Westerville BMX hosts weekly races and training sessions and also hosts major events. The invitation to race is open to all - anyone who can ride a bike or even balance on one can race. And races are organized by skill levels and age groups which range from five and under, to 51 and over. Within these age groups are three skill levels: Novice, Intermediate and Expert. All riders start as novices and work up to the more advanced levels by winning races.

“What makes BMX unique compared to other seasonal sports is your ability to join whenever,” Buehrer says. “If you try to join another sport mid-season, chances are you won’t get in or you won’t play. In BMX you’re only racing to be better than yourself.”