Racing 101
How to navigate BMX racing at North Shore and at other tracks.
Your Home Track
With your BMX Canada membership you are able to race at any BMX Canada/USABMX sanctioned track. You are able to race in district races, and when you feel ready, go for a Provincial and National ranking! NSBMX will be your home track and we hope you will represent your community with pride.
Races usually involve 3 motos (unless there is need for more qualifiers) where riders are ranked based on their finishing position. At NSBMX we will do 2 rounds, take an intermission, and then run the Main event. Don’t go far during intermission or you’ll miss our much loved game of Foot Down!
Race Registration
Registration can be done either in person or online. To avoid long line ups, we encourage our riders to presign
All racers will need an active membership to race (If it's your first race, we provide a one-day license, and a free race-entry - this is available once for every individual).
See our schedule page for access to links to pre-register.
All minors under the age of 16 will need a parent or guardian on site to sign for the waiver. Sorry, there is no way around this. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all time
Your Rider Classifaction
To keep things fair and fun, riders are grouped based on four simple criteria: Age, Gender, Wheel Size, and Proficiency.
Everyone starts as a Novice (Beginner). As you rack up wins, you move up:
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Novice and Intermediate Categories are co-ed.
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After 10 Novice wins a rider moves to intermediate
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Advancing from Intermediate
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Girl require 10 wins to advance to Girl Expert
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Boys require 20 wins to advance to Expert
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In order to form a class there must be a minimum of 3 riders of the same age group. There will be times where that does not occur and you may be advanced in age category or proficiency until a moto can be formed. While this can be scary in the beginning, racing older and faster riders will make you better! We’ve all been there, ask a more experienced rider about it.
Your classification also depends on your bike:
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Class (20” Wheels): The standard for Novice, Intermediate, Girl, and Expert racing.
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Cruiser (24” Wheels): Larger wheels for all ages. These classes are divided by age and gender but do not use Novice/Expert skill levels
You've Got Registered...
Now you wait for the announcement:
"Motos are Posted!"
Moto sheets are your "race maps" for the day.
What’s on the Moto Sheet?
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Race Order: Your moto number and when you’ll hit the gate. Your "moto" is your race group.
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Rider Info: Your name, bike number, and serial number.
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Gate Positions: Your assigned lane for all three qualifying rounds and the Main Event.
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Race Format: Total Points vs Transfer Racing
The Race Format
Your moto will run in one of two ways:
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Total Points: All riders race three times, and the lowest score (best finishes) wins from all 3 races. This is the most common format at district races.
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Transfer System: You race qualifying rounds to "transfer" into the Main Event "Final Race" where the winner takes all. You will see this format at larger races or when there are more than 8 riders in the class.
Still unsure? Don't sweat it. Head to the moto boards or the sign-up trailer and ask an official—we’re here to help you get to the gate on time!
Staging Area
The staging area is the "waiting room" behind the start gate.
Look for the Stager (track official) who will guide you into your assigned "chute" and onto the gate.
Finding Your Lane
There are 8 lanes in the gate. The stager will tell you where to go when your name is called. However, you should be reading the moto sheets and know which lane you been assigned.
Time to drop the gate!
Important Racing Rules
Once the gate drops the goal is simple: get to the finish line as fast as you can. There are a few rules you must be mindful of or you could get a disqualification
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a rider cannot impede another rider before the 30foot line when leaving the gate. Therefore, you must stay in your lane until you cross the white line. Then the moving and vying for positions can start
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at no time can a rider maliciously force another rider off the track
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a rider cannot impede another rider on the final straight. Riders can move but you cannot block another rider's progress
For a full list of track and rider rules, refer to the Official Rule Book here or pick up a copy at registration.
Race Results, Prizes.. And Fun!
Make the Main Event to earn more than just bragging rights. Every finish helps you climb the rankings in district points.
The Goal: The #1 Plate
The ultimate achievement in BMX is earning a #1 Plate—whether it’s for your District, Province, National Age Group or even Worlds!
Your district points earn you your "plate number" for the next season. Consistency is key: stack up those points at every race to see how high you can rank by year-end!
This point system is available to any member to log in and track their standings on the BMX Canada website. It's a fun-competitive way to keep your progress going.
