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Growing club on track

Bohdi Reggs.

Up to 100 BMX riders flocked to the Hedland track last Friday for the first round of local points races in a tremendous sign of how much the club has grown recently.

Just six years ago, the Hedland BMX Club had only 20 members - now there are 126 members of all ages and genders.

Along with a growth in numbers has come significant improvement in the club's infrastructure.

Riders on Friday night were able to make use of a new registration and clubroom and toilet block.

This year, riders will also launch each race from a new, international-standard starting gate, funded by a grant from BHP Billiton.

Looking ahead, the club's five year plan includes measures to upgrade the track's lighting and bituminising the berms as part of a string of upgrades designed to make Hedland stand out.

Being in the Pilbara also should not mean members miss out on high-quality training.

The club's accredited coaches run regular training sessions each week, while elite WA coach Nathan Schmiedte visits several times a year to run coaching clinics.

And with all that is happening off the track, there is plenty of excitement on it as well.

Hedland BMX will host round 1 of the North West Super Series this year, in which riders from Karratha, Hedland and Tom Price compete against each other.

This year Newman has also just built a track and will be joining in on the action.

Last year, 10 of Hedland's best riders went to Perth to compete in the WA State Championships and performed extremely well.

As a result, Jasmin Kilmartin, who placed third in the State, will this month head to Queensland to compete in the national championships.

Any new members wanting to follow in Jasmin's footsteps should head along to the track.

Racing begins at 7pm every Friday.