Just north of West Shrock Road, you will find one of Westerville’s hidden gems.
Located in Alum Creek South Park behind the Westerville Skatepark and Thomas James Knox Memorial Roller Hockey Rink, you will find a hilly, dirt track, home to Westerville BMX and its hometown BMX team, the Westerville Cobras.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Ramsburg
Coach and Track Operator Chad Buehrer, has led the team’s program since 2019 and assisted the team as it transitioned to Westerville, all while creating new opportunities for the local community to learn about and participate in the sport.
Through support from local partners and families, the programming and awareness of the sport have grown in recent years. With the 2024 season underway, Buehrer is excited to see what the future holds for the organization.
Did you know?
The gate Westerville BMX uses at races was previously owned by Akron BMX and made its way to New York for the BMX Christmas Classic in 2008.
Moving to Westerville
Before moving to Westerville, the Westerville Cobras were known as Cobra BMX. The group started in 1988 with a home track at Heer Park, south of Downtown Columbus.
When the city closed the park in 2021, Buehrer and the Cobras began looking for a new track. Five months later, the team found a home in Westerville.
Photo courtesy of Chad Buehrer
“From first conversation to even breaking ground is usually five to six years,” Buehrer says. “We were able to cut through all of that because this had already been designated as BMX track. We were just coming in and moving the dirt around like normal track maintenance.”
During the past three years, the program has continued to grow, working closely with City of Westerville and its Parks & Recreation department.
Since putting roots down in Westerville, the program has wasted no time connecting with local residents.
Westerville Lions Club member Debbie Bennati says the club is a sponsor of Westerville BMX and regularly sells snacks and meals at races.
In her role as Westerville Uptown Merchants President, Bennati says she has seen Buehrer and the Cobras show up to help out at events such as the Uptown Fourth Friday street festivals and the Christmas Parade.
“When I ask for help, they have helped us so much,” Bennati says. “Like, we were putting up Christmas trees (for the parade) and needed some muscle power to take sandbags around. He (Buehrer) brought a couple of guys to help carry sandbags and put them on the stands so the trees didn’t blow over. He’s reciprocating too with us and the community.”
The connections Westerville BMX make not only impact the community but also the racers themselves. Westerville BMX Volunteer Coordinator Billi St. Clair started watching her son, Ethan, and daughter, Leah, learn about the sport and has seen how much they have grown.
Ethan started learning about the sport through the Racing League in 2022 and now competes in national races. His racing isn’t the only thing that has improved, as St. Clair has watched him become more confident and give back as a volunteer helping younger racers.
“To see him helping those little kids with their smaller bikes, that was super memorable to me and just touched my heart because that’s what I want to see him do is really get involved and be the change that we need these young kids to be,” St. Clair says.
“That’s the cool thing, no matter what your skill level is, no matter what your age is, you can get started and you can participate as a family,” Buehrer says. “So that’s why we like to call it America’s greatest family sport.”
Riding towards the future
Although he is very proud of how far the program has come, there are several things Buehrer hopes to facilitate in the coming years to help expand the reach and impact of the sport.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Ramsburg
To help maintain the track and prepare for a new season, Buehrer and his team of volunteers, many of whom are parents like St. Clair or racers themselves like Ethan, will spend hours each spring weeding and leveling, removing rocks and adding a new layer of sealant across the entire track. This not only takes hours of work but also thousands of dollars to maintain from year to year.
It is Buehrer’s hope to one day replace the dirt with cement, which will cut down significantly on maintenance but will also require quite a big investment upfront. While that goal may be years away, Buehrer has a few plans for improving the program in smaller ways.
As a firm believer that anyone with a bike can get started with the sport, Buehrer knows many people unfortunately can’t get a bike of their own. To help remove that barrier, he hopes to create a fleet of bikes for people to rent for races and practices.
Buehrer is also excited to partner with COSI this summer for some STEAM programming. The planned event will include educational stations about cycling and race tracks, all hosted at the Westerville track.
With more programming and events like this in the works, Buehrer hopes to draw more interest and show people in the community that it truly is an inclusive sport.
“That’s the cool thing, no matter what your skill level is, no matter what your age is, you can get started and you can participate as a family,” Buehrer says. “So that’s why we like to call it America’s greatest family sport.”
Upcoming Events
Outside of the weekly practices held Thursday nights and local races held every Sunday and Tuesday, there are several stand-out events coming up this summer.
May 3-4: COSI Festival/Big Science Celebration
Photo courtesy of Chad Buehrer
May 11: Bicycle Safety Rodeo
May 20, July 1: Open House for BMX Racing League (New riders ages 4-15)
June 1: James Knox Summer Kick Off
June 2: Open House/Free Race (All ages and skill levels)
June 3-7, July 8-12: BMX Summer Camp
Aug. 4: Ohio State Championship Race Qualifier
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
