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He’s fast, fearless, and fiercely focused. Kye Whyte has done it all — two-time World Cup winner (Manchester 2019, Brisbane 2024), European Champion, and Olympic silver medalist in Tokyo. From growing up in Peckham to becoming one of the faces of British BMX, Kye’s journey is pure drive and determination.

In this episode of the Lane 8 BMX Podcast, Kye opens up about why he’s glad the 2025 season is behind him, what he’s changing for 2026, and how **confidence—not cockiness—**keeps him ahead of the pack. We talk rivalries, redemption, and the relentless mindset it takes to stay on top of the world.

Whether you’re a racer, a fan, or just love stories about pushing limits, this one’s all gas—no brakes.

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Kevin Halls, formerly known as Kevin Pauls, is a highly accomplished BMX racer with an impressive track record on the national stage. A three-time USA BMX National Champion and the 2015 USA BMX National #1 Amateur, Kevin has built a reputation for his speed, consistency, and competitive drive. Beyond the race track, he pursued academics at Cal Poly, where he studied mechanical engineering—bringing the same focus and dedication to his education as to his riding. Kevin’s journey blends elite-level BMX success with a commitment to growth both on and off the bike, making him a standout figure in the sport.

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Elwin Remmerts is back for his third time on the podcast, and a lot has happened since we last spoke. He captured the Dutch BMX Championship title in the 25+ category, earned an impressive 5th-place finish at the World Championships in Denmark, and even found time to recharge with a vacation in Italy alongside his girlfriend and her family. Off the track, Elwin has stepped into a new role as a coach for a local BMX team, sharing his experience and passion with the next generation of riders. With one final national race left this season, he’s already setting his sights on an even bigger year ahead.

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On this episode of the Lane 8 BMX Podcast, we head to St. Michael, Minnesota, where Crow River BMX is in the middle of a full-blown revival. With a brand-new track rebuild and the Land O' Lakes Nationals set to return this July, this longtime Midwest staple is again ready to shine on the national stage.

Jason Kempel and Dan Isaacs, the co-track operators leading the charge, are joining me. We talk about the decision to bring back the original Crow River name, the challenges of rebuilding a track from the ground up, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to host a national event. Their passion for the sport and community is front and center in this conversation.

If you care about the future of BMX, local tracks, and the people making it all happen, this one’s for you.

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In this powerful episode, we reconnect with Dutch cyclist Elwin Remmerts—once an elite rider with his eyes on the top, now navigating a new chapter shaped by resilience and perspective. After a devastating crash left him with a severe concussion and a heart injury, Elwin made the difficult decision to step down from elite competition.

But this isn't a story about giving up—it's about transformation.

Now working full-time, building a life with his girlfriend, and rediscovering balance, Elwin opens up about how the crash, while physically and emotionally taxing, ultimately put him on a path to a more meaningful and grounded life. We talk about identity, recovery, and what it really means to live fully—on and off the bike.

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Jeff has won every lap except one since the beginning of the season. Let that bit of information sink in. He only lost the one lap because of a flat tire. He says the results folks are seeing is because of carefully laid plans two years ago. Upshaw says what you're seeing is a faster first straight and an increased focus all the way across the finish line. 

Currently Jeff is in Ohio visiting family and putting in work for his next races. Minnesota, Upshaw is coming to put on a show. This year his goals are firmly planted at the worlds and turning the number two plate into a one. 

Jeff is always a fun interview and one of the coolest cats I've ever gotten the chance to sit and chop it up with. Enjoy. 

And, yes it feels good to be behind the mic once again interview the brightest and the best. I just needed a bit of a break. 

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Kristaps Veksa is originally from Latvia. Yep, the same country as Maris Strombergs is from. 

He recently competed in the pump track world championships in Durban, South Africa. Ryan Gilchrist took home the rainbow jersey. 

Veksa began racing around five years old in 1999 in Saldus, Latvia. He had a BMX track right behind the apartment building he lived in. So, of course he was at the track all the time. He finished sixth in his first race. Since then he's won the Latvian national championship multiple times. 

He turned elite right after finishing school. It was a time when there was no U23 class so he jumped right into the deep end of racing with the big boys. He says it was a difficult time getting adjusted to the increased competition. Veksa says his break through moment came when he made the main of a euro cup in Latvia with Strombergs and Edzus Treimanis. He ended up fourth in that race. 

Veksa says he decided to stop racing for a multitude of reasons. So, he decided to move to Germany. He never stopped riding but simply didn't race. Veksa began training kids on how to race. He got the bug to compete again but this time it was on a pump track. Hitting the pump track eventually led him back to a BMX track. This time he passed on racing in the elite category and went straight to the challenge class. The culmination of his hard work was winning worlds in 2023 in the 25-29 challenge class. 

At the moment Veksa is working in a bike shop in Germany, riding for Radio frames, and he just proposed to his girlfriend. 
 

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Justin Travis is the director of business development for USA BMX. He's got 17 years of experience in recreational programming of action sports. Sports like BMX racing, skateboarding to skydiving. 

I've been looking forward to speaking with Justin about some of the upcoming tracks to built and where and exactly how BMX is doing across the country compared to other sports. 

This interview is one of several discussions Justin and I plan to have about the sport we all love. I got lucky because he's so busy and travels quite a bit to get him when I did before Grands. 

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According to the Cycling Museum of Minnesota, BMX became popular in the Land of 10,000 lakes in the 70's, with the first race in the state believed to have taken place at Rydjor Bike shop in Austin, Minnesota in 1974. 

In the mid 80's is when I started racing in Minnesota. I grew up in a time where I raced on tracks from Eden Prairie, Albert Lea to Richfield, where the famous Taft Park track was and is now gone. Hell I even raced indoors at the Armory in Downtown Minneapolis during the winter. 

In all that time I don't remember a state series. To me points were all about district points. 

Presently Minnesota has a thriving Minnesota BMX scene and state series. The state has 10 tracks where every track gets a qualifier. The series begins In July and ends late August. The finals is held at the ever famous "Rum River BMX' in Isanti, Minnesota. 

I recently sat down with Sam Falkowski and Tim Dobosenski who  are on the committee that organize the series. It's the second year of the committee and they have big plans for the series. 

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So, I've decided to start a series that will hopefully cover the country. I'm interested in how the state series for each state in the union is doing. Now what I mean is how have they been running, how many races they have, how many racers participate, how well is the series doing, what are some of the challenges they face and what does the future look for their particular state series. 

Since I live in Florida it would only be right to start right here. Thanks to Drew Motley, Tom Johnson and Domingos Lammoglia I was able to contact head official Bill Robins. 

Here's what I will tell you, Bill took me to school on how the series runs, how the tracks work together, ridership and the partnership between the Florida state series and USA BMX.