Hopes riding high for BMX, 'NASCAR on two wheels'

0 Comments | USA TODAY, August, 2008 | by Sal Ruibal

BEIJING -- The International Olympic Committee and NBC are betting viewers are going to fall in love with a sport that features big people riding little bikes.

It's called BMX, which is short for bicycle motocross, and it does resemble motorcycle racing without the motors.

In Beijing, they won't need motors because the cyclists will get all the speed they can handle from a scary starting drop down a 30-foot ramp into a series of dirt jumps, bumps, berms and gaps.

It's been called "NASCAR on two wheels," but for the Summer Games, it's an attempt to catch some of the excitement snowboarding has brought to the Winter Games.

NBC is featuring the visually exciting sport in prime time today and Wednesday. "My hope is that this will be big in...