SPECIAL REPORT: Kids in the community coming together for BMX Racing

Kids are coming out from across Yuma to compete with each other, and some kids have even reached heights on a global scale because of it - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Hidden over on Pacific Avenue in Yuma lies a hotspot for some local kids. It’s not an arcade or a mall, instead, It’s a BMX racing track.

Racers and parents meet up at the track three times a week. The group is simply called “Yuma BMX.”

On Mondays they just hold practice but on Wednesdays and Fridays, it's race day.

The racers take one lap around a dirt track, featuring a steep start, sharp turns, and big hills. Official races feature three riders battling it out to reach the finish line first.

The track begins at a gate, which gets things started with a drop for riders, and finishes just after one last hill.

Every race is a chance for the kids to improve, and while they may be competing against each other, local racer Bentley Garcia still sees the group as a team.

“It’s really fun, because you can see your friends a lot, and you can ride with them and learn new things at the track from other people,” Garcia said.

Some of the racers have even taken a leadership role with the kids, among those leaders is Micah Binder, who has raced well outside of Yuma before.

“I’ve been like all over the country, even like the world sometimes, I’ve been to Belgium, Germany, Canada, just racing,” Binder said.

Binder ranks 13th nationally in his age group with USA BMX, a national racing association.

At 17 years old, Binder has also won four state titles.

Despite his success on some of the sports’ biggest stages, he still comes out to help the next generation.

“Honestly it’s just seeing all the kids that like look up to you that like ask you for tips and stuff, because like I don’t know, I’m not the fastest dude out here, but like pretty quick, but because I see all the little kids looking up to you, it’s pretty amazing,” Binder said.

However, these kids aren’t on their own.

The track is maintained and prepped every week by a team of volunteers, coming before the racers arrive to water the track down and make sure everything is ready.

Javier Navarro is a parent and one of the main volunteers. While he admits it is a lot of work to maintain the track, he says it's all worth it.

“Watching the face of a kid that’s never ridden before, leaving the track happy and willing to come back, next thing you know he becomes a good rider and starts racing you know, starts traveling to different states to race you know? That’s what it’s all about, getting the kids really involved and helping them out,” Navarro said.

If you’re interested in coming out and racing it’s just $10 to participate.

The group has told us all ages are welcome, and every dollar they make, goes right back into the track.