BMX 1995 ABA Grands - AA PRO MAINS - Gary Ellis #1 Pro Title Controversy
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
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1995 ABA Grands - AA Pro Mains - Big controversy this year for the #1 Pro Title. Brian Foster was the only guy in the mains who could win the overall #1 Pro Title, but he had to get 6th overall or better to win it. The first two mains were terrible for him, and he went into the 3rd main with 15 points. Brian had to WIN the 3rd main to get the title, and couldn't do it. In the end, Gary Ellis wins the #1 Pro Title. BUT, this was because in '95 you had to be an American citizen to win that overall Pro Title. If that rule didn't exist, Christophe Leveque would have won the Title. Controversy at its finest, for sure... We were friends with the Ellis', so you also get a rare look in this video of Gary's reaction when he realizes he's won the Title. Pure shock. Crazy stuff.
Poor Ellis man.. That's uncomfortable to watch. Garry Ellis didn't make the rules it was the ABA's at the time. They never knew a freak of nature smooth Frenchman was gonna hit the Pro scene like that.. The saddest thing was the classless sad sack booing Ellis.
Hes not booing Gary and his RAD mullet, hes booing the fact he has to listen to a speech from someone who didn't win therefore undeserving of a speech.
@cmdrdredd It wasn't Gary's fault that the ABA had that rule in the books of "needing to be a USA citizen to win the title," but it was still uncomfortable all the way around. Leveque ended the ended the year with the most points, but Ellis got the Title. Leveque was really the first foreign rider who made the USA home and had the potential to win this overall title, so at the time, the ABA simply wasn't prepared for this type of situation.
@6:00 they pulled a Duke Best from Rad "It's most unfortunate, but that is the new rule..... no citizenship, no championship..." smh.... Winning the championship on the sidelines.
You called it! It’s predictive programming. Brilliant observation.
"No money, no Racey.".
-that dude from Rad but also prob Clayton John
Man, I’ll never forget that last round. Though Ellis was a great rider and a friend, I was standing somewhere near the flat turn, and hoping Brian Foster would win the overall pro, and seeing him crash at the turn was devastating. I did feel bad for Christophe because of the rules. But for Ellis, I knew it was tough for him in the position he was in.
I remember in an interview after the race Gary said he wanted to just hand the prize over to Leveque. He wasn’t proud of what happened because of the Zablotney rule. By the way at the start of the 1987 season this rule did not exist. The tin pot dictator Merle Menege put the rule in place near the end of the season when it was obvious Canadian rider Pete Zablotney was going to win the title. The worst part about that rule is that the ABA ran tracks in Canada including Pete Zablotney’s home track.
How the hell did Brian Foster crash??
I raced BMX when this happened and remember it well…. I didn’t know Gary personally, but I always thought that he was the type of guy who probably felt bad about this…. Although no matter which rider would have won that title (other than Christophe himself), it wasn’t their fault, and I would have not held it against them…. As it’s not like they paid off the ABA to make it happen this way. The ABA screwed up big time, and I am glad that they at least already had the rule change in motion prior to this happening…. As even if they had it in the plans, but didn’t announce it until afterwards, it would have been super fishy…. But at least they knew the rule was BS before it even happened.
@@williamknutson6163as soon as foster landed the backside of the jump right before the flat berm, his back tire slid underneath him, and he literally just sat up and just stared forward knowing that he didn’t get the title.
B Foster was also popped for peds
Yes it wasn't Gary's fault, rules, or consequences, but he could have handed that Cup to Leveque as a good gesture. The ABA has always been late to the game and afraid to shake the boat. Still not thinking about the big picture at this point. They saw this coming all year. Now that they have finally joined the big boys at USACycling, we may not see these situations again.
GARY ELLIS IS THE MAN!!
What kills me about this video is..... a bunch of Americans booing an American icon in the BMX sport. What a fucking shame.
the man?? lol ok mucho respect for him, but sorry, the master is Christophe Lévêque. Today again, memory memory ;)
Gary lost buddy. I was 11 int my sis was 9 and my brother was a sandbagging 16 int. My whole family booed. My aunt hosted thanksgiving for all nor cal riders the thursday before.
I was there and this was a tough one to watch! You are right cork...it wasn't Gary's fault...it was ABA's rules. This was the only ABA grands I ever went to and it was great watching my brother Robert get #2 amateur that year!
You would figure at some point during the 1995 season someone from ABA would have told CLV that he wasn't eligible for the title since he was a foreigner and that next season he would be eligible, or maybe they did. I'm sure it was a tough day for everyone involved. They are both legends in the sport either way you look at it!
Once the points started getting established that year... everybody knew. But the ABA refused to change rules mid-season, and it had never come up in the past, so they just decided to "deal with it next year." Was definitely an uneasy situation for everyone involved.
I remember this, pure BS.
Was Leveque on Sunn still?
kheff46 yup
Brian Foster…how the hell did Brian Foster crash?? He was all alone in 2nd.
Do any body have the one 1997 when Gregory rosier ( frenchie ) got first place ?
Back in the day... The BMX racing management not so great....
Mid school stacked..
Can someone fill me in please
Christophe Leveque had the most AA Points for the year, but he wasn't eligible to win the title because the ABA had a rule in place that the Number 1 Pro needed to be an American (this rule was changed the following year, but it didn't help the overall feeling that he deserved the title). That being said, the two Americans with the top points were Brian Foster and Gary Ellis. Ellis didn't make the main (crashed in the semi), so all Foster needed was a 6th overall or better. In the end, Brian got 8th overall, and the title went to Ellis. So, Ellis ended up with the short end of the stick because of the public outcry that Leveque (with the most points) or Foster (who made the main) should have gotten the title... but Ellis was the American that ended the year with the most points, so as the rules stated, the Number 1 Pro title went to him that year.
Code Red Riot thx
@eelson Seriously. Probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do in his career.
Clayton made some of the worst tracks ever in the 90s. And Levesque was on some steroids for sure. He was so big. Alot of those guys in the 90s were on steroids.
Nah. He really wasn’t that big of guy at all. Ellis was bigger. And I remember him being tested at NBL races.
Those people booing are so pathetic. WTF were they expecting Ellis to do about it?
Hand the trophy over to Leveque
@cmdrdredd It wasn't Gary's fault that the ABA had that rule in the books of "needing to be a USA citizen to win the title," but it was still uncomfortable all the way around. Leveque ended the ended the year with the most points, but Ellis got the Title. Leveque was really the first foreign rider who made the USA home and had the potential to win this overall title, so at the time, the ABA simply wasn't prepared for this type of situation.