Corpus Christi BMX riders see momentum for Salinas Park track after productive meeting with city

After years of advocacy from local riders and parents, supporters of a BMX track at Salinas Park say they are encouraged by what both they and city officials described as a productive meeting Thursday with the City of Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department.

The discussion focused on reviving BMX racing at Salinas Park, where supporters hope a new track could eventually serve riders from across South Texas.

“Sooner than later USA BMX will sanction this track and Corpus is gonna have the premier track in the state of Texas,” BMX advocate Adam Rios predicted.

Rios has spent decades riding and the past 4-5 years pushing for a local BMX facility and said Thursday’s meeting was one of the most promising developments yet in the effort.

Corpus Christi currently does not have a sanctioned BMX track, forcing riders and their families to travel to San Antonio and other cities to compete.

For Laurie Lyng, that means making regular trips across South Texas so her daughters can continue racing.

“This is the abandoned BMX track,” Lyng said while standing at the former site in Salinas Park. “It was operational from 2012 to 2018. It was pretty popular, and it just kind of phased out, and then was abandoned over COVID times. So, what we’re trying to do is bring the sport back to our city.”

Lyng said families throughout the Texas BMX community have voiced support for bringing a track back to Corpus Christi.

“What we hear from everyone that we meet at these different tracks is that they want a BMX track here in Corpus, because they want to come here, they want to visit Corpus, they want to go to the beach, they want to go fishing, they want to make a whole weekend out of it,” Lyng said.

Among the riders hoping for a local track is Lyla Lyng, Laurie’s daughter and a rising fifth grader who placed third in Texas in her age division.

“I’m like really good. I can jump and I feel like I could’ve been a lot better if we had a track closer,” Lyla said.

Supporters say a local facility could also encourage more children to get involved in BMX racing.

Dylan Riehl, a rising eighth grader, said the distance to the nearest sanctioned track discourages some young riders from pursuing the sport.

“I want to get into racing but obviously if I have to drive like 2 and a half hours, I’m just gonna be like, ‘There’s no point,'” Riehl said.

For Rios, the effort is about more than competition and trophies.

“Look at all these kids riding their bikes, they’re not Instagramming, they’re not Facebooking, they’re not TikToking — they’re living their life,” he said.

Advocates hope continued discussions with the Parks and Recreation Department will ultimately lead to the redevelopment of the former BMX track at Salinas Park, giving local riders a place to compete while potentially attracting visitors from across Texas.