Alan Foster (BMX racer)
Encyclopedia
Alan David Foster was a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years were from (1992–1999)
his nickname was simply "AF", the initials of his given and surname.
Started Racing: In April 1981 in Newark, Delaware
at the Lums Pond BMX track.
Sanctioning Body: National Bicycle League
(NBL)
First race result: First place in 11 Beginner.
First win (local): See above.
First sponsor: JF&S Plumbing
First national win:
Turned Professional: September 1988
First Professional race result: Fourth place in "B" Pro at the National Bicycle League "War of the Stars" National in Memphis, Tennessee
on October 15, 1988. He won USD$40 [equivalent to about $ in ]. He also came in third in Pro Award, winning $22.50 [equivalent to about $ in ].
First Professional win: In "B" pro at the NBL "War of the Stars" National in Orlando, Florida
on March 25, 1989. He won USD 300, the equivalent of USD 521.64 in 2007.
First Junior Men Pro* race result: See "First Professional race result"
First Junior Men Pro win: See "First Professional win"
First Senior Men Pro** race result: Sixth in "A" pro at the NBL Silver City Sensation National in Meridien, Connecticut on July 29, 1989. He finished out of the money since the prize purse was only rewarded from first to fifth positions. The next day he came in seventh place, again out of the money. Hard times seem to have struck after that. He spent several weeks competiting in Senior pro but not making the mains. Seven Weeks, 15 races without transferring out to the qualifying motos. As a result after making the mains in "All Pro" (which was what the NBL was calling its Senior Pro class at the time. Junior Pro was "Superclass") at the NBL Cape Cod Classic in Cape Cod, Maryland on June 16, 1990, at which come in 5th, he reclassified back to Junior pro in July 1990 due to being uncompetitive in the Senior division. His first race as junior pro again was in "A" pro at the ABA Midwest Nationals in Rockford, Illinois
on July 21, 1990. He came in sixth. He transferred back to Senior pro in approximately July 1991, approximately one year after he reclassified back to junior pro. However, once again he had a hard time in the Senior Pro division and reclassified again, racing in Superclass division at the NBL Grandnational in Louisville, Kentucky
on September 1, 1991. In all the time he had spent in Senior pro since July 29, 1989 and prior to the 1992 ABA Grandnationals the total number of Alan Foster making the mains was five. He turn back to the Senior Pro class to stay in 1992 at the ABA Gold Cup finals in October 1992 in Reno, Nevada
.
First Senior Men Pro win: In "AA" Pro at the ABA So. Cal. Nationals in Del Mar, California
on January 23, 1993.
Retired: August 2003. The last race was the Downhill Class at the X-Games. He states that he simply lost the desire.
Height & weight at height of his career (1993): Ht:5'11" Wt:190 lbs.
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Pro Series Championships
Bicycle Motocross News:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
Ride BMX Magazine:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
BMX World:
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official BMX publication of the ABA under three different names):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer and Dirt Jumper whose prime competitive years were from (1992–1999)
his nickname was simply "AF", the initials of his given and surname.
Racing career milestone
----Started Racing: In April 1981 in Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
at the Lums Pond BMX track.
Sanctioning Body: National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
First race result: First place in 11 Beginner.
First win (local): See above.
First sponsor: JF&S Plumbing
First national win:
Turned Professional: September 1988
First Professional race result: Fourth place in "B" Pro at the National Bicycle League "War of the Stars" National in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
on October 15, 1988. He won USD$40 [equivalent to about $ in ]. He also came in third in Pro Award, winning $22.50 [equivalent to about $ in ].
First Professional win: In "B" pro at the NBL "War of the Stars" National in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
on March 25, 1989. He won USD 300, the equivalent of USD 521.64 in 2007.
First Junior Men Pro* race result: See "First Professional race result"
First Junior Men Pro win: See "First Professional win"
First Senior Men Pro** race result: Sixth in "A" pro at the NBL Silver City Sensation National in Meridien, Connecticut on July 29, 1989. He finished out of the money since the prize purse was only rewarded from first to fifth positions. The next day he came in seventh place, again out of the money. Hard times seem to have struck after that. He spent several weeks competiting in Senior pro but not making the mains. Seven Weeks, 15 races without transferring out to the qualifying motos. As a result after making the mains in "All Pro" (which was what the NBL was calling its Senior Pro class at the time. Junior Pro was "Superclass") at the NBL Cape Cod Classic in Cape Cod, Maryland on June 16, 1990, at which come in 5th, he reclassified back to Junior pro in July 1990 due to being uncompetitive in the Senior division. His first race as junior pro again was in "A" pro at the ABA Midwest Nationals in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
on July 21, 1990. He came in sixth. He transferred back to Senior pro in approximately July 1991, approximately one year after he reclassified back to junior pro. However, once again he had a hard time in the Senior Pro division and reclassified again, racing in Superclass division at the NBL Grandnational in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
on September 1, 1991. In all the time he had spent in Senior pro since July 29, 1989 and prior to the 1992 ABA Grandnationals the total number of Alan Foster making the mains was five. He turn back to the Senior Pro class to stay in 1992 at the ABA Gold Cup finals in October 1992 in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
.
First Senior Men Pro win: In "AA" Pro at the ABA So. Cal. Nationals in Del Mar, California
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
on January 23, 1993.
Retired: August 2003. The last race was the Downhill Class at the X-Games. He states that he simply lost the desire.
Height & weight at height of his career (1993): Ht:5'11" Wt:190 lbs.
Amateur
- JF&S Plumbing: 1982-1983
- Wheel Power Bike Shop: 1983-September 1989. He would turn pro with this sponsor.
Professional
- Wheel Power Bike Shop: 1983-September 1989. Wheel Power dropped their team after the 1989 NBL Grandnationals
- Huntington Valley Schwinn: 1989-Late Summer 1990
- Slam Designs: October 1990-December 1990
- ELF (Extra Light Frames) Manufacturing: December 1990-November 1992
- TNT Racing: November 1992-April 1993
- Airwalk: May 1993-Mid 1994
- Schwinn/Airwalk: Mid 1994-December 1997
- Airwalk/XS: December 1997-December 1998
- Airwalk/Free Agent: December 1998-2002 His first race for Airwalk/Free agent was the NBL Christmas Classic.
- Felt Bicycles: February 10, 2003–Present He was hired as Team manager and racer. In September 2006 he was named Assistant Product Manager for Felt BMX
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- None
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- None
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None (FIAC did not have a strictly professional division during its existence) (defunct).
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Pro Series Championships
Significant injuries
- Broken collarbone at the NBL South Park National in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1986. He fractured it again six weeks later after crashing again practicing at the Howard County, MarylandHoward County, Maryland-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
ABA track. - Ruptured spleen in January 1989 at the Magnolia jumps in Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. Headtube broke off of a prototype ELF frame. - He was injured in a crash with Steve VeltmanSteve VeltmanStephen James Veltman is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1981–1983 and 1989 to 1998...
an 1996 ABA Gold Cup race in York, PennsylvaniaYork, PennsylvaniaYork, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
. He spent several days in the hospital. - Broke two ribs in a fall at the NBL Indianapolis Nationals in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
on the weekend of June 27–28, 1997. At this time he was recovering from dental surgery. He was expected at the time to rocover before the NBL Grandnational. - Bruised his coccyxCoccyxThe coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...
at a national in May 1999 - Crushed a vertebra and broke two more as well as broke two ribs and various minor injuries when he landed face first while jumping at Sheep Hills dirt-jumping riding area in Costa Mesa, California on April 11, 2009. He underwent trauma care and later surgery on the following Monday, April 13.
Misscelleneous and Trivia
- Along with John PurseJohn PurseJohn Eric Purse is a former American professional "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross racer...
and Brian Lopes, Alan Foster is credited with bringing back the full face helmet back into BMX in the Summer of 1996. The full face helmet, that has a rigid structure to protect the jaw and the lower front half of the head, had fallen out of fashion since the mid-1980s. While not mandatory in either the ABA or the NBL, it is the worn today by the large majority of BMX racers; pro and amateur alike.
Other significant sibling combinations in BMX
- BrentBrent Patterson (BMX rider)Brent Hathaway Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer....
& Brian PattersonBrian PattersonBrian Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer.Brian Patterson is the younger of the most potent sibling combinations BMX has ever seen. With Brent the Brothers Patterson are the only brothers to both hold the National No.1 Pro title in any major BMX sanctioning body... - Ronnie & Richie Anderson
- MikeMike King (BMX racer)Michael Allen King is an "Old School/Mid School" former professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1984 to 1998 and is also a former Mountain Bike racer who prime competitive years in that discipline were 1993 to 2004.- Biography :Mike King is the younger...
& Eddy KingEddy KingEdward King is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1985.... - EricEric RupeEric Fitzgerald Rupe is an "Old School" American professional bicycle motocross racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990....
& Robby Rupe
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "Speed Secrets: Double Jumps" BMX Plus! June 1991 Vol.14 No.6 pg.20 Joint article about how to speed jump efficiently with fellow racer Brian Lopes.
- "Foster Bros." Go August 1991 Vol.2 Iss.10 pg.52 Two separate interviews of Alan and his brother Brian Foster.
- "The Foster Files" BMX Plus! March 1993 Vol.16 No.3 pg.63 Joint interview with his brother Brian Foster.
- "alan foster" Snap BMX Magazine March/April 1996 Vol.3 Iss.2 No.9 pg.32
- "Alan Foster" Snap BMX Magazine June 2000 Vol.7 Iss.6 No.44 (Centerfold poster back)
- "Get a Job: Alan Foster and the Team Manager Gig" RideBMX September 2001 Vol.10 Iss.9 No.64 pg.56
BMX magazine covers
----Bicycle Motocross News:
- None (defunct)
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
- August 1991 Vol.14 No.8 with (uncredited) Tim "Fuzzy" Hall (6) and unidentified rider (8).
- March 1993 Vol.16 No.3 (4) with brother Brian Foster (6). In bottom insert Mike King.
- November 1993 Vol.16 No.11 (16) on the inside with Tim Strelecki (4)
- May 1994 Vol.17 No.5 (4) in third behind Gary EllisGary EllisGary Leo Ellis Jr. was an American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross racer.Ellis was one of the last of the "Old School" BMX racers whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 1982-1996.Nickname: "The Lumberjack"...
(1) in the lead and brother Brian Foster in second. - November 1994 Vol.17 No.11 (4) with Kendall Burlson (4, extreme left), Greg Romero (3) to Alan's right and In Hee Lee (GT, No number plate) to his left. In top inset freestyler Matt Hoffman. In bottome inset Racing tire shoot out.
Total BMX:
- None
Bicycles and Dirt:
- None
Ride BMX Magazine:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- Snap November/December 1996 Vol.3 Iss.6 No.13 (9) behind Wade BootesWade BootesWade Bootes is an Australian professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross and Mountain Bike racer whose prime competitive years are from 1995 to 2003 in BMX and 1999 to 2004 in MTB. Usually goes by the moniker "Bootsie" or "Bootsey", an obviously diminutive of his surname...
(66). - Snap May 1999 Vol.6 Iss.3 No.31
BMX World:
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official BMX publication of the ABA under three different names):