Racing career milestones
Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.
Started racing: At least early 1976 at 11 years old. Took a hiatus from racing beginning in 1979 at 13 due to burn out but resumed racing late 1980 at 15 years old.
First race result: Possibly March 20, 1976 when he won 10 & 11 Novice Class at the Pioneer Area. His brother Brent came in third in 14 novice. [1]
First race bicycle:
First local win: See above.
Sanctioning body:
Home sanctioning body district(s): National Bicycle Association (NBA) District "N" (Northern California);
The National Bicycle Association (NBA), later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association (NbmxA), was a United States-based Bicycle Motocross (BMX) 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. It was the first and for its first few years until 1980 the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It was known for its pioneering works in founding the organized sport of BMX. It was both the first true sanctioning body and the first nation-spanning one, although at first it was concentrated in the west coast of the United States, where it was founded. It was the first body to hold true nationals in which racers coming from all over the country competed for points and in the case of professionals, money, to determine who would earn the right to run a National no. "1" plate in the several divisions and age classes the following year. It was the first sanctioning body to have a professional division, which was created as far back as late September 1974.
First National win:
First sponsor: A local Schwinn Bicycle shop in Hayward, California.
Turned Pro: Early 1982 at Age 17.
First Professional race result: Third place at 1982 American Bicycle Association (ABA) Winter Nationals in Chandler, Arizona. It was his only "A" pro race before being moved up to "AA" pro by ABA Vice President Gene Roden at Brian's request. [2]
Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a prominent suburb of the Phoenix, Arizona, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the south by the Gila River Indian Community, and to the east by Gilbert. As of 2017, the population was estimated at 253,458 according to the United States Census Bureau.
First Professional win: April 10, 1982 at the ABA Rondo North American Championship Classic in St. Paul, Minnesota in "AA" Pro and Pro Open. [3]
First Junior Pro* result: See "First Professional race result".
First Junior Pro win: None.
First Senior Pro** result: See "First Professional win".
First Senior Pro Win: See above.
Height & weight at his height of his career: (1982–1984): Ht: 6' 3" Wt:~195 lbs. [4]
Retired from the senior pro circuit: Mid 1986 at age 21. As is usual, many former top pro BMXers do not retire completely but race for fun or if there is a particularly large pro purse, such as the 1987 NBL World Cup. [5] Brian occasionally raced in several large races for both reasons in 1987, although both Brian and Brent raced Motorcycle Motocross professionally. Both would race BMX again when they attended the ABA Spring Nationals in 1991. Neither made the main. Both Brent's and Brian's days seriously contending for Senior Pro No.1 racer were over. However, not his career. After a six year hiatus Brian did come back to race in the mid-1990s in the ABA's Veteran Pro Class (along with fellow "Old Schoolers" Harry Leary and Eric Rupe) and did well. He was even reunited with his old Patterson Racing teammate Richie Anderson on the U.S. Boss Racing Products racing team. As for Patterson Racing Products, it went out of business in the summer of 1986 due to production problems. [6]
*In the NBL it is "B" Pro/Superclass/"A" pro (depending on the era); in the ABA "A" Pro.
**In the NBL it is "A" Pro/All Pro/"AA" pro/Elite Men (depending on the era); in the ABA "AA" Pro.
Career Bicycle Motocross titles
Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
- 1976 11 Expert Grand National Champion
- 1977 12 Expert Grand National Champion
National Bicycle League (NBL)
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
- 1981 16 & Over Expert Grandnational Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
- International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- 1981 16 & Over Expert International Champion.
Professional
National Bicycle Association (NBA)
National Bicycle League (NBL)
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
- 1984 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1982 "Pro Car Main" Grandnational Champion, "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion and Pro Open Grandnational Champion (Triple)
- 1983 "Pro Car Main" Grandnational Champion
- 1982, 1983 National No.1 Pro. Brian's brother Brent came in ABA No.2 pro in 1982 when Brian became No.1 pro for that year, the only sibling combination to do so.
- 1984 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
- 1984 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Champion
- 1984 Pro Cruiser National No.2
- 1985 Gatorade Pro Race of Champions Champion
- International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)
- 1983 20" Pro and Pro Cruiser Murray World Cup II Champion
- 1985 20" Pro Murray World Cup IV Champion
Notable Accolades
- Super BMX magazine's Racer of the Year for 1984. No voter totals, breakdowns or percentage of the vote given. [9]
- Brian Patterson is a 1988 ABA BMX Hall of Fame Inductee.
Significant injuries
- Broke wrist in first moto of the final race of the 1983 ESPN Pro Spectacular in Burbank, California on December 27, 1983. He raced five more times (the last two motos, a quarter final, and a twice ran semi final. He did not transfer to the main after that semi. He then went to the hospital before confirming his belief he had a broken wrist. Two months before his Brother Brent broke his wrist in a practice session. [10]
- Broke arm at Howell, New Jersey NBL race on July 15, 1984. Had to undergo surgery to have plates and screws implanted and was laid up for two months, missing the NBL Grandnational. His first race back was the ABA Great Northwest National in Monroe, Washington on September 16, 1984. [11] It was supposed to be a three month lay up, but Brian had to race in order to get the requisite number of ABA races he had to race-10-in order to keep the Pontiac Trans Am he won for becoming No.1 pro in 1983. Brother Brent injured his knee at the same race. [12]
Miscellaneous
- Brain Patterson shares the same birthday and birthyear as fellow racer Mike Poulson: January 4, 1965
Other significant sibling combinations in BMX
BMX magazine covers
Bicycle Motocross News:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- March 1983 Vol.10 No.3 main image. In insert celebrities Michael Dudikoff & Kathy Maisaik
- March 1984 Vol.11 No.3 main image & in insert with fellow racers Doug Davis, Brett Allen & Cheri Elliott.
- Super BMX Presents The 1985 World Championship Winter 1985. To Gary Ellis's (47) left in third with Eric Rupe in fourth to Harry Leary's behind/left. Harry Leary (85) is in the rear foreground in second. (SBMX special edition).
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
- December 1983 Vol.6 No.11* In inset Stu Thomsen, Greg Hill, Nelson Chanady, Tim Judge and others at beginning of national banner presentation at the start of a race.
- January 1984 Vol.7 No.1 in insert. Mike Dominquez main image; Eric Garcez in second insert.
- March 1984 Vol.7 No.3 with Clint Miller.
- September 1984 Vol.7 No.9 with Tim Judge in insert.
- July 1984 Vol.7 No.7 in third place behind Stu Thomsen & Pete Loncarevich. In insets Mercury Morgan (top "rip"), freestyler Mike Dominguez (circle).
*Due to change of ownership, BMX Plus! did not publish a May issue in 1983.
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX
BMX World:
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA publication. Three names but the same publication):
- October 1983 Vol.6 No.10 In fourth place directly behind Robert Fehd (472) who is leading and Tinker Jaurez (54) in third place on the outside and Shawn Texas (114) in second on the inside.
- April 1984 Vol.7 No.3 lower right with (clockwise) Doug Davis, Brett Allen, Cheri Elliott, Eddy King, Brent Romero and Todd Guss.
- June 1984 Vol.7 No.5 ahead of Eddy King.
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
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Gary Leo Ellis Jr. was an American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer.
Eric Fitzgerald Rupe is an "Old School" American professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990.
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