Pete Loncarevich
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Peter Pete Loncarevich (born April 8, 1966) is a former bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. Loncarevich was an "old school" professional BMX racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1994. He is of Croatian origin. Nicknamed the "Pistol Pete", Loncarevich received the moniker the way many racers did with the announcer choosing one for him. In 1984 at an
American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association (ABA) was a US-based BMX sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona. In 2011, the ABA merged with the former National Bicycle League and became the current USA BMX. The organization was founded by Merl Mennenga ...
national, Merl Mennenga, the founder and then President of the ABA, who often also announced "
play by play In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
" for the audience at ABA nationals called him "The Pistol" for his penchant in getting the "
holeshot The holeshot is a term used in motocross to describe or reference the first racer to get through the apex of the first turn. Getting the holeshot gives the rider a huge competitive advantage and some level of control in the race. In most cases, t ...
" out of the starting gate like a bullet out of a gun. It was also a simultaneous allusion to Loncarevich's similar-sounding name to former professional
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA)
Guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in ...
who had the moniker of "Pistol Pete".1998 dirtrag.com Mountain Bike forum interview with Loncarevich.


BMX racing career milestones

Note: Professional first are at the national level until otherwise indicated. *In the NBL it was/is "B" Pro/Super Class/"A" Pro/Junior Men, all depending on the era; in the ABA it has been and is "A" Pro regardless of the era (post 1980).
**In the NBL it is "A" Pro/All Pros/"AA" Pro/Elite Men, all depending on the era; in the ABA it has been and is "AA" Pro regardless of the era (post 1980).


Career factory and major bicycle shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.


Amateur

*Cook Bros.: 1977 *S&S (''S''treet & ''S''trip) Performance Products: 1978 *TW Racing: December 1979-September 1980. Allegedly Peter Loncarevich's father's business partners who ran TW stole and absconded with US$5,000 from his father and he subsequently stopped racing for them after they couldn't be found.''BMX Plus!'' April 1984 Vol.7 No.4 pg.48 *Diamond Back (Centurion): September 1980-December 1982. Loncarevich would turn pro while with this sponsor.


Professional

*Diamond Back: September 1980-December 1982. Briefly with DB as a pro, about three days. DB and Loncarevich did not see eye to eye about Loncarevich turning pro at the time. DB did not think he was ready and wanted Loncarevich to help them win Team Trophy, a prestigious accolade for the best factory team of the year awarded by a sanctioning body depending on how well a team does as a group in Nationals throughout the season. They wanted Eddy King (who joined DB at the same time Loncarevich did but was two years older) to turn pro before Loncarevich and for Loncarevich to wait a year. After his second-place result in "A" pro in his pro debut at the ABA Jag World Championship in 1982, Diamondback terminated his contract.''BMX Plus!'' July 1993 Vol.16 No.7 pg.64 The two parties went their separate ways. The termination motivated him to prove to himself he was a top pro and beat
Harry Leary Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
and
Eddy King Edward King (born October 9, 1964 in the Philippines (in 1970 his family settled in Chula Vista, California)) is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1985. Eddy King i ...
, Diamondback's marque pros. *SE Racing (formerly Scot Enterprises Racing Division, now called Sports Engineering, Inc.): January 1983-Mid February 1983. Allegedly Scot Breithaupt, the owner of SE Racing and a BMX pioneer, wanted Loncarevich to drop the family BMX business, Loncarevich Racing Products, and race solely for SE Racing. *LRP (Loncarevich Racing Products): Mid February 1983-November 1983. LRP was a company he and his father started that sold BMX accessories like titanium seatpost and pedal cages and a small clothing line. *Shadow Racing: November 1983-Mid December 1983. Shadow Racing was owned by the same person who owned CW, Roger Worsham. It made its own line of BMX bicycles and components. Loncarevich would later move over to CW. *CW (Custom Works) Racing: Mid December 1983-April 1, 1986. Although Mr. Loncarevich had a contract to race for CW until April 1986, he showed up and raced in the November 1985 ABA Grand Nationals in a Haro uniform. He had previously signed a contract with Haro to race for them after Haro offered more money and CW didn't match the offer.''BMX Action'' July 1986 Vol.11 No.7 pg.70 Roger Worsham threatened to sue Loncarevich for
breach of contract Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party ...
.''BMX Plus!'' July 1992 Vol.15 No.7 pg.43 Worsham apparently went so far as to file a restraining order to prevent Loncarevich from moving to Haro prematurely. The court turned down the request. Roger Worsham appealed the decision but dropped the case after, according to Loncarevich, it was clear he wasn't going to become ABA No.1 pro for 1985. As it is with most disputes of this kind it was over salary. Loncarevich felt that he should have gotten a large monetary raise in lieu of winning the ABA number one pro for 1985. Haro Designs did offer a raise increase to his salary. As Peter said. "When you're an athlete, you have to get what you can while you can, because next year you might have a terrible season. So I went with Haro Designs." This is particularly true in the sport of BMX racing in which there isn't the infrastructure for a pension plan for retired Pros or a minimum salary requirement and no effective professional racer's union (although they have been efforts to organize such going back to 1976 in the
National Bicycle Association 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 A ...
(NBA)). Things are very much like what professional baseball players faced 120 years ago, except there is no formal or informal collusion to prevent racers from going from one sponsor to another if he doesn't like the terms. One irony in Loncarevich signing with CW in the first place: Apparently CW made it a clause of sponsorship for the Loncarevich family to shut down their business, Loncarevich Racing Products. That was the very same condition that allegedly made Pete Loncarevich leave SE Racing. Side Note: "CW" never stood for "Coast Wheels" as it is widely thought. Coast Wheels was a bike shop that Roger Worsham owned. Custom Works was a completely different and independent company. This is in contrast with JMC (Jim Melton Cyclery) which did start out as a bicycle shop and then began manufacturing its own BMX components including entire bicycles. *Haro Designs/Bicycles: April 1, 1986-May 1989. Apparently Haro Designs allegedly lured Mr. Loncarevich under the false pretense of a co-sponsorship offer when they fully intended to offer Peter a full factory contract. Left Haro after extended and fruitless contract negotiations. *Vans (Van Doren Rubber Co.): May 1989-November 1989 *Vans/MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycle Specialties: November 1989-July 1990. Vans and MCS joined forces. MCS supplied the racing bicycles. *Vans/Diamondback: July 1990-May 1992. MCS dropped Loncarevich and all other riders except
Terry Tenette Terry "Mr. T" Tenette (born August 10, 1968 in Palo Alto, California U.S.) is a professional Cyclist Road biking /Gravel road racing/mountain biking BMX, Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1987 to 2010. Tenette also com ...
, but Vans kept him and he picked up Diamondback as a second primary sponsor. *Vans/Hawk Racing: May 1992-Mid November 1992. Peter was still sponsored by Vans and was still his main sponsor sending him around the racing circuit, but Hawk Racing supplied the bike. Vans was and is a tennis shoe and skateboard/BMX apparel maker. *GHP (Greg Hill Products)/Pro Forx: Mid November 1992-May 1993. GHP would discontinue making frame and fork sets in mid-1993 causing GHP sponsored racers to find other sponsors. *ParkPre Bicycles (Integra Precision Corporation): 1993-1995 *''Retired from competition 1996 through 1999''. *Vans: January 2000 – 2001. Loncarevich raced in the Veteran Pro class for approximately a year before retiring from Professional BMX racing permanently. *''Retired from competition 2001 through 2009'' *Redman Rockstar: January 2010–Present. Loncarevich returned to BMX competition after an approximate eight-year hiatus.


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) *''1979 Jag 13 Expert and 11-13 Trophy Dash World Champion'' (Doubled) (NBA/NBL sanctioned) *1981 15 Expert, 15 & Over Open and Trophy Dash (Triple) Grandnational Champion. This was the last NBA National event before merging with the NBL. Bicycle Motocross League (BMXL) *''1978 National No.1 Amateur'' National Bicycle League (NBL) *''1980 California State No.1'' *''1980 Jag 14 Expert World Champion'' (NBL sanctioned) *''1981 15 Expert National No. 1'' United Bicycle Racers (UBR) *1981 15 Expert Grandnational Champion American Bicycle Association (ABA) *''1980 California District 3 (Cal-3) No.1† and State No.1'' *1980 14 Expert and 14 year Old Trophy Dash Grandnational Champion *''1982 California District 14 (Cal-14) No.1'' †Shared with 13 Expert Kelly McDougall
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) *''1981 15 Expert International Champion'' United States Cycling Federation (USCF)* *''1981 Jag 15 Expert World Champion'' NBL rules and nomenclature were followed generally, however, no points were awarded and applied to the NBL or any other recognized BMX governing body. The NBL ceased sanctioning the Jag World Championships because by this time it was the US affiliate of the IBMXF which was holding its own World Championships.
Renny Roker Renny Roker is a promoter and actor. As a promoter, he has been involved in both music and sport. He also ran various record labels with his brother Wally Roker in the 1970s. As an actor his career which really started in the 1960s has carried on ...
, the promoter of the Jag World Championship races refused to rename this race. Consequently, the NBL pulled its sanction for the 1981 race and future Jag "World Championship" races.
*The USCF is now
USA Cycling USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability leve ...
.


Professional

National Bicycle Association 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 A ...
(NBA) *None Bicycle Motocross League (BMXL) *None
National Bicycle League The National Bicycle League (NBL) was a United States–based Bicycle Motocross (BMX) sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio. It was created by George Edward Ess ...
(NBL) *1985 "A" Pro Grandnational Champion *1986 "A" Pro and Pro Award Grandnational Champion *''1986, 1987 National No. 1 Pro'' United Bicycle Racers (UBR) *None
American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association (ABA) was a US-based BMX sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona. In 2011, the ABA merged with the former National Bicycle League and became the current USA BMX. The organization was founded by Merl Mennenga ...
(ABA) *1982 "A" Pro 2nd Place Jag World Champion (ABA sanctioned) *''1983 "AA" Pro U.S. Gold Cup Champion''. *''1984 "AA" Pro U.S. Gold Cup Champion''. *''1984 National No. 1 Pro''. *1986 Honda Supercup Champion. Prize: Honda Reflex Motorcycle. *1986 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion *''1986 National No. 1 Pro.'' Prize: 1986 GMC Chevrolet S-15 4X4 truck. *''1988 Pro U.S. Gold Cup East Champion''. *1989 Pro Cruiser Grandnational Chimpion *''1991 Pro U.S. Gold Cup West Champion''. *1991 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion *''1991 National No. 1 Pro''. Loncarevich won a 1991 Isuzu mini pick-up truck. *1992 "King of Los Angeles"* (KOLA) series (ABA sanctioned). *1992 Pro Supercup Champion. He won a US$5,000 trip for two to
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
. *1992 "AA" Pro Grandnational Champion *''1992 National No. 1 Pro''. He won a red 1992 Izusu pickup truck. *1995 Veteran Pro Grandnational Champion *The King of Los Angeles was a pro series of seven races held at ABA tracks in the Southern California/Los Angeles area hastily put together on the same weekend to counter the debut and emergence of a new and as it turned out short live sanctioning body called the International Cycling Association (ICA) (which was founded in part by Pro racer Greg Hill) which was holding its first event, the Cowboy National in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
during that same weekend. The ABA paid some top pro racers including Pete Loncarevich to participate along with putting up a US$7,000 pro purse.
Terry Tenette Terry "Mr. T" Tenette (born August 10, 1968 in Palo Alto, California U.S.) is a professional Cyclist Road biking /Gravel road racing/mountain biking BMX, Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1987 to 2010. Tenette also com ...
was the only elite top pro to attend the inaugural ICA national.
United States Bicycle Motocross Association The United States Bicycle Association (USBA) was a short-lived Bicycle Motocross (BMX) national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association (ABA): Rich Mann, Dave ...
(USBA) *1986 National No. 1 Pro International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF) *1987 20" Pro Vision Street Wear World Cup* Champion *1990 Pro World Champion *The Vision Street Wear World Cup was the direct descendant of the Murry World Cup. Murray stopped sponsoring the World Cup after the fifth 1986 edition due to the failure of Murray of Ohio bicycle company and the NBL to come to an agreement about the sponsorship fee Murray would have had to pay the NBL. If Murray continued its sponsor ship, the 1987 addition would have been the sixth (VI) in the series.
Pro Series Championships and Invitationals *Bicross de Paris 1986 Challenge Yop Champion (King of Bercy 3) The 1986 Paris Yoplait BMX Challenge was an invitational race sponsored and promoted by the Yoplait Yogurt company in which American and English pros as well as French pros were brought together to compete in a single race. As is typical in Europe, the public had greater enthusiasm for BMX than the American public, in part because bicycle racing of any type was and is much more popular in Europe (and in Asia and South America as well) than in the United States. As with the 1985 addition, which
Tommy Brackens Tommy Lee Brackens (born November 20, 1960, in Los Angeles, California) is an American former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1988. His nickname was "The Human Dragster", so ...
won, it was a hit in France with tickets sold out two months in advance.


BMX related product lines

*1984: The CW Racing "Pistol Pete" Pro Frame. :Product evaluation: :''BMX Action'' August 1984 Vol.9 No.8 pg.50 *1992: Applied Tectonics Inc. (ATi) "The Pistol Grip" handlebar hand grips. :Product evaluation:


Notable accolades

* 1986 ''BMX Plus!'' Racer of the Year Award winner with 35.07% of the total 2,997 votes cast. Prize won: A 1986 Suzuki Quad sport four wheel drive
All Terrain Vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is strad ...
(ATV), also known as a Quad Bike or Quad Cycle, essentially a motocross motorcycle with four wheels instead of just two. *1987 ''BMX Plus!'' Racer of the Year Award winner with 36.92% of the total 2,925 votes cast. Prize won: A Suzuki RM125 motocross motorcycle. *1988 ''BMX Action'' Number One Racer Award (NORA) winner. No vote totals or breakdown given.''BMX Action'' March 1988 Vol.13 No.3 pg.38-39 *1992 ''BMX Plus!'' Racer of the Year Award winner. No percentage or total vote given. Prize won: An Ovation Celebrity Deluxe Guitar. Very appropriate given his
Rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
hobby. *In 1992 ''American BMXer'', the ABA's in-house
tabloid newspaper A tabloid is a newspaper with a compact page size smaller than broadsheet. There is no standard size for this newspaper format. Etymology The word ''tabloid'' comes from the name given by the London-based pharmaceutical company Burroughs We ...
formerly called ''ABA Action'' and now known as ''BMXer'' named Loncarevich the greatest Racer of all time. He was also named Golden Crank "Pro of the Year" in the First Annual Reader's Choice Award for 1992 with 23% of the vote. *Named the 1993 ABA ''BMXer'' Golden Crank "Racer of the Year" *1993 ''BMX Plus!'' Racer of the Year Award winner. No percentage or total vote given. Apparently no prize was given. *Pete Loncarevich is a 1997 ABA BMX Hall of Fame Inductee. *His four ABA "No. 1 pro" titles are only matched by
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
.


Significant BMX related injuries

* Broken arm at a race in New Jersey in 1980. * Injured knee at 1981 Jag World Championships in a collision with teammate Eddy King in Trophy Dash. Required surgery and was laid up for six months. * Broke collar bone on October 25, 1987 at the ABA Western Regional Gold Cup in
Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
, five weeks before 1987 ABA Grand national. Was told he would be out three months by doctors, but Peter did not want to miss the Grands. He contacted a renowned sports medicine doctor that involved a 12-hour a day at a cost of $1000 per diem in an effort to retain. He attempted to race and made it as far as the semi finals, but did not transfer to the main. * Broke two ribs while training on his bike on July 4, 1988 while visiting his cousin in Ohio. Laid up approximately a month. His first race back was the 1988 US Gold Cup Championships East event held in
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. *Sprained ankle playing basketball between the two weeks of January 24 and January 27, 1990 missing the ABA Lonestar Nationals held on the weekend of January 27.


Other activities


Music

During his amateur BMX career he was a member of a
Rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
band singing and playing
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
in
Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...
. Due to racing commitments he had to leave it but he still played during his leisure time. By most accounts he was very good.


Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

In his early twenties he began studying
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...
(BJJ) and other martial arts. He is now a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ under
Joe Moreira Jose Carlos Moreira (born July 3, 1961 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and a former mixed martial artist.Medford, Oregon Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a metropolitan area population of 223,259, making the Me ...
.


BMX magazine covers

''Bicycle Motocross News:'' *None ''Minicycle/BMX Action'' & ''Super BMX:'' *May 1984 Vol.11 No.5. (SBMX) *February 1985 Vol.12 No.2. Also posing in centerfold with actress Debbie Sue Voorhees. (SBMX&F) *September 1985 Vol.10 No.9 with Greg Hill and
Harry Leary Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
. (BMXA) *December 1985 Vol.12 No.12 in insert with unidentified racer. Main image Ron Wilkerson. (SBMX&F) *March 1986 Vol.13 No.3 (SBMX&F) *November 1988 Vol.15 No.11 with teammate Mike King in insert. In separate inserts Eric Carter; Jeff Donnell & Charlie Davidson; freestyler
Eddie Fiola Edward Lynn "Eddie" Fiola (born Sept 28,1964) is an American former professional freestyle BMX rider, and a film stuntman. In 1982 Bob Morales started up the ASPA (Amateur Skatepark Association which would later become the AFA or American Fre ...
. (SBMXF) ''Bicycle Motocross Action'' & ''Go:'' *July 1988 Vol.13 No.7 (BMXA) *December 1991 Vol.3 Iss.2 In inset Keith Treanor. (Go) ''BMX Plus!:'' *April 1984 Vol.7 No.4 in inset. In separate insets D.D. Leone, freestyler Mike Dominguez; and Richie Anderson. *July 1984 Vol.7 No.7 behind Stu Thomsen with
Brian Patterson Brian Patterson (born January 4, 1965 in Hayward, California U.S.) is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. Brian Patterson is the younger of the most potent sibling combinations BMX has ever seen. With Brent the Broth ...
in third. In insets Mercury Morgan (top "rip"), freestyler Mike Dominguez (circle). *December 1984 Vol.7 No.12 (73) in insert ahead of
Anthony Sewell Anthony Sewell (August 3, 1962 – April 3, 2009, in Los Angeles, California U.S.) was a professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1984. He was nicknamed "The Panther". He got the moni ...
(13) (bottom center) In other inserts
Eric Rupe Eric Fitzgerald Rupe (born June 14, 1963) is an American professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990. Considered one of the most underrated BMXers in its history, he also had one of the longest c ...
(22) & Clearance Perry (20) (top center); freestylers Mike Dominguez (top left); Woody Itson (top right); Rick Avella (bottom left); Ron Wilkerson with Shawn Buckley clowning around. *May 1985 Vol.8 No.5 in insert with
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
,
Tommy Brackens Tommy Lee Brackens (born November 20, 1960, in Los Angeles, California) is an American former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1988. His nickname was "The Human Dragster", so ...
, Ronnie Anderson &
Eddy King Edward King (born October 9, 1964 in the Philippines (in 1970 his family settled in Chula Vista, California)) is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1985. Eddy King i ...
; Scott Clark in circular insert; Martin Aparijo insert; and Chris Meier as main image. *August 1985 Vol.8 No.8 with Mike Miranda, Scott Clark,
Harry Leary Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
, Robert Fehd &
Billy Griggs Luther William Grigs (b. September 16, 1968 from Anaheim, California U.S.) is an American "Old School/Mid School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1985 to 1996. His nickname was "Mr. Bill ...
in separate inserts and together on a starting line in the top insert. *December 1985 Vol.8 No.12 with
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
(9) and
Tommy Brackens Tommy Lee Brackens (born November 20, 1960, in Los Angeles, California) is an American former professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1980 to 1988. His nickname was "The Human Dragster", so ...
(3). Also Dizz Hicks and Brian Scura (building quarter pipe) in separate inserts. *February 1986 Vol.9 No.2 behind of Mike Miranda. Inset Sidehackers Perez & Garrido. *March 1986 Vol.9 No.3 in top insert (1) ahead of
Frank Post Franklin Post (born April 20, 1962 from Watsonville, California U.S.) was an American professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978-1981. Early in his career his nickname was "CW Post", a pla ...
(18) Ronnie Anderson (3)
Eddy King Edward King (born October 9, 1964 in the Philippines (in 1970 his family settled in Chula Vista, California)) is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1977 to 1985. Eddy King i ...
(7) Don Johle (10) and Brian Patterson (6) in bottom right insert skateboarder Lester Kasai and in bottom left insert freestyler Mike Dominguez. In main image both Dominguez and Kasai. *October 1986 Vol.9 No.10 in bottom insert (3) ahead of
Eric Rupe Eric Fitzgerald Rupe (born June 14, 1963) is an American professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer. His prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1990. Considered one of the most underrated BMXers in its history, he also had one of the longest c ...
(2), Eddy King (6); in upper insert left to right is Robby Rupe, Scott Towne,
Billy Griggs Luther William Grigs (b. September 16, 1968 from Anaheim, California U.S.) is an American "Old School/Mid School" former professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1985 to 1996. His nickname was "Mr. Bill ...
, Dave Cullinan & Tim Ebbett. Main image Todd Anderson. *February 1987 Vol.10 No.2. (2) in insert behind Mike Miranda (5) and beside Eddy King (6). In separate insert top freestyler Martin Aparijo frame standing on MX motorcycle. Main Image: Freestyler Rich Sigur *April 1987 Vol.10 No.4 In bottom insert (2) with Rick Palmer (13 in green) & Ken Aman (13 in blue) in top insert freestyler Tod Anderson. Main image freestyler Tim Rogers. *June 1987 Vol.10 No.6 ahead of Stu Thomsen in insert. In cartoon caricature at bottom Ron Anderson. Main image: freestyler Tim Rodgers. *October 1991 Vol.14 No.10 with
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
, Todd Corbitt &
Steve Veltman Stephen James Veltman (born August 4, 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; later raised in Conroe, Texas U.S.) is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980–19 ...
. *July 1992 Vol.15 No.7 (1) in left center insert ahead of
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
(2)and two unidentifies (4) & (13). In right center insert unidentifieds; in bottom insert unidentifieds; in top insert freestyler Matt Hoffman *December 1992 Vol.15 No.12 in top insert in a dead tie with
Gary Ellis Gary Leo Ellis Jr. (born March 21, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.) was one of the last American "Old School" professional bicycle motocross (BMX) racer whose careers started in the 1970s to early 1980s. His prime competitive years were from 19 ...
(2) in center and Charles Townsend (3) in background. In right center insert
Tim Judge Timothy Judge (born July 8, 1964 in Miami, Florida U.S.) is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1979-1985. When he was a young racer his given name was used in the dimin ...
circa 1984; in bottom left insert unidentified BMXer and MXer. Main image freestylers Brian Blyther & Ron Wilkerson in 1986. *March 1994 Vol.17 No.3 Fifth from right (head obscured) on the starting gate with fellow pros on his left side Brian Lopes (5), Mike King, Eric Carter (25),
Steve Veltman Stephen James Veltman (born August 4, 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; later raised in Conroe, Texas U.S.) is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980–19 ...
and to Loncarevich's right an unidentified racer. In top insert Haro Monocoque BMX racing bicycle. ''Total BMX:'' ''Bicycles and Dirt:'' *January 1984 Vol.2 No.4 (A) with
Clint Miller Clint Miller 1 (born April 29, 1962, in Pomona, California U.S.) is a former American "Old School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1976 to 1984. A popular nickname given to him was "Miller Time ...
just inside of the frame to the left. ''Snap BMX Magazine'' & ''Transworld BMX:'' ''NBA World'' & ''NBmxA World'' (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication): ''Bicycles Today'' & ''BMX Today'' (The official NBL membership publication with one name change): ''ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer'' (The official ABA membership publication with two name changes): ''USBA Racer'' (The official USBA membership publication): *October 1986 (16) with two unidentified racers. This cover was page 55 within the October 1986 Vol.8 No.9 issue of the ABA's ''American BMXer''. The USBA paper was incorporated into ''American BMXer'' after the ABA acquired* the USBA, so technically it is not a cover but probably would have been if the USBA was still an independent sanctioning body. *After the ABA acquired the USBA the ABA printed ''USBA Racer'' within ''American BMXer'' beginning with the May 1986 issue.
''USBA Racer'' (as an independent publication):


BMX and general media interviews and articles

* LRP Products by Pete Loncarevich ''Super BMX'' March 1982 Vol.9 No.3 pg.74 article about Loncarevich Racing Products, Pete's family owned BMX company. * "Pete Loncarevich:"Pistol Pete" Shoots from the Hip" ''BMX Plus!'' April 1984 Vol.7 No.4 pg.48 *"Devonshire" ''BMX Action'' July 1984 Vol.9 No.7 pg.26. One of eight mini-interviews with other racers held during the 1984 Devonshire Downs NBL race. * "Five minutes with Pete himself" ''BMX Action'' August 1984 Vol.9 No.8 pg.52 * "Unquestionably Pete!" ''Super BMX'' September 1984 Vol.11 No.9 pg.16 * "Pete Loncarevich's Last Lap At Lubbock" ''Bicycles and Dirt'' September 1984 Vol.2 No.10 pg.52 Mini sidebar with Loncarevich describing how best to race the 1983 ABA Lonestar National track in
Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
. * "Round Table Blabbin' With ABA Numero Uno Pro, Pistol Pete Loncarevich" ''BMX Action'' June 1985 Vol.10 No.6 pg.26 * "Pistol Pete: Gunning for Glory" ''BMX Plus!'' August 1985 Vol.8 No.8 pg.59 * "How I Won the ABA Number One Pro Plate" ''Super BMX & Freestyle'' September 1985 Vo.12 No.9 pg.36 Story written by Pete Loncarevich * "A Tale Of Two Champions" ''Super BMX & Freestyle'' December 1985 Vol.12 No.12 pg.26 Duel interview with Pete Loncarevich and Greg Hill on how they did at the 1985 NBL Grand Nationals. * "Peter!" ''Super BMX & Freestyle'' January 1987 Vol.14 No.1 pg.47 * "Pistol Pete's Training Plan" ''BMX Plus!'' March 1987 Vol.10 No.3 pg.40 * "Peter Loncarevich" ''BMX Action'' December 1987 Vol.12 No.12 pg.14 * "Hill & Loncarevich" ''BMX Plus!'' May 1988 Vol.11 No.5 pg.140 A joint interview with Greg Hill & Pete Loncarevich. * "The Pistol Goes Off" ''Go'' Magazine December 1991 Vol.3 Issue 2 pg.18 * "On the Air With ''BMX Plus!'' A BMX talk show?" ''BMX Plus!'' March 1992 Vol.15 No.3 pg.62. Partial transcript of radio show interview with Pete Loncarevich, Todd Anderson and Freestyler Dave Voelker. * Vans' Grand Slam! Taking a stand on BMX!" ''BMX Plus!'' April 1992 Vol.15 No.4 pg.32 Interviews with Loncarevich and his team mates
Terry Tenette Terry "Mr. T" Tenette (born August 10, 1968 in Palo Alto, California U.S.) is a professional Cyclist Road biking /Gravel road racing/mountain biking BMX, Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1987 to 2010. Tenette also com ...
,
Steve Veltman Stephen James Veltman (born August 4, 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; later raised in Conroe, Texas U.S.) is a former American "Old School/Mid School" professional Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1980–19 ...
and Racer/Team Manager Everette Rosecrans. * "Bang, Bang The Pistol Fires Twice More" side bar. ''BMX Plus!'' June 1992 Vol.15 No.6 pg.19 *"Pistol Pete Speaks" ''BMX Plus!'' July 1993 Vol.16 No.7 pg.64 Detailed article on Loncarevich's career. *"Back In Action: Pete Loncarevich" ''Snap BMX Magazine'' July 2000 Vol.7 Iss.7 No.45 pg.87 mini interview about his return to BMX competition. *"Flashback: Pete Loncarevich" ''Transworld BMX'' March 2003 Vol.10 Iss.3 No.77 pg.30


Post BMX Career

After BMX, Pete went on to have a major career in mountain biking, and after that, he, for a short time, was the team manager for the west coast Razor Scooter pro team, touring the world for such events as the Panasonic Core Tour, and various promotional demos.


Mountain Bike (MTB) career

Like many of his fellow BMX top amateurs and pros, Pete Loncarevich tried his hand at
mountain bike racing Mountain bike racing (shortened MTB or ATB racing) is the competitive cycle sport discipline of mountain biking held on off-road terrain. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised the discipline relatively late in 1990, when it sanctioned ...
(MTB) late in his BMX career. In 1994 Loncarevich moved on in such a manner to MTB after essentially winning everything there was to win in BMX and getting bored as this 1998 Dirtrag.com interview excerpt illustrates:
Fraser: ''So how come you decided to switch to downhill mountain biking from BMX?'' Pete: ''Ah, because I'd accomplished all the goals that I'd accomplished more than three times. So I was, like, you know, wasn't really accomplishing anything that I hadn't already accomplished so I wanted to move, you know? I didn't want to be just a BMX racer my whole life. So that's where I switched to downhill Mountain biking. It was new to me; it was like BMX when I first started.''
Fraser: ''So you were basically bored riding BMX?''
Pete: ''Exactly!'' ----dirtrag.com 1998
He went on to have a career almost as successful racing mountain bikes as he did racing BMX, earning several titles starting in 1992. His main MTB discipline is in the Downhill category. Started Racing: 1994 Sub Discipline: Downhill First race result: Sanctioning Body: Retired:


Career MTB Sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by MTB press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.


Amateur

No amateur status


Professional

*Vans/Pro Forx: 1993- *ParkPre Bicycles (Integra Precision Corporation): 1993- * Vans (Van Doren Rubber Co.)/ Iron Horse Bicycle Company: 1999- * ParkPre Bicycles: 2000-


Career MTB racing titles

Note: Listed are Regional, National, and International titles.


Amateur

*No amateur status. Because of his previous status of being a professional in BMX racing, he was placed into the professional class of MTB immediately.


Professional

;
Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues racing ...
(UCI) * 1996 Mountain Bike World Cup * 1998 Masters World Downhill Championships Men's 30-39 Mont-Sainte-Anne, CAN 3rd. Men's Master US National Team included: Lou DeAngelis, Tommy Rogers, Mike Giem, Pete Loncarevich, Jimmy Deaton, Stephen Sturges, and Greg Herbold. * 1999 Masters World Downhill Champion (4' 41.88" beating Pete Zablotny by over 10 seconds)


Significant MTB related injuries


MTB magazine covers

''Mountain Bike Action:''


MTB and general media interviews and articles


Notes


External links


Pete Loncarevich MTB racing shot from Parkpre site.

American Bicycle Association (ABA) website

National Bicycle League (NBL) website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loncarevich, Pete 1966 births Living people Sportspeople from Lake Forest, California BMX riders Downhill mountain bikers American male cyclists People from Central Point, Oregon American mountain bikers