Brent Patterson

Brent Hathaway Patterson (born April 9, 1963, in Hayward, California United States. ) is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross (BMX) racer.

Brent Patterson is the elder of what was the most potent sibling combinations that bicycle motocross has ever seen.

Started Racing: Early 1976 at 14 years old in Hayward, California.

He was exposed to it through his friends in his neighborhood.

First race result: First Place in 14 "Expert".

However, at the time classes were determined by size and weight and not proficiency.

Brent Patterson, being big for his age was placed with the experts.

First local win: See above.

It was the beginning of a three race winning streak.

Sanctioning body: None, unaffiliated track.

Home sanctioning body district(s): National Bicycle Association (NBA) District "N" (Northern California);

First sponsor: Cyclepath 1976

First National win:

Turned Pro: Late 1977 aged 16.

First Pro race result**: First place at the National Bicycle Association (NBA) Arizona State Fair race in Phoenix, Arizona on November 6, 1977.

First Pro win**: See above.

This practice continued until the NBA's 1979 season in which the pros earned separate pro points and a separate pro plate from the amateurs.

The NBL and ABA followed suit a year later.

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.

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National and International titles.

Only sanctioning bodies that were active during the racer's career are listed.

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.

National Bicycle Association (NBA)

National Bicycle League (NBL)

With Brian, the Brothers Patterson are the only brothers to both hold the National No.1 Pro title in any major BMX sanctioning body; Brent in 1980 and Brian in 1982 and 1983 in the American Bicycle Association.

Note: Professional first are at the national level unless otherwise indicated.

Height & weight at height of his career (1981–1984): Ht:6'1" Wt:~200 lbs.

Retired from the senior pro* circuit: Mid 1986, 25 years old.

Patterson Racing Products went out of business in the summer of 1986 due to production problems.

*In the NBL "A" Pro/Elite; in the ABA "AA" Pro.

**At the time there was no separate pro class for pros due to the relatively small number of pros.

They raced with the 16 Experts, making it a Pro/Am class essentially.

This is why during the early years of the pro division the national number one racer of a sanctioning body could be either an amateur or professional.

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.

Brian and Brent occasionally raced in several large races for both reasons in 1987, but their days of seriously contending for No.1 racer title in any sanctioning body were over.

Brent retired fully from BMX after not making the main at the World Cup and concentrated on Motorcycle Motocross.