The ABA also had reduced coverage in other BMX press, including ''BMX Action's
biggest competitors (BMX Plus!
and Super BMX''). Many ABA nationals coincided with national NBL competitions.
Bicycles and Dirt (BAD) The ABA's in-house newspaper,
ABA Action, did not generate sufficient coverage because it was restricted to the ABA membership. The association tried to create its own magazine,
Bicycles and Dirt, to circumvent the established press and attract advertisers. Forgoing a subscription model to attract a larger audience, the ABA first sold
BAD on newsstands with Stu Thomsen on the cover. The magazine's financial situation was poor and, to end the editorial boycott by
BMX Action, the ABA ceased publication of
Bicycles and Dirt with the September 1984 issue. Spectator attendance, however, was lackluster. Despite a low admission fee, the venues were empty or well below capacity. The first event, at the
University of Nevada's 10,000-seat Lawlor Events Centre, attracted only about 2,000 spectators. Bicycle racing of all types was more popular in Europe and South America, where crowds filled venues and racers were regularly featured in the news. The 1983 International Bicycle Motocross Federation-sanctioned world championship, held in
Slagharen, the
Netherlands, attracted 15,000 to 20,000 spectators and was broadcast live on European television. A campaign of 68 30-second TV advertisements during popular US programs such as
Magnum, P.I.,
Dynasty and
Good Morning America failed to attract comparable North American interest. Mennenga thought that the USBA stole ABA membership records to ask ABA racers to join the USBA. On March 5, 1985, Mennenga announced that he had sold the ABA to Bernie Anderson and Jamie Vargas (two ABA track operators) for $250,000 and had resigned as president. Vargas was a computer consultant who operated Louisiana's first track. Anderson owned a magazine-subscription-sales company and founded Rebel Racing, a regional BMX bicycle company; he also operated Texas' first successful track. Both men had sons who were racers. The new owners installed Walt Ehnat, who had partnered with Gary Ellis Sr. in running four tracks in the
Seattle area, as president. They decided to hold the remaining Pro Spectaculars, despite the financial gain of canceling them, to preserve their relationship with the pros. Vargas and Anderson tried to stave off bankruptcy, although bankruptcy protection would have benefited the ABA; the new management feared the optics of bankruptcy for track operators and the USBA. Most track operators realized that Chapter 11 protection could be a sound business decision. They knew other companies in the industry that were in the same position as the ABA was but came out of it. The Van Doren Rubber Company, maker of
Vans shoes favored by BMX racers, freestylers and skateboarders, had emerged from bankruptcy. manager of the Huffy BMX team, noticed that Erhart seemed to be privy to a letter that Hadley had shared with John; Hadley joked that John's office must have been
bugged. By early 1986, the ABA was slowly getting back on its financial feet and the USBA was beginning to do poorly. Hall approached the ABA with an unsuccessful plan to buy the association from Anderson and Vargas. The USBA planned to have Mennenga buy the ABA and sell it to the USBA (which would liquidate it under
chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code), but nothing came of it.
Solvency and expansion On September 24, 1987, a
United States bankruptcy court approved the ABA's financial reorganization plan. Professional and amateur champions received promised prizes. The 1988 Grand National in
Oklahoma City, with 470 entries, was the largest BMX race in history. In 2002, the ABA unsuccessfully tried to purchase the National Bicycle League from
USA Cycling. ==Gold (Redline) Cup series==