Peter Pete Loncarevich (born April 8, 1966) is an American 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 national, Merl Mennenga, the founder and then President of the ABA, who often also announced "play by play" for the audience at ABA nationals called him "The Pistol"Super BMX September 1984 Vol.11 No.9 pg.20 for his penchant in getting the "holeshot" 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 (NBA) Guard Pete Maravich 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.
Milestone Event detailsStarted racing: Early 1977 Age 11 at Elk's BMX Lodge in Santa Ana, California.BMX Plus! August 1985 Vol.8 No.8 pg.62Sanctioning body: National Bicycle Association (NBA).Home sanctioning body district(s): American Bicycle Association (ABA) California 3 (CA-3) (1980); (CA-14) (1982)First race bike: Schwinn Sting-RayABA Action November 1982 Vol.5 No.11 pg.40 "Best of the Best"First race result: Second in 11 Novice.First win (local): Probably in 11 Novice on April 17, 1977, at the Santa Ana Elks in Santa Ana, California.Bicycle Motocross News. June 1977 Vol.3 No.6 pg.25 Records are spotty.First sponsor: Cook Brothers 1977First national win: 1978 NBA Corona National 12 Expert.Turned Professional: December 1982 at age 17.First Professional race result: He raced in two local races without winning the mains.BMX Plus! February 1983 Vol.6 No.2 pg.13 In his first pro race on the national level he got a second place in "A" pro on December 29 at the 1982 Jag World Championship (American Bicycle Association (ABA) sanctioned). He won US$500,BMX Plus! March 1983 Vol.6 No.3 pg.53 the equivalent to US$1,074.09 in 2007 dollars. (Cost of Living Calculator) Immediately after the pro main a representative from Diamondback told Loncarevich that his contract with Diamondback was terminated for him turning pro.BMX Plus! July 1993 Vol.16 No.7 pg.65First Professional win: In "B" Pro at the National Bicycle League (NBL) War of the Stars (WOS) National in Northridge, California, on May 14, 1983. He won US$300, the equivalent to US$624.40 in 2007BMX Plus! September 1983 Vol.6 No.8* pg.61 (*no May 1983 issue published)First Junior Men/Pro* race result: See "First professional race result".First Junior Men/Pro win: See "First Professional win"First Senior Pro** race result: Third place in "AA" pro at the ABA Spring Nationals in Fremont, California, on May 30, 1983.ABA Action July 1983 Vol.6 No.7 pg.28 (results) He won US$300 or US$624.40 in 2007 dollars.BMX Plus! October 1983 Vol.6 No.9* pg.54 (*no May 1983 issue published)First Senior Pro win: In "AA" Pro at the 1983 ABA Wheaties Gold Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 9, 1983.ABA Action November 1983 Vol.6 No.11 pg.42 (results) He won US$280, the equivalent of US$582.77 in 2007BMX Plus! March 1984 Vol.7 No.3 pg.32Height and weight at height of his career: Ht:6'1" Wt:~180-195 lbs.BMX Action July 1986 Vol.11 No.7 pg.69 He underwent a substantial weight gain when he put on muscle during the 1985 and 1986 seasonsRetired from Senior pro (A/AA)* circuit: Unofficially in 1994, but like a lot of pros, they really retired only from the front line AA/A pro points chase circuit for the National no. 1 title. Racing never left his system. He came back to BMX by winning the ABA Masters class, the precursor to the Veteran Pro class, at the 1995 ABA Grand Nationals. He resumed 20" BMX racing on a competitive level in 2000 competing in the ABA's Masters/Veteran Pro class and in "A" pro. This was in addition to and simultaneous with his Mountain Bike (MTB) racing career where he won a Masters World Championship as well as multiple World Cup events. After another hiatus from racing, he competed in the 41-Over Expert class on March 26, 2010.bmxnews.com April 2010
*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 (Street & Strip)Bicycle Motocross Action January 1981 Vol.6 No.1 pg.74 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.Super BMX September 1984 Vol.11 No.9 pg.21 The termination motivated him to prove to himself he was a top pro and beat Harry Leary and Eddy King, 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.BMX Action December 1985 Vol.10 No.12 pg.75 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.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.BMX Action January 1986 Vol.11 No.1 pg.72 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 light of winning the ABA number one pro for 1985. Haro Designs did offer a raise increase to his salary. 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."Go Magazine December 1991 Vol.3 Issue 2 pg.20 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 (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.BMX Plus! December 1985 Vol.8 No.12 pg.17
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.History of CW page 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.BMX Plus! December 1985 Vol.8 No.12 pg.12 Left Haro after extended and fruitless contract negotiations.BMX Plus! August 1989 Vol.12 No.8 pg.7 Vans (Van Doren Rubber Co.): May 1989-November 1989 Vans/MCS (Moto Cross Specialties) Bicycle Specialties:BMX Plus! September 1988 Vol.11 No.9 pg.28 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, but Vans kept him and he picked up Diamondback as a second primary sponsor.Go October 1990 Vol.1 Iss.12 pg.15 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.BMX Plus! August 1993 Vol.16 No.8 pg.10 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.bmxnews.com January 2010
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)