ERIC-PHOTOS



Big Daddy Photo Gallery by Jerry Landrum/BMXmania.com

Photo by Renee Junga Photography

2009 ABA Grands - Tulsa, Oklahoma

2009 NBL All American National - Fresno, California

Race Of Champions:	Vet Pro:	6th	Pro Open:	DNQ
Grands:	Vet Pro:	4th	Pro Open:	DNQ

At the 2006 ABA Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Big Daddy Eric Rupe was looking to keep his Grands Vet Pro win streak alive and make it four wins in a row. He was looking good in practice with solid starts and good first straight pull. First up was the R.O.C. race. That’s the ABA’s Race Of Champions event. Eric went 1-4-1 in the motos, took a second in the semi and was poised for the win come main time. With a pretty good start in the main from gate three, he was just about to get into full pull mode and shoot to the front when he was side swiped NASCAR style by V-Dog Steve Veltman and nearly wrecked off the side of the first and second jumps. He dropped back to 6th place and never recovered. Big Daddy was pretty disappointed to say the least.

Next up was the Grands event. With lots of extra pressure due to the importance of the event, Eric played it safe and smart during qualifying as he finished with a 2-3-2 score in the motos and a 4th in the semi. Next up, SHOWTIME! After snapping out of the gate in main number one from the outside and then settling for second, then getting a bit lucky (luck is simply when preparation meets opportunity) in main number two and getting another third place, he was in position to take the overall if he could win main number three. From lane one, he nailed a perfect start and was out front to the first jump. He got out smoothed by Jason Carnes (eventual Vet Pro number 1 for the season) and settled for second place as they headed into the first turn. He held that spot until halfway down the third straight when bobbled pretty bad and dropped back to third. He then tried to fight off a hard charging Todd Parry but got nipped at the line and ended the lap in fourth place.

Two riders tied for first place with nine points and two riders tied for third with 10 points. Unfortunately, Big Daddy got the short end of that one and ended the year with a fourth place overall. His record in main events at the ABA Grands over the past 11 years is 7 wins, 2 seconds and 2 fourths. Not bad for the now 43 year old BMX Veteran. Big Daddy did move up in the standings from last season, as he finished the year in the number 3 spot overall.

The Mongoose BMX Team is proud to be sponsored by: Kenda, Sun Rims, Fly Racing, OGIO, X Balm, SDG, SRAM, SRP Products, Easton and Pearl Izumi.

The Mongoose catalog selection showing Eric's bikes for 1989.

Weaponry of choice for Big Daddy from the 2000 Mongoose Catalogue.


Mongoose Cruiser test in BMX Plus, Nov. 1987	A photo from the Plus Cruiser test.

Big Daddy and Jason Chang in 1988 at the ABA Fall Nationals, Coal Canyon, CA. We're sporting these temporary tattoos from JT Racing. They looked so good, that lots of people thought they were real. JT Racing for life!


In 1988, Mongoose picked up NBL recruits, Shelby James and Gary Debacker, two of the hottest Am's in the world. Along with Eric, Travis and Sam they formed one of the coolest teams ever. Here's a June 88 interview of the team in BMX Action.	This HAS TO BE one of the best BMX ad layouts ever. It was run on two separate pages, during the Fall of 1988 in all the major BMX mags. The 'joke' was that right at that time Haro and somebody, maybe DB, were running battling "We're #1" ads. (Little known fact. When they pulled the duct taped trophy off the front of the rented '57 Chevy, it pulled the show car's paint off! Yikes!)		More Mongoose propaganda featuring the newly expanded team. Got to be from the Summer of '88.


ABA Bud's BMX National / Elkhart, Indiana	Big Daddy, at NBL S. Park racin' with Brackens - GT, Rob Rupe - DK, Pete Loncarevich - CW. Scot Clark - Redline, Eddie King - DB, Shawn Texas - Gear

Young Daddy at the NBL Grands at Pittsburgh's, South Park BMX.


1983 NBL War of the Stars at the Kendall track in Miami, FL. Eric is On the gate between Toby Henderson (Hutch) and Anthony Sewell (Murray)	Snappin' in the main with Sewell, Eric, Toby, Brent Patterson, Scot Clark, Stu, Grubbs & Brian Patterson	On the gate with Greg Hill at the 1982 Jag World Championships at the Tropicana Hotel in Vegas.	Exiting the first turn in the main event at the JAG World Championships, where Eric finished Second behind Greg.	The JAG Championship Finish Line after the main. Sewell and Stu follow.


Here's one for ya. This was a Schwinn TV promo featuring Boy Wonder, Eric Rupe. Eric leads a troop of little kids out to build some trails, then he's off to the races where he and several members of the Schwinn Factory Team are shown motoring down some CLASSIC Old Skool BMX tracks. Awesome!


The opening scene.	Not sure if Eric got permission to dig in these people's yard, but dig they did!	Eric checkin' out the moto sheets.	Eric suiting up for the Big Race!	That's Eric, following Scott Angus (IE Bikes) around the track.	Kevin crosses the Finish Line and Robbie runs up while Eric chills in the background.	1978 Schwinn BMX Team - (L to R) Mark Pippin, Kevin Jackson, Robby Rupe, Richard Zagars, Eric Rupe

05 ABA Grands

Team Mongoose 2006 ABA Grands Race Report - ABA Grand Nationals - Tulsa, OK - November 25-26, 2006 - Attendance: 25,500