The fastest and fiercest of the BMX world descend upon Sarasota today for a weekend of high speeds and high stakes as the final round of the 2016 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup begins. Seeing near 125 riders from 25 countries racing for pride and place, the spectacle begins today with practice rounds from the men and women and the competition kicks off in earnest tomorrow with time trials and qualification rounds before the main event on Sunday. US Olympic gold medalist Connor Fields will also be in attendance and lead a special informative walk through the track before the Sunday races begin.

Races will be held at the newly rebuilt Sarasota BMX track at the Youth Athletic Center off Tuttle Road. Opening in 1974 as one of the first BMX tracks in the country and the world, the facility underwent a $2.4-million restoration project this year to prepare for the event, upgrading the track to an Olympic-grade course with an eight-meter-high starting hill, a new start gate system and upgraded lighting and drainage for safety. The track itself was leveled and remade before being topped with the same red-orange Florida clay as the original in a nod to its history. Measuring around 1,470 feet long, racers can reach up to 45mph off the first hill and snake the track in just over 30 seconds.

For Race Director Johan Lindstrom, this BMX history makes Sarasota the perfect setting for this year’s final World Cup competition, but it’s the new track plus the Florida climate that makes him look beyond this weekend and to future prospects. “My vision is that this will become the epicenter of BMX where we can have training year-round and host big events and camps for kids,” he says. “[Sarasota] has the ingredients to be successful on all levels.”

With Hurricane Matthew making its presence known across the state, weather is being taken into account but Lindstrom remains optimistic, with the primary concern being high winds that could knock airborne riders off-course. “If you have a straight headwind or tailwind, that’s fine,” he says, “but every time you have a side wind, it's a safety concern.” Officials will keep a close eye, he says, and the riders and races are flexible enough to work around any minor weather inconveniences to keep the event moving forward.

For first time attendees to a BMX event, Lindstrom recommends a vantage point at either the finish line (for obvious reasons) or the first straight, where racers reach top speed off the start and hit some of their biggest jumps. But wherever they sit, he says, it’ll be a show. “Remember,” he says, “it is a contact sport. So they’re in for some action.”

Practice rounds for the 2016 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup begin today at noon and continue tomorrow at 10am, before qualifications and time trials begin at 1:30pm. Warm-ups for the World Cup begin Sunday at 12:45pm with races beginning at 2pm.  

Pictured: Olympic cyclist Brooke Crain rides the new Sarasota BMX track. Photo by Jerry Landrum/BMXMania.com.

Phillippi + Polpo = a match made in foodie heaven. With the return of the Phillippi Farmhouse Market for the cool-weather season, Sarasotans have another chance to catch the elusive Polpo Pizza Co. truck, the friendly faces of Danni Bleil and Tom Baril wood-firing and hot-saucing their inventive pies starting at 9am every Wednesday (find them at Mandeville Beer Garden on Tuesdays). Try their signature Bee Sting pizza, where chile-infused olive oil, thinly sliced fresh garlic and herbs, mozzarella, calabrese, hot pepper honey and Parmesan simmer atop an intentionally charred, yet incredibly light, crust. It's sticky, gooey, hot and spicy perfection—even if you order it sans cheese like the pie pictured here. With neighbors like Out and About Coffee, Browns Grove, Perry's Roadside BBQ and the Amish Baking Company, Polpo should be the first stop among many gems on your weekday market rounds.  

Phillippi Farmhouse Market, 5500 South Tamiami Trl., Wednesdays from 9am–2pm October–April.

Ideal for almond lovers, Muse Restaurant at the Ringling prepares an almond butter hummus that’s vegan- and vegetarian-friendly. A touch of bitter, nutty flavor from tahini mixes with the natural sweetness of creamy almond butter, this nutritional and on-the-go portable snack can be served with just about anything.

Ingredients: 8 cups garbanzo beans; ½ cup garlic; ½ cup tahini; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; ¼ cup cold water, 2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. pepper; 1 jar almond butter.

Place all ingredients except almond butter in food processor and mix until smooth. Place plain hummus in a mixing bowl. Fold in almond butter. Make sure to not over fold. You want to see the streaks! 

Muse Restaurant, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., #200, Sarasota, 941-360-7390.

Cause-related marketing has been added to Goodwill Manasota’s list of diversified revenue opportunities as it gears up for the last quarter of the year. This type of marketing involves cooperative efforts of a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization for mutual benefit. The company started a bounce-back program as a way to help local businesses to showcase their commitment to helping others and desire to give back to the communities in which they operate.  

Goodwill Manasota

Rue is hosting its grand opening tonight at its new location on Main Street. The store will be featuring new fall collections and brands from designers such as Sea New York, Needle & Thread, Edie Parker, Alice McCall, Ace & Jig and R&R Surplus.  

Rue Boutique, 1439 Main St., Sarasota, 941-373-6333.

The Printing Association of Florida (PAF) recognized Coastal Printing, Inc. of Sarasota as one of Florida’s top printing and graphic communication firms in the recent 2016 Florida Print Awards competition. Coastal Printing received 5 Best of Category awards that were submitted to the National Premier Printing Awards and received two Certificates of Merit and one Award of Recognition. The printing quality demonstrated by these awards exhibit the attention to detail, from start to finish, and the vibrancy and consistency of color in every entry. Coastal Printing has a 33,000-square-foot modern print production facility in Northgate Business Center in Sarasota. 

Coastal Printing