JUNE 24, 2010 RACE SUMMARIES
Full Race Results
Women: 10 racers
A full women’s field of 10 riders competed tonight including several new riders and a racer from the Kenosha, Wisconsin track. They started the evening race schedule with a 10-lap scratch race. The race went off at a moderate speed and the riders ere content to wait for the final sprint. At the bell, Sandy Gress (Synergy) led out the sprint. In the backstretch she was overtaken and a cluster of riders sprinted to the line. The race was won by Linsey Hamilton (Synergy), followed closely by Terra James (behind bars/LGR), Emma Bast (Bianchi/GP), and Beth Engwis (Team Kenda).
The Art Jersey Queen of the Sprint race was a Keirin. In the final, Hamilton was in the pole position and, after the motor rode off the track with 3½ laps to go, steadily upped the pace, keeping the remaining riders behind her to the line to win her second race of the evening. The finishing order was identical to the early race: Hamilton, James, Bast, and Engwis.
The women also closed out the evening race schedule with a 30-lao points race, sprints every 10 laps. The race went off at a leisurely pace. A few preliminary attacks went nowhere. At the bell for the first sprint, Bast led off the first sprint but was over-ridden by Engwis and James. Base hung on for 3rd followed by Hamilton. These four were joined by Megan Lennon (behind bars/LGR) to form a front group of 5 that got as much as 45 meters on the others but which came to naught and the field was together again with 15 laps to go. Bast also led out the second sprint and this time won it by 10 meters over Engwis, James and Lennon. The pace eased up until Gress rode off the front with 7 laps to go. Bast and Engwis bridged bring 4 others to forma group of 7 who contested the final sprint. Hamilton and James attacked at the bell and led Bast and Engwis over line. Bast and Engwis were tied on points but Bast took the win based on bettering Engwis in the final sprint; ditto for Hamilton over James for 3rd place.
Cat 1/2: 9 racers
The Cat 1/2 field started out the evening with a reverse win and out. In this race, the winner of the first sprint takes 5th place for the race. Every 2 laps the sprint winner places until the final sprint determines the race winner; it’s as much strategy as strength. Dan Casper (Grandstay), a racer known more for endurance than sprint strength, attacked at the gun. No one followed and he took the first sprint for 5th place. Andy Kruse (Speedfix) and Dan Schueller (Gopher Wheelmen) attacked just before the first sprint finish and, again, no one else followed. Andy Kruse pulled up in the home straight forcing Schueller to take 4th. As Kruse was riding to his 3rd place finish, James Tainter (Silver Cycling) took off with no one following in pursuit of 2nd place; which he won by over 150 meters. That left 5 riders. Chris Ferris attacked early and no one could match his acceleration. He motored on for the race win.
A miss and out was the second race of the night for the Cat 1/2 riders. After 3 riders were eliminated inside, Kruse and Tainter upped the pace considerably shelling riders off the back. Kruse was the last to fall off leaving Tainter and Chris Ferris (PJW Racing) to duke it out for the win match sprint style. Tainter led off the sprint at the gun but was unable to hold off Ferris in the back stretch. Ferris rode over and stayed ahead to the line for the win.
The Cat 1/2 field was joined by Cat 3 riders not competing in the Madison for a 60 lap scratch race; 15 riders total. A few early attacks were quickly swallowed up. At 49 laps a dangerous break started when Tainter and Mike Smith (Gopher Wheelmen) attacked and gained as much as 50 meters. Smith faded but was able to tag on to a bridging Kruse and Casper who joined Tainter. The quartet stayed out for several laps but was absorbed back into the field with 40 laps to go. The field saw some yo-yoing at the front with no one able to get away until Dan Casper got a gap with 32 to go. He got 50 meters on the field before Derek Virta (Gopher Wheelmen) and Matt Allen (behind bars/LGR) took off after him. They were joined by Kruse and Tainter and then Joe Hamelin (BP/Bianchi). Casper was caught and then things eased up. The field was back together with 26 to go. Casper wasn’t done, however. He attacked immediately taking Kruse and Tainter. This was the decisive attack. The trio stayed out for 18 laps before reaching the back of the field with 8 laps to go. A brief attempt to reel them back was made with 16 laps to go to but couldn’t be sustained. Schueller tried to get off the front with 8 to go with Kruse chasing. With two laps to go the pair started match sprint dueling which allowed the group to close on them. Schueller led the final sprint but Ferris rode over him taking Virta get along the line first and take 4th place for the race. Tainter took third in the final sprint to win the race over Kruse and Casper.
Cat 3: 17 racers
The Cat 3 riders were joined this week by newly upgraded Sean Vig (Speedfix) who figured large in the races. The first race was a 12-lap tempo. Derek Virta (Gopher Wheelmen) and Zack Mohr (unattached) immediately attacked and took the first two laps in that order. Vig chased and caught Mohr at the line to take the 3rd sprint. Mike Smith then tagged on to Vig and the pair took the next two sprints Vig-Smith. At this point the field broke up. Conrade Thomas (Lakeside Velo) passed Smith but couldn’t beat Vig to the line in the next 3 sprints. He did catch him for the 9th sprint points but was overtaken by Dan Frederick (American Anti-Aging) who stayed in front for the last three sprints. Vig’s 6 1sts gave him the win with Thomas edging out Frederick by one point for 2nd place. Virta’s two early sprint wins were good enough for 4th place.
Chariot races were next on the schedule. Six riders advanced from the heats to final: Dan Jacobson (Gopher Wheelmen), Vig, Mike Hall (behind bars/LGR), Thomas, Frederick, and Smith. At the gun Jacobson and Vig went to the front. At the bell, Vig attacked over Jacobson with Hall following. The pair held off Frederick and Smith to the line. The final order: Vig-Hall-Frederick-Smith.
The final Cat 3 race was a 60-lap Madison in which Masters 35+ riders also raced. Some of the Masters riders were just coming off the Cat ½ 60-lap scratch race. Were they warmed up or spent? Seven teams contested the Madison. After a ragged 5 laps in which a number of exchanges were missed, things settled down. The raced stayed more or less together through the first sprint at 40 laps to go. A trio of teams was in front by a gap for the sprint which was won by the team of Hall and Tom Hagerty (behind bars/LGR) over Joe Hamelin/Steve Redelsperger (Bianchi/GP), Rich Bergstrom/Dan SChueller (Gopher Wheelmen). The Linsey Hamilton (Synergy)/Mark Stewart (unattached) team followed for 4th in the first sprint. The rest of the race was largely between the Hall/Hagerty and Bergstrom/Schueller teams. They were occasionally joined by other, lapped teams, most often Hamelin/Redelsperger. At the end, Bergstrom/Schueller prevailed by a point over Hall/Hagerty. Hamelin/Redelsperger had the same sprint points as Hall/Hagerty but were a lap down.
Cat 4/5: 14 racers
The Cat 4/5 field started off with a 10-lap scratch race. Boyd Hanson (behind bars/LGR) tried to get away early and stayed out for 5 laps getting as much as 55 meters but couldn’t sustain the effort. After a lap for reshuffling, Chris Verbick (Gopher Wheelmen) upped the pace. Eric Ware (Tonka Cycling) then Mark Leppke (behind bars/LGR) went to the front. Leppke lead out the sprint but, in a tactical error, stayed high enough to let Nate Brennaman (Birchwood) pass him underneath for the win. Brian Duncan (Bianchi/GP) took 3rd over Ware.
The Cat 4/5 miss and out went off at a pace high enough to eliminate the first three riders off the back. Tired riders were then picked off when they took the less demanding inside line but couldn’t advance. Hanson took 5th place, caught inside. At this point Brennaman attached off the front leaving a group of three. Aaron Koehler (Flat City) was outsprinted and took 4th place. Bergstrom couldn’t respond to Leppke’s acceleration and took 3rd place. Leppke, in turn, didn’t even try to close with Brennaman and took 2nd to Brennaman’s win.
The Cat 4/5 field closed their racing with a 40-lap points race. No lap was taken and the race focused on the sprints. Brennaman and Duncan dominated the sprints taking ¾ of the points on offer. Brennaman eked out a 1-point victory for the race. Leppke took 3rd over Koelher based on the final sprint placing.
With his domination of the racing tonight and recent races, look for Brennaman to race with the Cat 3 field in the near future.