JUNE 3, 2010 RACE SUMMARIES
Full Race Results
A little drizzle might have kept a few people home, but it did nothing to cool the heated racing on the third Thursday Night Lights event of 2010. Fifty-one racers clipped in and the evening’s dance card featured two season-long race series installments – a Penn Cycle Points Race and a Salsa King of the Sprints race. The night also saw the debut of the 2010 souvenir t-shirt, courtesy of Twin Six. This limited edition t-shirt is available for $20 at the Track Shack.
Women, 7 racers
A 12-lap snowball (1st across the line every lap gets points equal to the lap) warmed the women up. Sandy Gress (Synergy) took a point for the first lap with only modest competition. Tara James (behind bars/LGR) did the same the second lap after which the pace picked up. Gress led a pace line across the third lap. Melissa Dahlmann (Flanders) then decided to assert herself. She took the 4th and 5th laps riding off the front with James and Emma Bast (Bianchi/GP). James took the 6th and 7th laps in close finishes, but Dahlmann then took off on her own and got as much as 30 meters on the rest taking the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th laps. Bast was able to overtake the tiring Dahlmann for the 12th lap. The final race finish order: Dahlmann – James – Bast – Gress.
In the women’s miss and out, two first-time riders, Chelsea Strate and Elise Adair (both behind bars/LRG) learned early that riding behind the leaders inside was not a winning strategy as did Gress. Dahlmann was then eliminated when her kick at the line fell short. Third place went to Linsey Hamilton (Synergy) who was eliminated by less than a wheel width at the line. James and Bast dueled for the win. In the last lap, James attacked on the backstretch and Bast responded but James held her off to pick up the win.
Five women contested the 30-lap scratch race. (The others rode the Cat 3 race in preparation for the Fixed Gear Classic June 11-13.) The Taddei prime was again on offer for the first women to take a lap on the field in 2010. Bast attacked early in the race. James tried mightily to bridge the gap but Bast’s solo off the front picked up the slower riders by 17 laps to go and then James with 9 to go giving Bast the Taddei prime and the win. James rallied to contest the final sprint, outkicking Bast and Gress but it had no effect on the top standings: Bast by a lap over James who was a lap over Gress,
Cat 1/2, 15 racers
The Cat 1/2 riders started off the evening’s race list with a 15-lap scratch race. The pack sauntered casually until Tim Mulrooney and Ben Dubay (both of Synergy) took command a couple laps in. The lead shifted over the next several laps until Dubay attacked with 5 laps to go. Dan Schueller (Gopher Wheelmen) pulled the field to Dubay with 3 laps to go. Dan Casper (Grandstay) attacked with 2 to go but couldn’t sustain it. Ultimately, Andy Kruse (Speedfix), James Tainter (Silver Cycling) and Dan Currell (Bianchi/GP) battled for the win. At the line it was Kruse over Tainter in a squeaker.
The Salsa King of the Sprint contest was a 3-lap sprint. Three preliminary heats winnowed the field to 6 racers for the final. Mechanicals caused aborted starts for two of the heats and the second heat was complicated by the lack of a bell with one to go. The winners of that heat, Tainter and Ted Schmid (Speedfix) were the ones paying attention to the laps raced. In the final, teammates Currell and Joe Johnson (Bianchi/GP) launched from the rail half way through the first lap but couldn’t shake the others. With 2 to go, Johnson faded and Currell surged, leading for a lap and a half. At the bell, Ferris made his move. Schmid followed after just enough hesitation to deny him the win. Tainter brought in the rest, just pipping Currell at the line.
The Cat 1/2 field closed the evening’s program with a 60-lap points race with sprints every 10 laps – Race 2 in the season-long Penn Cycle Points Race Series. Tainter tested the waters early, forcing Mulrooney and Dubay to reel him in after 3 laps. Casper attacked as Tainter was caught and gained a 40 meter advantage. Mulrooney went after him and the duo led the charging field with a small gap at the first sprint. Tainter and Currell mopped the remaining points. Casper spent three laps catching his breath and tried it again, getting 15 meters. Schueller, Kruse, Tainter, and Currell bridged to form a lead group of 5 with 45 to go. Kruse took the 2nd sprint over Schueller, Casper and Tainter. Things settled down until Casper attacked again with 34 to go taking Kruse, Tainter and a lapped Dubay. They got as much as a 50 meter gap on the field and took the 3rd sprint’s points as follows: Casper-Tainter-Dubay-Kruse. This gang of 4 motored on, increasing their lead on the field over the next 10 laps taking the 4th set of sprint points and then lapping the field with 19 to go. Kruse, still not satisfied, rode off the front followed by Schueller, Tainter and Capser, gaining a modest lead. Andy Frye (BikeThrow Racing) joined them with 13 to go. Tainter won the 5th sprint over Kruse, Casper and Schueller. Confusion reined afterward until Tainter jumped with 3 to go to win the final sprint and accumulate enough sprint points, along with his lap, to win the race. Kruse, Casper, and Schueller took the remaining final sprint points. Their lap on the field gave Casper and Kruse 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Cat 3, 15 racers
The Cat 3 field included three women preparing for the sharp competition expected during the MN Fixed Gear Classic, June 11-13. They started with a 10-lap scratch race. At the gun, Steve Redelsperger (Bianchi/GP) took off, gaining as much as 30 meters but swung up after 2 laps. The group stayed bunched until Mike Hall (behind bars/LGR) attacked with 4 to go. He was unable to shake the field. With 2 to go, Mike Smith (Gopher Wheelmen) took a flyer and led at the bell but couldn’t hold off a charging Dan Jacobsen (Gopher Wheelmen), Redelsperger, Matt Allen (behind bars/LGR), and Conrad Thomas (Lakeside Velo).
Early in the miss and out, Allen played his favorite role as the devil, pipping riders at the line, but was just a little too slow during the 3rd elimination lap. The pace picked up and the next several riders were caught inside, unable to advance. Jacobsen was nicked at the line for 5th place. Conrad Thomas was caught inside for 4th place. Smith and Zack Mohr (unattached) rode past a fading Redelsperger. In the final lap, Mohr attacked for the win when Smith had no answer to the attack.
A 50-lap points race (sprints every 10) finished the Cat 3 schedule. The field rode casually early, causing Redelsperger to get jumpy 5 laps in. He built as much as a 40-meter lead before Dan Frederick (American Anti-aging) began to close. At the bell for the 1st sprint, Smith attacked and stayed out for the 1st place points. Allen took the 2nd place points and kept going for a quick 25-meter gap on the field but he couldn’t hold it. He was passed by Mark Stewart (unattached), Elena Dorr (Verve) and Jason Goldberg (Bianchi/GP). Dahlmann bridged to form a group of 4 at the front who were reeled in with 34 laps to go. Two laps later, Thomas attacked from the rail but couldn’t sustain it. Frederic won the 2nd bunch spring over Smith, Jacobsen, and Allen. The field formed a brisk pace line for the next seven laps before Thomas and Smith took a flyer. They took the1st and 2nd points at the 3rd sprint by 50 meters over Dorr and Stewart but gave it up after the sprint. The group quickly squelched several probing attacks over the next 8 laps. With 12 to go, Thomas upped the pace but Redelsperger and Frederick rode around him in the sprint lap for top points. Allen and Dahlmann rode through the aftermath of the sprint and took a quick 80-meter lead with 7 to go. Over the next 5 laps the field ground them down to a 20-meter gap at which point Dahlmann jumped for the final sprint. At the bell she had 20 meters over Thomas who had launched himself from the pack. He caught her in the last turn for the final sprint points, just enough to give him the race over Smith followed by Redelsperger, Allen, and Dahlmann.
Cat 4/5, 14 racers
The Cat 4/5 warmed up with a 10-lap tempo (2/1 points each lap). Points for the first three laps were traded evenly among 6 racers after which Dave Brennaman (Birchwood) took control of the race with Sean Vig (Speedfix) playing catch-up ahead of the field. Brennaman took 6 firsts over Vig to guarantee the win before Vig took the last sprint, accumulating enough points for 2nd in the race. Derek Virta (Gophen Wheelmen), Mark Lepke (behind bars/LGR) and Dave Brosnahan (Gopher Wheelmen) split the few remaining points.
The group preserved their strength over the first 5 laps of the win-and-out. Brennaman attacked with 3 to go taking Bergstrom and Vig. The group reeled them in and Vig went over the top at the bell taking Vitra but holding him off to the line. Prior to the next sprint, Virta had 20 meters on the bunch that he was able to maintain for 2 laps to take 2nd. Lepke and Bergstrom maintained the gap they built chasing Virta. Bergstrom took the 3rd sprint, holding off Lepke who motored on for the 4th sprint by 50 meters. Brenneman took 5th place holding off Eric Ware (MCT) in a tight sprint.
A 40-lap scratch race provided an opportunity for new racer, Jeff Anderson (Loon State) to show his stuff. He led a 4-lap pace line at which point a number of riders decided to up the tempo. The bunch reformed with 27 laps to go and stayed bunched for another 10 laps. With 15 laps to go, Virta launched taking Vig and Bergstrom. They were joined by Anderson and Brosnahan, forming a group of 5 at the front. They picked up lapped riders and the group swelled to as many as 7. With 2 to go, Virta accelerated, prompting Brenneman to drag a group of 8 in an effort to keep Virta within reach. Not to be denied though, Virta kept the gap to the end for the win. Bergstrom caught and passed Brennaman for 2nd. Anderson and Vig brought in the rest.