2-12-2010 Race #4 is now in the books and did not disappoint. This year our winter weather has not let us down. It has been the harshest conditions we have seen in many ways. Mud can be found in various orifices for days after each race. The course conditions have been killing brake pads at will. If you are one of the few who has not burned through your pads yet you better check them out before its too late. For the 4th race of the series mother nature did not disappoint and threw down 3 to 4 inches of snow here in the dirty south of Charlotte NC. I am sure the earlier races actually raced in the snow. By the time we went off it was the muddiest conditions we have faced yet. The course has actually gotten better an better each race but it is so hard packed the water doesn't drain and holds water like South Blvd and Woodlawn used too. After completing 80% of the series so far i am left feeling a little disappointed. We have had a great turn out for the SouthPark Cycles Team and have been steadily moving up the ranks in the classes that we occupy tied for 4th in the team standings. I personally have had a lackluster series of results with an array of excuses. With one race to go I have set high expectations. Upon the finish of the 4th race, my bike was brought back to the repair shop and my team mechanic was immediately notified to fire our brake sponsor. Should be an epic this Saturday for the last race of the series. Don’t forget, following the end of the races Saturday there will be an awards ceremony held at East Blvd Bar & Grill. Thanks to everyone that has been sending me pics of myself and other SPC racers, please keep them coming.

Winter Short Track Race Video #4

It was a beautiful winter day for the 3rd race of the series. It was an exciting day of racing and this was unfortunately how it started out.

Click Here For Crash Sequence

The SouthPark Team was out in full force for the day representing many classes. I personally had a plan for the day which included a strong effort at the start to get good position. Some times you should be careful what you plan for. As the starting gun went off it was like the Red Sea Parted.

The Winter Short Track Races have been brutal on equipment. Here is yet another victim. If you have not replaced your brake pads yet you may want to consider it.

The Winter Short Track Mountain Bike Series has become a fixture in the Charlotte MTB Racing scene. A course created due to an unseasonable snow day one winter became a sustainable course for year round riding and winter racing. The first short track race of the year on 1/17 did not disappoint coming a day after 2 inches of rain. The course held up well but muddy is an understatement. Regardless, about the most fun you could have on a bike for the day. As any race i found my race within a race with fellow team mate Jeff McConaghy and Bike Source Rider Donald Butler. The last half of the race we ruthlessly kept attacking Butler until he finally cracked.

Winter Short Track Race Video #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeK6N0OcWBY

For the second race of the Winter Short Track Series I ran the camera backwards. Even though this winter so far has been brutal by way of weather there is still some great cycling and racing going on. This years Winter Short Track Series is proving to be an Epic! Each week you never know who will show up and put on a number plate. For those that have little or no race experience this is a great way to try racing. With my fitness level about as stable as a stumbling drunk the past couple of years I have been using the series the past couple of seasons as a way to make sure i get off the couch 1 time a week for a month. But the main reason I have continued is the FUN. The weather conditions have not been favorable the past 2 races but in many ways that is what has made it sadistically fun. The best addition to our local race series has been team competitions. What' s more fun than making sure your best friends are suffering along side of you. As the infamous Regulars would tell you, "We all have our own cycling gangs and sometimes gangs within gangs. It's so much better to duke it out on the trails with your crew than it is to stand alone." We have a packed field and I have been riding and racing against most of the guys for more than a decade so we have some great competition. I will be working on the gallery section of the Southpark Cycles website today to add some photos from the races write ups and more. For those that have been following the videos i am going to commit to the rest of the races. I am super green to editing but ironically i think analyzing the videos will actually help my racing. Weather your interested in racing or not If you haven't come out to check the Winter Winter Short Track Races you should.

Winter Short Track Race Video #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UltmldY5qpA

Here is some of the SouthPark Crew and racing archnemesis's Bike Source. The weather so far has been poor but the racing going on has been top notch

 

SouthPark Cycles owner and team captain leading out the first lap of the 40+ Cat 2 race. Jeff McConaghy, pictured just behind would take the team win in our battle that day. Behind McConaghy is BS rider Jeff Smith.

Rider of the day award would have to go to James Shelton. Not because he was the winner in the single speed class, but the manner in how he won. James overwhelmingly road away from a stack field of single speeders. He was literally plowing thru the peanut butter mudfield behind him like it was asphalt. Awesome job James!

The infamous Rich Dillen of Team Dickey and Ross Doswell of the SouthPark Cycles sponsored Giordana ClifBar Team.

Junior SPC Racer Richard Pedigo (left). TJ and Robert enjoy their last few moments of cleanliness.

For more info on the Winter Short Track check out www.charlottemtnbike.com