Kris Schamp

Hey folks,

For those of you who got startled by my posting yesterday and the suggestion that we might include a course extension through the corn maze: don't fear no longer. Unfortunately, the maze is still too much of a slippery mess and we don't expect it to dry up enough by tomorrow to make it safe to ride (there are still some very slick frozen puddles and we rather not be held responsible for a bunch of twisted ankles). So, neither the regular races or the dog/kiddie races will venture through the maze, but spectators are free to wander off and get lost in it.

Now for those of you who are 'bummed' that we'll skip the corn maze for the fourth year in a row: no worries; there will be plenty fun to be had on the new-and-improved course we set up this afternoon. It will be fast and as dry as it ever gets this time of the year, but still feature plenty of tricky/bumpy sections, so it won't feel like a ride in the park. And in good tradition we threw in a "six pack" barrier and we added a new "hay ride obstacle" of sorts. We think you'll like it. But don't take our word for it... just come out tomorrow and judge for yourself!

Cheers,
~Kris

Kris Schamp
Portland Racing

PS: for the Clydesdale race, we still plan to do an mandatory weigh-in at 9 am (look for the 1,000 lbs Toledo scale next to the registration tent), but we will lower the bar for the "true clydesdale" positive handicap: riders who weigh in at 225 lb will get a 30 sec head start, 250 lbs will earn you a 60 sec advantage, and 300 lbs+ riders will receiving a whopping 2 minute time bonus.