Kris Schamp
Greetings, fellow OBRA racers!
We are just a couple days away from the start of the seventh edition of the Portland Short Track Series!
I hope you are as excited as we are about spending the next two months racing bikes on a dirt course, cheering on fellow racers, and having a great time all around! This year, we are kicking off the series a bit earlier than previous year, for two reasons:
- one, per popular demand we decided to add an extra race to the calendar (yes, that means a total of eight short track races and two sets of OBRA BAR points to be earned!);
- and two, after the first four races, we will be taking a break (July 4th happens to fall on a Monday this year) and we'll swap our weekly dose of short track madness for a full day of MTB XC race fun (on Sunday July 3rd) at the Six Hours of Mount Hood. (more info at http://www.portlandracing.com/6hrs)
Here are a couple updates I like to pass along ahead of Monday's kick-off race:
1) Tomorrow (Friday, June 3) is the deadline to pre-register online for Monday's race!
Like the past two years, we offer again online registration for single races. Each week - until end-of-day Friday - you can register online for the next upcoming race ($10 for Juniors, $15 for everyone else, $5 for a second race the same night). If you miss the Friday deadline, you can still register at the races, but you will pay $5 more and will have to stand in line at registration. So, be smart, help alleviate the work of our registration folks, and pre-register today!
IMPORTANT: All races will start on time. Please schedule enough time to get to PIR, get all your stuff together, ride your bike from the parking lot to the infield, and get registered. If you plan to pay for your race on Monday, we recommend you arrive at PIR at least 1 hour before the start of your race, because the registration lines on our first day of racing always tend to be pretty long. Day-of-race registration will open at 4:30am, so come early to avoid the lines. And make sure to bring cash or a check. We do NOT accept credit cards, although there is an ATM outside the PIR track (across the main race tower).
2) Please fill out our online Series Race Waiver & Accident Release Form!
Whether you plan to pre-register online or prefer to pay for your races on race day, please take a minute and fill out our online series waiver & accident release form at:
http://www.portlandracing.com/short-track-waiver-2011.php
You need to do this only once and you will be all set for the whole series. It will save on paper, save you time at your first race (no need to hand-write a paper waiver), and it will make the race administration at our end much easier. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
3) Pre-registered riders & Race Plates:
Like previous years, all racers will receive a unique, laminated series race plate, which you wil receive at your first race and which you will re-use throughout the series (unless you change categories). These are the only race plates that will be honored by our officials. If you have pre-registered online or purchased a series pass, all you need to do on Monday is pick up your race plate at our separate pre-registration desk (in front of the race tower) and you're all good to go.
4) FREE Clinics for Juniors and Novice Women racers:
This year, Bike 'N Hike is teaming up with Northwest Trail Alliance and some seasoned expert/pro short track racers to host FREE weekly clinics for junior racers and novice women. The clinics will include a guided bike-through of the course, various fun skill drills, and a ton of race tips from folks who not only know how to race hard but also how to race smart. The clinics will be held from 4pm to 5pm on the race course. Meet-up is at the bleachers on the right of the registration tent. You don't have to register in advance for the clinics, but you need to fill out a series waiver.
5) Sponsors, Goodies and Prizes, Oh My!
We are thrilled to enjoy the continued support of a host of sponsors. Hopworks Urban Brewing, Portland's all-organic, bike-centric eco-brewpub continues to be the title sponsor of the series and every week they will throw in some much-coveted beer prizes (at least, for racers who are 21 and over). But wait, there is more! Apparently the beer mavens at HUB have heard our prayers and have decided to open a new establishment in North Portland. The soon-to-open Hopworks Bike Bar will be located on the North Williams Ave "Bike Highway", just a couple minutes from PIR. And if my source is right (and he better is, since he's the boss...), they will offer a very special Monday night deal for beer-loving short track racers. Stay tuned for more details and let's hope they will be open soon!
For the seventh year in a row, the friendly folks of Chris King will call present to serve up lemonade and goodies to racers and spectators alike. And in good tradition they will throw in some real cool bling that we'll raffle off... hail to the King!
And then there are all our other great sponsors, including Bike 'N Hike, Yakima, Cyclepath, Moots and Nossa Familia Coffee, who will be throwing in a bunch of other great prizes and product, which we'll raffle off throughout the series and at our grand raffle at the very end of the series. Please return them the favor and support our sponsors with your business or just tell them how much you appreciate their support for the series, when you see them at the races.
6) Some IMPORTANT safety tips
On Monday nights between 6pm and 8pm there are ongoing road bike races on the PIR race track. If you are in a rush to get to the short track course, please use the wooden bridge, midway across the finish straightaway of the road track. If you prefer to cross through the main gate (where the road racers enter), you should at all time obey the directions of the crossing marshals and use extreme caution when crossing!
As a general rule, never cross the track when oncoming racers are in sight. It's also a good idea to come early: less traffic, shorter lines at registration, plenty of time to pre-ride the course, ... all-in-all less stress. The course will be open for pre-riding from 4pm on and registration will open at 4:30pm.
Note: if you do come out early and there are still cars or motorcycles racing on the track, you must use the bridge to cross. Jumping the closed gate is a big no-no at PIR (they are very serious about people respecting the track safety protocols). So again, if the gate is still locked, just use the bridge.
That's it. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail. I am looking forward to seeing you on Monday!
~Kris
Kris Schamp
kris@portlandracing.com