Kris Schamp
Greetings!
It's hard to believe... summer in Portland is just kicing into high gear and we're already getting everything ready for the last race of the Portland Short Track Series! Like in years past, we plan to go out with a bang. Next Monday's final night of short track racing - aka the Short Track Grand Finale - will be a night of sheer bike race fun you don't want to miss out on!
Here are a couple updates, ahead of all the madness:
1) Series Standings:
Check out the current series standings going into the final night of racing at https://www.athletepath.com/portland-short-track-series/2012/standings. Best 7 races will count towards overall and the results of the final race will determine the ranking among racers with equal amount of points. Lot of categories where the final podium is still undecided, which should make for some exciting race action on Monday!
2) Pre-register online for Monday's race and help reduce the lines on Monday!
Our last night of the series always enjoys high attendance and a record number of racers and - looking at the weather forecast for Monday (sunny and highs around 80F) - we are confident this year won't be an exception. To alleviate the line at the registration tent (especially for racers who need new plates), we strongly recommend everyone to pre-register online at http://www.portlandracing.com/registration.html
We will even extend the online registration deadline with an extra day, so racers will have until end-of-day Saturday to pre-register and save some money and time on Monday. Our registration folks will be grateful for it!
3) It's time again for the "Ultra Short Track"Team Relay Race!
Like in years past, we will stage an all-for-fun team relay race on the motocross track, right after we're done with the regular races. This year, we have lined up a record 30 teams of 10 racers who each will get to race one lap. All proceeds of the relay race ($50 per team) will go to Mat Barton's recovery fund. Since we will only use the motocross track, the laps will be ultra-short, ultra-fast and ultra-fun to race and/or watch! Click here for more details. Note that all team slots have been filled. If you are not racing on one of the relay teams, just bring your cowbells and consider yourself part of the cheerleading squad that will be lining the course.
More details: http://www.portlandracing.com/short-track-finale-2012.html
4) Get Ready for our Grand Series Awards & Raffle!
In good tradition, we will close the night and wrap up the series with awards for the overall top-3 podium finishers in each category and of course our not-to-be-missed Grand Series Raffle. Like the previous weeks, we will sell raffle tickets at $5 per ticket (or 5 tickets for $20), with all tickets sales donated to Mat Barton's recovery fund. And for our final night, we plan to go big with a boat load of awesome prizes provided by our sponsors Hopworks, Yakima, Cyclepath, Bike N Hike, Moots, Rubena, Chris King, Portland Design Works, Icebreaker, Nossa Familia Coffee, Bob's Red Mill and the Lumberyard. The total prize list exceeds $3,000 in value and will be posted at the raffle booth. And - unlike previous years - you won't have to be present to win any of the bigger prizes. Also a reminder that we still have plenty of Short Track T-shirts - including a limited-edition BartonPDX.com edition - which will sell for $20 and with all proceeds going to Mat. (No checks or credit cards, ple
ase!)
5) One last night of yummy post-race snacks and refreshments.
Like previous weeks, the Portland Design Works and Corsa Concepts crew will be out there on Monday serving Hammer Heed and yummy Dave's Killer Bread PB&J sandwiches. And for our final night, they will be joined by the Chris King folks, who will be serving more tasty goodies. The PIR concession stand will also be open and serve burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, sodas and Hopworks beer! Please respect the PIR policy and do NOT bring any alcoholic beverages from outside the venue.
6) Safety first!
With likely larger-than-usual race fields on Monday and a lot of new riders (of all ages and skill levels), I like to ask everyone to make an extra effort to race safely and courteously, especially when passing slower riders. Also be safe when crossing the PIR track and follow the crossing marshals' directions. Finally, if you come by car, make sure not to leave any valuables visibly in your car, or bikes unlocked on your bike rack. This year, we've been spared of any theft in the PIR parking area, but unfortunately it has happened in the past and I like everyone to be aware of it.
That's it. I am looking forward to seeing you Monday at PIR. Round up your friends. Bring your family. Let's throw a party!
~Kris
Portland Racing
www.portlandracing.com
PS 1: Last week, we had a fair number of racers who raced with the wrong plate in the wrong category, which created a lot of extra work for our scoring team and our Chief Judge Candi Murray. Monday's race will already be hectic enough for our scoring team (with a lot of new racers and the need to produce instant results for the podiums), so please make sure to bring your race plates and race with the correct one!
PS 2: if you cannot make it this Monday for the Series Finale (or just live too far from Portland to come out and race), you will get one more chance this season to redeem your Short Track racing credentials at the upcoming OBRA Short Track Championships, which will take place on Sunday August 12 (in just over two weeks!) on the all-new riverside easyCLIMB trail system in Cascade Locks (http://www.portlandracing.com/obra-stxc-champs/). We will be using the Portland Short Track Series 2012 race plates for this event, so please make sure to hang on to your plates