Mountain bikers will be the main event at Portland International Raceway (PIR) tonight when the Mountain Bike Short Track Series kicks off. The series will continue each of the next six Mondays through the end of July.
Organizer Kris Schamp says given the event’s popularity he’ll keep the racing format the same as previous years. Racers and spectators love the motocross-style courses (which change each week) with their double-jumps, roller-coaster whoop sections, sharp turns, berms, and even a bit of singletrack.
the Short Track series.
New to the series this year are skills clinics each week for novice junior and women riders. Schamp has lined up semi-pro Patrick Wilder to lead the juniors and pro racer Sue Butler and the Sorella Forte team to teach the women’s clinics. There’s more information on the clinics here.
Schamp also hopes to bring the racing and advocacy communities closer together by offering a $10 discount on race fees to anyone who signs up as a member of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) at the event.
Schamp says members of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) should join forces with the BTA; “I personally think there is a lot of potential here for the BTA to reach out to recreational and competitive cyclists and for those cyclists to step up and become bike advocates.”
Read about my experiences at Short Track Racing in 2006 (great) and 2007, (not so great) and browse my Short Track racing photos.
More information on the series at PortlandRacing.com.
Thanks for reading.
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I love your \”punny\” cutlines. They crack me up every time. That\’s proof of the legacy of print journalism in blogs for sure.
Have you checked out strobist.blogspot.com?
The portrait included here would be fantastic with a bit of fill light to tone down the ambient a bit. I wish I was in Portland so I could shoot some pics at this event!
Great work, Kris! I\’m a roadie but will do my best come support this as a spectator. Your level of involvement brings so much to our community on so many fronts (OBRA, We are ALL Traffic, Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund supporter, and the list goes on). Your efforts are much appreciated, and you qualify as a Lebowski Urban Achiever in my book any day!
Erin G.
We are ALL Traffic
There are road races going on to at PIR, which has been happening for many years! Its been the main event out there all season, and stop on by.
2008 LAKESIDE BICYCLES MONDAY NIGHT BIKE RACE SERIES
http://WWW.RACEMONDAYNIGHT.COM
Sponsored by Lakeside Bicycles
May 5th to August 25th
May – 5, 12, 19, 26; June – 2, 9, 16, 23, 30;
July – 7, 14, 21, 28; Aug – 4, 11, 18, 25
WHAT:
Monday night summer bike racing for women (any age) and masters men (30+) on a flat, closed, car-free circuit. Fast, fun action with separate categories for beginner to advanced cyclists.
WHERE:
Portland International Raceway
From I-5 take exit #306B west. Or go by bike…
START TIMES AND CATEGORIES:
6:15pm Novice Masters Men (aged 30+)
6:20pm Novice Women (any age)
6:35pm Open Women (Category 1/2/3/4)
6:43pm Masters Men 30+ (Category 1/2/3)
6:45pm Masters Men 30+ (Category 4/5)
COURSE/DISTANCES:
The course is a flat and wide 1.9-mile loop with excellent quality pavement. The circuit is closed to all car traffic.
REGISTRATION:
Registration opens at 5pm, located at start/finish area in the middle of the track, opposite the main grandstand. An Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) license is required to race and is available at registration for $5 (single-day) or $20 (annual). Please arrive at least 30 minutes before start.
New racers are welcome and encouraged—just show up with a helmet and road bike ready to race. Experienced racers are on hand to answer questions and provide tips.
PRIZES:
Points are accumulated weekly in each category. Lakeside Bicycles provides prizes and gift certificates for top points winners at the end of each month. Prizes awarded nightly too! The racer in both Open Women and Masters (1/2/3) with the highest accumulated points for the entire race series will win a set of great road wheels donated by Lakeside Bicycles.
RULES:
Approved helmets Required. All OBRA Racing Rules Apply. No Aero Bars allowed! OBRA and the organizers of this race do not provide insurance coverage for injuries that occur at the race. The costs related to those injuries are the responsibility of the individual participant.
BIKE COMMUTERS DISCOUNT:
Beat the traffic, warm up for your race and reduce pollution by getting to PIR by bike, carpool or MAX train. Mention your alternative commute at registration and we’ll give you $1 off your entry and also donate $1 to the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, a great local non-profit working to making Portland one of the best places in the world to ride a bike.
FEE:
$13.00, $5.00 jr. women
CONTACT:
Jim Anderson – Series Race Organizer – 503-975-8229 – jim-anderson@comcast.net
Thanks, Jim! I should clarify my post: I am a *non-competitive* roadie (at this point in time….!). I\’m aware of the great work that\’s long gone into the Monday series; many of my friends really enjoy them. Great job; keep it up!
\”Schamp says members of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) should join forces with the BTA”
Here, Here!
I\’m wondering if there is anybody who knows how the guy is doing who had the apparent heart-attack tonight out at the races — in the men\’s sport division a 30ish guy simply fell over right past the finish line during the second lap — within 30 seconds people hopped the fence and started CPR — 911 was called and fire and ambulance arrived probably 10 minutes later — a lot of people were shook up.
If anybody knows, please update us. We\’re sending good and healing thoughts…
PS — perhaps this week at the remaining Pedalpoolaza events some fundraising to get AED machines donated to OBRA and other bike races?
alex, just for clarification, it was the single speed slash womens race with the 6:30 start time, the jersey he was wearing was either the bike gallery orange or team S and M, I couldnt tell which…..I\’m hoping the best for him as well.
I was there tonight as well, and really thought the race should have been paused until they could get the heart attack (?) victim off the track. I will never forget the sight of people performing CPR on that man while people raced by on their MTBs six feet away.
And should have added: hope that guy is doing OK and will make a full recovery.
I just put up a story about tonight\’s incident. you can read more here.
Great spectator sport.
Mountain single-track is where it\’s at though! (As Gary Fisher says – \”Away from the cars, the concrete, and the cops\”).