Calling an End to the 2016 Practice Crits

Given the poor turn out for last night's practice crit (21 riders total - both A and B race), and the fact that we started late so that we could get the minimum number of corner guards (looked like we might have to cancel), we have decided to call it a season.

Please look for a end-of-season survey to be posted here shortly so we can get feedback for next year.

Thanks to all who came out, and particularly to those of you who were regular volunteers.

See you in 2017.

Important Practice Crit Update

The organizing committee for the practice crit has decided that we are taking a 3 week hiatus because many of the core people responsible for setting up and organizing the practice crits will be gone over the next three weeks.

There will NOT be practice crits on the following dates: June 22, June 29, or July 6.

We will finish the season with 3 final practice crits which will lead up to and help get racers ready for the LAPT omnium and the State Championship weekend.

The final practice crits will be: July 13, July 20, and July 27.

Great 2 Weeks of Racing!

Weather has been perfect the past two weeks and with the nice weather, out came the racers - we had about 50 racers 2 weeks ago and about 40 racers last night!

We will be racing next week (but not June 22).

As a reminder, in the event of sketchy weather, I will post by about 4:30 pm whether the practice crits are on or off for the night.

A couple shots from last night.

Lining up for the A race.

Second lap and the A race already strung out.

Crit Cancelled for Tonight

Given the forecast and the likelihood for rain, we are canceling the crits for tonight. (It better not end up being warm and sunny tonight!)

See everyone next week.

Crit Weather Update

I will post about 4:30 pm whether the crit tonight is a go or not as the forecast looks iffy at the moment.

Great Night of Racing!

Turned out to be a gorgeous night, and we had the largest fields so far this season!  Sunny and warm weather, and of course the Soho food cart, must have been all we needed.

A few spectators grabbing some food.

Hope to see even more people out next week!

The B race had a good sized field and it stayed together for much of the race despite the pace! And a break attempt ion the A race also coming into Turn 3. A few pics are below.

B racers coming into turn 3

Turn 3

Strung out a bit coming into turn 3 in the A race.

Tomorrow Night looks Perfect for Racing!

Forecast looks great for tomorrow. sunny and mid 60s, with little wind. We will also have the Soho food cart there tomorrow too.

I made a "plug" for the crits at the Capital Brewery ride earlier tonight, and hopefully a number of those riders will also show up to check out the crits.

For those of you planning to come who are new, be sure to read some of the previous blog posts as they contain information and details about the crits, location, cost, etc.

Again, the practice crits are a great way to practice and develop bike handling skills, gain fitness, and check out what crit racing is all about. We will also have experienced racers there to coach as well.

A couple pics from last week - The B race getting started, and post race munchies courtesy of Slide food cart.

Good Start to the 2016 Practice Crit Season!

We had a pretty good turn out for the first night - a bit cool and windy, but better than some opening nights in past years!

I know many of you were bummed that the food carts were not there, but I have been assured they will be there next week (let's hope the forecast improves by then!). Again, the food carts that will be co ming to the crits are Slide and Soho.

A big thanks to one of the Practice Crit sponsors, Smart Motors, for the use of a truck to help set up and take down the course.

A few shots from the B race and A race - you can see the A race break starting in the third pic.

Encourage your racing friends to come out next week, and bring cash for some food cart food too! 

Season Opener in 2 Days!

Weather looks like it will cooperate for the season opener - a bit on the cool side, but still warm enough and little chance of rain in the forecast!

A couple reminders:

• Print release form, fill it out in advance, and bring it with you. Remember you only need to complete the form once for the season.

• Bring your USA Cycling license (you only need to show it the first time); if you do not have one, get a 1-day or annual license on-line.

• Bring exact change ($5)

• Plan to grab a bite to eat as there will be 1-2 food carts on site this year (assuming they do enough business the first night - so bring some extra cash!).

• A racers plan to come early to help corner guard the B race, and B racers plan to stay and help corner guard the A race.

See everyone on Wednesday!

Practice Crits Season Opener

Season Opener
The practice crits will start in about a week - opening night is Wednesday, May 4 (remember we have now moved to Wednesday nights).

The crits are a great opportunity for new racers to learn crit racing skills and for experienced racers to work on their skills.

There are two races each night. The B race (typically Cat 4/5, women, juniors, beginners) starts at 6:30 pm for about 30 minutes, and the A race (typically Cat 1/2/3) starts at 7:10 pm for about 50 minutes.

Note: During the B race, experienced racers will be available to "shadow" B race riders (for those who are interested) and provide in-race "instruction."

Season Schedule
The practice crits will be held every Wednesday through July (last one will be July 27), with the exception of June 22 during ToAD.

Food  Carts
As previously posted, we will have two local Madison food carts, Soho and Slide, at the season opener, and if they do enough business they will be back throughout the season - so be sure to bring some extra cash for post race munchies!

Prizes
We will be giving away some nice swag during primes and to the winners of each race.

Category 5 to Category 4 Upgrades
The practice crits count as mass start races for those racers looking to upgrade from Cat 5 to Cat 4.

Weather Cancellations
Be sure to check this site for weather cancellations (I will try to post by 4:30 pm).

License Reminder

Remember that you must have a USA Cycling license in order to race (and you must present your license the first time at registration).

If you do not have a USAC license, you have two options:

- Buy an annual license (cost is $70), and although we will have annual license forms available on site, please join on-line and bring a print out of the license as it will make things much easier than trying to do it on site. Note that this license will allow you to race the entire series (plus any other USAC races).

- Buy a 1-day license (cost is $10), and although we will have 1-day license forms available on site, please complete the form online and bring a copy of the form/receipt to the practice crit. Note that this license will only allow you to race for the one day.

For both licenses, see https://www.usacycling.org/buy-a-license.htm for details about getting your license on-line.

Release Form Reminder

Everyone has to complete a USA Cycling release form only once, so save some time and complete the form on-line, print it out, and bring it with you. The form is available on-line at USA Cycling or open here and print.

Registration

Registration is located near the intersection of S Rosa Rd and Research Park Blvd, and opens about 6 pm and closes at 7 pm.

The entry fee to race is $5, and please bring exact change - no checks or credit cards will be accepted.

Note: The entry fee is waived for riders doing the B race for the first time. (After the first race, B racers will be expected to pay the $5 entry fee, which is a change from past years.)

Race Numbers

You will use the same race number for the season, so remember to save your race number and bring it with you each time.

Corner Guard Requirement

Everyone is expected to corner guard - no exceptions.

Please Read: We will be keeping track at each race, and after the first several races, if you have not volunteered to corner guard you will not be allowed to race (you can always bring a non-racer friend to serve in your place).

Practice Crit Rules

1. All riders must wear a USA Cycling legal/approved bicycle helmet.
2. Although the course is closed to traffic, there are occasionally vehicles that must enter/exit the course, so be aware while riding.
3. No clip-on or other triathlon/time trial bars. USA Cycling legal road bikes only. 
4. You may drop out and re-enter the race at any time except during the final two laps. Re-enter the race safely and on the straight sections of the course only. 
5. Use the port-potties located behind the building near the corner of Charmany Dr and Research Park Blvd. 
6. All USA Cycling rules are in effect (with the exception of the free lap rule, see #4).
7. Be on your best behavior - we are guests and want to be able to continue to use the area for the practice crits in the future.