I have finally gotten the chance to race at trexlertown. The track is just how I expected it to be. Fast, smooth, short. The facilities are great with showers, warm up areas, great officials and employees. The riders weren't what I expected though. I guess it makes sense as this track is really one of two world class venues in the US, but it still surprised me a bit. A lot of the guys just seemed very "roadie". By this I mean the guys at kissena are like a big family. Everybody talks to each other and is friendly to each other. We'll help each other bring their stuff to the track and back to the parking lot. This is one of the main reasons I love track racing and really don't care much for road racing. At road races everyone is out for themselves and that's it. Nobody talks to each other, nobody helps each other. That's how it seemed at T-town with a good handful of the guys. Don't get me wrong, I still talked to a few guys and we had a great time. Bottom line, you can't take this shit too seriously. Also, a lot of the guys rolled their bikes around instead of carrying them. Really, that's just not track.
Anyhow. So the weather forecast said 30% chance of rain from 7am until the next day so I really wasn't even sure if there would be racing, but this was basically my only chance to get out on a saturday before my track upgrade goes through. I went in to NYC on friday to stay with my brother. Helped him clean his apartment and drink his beers. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. I got only a couple of hours sleep before it was suddenly 7am. Time for business. Quick breakfast at George's would be the only food all day until I got home. Met up with Andy, headed to jersey city to pick up the others and off we went.
We got to T-town around 11:30 I would say. Registered, got number 432 which I think is my easiest-to-remember number thus far. Got changed in the locker room (a locker room!), then got warmed up.
The first race was a 15 lap (5k) scratch race. As usual, I found myself near the back and began to filter up through the pack. I found myself at the front pretty quick and decided to jam. Off the front I go, with nobody else bridging or coming with. around and around and around. Maybe I should just sit up? I set the burner to simmer and just keep on turning the pedals. Finally another guy bridges up to me, gets to the front and just slows down. Obviously has a teammate back in the group but I really didn't care. I was just tired of being by myself on the front. Nothing else to say about the rest of that race. Rolled in with the pack. I definitely felt like I was spinning out in my 90" when the heat was on.
Next was a Super Sprint Elimination. I think that's what they called it at least. A Devil's Scratch is what we call it at kissena. Miss and out until 10 guys left, then a 5 lap scratch. I alternated between staying up at the front uptrack a little and hanging near the back almost playing the devil. I just made sure there were less than 10 riders in front of me when we got to the start/finish line. I didn't get eliminated, which is always a good thing. I might have even placed in this one. I don't really remember. at around this point in the day the sky cleared up a little and it just became a hot, humid mess. I think I lost some of my brain cells to heat damage and that's why I have no clue what even happened in most of these races.
The third race was a 15 lap (5k) points race with 3 sprints. I think I was just about the last guy on the rail starting, so it took me beyond the first sprint to get in a good position. Nothing exciting for the first sprint, I think I got 1st in the second sprint and got pipped at the line for 3rd in the last. I don't really know if the placing went more than 3 places deep or not, so I might have gotten points for 4th, might not have.
This concluded the omnium and I ended in 4th overall. This meant I could do the A feature - A 36 lap scratch! Fortunately for me, they decided to shorten it by 2k to just a 30 lap scratch. The race started out casual as most longer races do. I think a couple of breakaway attempts. Nothing stuck. Finally two got away and it looked good. I got to the front to try to start bringing them back and next thing I know I look back and I have a gap between me and the rest of the field. So now there's 2 ahead, me in no man's land and the pack behind. I accept my fate and just get aero. Full steam ahead, trying to bridge. I finally get there with about two or three to go. Rest up a little, bell lap, look back and there's the pack. ffffuuuuuck. I sprint around the other two hoping to keep up some momentum to pull myself to the line, but it's no good. Soon after the pack just blows by me and I roll in.
All in all it was a fun time. looong day though. I finally got home around 9pm. The guys I was with said some of the other racers were talking behind my back about my skinsuit and helmet. I just don't see where that has any place in racing. Whatever.
