Racing Down Under

Tomorrow Night Willis Has The Driveway Dialed in for Speed

Last week we were playing up top on the 9 turn in .8 mile City Course, looks like Willis is opting for the 3 turn lower level speed loop tomorrow night. This track offers a great opportunity for the beginner critter to “hang” with the pack as the lack of corners tend to make the lower Cat bunches stay together longer. Look for:

1) After the start the 1st downhill to flat is typically a good place to soft-peddal back into the pack. Grab some draft and allow your HR to recover (but maintain speed for position sake).
2) 90 degree sweeping right turn. Often goes 4-5 across. Maintain speed thru this turn or you’ll be out of the saddle to stay on a wheel with the exit acceleration – more pronounced when lap cards appear.
3) The back stretch (finish line) – this stretch typically alternates, sometimes a good rest stretch and sometimes people are moving up all over the place. If you are forward placed, this is a spot you need to keep an eye behind as riders will definately jump out and attack here.
4) The lead into the short uphill right 90 – for some reason this is the pileup spot. Just hold your line and be very aware of changing speeds and positions. Folks are prepping for the short pitched uphill, there usually is an acceleration going in and a mass slowdown on the riser. This is a great spot to gain some places or get boxed in behind riders who mis-gear and slow.
5) The 90 – Upon cresting get immediately on your horse to stick the wheel ahead, hesitate and you’ll waste lots of energy (and spots) trying to grab a wheel on the surge that happens here. Folks bomb back down this hill and lots of position changes occur here. Try and maintain your spot all the way thru this stretch. Many tend to lock on a dying wheel and then get stuck behind when riders carrying better speed start rolling around both sides.
6) Finish – Finish prep usually starts on long out stretch, riders start moving up to be placed well for the backside right 90 into the finishing straight. This lap is “on” from here. The backside 90 is usually fast and really crowded, carry speed here as the acceleration out is dramatic (no one is sprinting yet, but definatley bending cranks for a spot near the front). About halfway down this stretch the contenders stand and deliver for the line (last time we raced here it was 6 across the front line).
Good luck, have fun.