I'd focus on winning the 4 race Sean... the 3/4 is not the easiest race to win as there are some 3s on edge of being 2.
Also:
- practice the sprint as many times as you can, pre-ride the course 
- be near the front the whole race (but not the front) as it's far less watts to be there
(e.g. P123 was race, I was doing fine until I got towards back half of pack.) 
- race in a skinsuit, fast wheels
- conserve, conserve, conserve
- own the race; protect and maintain your position
- evaluate your competition (CRCA usually post a "who's going to win this" and roadresults.com) and figure out a plan to beat them. Evaluate the conditions on the day, e.g. high winds = good chance of a break sticking.
- do a proper warmup:
   

JohnMalcolmson said:

- be near the front the whole race (but not the front) as it's far less watts to be there
(e.g. P123 was race, I was doing fine until I got towards back half of pack.) 
- conserve, conserve, conserve
- own the race; protect and maintain your position

These are almost contradictory suggestions.

I'd go so far as to write that I'd rather cost myself a few extra watts to stay close to the front rather than conserve and slide back.  

I'd also pay attention to who corners well and who doesn't.  A person who corners poorly or chooses the wrong gear for exiting the turn is a terrible person to be behind.

@mugwump
^ I respectfully disagree, my experience with this race is — like many crits —  for most of the course it costs more average watts to be in the back half than nearer the front. It's also more dangerous and you have no clue what is going on.

Aright Dave. 4's it is. John/ JP.  I'll try my best to stay at the front, but we'll see. My top end has been off so far this year.

Sean, texted you about this.  Judging from Rockleigh yesterday I have very limited moves I can help you with.  Truthfully I'd be surprised if I could even finish the race.  With that said, if you're in, I'm in.

John and JP are saying they disagree with each other, all while saying the exact same thing. Staying near the front is conserving! (And so is choosing really solid wheels to follow around the course.)

Conserving is a relative term obvs. My point for the newish to racing, is try conserving down the back of the pack in the Cat 4 race and you'll get spat out after a few laps of sprinting out of every corner and fighting to fill gaps. 

Just so much good teamwork here: (Note: Pat's team is in Avanti Isowhey Black/Blue kit)
http://cyclingtips.com/2016/01/what-does-it-take-to-win-a-stage-of-thebay-crits/ 
Notice how they ride as a unit and stay together. 

This guy says all the right things if you find yourself having to freelance a crit: 
http://303cycling.com/5-golden-rules-to-criterium-racing

I reg'd for both the 4 and 3/4 race. Targeting the 4 race and just going to try and hold on for the 3/4.

Sean let's talk game plan for the 4 race.  It's going to be madness with 100 racers and I will have a very limited number of matches to burn for you.

Slightly off topic but definitely still about this race but as I can't race I plan on going down to take some pictures of it. If anyone has a Canon DSLR body I've got a lens that I like to use. Let me know.

@James Great, I can leave with doorman, we're on W79th St UWS so may be easiest to do on day. PM me jsmalcolmson@gmail.com

@SeanMilesThis race will probably be harder than Saturday's Branchbrook races (more technical and podium bragging rights are higher), but I'm pretty confident that we can both stay near the pointy end of the arrow for the inevitable field sprint.  Will try to coordinate on that bell lap to find you.  I'm going to try to position myself on the outside line coming out of the last "corner" going up the hill to the finish.

David Yang said:

@SeanMilesThis race will probably be harder than Saturday's Branchbrook races (more technical and podium bragging rights are higher), but I'm pretty confident that we can both stay near the pointy end of the arrow for the inevitable field sprint.  Will try to coordinate on that bell lap to find you.  I'm going to try to position myself on the outside line coming out of the last "corner" going up the hill to the finish.

Agreed, I think we should both be just fine hiding around the front for the most part, and connecting when we can (but most importantly on the bell lap) to see how we feel. I was a bit off on Saturday, and whoever feels they have the legs should get pulled up the first half of the last hill.

Bell lap not the time to move up, three to go you get to front and get super ADD about staying there.

Bell lap, If you don't have good position going into the left hander after start-finish, (Watch out for a train coming from the right side -- you'll need to get on it) you'll burn all your matches getting forward.

If there's a place for Yang to get you up the front it'll be after the punchy climb. Full gas into hairpin, no fear, that's where you'll open up gaps as it takes nerves to pedal through the hairpin at 30mph. Measure out 200m with your Garmin and go from that mark! Unless it's a headwind :^B 

I'm all reg'd up, cat 4 only.

I'll be at a wedding at the time the 3/4 field races (afternoon wedding?!), otherwise I feel I would have had to sign up.  I can't imagine racing grant's without 10 pounds of winter gear on!!!!  Good luck to all!  Maybe I'll try to swing by for some of the morning races

Any meet up before race begins I would be doing the juniors 17-18. 

Hey Edgar, I don't think I'll be up there that early, but will be there with you in spirit.  Have a great race!

*ditto for you Jill, represent!

Edgar I'll be there for the Men's 5 race, after yours. Say hey!

Good luck everyone.
http://www.crca.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016-Grants-Tomb-Race-Guide-1.pdf

Race Report:
Woke up this morning, felt fatigued and was still hacking from this stupid cold virus, sat on my couch until 7:20 (plan was to leave the house by 7:30am) contemplated whether or not racing was going to happen.  Got the computer out to write an email apologizing to my teammates for not showing up, deleted email, closed computer, got dressed in Kissena kit, and left the house.

Decided that I wanted to go hard off the start, so I ended up leading for the first 2.5 laps, and then again for the 4th lap and some other laps there in between.  It was pretty sweet because we dropped half of the field on the first lap!  I later paid for this early enthusiasm because I was pretty beat by the end of the race.  I still hung on to the peloton, but there was nothing left in the tank for a sprint.  I learned that it's fun to start the race at a high pace, but perhaps it would be better to have ducked in after the first lap to let someone else lead.  

About midway through the race, I realized that I had forgotten to ditch my water bottle and flat kit at the start and that I had not eaten my gel (my brain was not functioning at a high level this am).  Regardless, I'm glad that I decided to race this morning.  I feel like I learn a lot every race, and it's really fun to have teammates!  Again, we were the largest team in the field with 4 Kissena Women!  So awesome!  Now, we just need to work on some team strategy.  

Next race is March 26th in CP!  Looking forward to it.

I crossed the race this morning for a moment, Jill was leading the Gruppo. Awesome!

Wow!! You guys were single file...must have bern going pretty hard...
Go Jill!!!

I look like I'm dying, haha, that's how I felt!  And kind of how I feel now, lol!

JillSink said:

@GiacomoVischi
Was that the start of the race?

hm... I think it was the second lap or something

Good times in the men's 4 race. Sean and I pinned up and lined up in what turned out to be perfect racing weather. Bertucco gave us a coach pep talk to pump us up and we were on our way. 

Most of the time it wasn't particularly fast and guys weren't particularly throwing down too hard to breakaway so I tried to sit pretty near the front letting other, stronger guys pull the field up.  There were a few sketchy guys making stupid moves and I had a few moments when guys bumped into me for no tactical reason. Chalk it up to their early season jitters so whatever.  We stayed upright.

With the lap count winding down though guys got more serious about their attacks. With maybe 3 to go I ended up burning a serious match catching onto what looked like a legit move. Stupid, should have realized it wouldn't last. I slid back about 15 spots instantly to recover and stayed there (not by choice of course) until the bell lap. Knowing I had to move up I cut the inside corner going into the back of the church and ate some wind to fly up the left hand side and had a good position to cut the inside corner over the manhole cover. Unfortunately someone had the same line idea and chopped me.  I had to seriously brake check just before the apex then basically burned my last match sprinting up the hill trying to make back position. By then Sean was sticking to the plan and was on my wheel shouting to go go go, but all I could do was wave him through, I was toast. I did my best to keep going but by then was sprinting for 30th so just laid back and let the field wash over me.

All in all I felt good through most of the race and felt like I was super comfortable taking fast lines and finding gaps to pop through to keep good position. What I was missing was better strategic thinking towards the end (e.g. not chase after moves that are guaranteed to not go anywhere) and of course more fitness. More fitness helps makes up for dumdum brain.

Apologies again to Sean, hopefully I can be better help at our next race.

Good to see Edgar, Malcomson and his lovely family, and New Dave (H) spectating. Seriously what a great course and race. I hope more kissenas join us next year.