Hi,

In case you hadn't seen the other discussion about it, the reg for the State Champs is up:

https://www.bikereg.com/Net/2013-new-york-state-track-championships

Five events:

Team sprint
Scratch race
Kilo
Points race
Match sprint

Omnium format, i.e. five events with results in each race giving points to overall prize. Medals in each race though, so lots of silverware to be had.

Looking at the 2013 program of the club track mentor (whoever he is), it makes the following lofty goals:

1. "aim for a team of at least six riders at NYS champs, up from three in 2012
2. "win five medals + at NYS Champs, up from three in 2012."

Now, what are going to do to ensure we meet that goal and ensure the track mentor (I'm sure he's a lovely guy) isn't banished to a Siberian salt mine for failing the club and its glorious leaders? That's right, race!

We can get a team of at least four riders in the Men 1/2/3s: me, Andy DS, JP (JP?) and Marc; and at least three in the Men 4s: Mattie, Aaron and Konrad. There's no five category, but possibly still time to upgrade to four if you wanted to.

Who else? Come on, you know you want a piece of track glory! As that well-known old saying goes, "it is better to have raced for a day going fast at the track, than a lifetime of park racing."

It promises to be a fun and exciting day. It will be long, and there will be some tough and fast racing but I'm confident we're gonna make it Kissena's most successful state champs for some time / ever (not sure of the precedent tbh...) and really put the club back on the NY track racing map.

LET'S DO THIS!

Hi all,

Just wondering who was planning on riding the state track champs. I noticed last night that they are scheduled for 18 August, although according to the USAC site, the event hasn't been permitted yet.

Hoping there will be some good events - on the sprint events, I expect there will be a match sprint and kilo (like last year I think), but it would be great if there was a keirin and team sprint too - wasn't sure if there was last year. Sounds like we have had some good teams in the team sprint in the past too.

Cheers,

Kieran

I bet Mattie D. and Andy will be in attendance, possibly Chris Bloome and Konrad?  I haven't been out to Kissena in awhile - if I wasn't working I'd maybe come spectorate.

I have work on the weekends, last year I was able to squeeze off a team sprint and the kilo, hoping to do the same again.

@tito, you should def come and watch if you can, I'm sure it will be good fun.

@mattie, if you think you can make it and haven't got a team for the team sprint already, we should organize one. With any luck we'll have the new kit by then, perfect opportunity to show it off on the track!

@tito, you should def come and watch if you can, I'm sure it will be good fun.

@mattie, if you think you can make it and haven't got a team for the team sprint already, we should organize one. With any luck we'll have the new kit by then, perfect opportunity to show it off on the track!

what's your usac track cat? i'm still a 4 since I haven't been able to make it out much. states are generally run 4 and 1/2/3

I'd love to do it.  Gotta figure out how it fits in my schedule, if at all.

maybe if there's childcare at the track.

arghh, I really want to do this, but there are two other races I want that weekend as well, and I was planning on being out of town.

i.e. team sprint team we could only have one made from 1/2/3 and one from 4? Seems mean.
I'm cat 1 on the track (USAC decided this a couple of weeks ago on the basis of my past history, never mind that I've only raced twice in the last few years!).

@Josh, you gotta come, what's bigger than a state champs?! ;-) (other than a nationals obviously!)

I know what you mean about other races at the track last year - think there were a few keirin meets - I was reading about before I moved here, and was then a bit disappointed when I saw an empty schedule for this year!

@mugwump - I agree with Josh, there should be quite a few people there in the infield. Plus you can always keep one eye on racing and one eye on the track centre!

Flyer up. Too late in the day for me, no can do.

Cheers Mattie, that's a shame you can't make it though. Gonna try harder to rustle up a team sprint from the club!

Boom just saw Mattie on my lunch break ride. He is down for the cat 4 team sprint... As is Aaron. I'm now going to publicly call out Konrad. Glory(a cat4 state championship title) is knocking at your door Konrad... Let him/her in.

Apparently states just got called off. Fucking ehy

Alan "Rambo" Atwood just posted this:

It is with great regret that I have to inform everyone that the 2013 NY State Championships will have to be cancelled. For the 2nd time this year, I have been unable to acquire the proper number of officials to run a race -- a very disturbing trend.

For those of you that know me, I value the quality of the event more than anything else, and not having the proper # of officials to run a race runs the risk of the program not being properly executed, thus infringing on the quality of the event. Not all of you will agree with me; but this is the way I do things. If someone else wants to step up and put on the championships, I would welcome your efforts and do what I can to help make your event successful.

Not sure if this means he won't put it on at all, or would reconsider doing it if he can find a few more officials. Asked him on FB. Does Kissena have any registered officials who would consider helping out that day?

Oh that sucks.  Was looking fwd to getting out there and supporting.

T-town couldn't send us "experienced" officials?

Feeling a bit like this at the moment:

Let's wait and see what the promoters at T-Town say to Robert Marcus - he seemed to think they would be down for hosting it there (that was my take of it anyway). Not an ideal solution at all, but hey, it's a better track?!

Just when I thought the Kissena Velodrome had hit rock bottom...

That would be interesting if it was held at t-town

For sure! Much faster for a start, haha.

I guess we just keep training and hope another promoter takes it on instead. If not, we find another decent upcoming track race in which to take out rage (that said, I couldn't see anything eligible or worth traveling to in the USAC calendar).

If not, then there's nothing left but to travel to a city dump and smash up old TVs with bats for several hours.

This is the video the gif above is taken from btw, it's an Egyptian commercial for a brand of cheese...Genius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21mJh6j9i4

I want this race on!  I can't believe there aren't enough officials (can ragot race and officiate at the same time).

How about Reiners to officiate? He has an official's license (for the road at least).

eragot said:

Two things I can't do:

Officiate - I'm not licensed any longer

Be there - I'll be in California!

Come on Ragot, that's no excuse not to turn up and officiate.

Judging from comments on the velodrome's FB page, I think there is enough will to find another solution. Asides from another promoter putting it on (potentially somewhere else), someone just came up with the sensible idea of breaking it up into smaller pieces and holding it on Wednesday nights instead.

I mooted the idea of finding other officials to make up Atwood's shortfall. He shot this down.

Just to update anyone who's not following this quite as forensically as me on FB, the current conversation appears to going round in circles. A few people suggested (again) trying to source some more officials for the original date. Then it turns out Atwood was lacking a chief referee rather than lower level guys. He says this:

"Remember the main reason why I had to cancel this; I could not get an upper level official to be Chief Referee. State Championships are a big deal (obviously since all the comments here), so you need to have someone running the show that can manage all the chaos, especially with the individual events like kilos and team pursuits.

Here's another thought: Even though Twilight ends in August, doesn't mean that September can't host racing. In fact besides Labor Day I host a collegiate race on the first Saturday after Labor Day. Someone who wants to step up and run this can grab a Saturday or Sunday (Sunday would be best as StarTrack takes up the track until noon) in September and run with it. I can't do it; doesn't mean it can't be done. Think about it....."

So I think there's no way back to get him to do it. Now depends on whether anyone will step up to organize it themselves - can't think of too many candidates.

There is also a parallel, somewhat academic debate about whether it's right to host the NYS champs outside of NY (e.g. at T-Town or Wall). I couldn't give a damn where it is tbh, I just wanna race (and I'd welcome it at a better facility in fact)!