Although the weekly Thursday Seward Park Series gets a lot of attention in this blog (solely a result of convenient location to me), another very popular weekly “training race” is the Pacific Raceways Road Race Series held on Tuesdays.
Brian Lockhart, a category 4 racer who rides with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/Starbucks describes the series this way:
“…especially for less experienced racers, the Pacific races are some of the best classrooms you’ll ever get for learning how to control a race situation. They’re a perfect mix between a criterium and a road race. You have a wide open road course (safer than a crit) and multiple laps of the same circuit to practice things on (giving you a well-known course profile). As close to a controlled environment as you’re gonna get, a perfect place to practice team tactics, race strategies, and everything from lung-exploding breakaways to carefully timed sprint lead-outs to defensive chase disruptions and blocking. I honestly have way more fun playing out there at these “training races” than I do at USAC events, and not just because I’m doing well this year. I sucked out there last year, but had so much fun I made it a goal to win it this year. If you’re looking to learn how to road race, or how to win races, this is the place. Come get some!”
Watch the category 4 & 5 racers blow their legs apart as they vie for highly coveted Girl Scout cookies, beef jerky, and series race points:
Thanks to Lieutenant Mark Taylor for riding with the saddle camera. Unfortunately the low-angle evening lighting didn’t yield the greatest quality video.
