The big story of the weekend was the size of the SingleSpeed race. It seems that word has gotten around that this end of the day race is worth sticking around for. In just a few short years, this field has grown from a meager 5 racers to a fairly substantial double digit presence. I guess the fact that you can race a second race for just $5 has people thinking about building up a SS pit bike! With wins both days and a gold chain that exudes confidence, Jeremy Chandler has a nice lead in the overall Series Points.

The 3rd race of the 2008 MSG Series took place at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN on a beautiful fall afternoon. The weather was terrific for racing and spectating alike. Double points were on offer, and since this was Spooky Cross, 25 bonus points were awarded to any racer who raced in costume. The there were plenty of fantastic costumes, and thanks to all racers who participated. Remember, in order to receive the bonus points, you needed to sign sheet at registration indicating your Bib# and costume.

Brad Perley (Cape-Able Bike Shop) won the Men’s Pro/1/2 race handily by building an early lead and never looking back. Cara Applegate (BMW/Bianchi) made similar work of the Women’s Pro/1/2/3 field. Mike Stewart (Tri Cities Road Club) rode really strong to win the Master’s 35+, and Andy Applegate (Team Inferno Pro Cycling) bounced back from an untimely flat in the Pro/1/2 race to win the Singlespeed ahead of Todd Braswell (Sledgehammer Charlie’s Racing), sporting a gorgeous new SingleSpeed Independant Fabrication bike. Needless to say, there was hot cross action in all the day’s races.

There are 3 races left in MSG 2008, and the overall points is featuring some close battles! It will be interesting to see how the remainder of the series plays out.

The 4th race of the MSG Series featured the ever-popular Maxxis Spiral of Death and some really wet weather that made for a fantastic and muddy course! There were some last minute course modifications, but overall, the course was top-notch and it only got better as the day went on. This was a fantastic day for racing on tubulars as the slippery mud claimed more than one victim in the tricky off-camber turns.

Will Black (Catawba Valley Peloton) and Andy Applegate (Team Inferno Pro Cycling) battled closely in the Pro/1/2 race, and Will stole away from Andy in the closing moments to take the W. Carla Swart (Fulton Flyers Women/Lees McRae), national collegiate champion in a variety of disciplines, won the Women’s Pro/1/2/3 race by a long shot. Wes Lamberson (Team Kenda) has improved dramatically this season on both the XC mountain bike and on the cross bike, and he won the CX3 race. Hats off to the Women’s CX4 race winner, Gretchen Carlsen, who defeated 11 other ladies in pretty nasty conditions!

There are only 2 races left in MSG 2008, and the overall points race is featuring some close battles! One such fierce competition is shaping up in the Master’s 35+ field between Mike Stewart (TCRC) and Todd Braswell (Sledgehammer Charlie’s Racing)…only 10 points difference between them!

The 5th race of the MSG Series began as any other race in our series usually does. As the day progressed, the temperatures dropped, and suddenly, as the Pro/1/2 men were toeing the line for the start of their race, snow began to fall from the sky. It made for some truly awesome cross conditions for the last few races of the day! All of the racers had smiles on their faces, and the course was really fun in the wet snow.

Andy Applegate (Team Inferno Pro Cycling) used his many years of experience to keep it upright and beat out Christopher Dale (Raleigh Allstars) and the rest of the slip slidin’ Pro/1/2/ field. In the Women’s Pro/1/2/3 race, Cara Applegate(BMW/Bianchi) is discovering some late season form and battled closely with Robin Farina (Cheerwine) and Deb Sweeney Whitmore (BMW/Bianchi) for the win. David Worth (NashvilleCyclist.com) stormed to the men’s CX3 win while Dirk Pohlmann (Texas Roadhouse) took the Master’s 35+ win. Among the rest of the day’s winners, Todd Braswell (Sledgehammer Charlies) took the win in the SSnowiest race of the day and is closing in on Jeremy Chandler for the overall victory in the SS category.

The final race in the 2008 MSG Series is next weekend. If you aren’t going to nationals, we hope to see you there. It’s worth double points!

Another Cyclocross season has come and gone. This one ended with a really fun course featuring the crowd favorite Redline Runup. Winged Deer park always provides a great venue for spectating, and the day was perfect since it was clear and cold.

Eric Marland (Boone Velo) ended up snatching the win in the Pro/1/2 race from Eric Wondergem (Hup United) who suffered a late race mechanical that forced a bike change to a singlespeed. Speaking of Singlespeeds, Jeremy Chandler (Bike Zoo) won the SS race and clinched the overall title as well. The last 2 races of the day were easily the rowdiest from the standpoint of the fans who enjoyed “tipping” the racers with carefully placed $$ on the runup. As racers neared the hill, the fans frenzied roar could be heard around the course as they goaded the participants to attempt to ride the steep slope. Rob Morely took a fantastic solo win in the CX3 race, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Michael Walters (TCRC) in the overall. Other noteworthy results on the day included Jason Morgan’s stomping win in the Master’s 35+ and Gretchen Carlsen’s win in the Women’s CX4 race.

The post-race cookout was well attended, and the awards ceremony and raffle featured some killer homemade trophies and great prizes. We gave away a ton of stuff from our terrific sponsors, and Robin Roark walked away with an Alpha Q CX20 fork, Jason Carrico scored a Redline Conquest Pro frameset, and Mike Mefford capped his season by winning a custom set of Chris King Wheels. Great people, great schwag, and great racing: does it get any better than that? See you in 2009!