July 31/03 5:15 am - NB Provincial Champs, Calgary Track League, KONA/IMBA Fund Raiser, NAS-Track

Posted by Editoress on 07/31/03
 

New Brunswick Provincial Championships (August 9th and 10th)

Information regarding the Road Provincial Championships race is now available online at the mbscycling website

hope to see you there!

Pablo Vergara
pablo@mbscycling.org


Calgary Track League
Courtesy Scott Fraser

Results from the Calgary Bicycle Track League's 6 day series #2


Kona - IMBA "Buck-a-Bowl Fun Raiser"; Bowling for Vietnam

7th Annual InterBike event to benefit NEMBA's Land Preservation Fund and new Kona Clump grant program

Kona Bicycles today announced the dates and details for the 7th annual Kona Buck-a-Bowl Fun Raiser, held each year on the last night of the InterBike trade show. The Kona Buck-a-Bowl Fun Raiser will be held on Monday, October 13th beginning at 8:30 p.m. at the fabulous Orleans Casino bowling center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

This year, one-half of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) to aid their purchase of the "Vietnam" property. NEMBA is out to raise $210,000 to buy and preserve the land at the headwaters of the Upper Charles River, a.k.a. "Vietnam" - a favorite riding location for mountain bikers throughout New England.

Kona will also make a matching donation to NEMBA for the fund equal to the amount raised at the Fun Raiser.

"As a result of the long-standing support for the Fun Raiser, we are able to plan for the incoming funds and make better use of them," said Kona Kingpin and Kona's advocacy director, Mark Peterson. "The NEMBA Vietnam trail acquisition is an opportunity that cannot afford to be missed and Kona is ecstatic to play a part and help our friends at NEMBA accomplish this great feat."

As of July 25th, NEMBA is only $15,500 short of getting the money necessary to buy the land.

"It's been an enormous challenge for our organization to raise the money needed to buy, own and manage our own piece of the dirt," said Philip Keyes, NEMBA's executive director. "This historic land purchase ushers in a new age of mountain bike advocacy, and we're proud that a cutting-edge company such as Kona has taken this project under its wing with the Buck a Bowl Fun Raiser."

The other half of the funds from the Kona Buck-a-Bowl Fun Raiser will go to IMBA to endow the new Kona Clump grant program targeted at funding groups and projects for Downhill, Dirt Jump and Out-of-Bounds trail construction. The Kona Clump grant will be administered through IMBA and details of the grant process will be made available at InterBike.

The Kona Clump grant program idea was developed by Kona's advocacy director, Mark Peterson. Peterson is a member of the Bellingham, Washington-based Whatcom Independent Mountain Peddlers (WHIMPs) mountain bike advocacy group as well as the Bellingham City Parks and Rec advisory board. When illegal dirt jumps started appearing on city property, Peterson approached the city of Bellingham about developing a municipal dirt jump park. The idea was approved by the City council, but there were no funds available to complete the project. Peterson saw the need for a funding source for such progressive ideas.

"Freeriding is a part of our sport and here to stay and deserves some attention in the advocacy arena," Peterson said. "We are at a crossroads in the access movement in this and the Kona Clump Dirt Grants will help push it in a positive direction. Having the grants administered along with IMBA will continue our longstanding associating with them and also allow for IMBA to apply their expertise and resources to make it even more successful."

Teams are encouraged to register early for the Fun Raiser as the event has sold out the last two years. To register, team captains should contact Kona Kingpin, Mark Peterson at mp@konaworld.com, or (360) 36-0951.

Now in its 7th year, the Kona Buck-a-Bowl Fun Raiser attracts a who's- who of the bicycle industry's semi-elite to the Orleans Casino's super-swank, 72-lane bowling Mecca. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $40,000 for IMBA and other trail access organizations and projects.


NAS-TRACK Madison Racing League Rochester Hills, Michigan

Traffic, Intensity Picks Up as Racers Head Toward Championships

Three teams left the other five behind when they set a blistering pace at the front of the bike race Friday, July 25th as the NAS-TRACK Madison Racing League continued at the Velodrome at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills Michigan. With 16 racers on the track, jam after jam after jam and repeated efforts to gain a lap, "it was NAS-TRACK's hardest, fastest race in its two year history," said NAS-TRACK Chair Dale Hughes. The teams are winding up for NAS-TRACK's League Championships to be held next Friday, August 1.

The July 25th competition evening ended with a win by Dave Koesel and Jon Hughes of Team Blue. They fought off serious threats by Team Purple's Steve Mlujeak and Ray Dybowski and a blazing final sprint by Team White's Terry Palmer who, teamed with Rob Akers, came within 1 point of winning the night. Team Blue with a seven point lead going into the final sprint, had to place third or better to hold onto the lead they'd held from the beginning. Third is exactly where Hughes, who was at the end of his rotation and clearly fighting for every inch, finished. It was a second victory for both him and partner Koesel. Palmer and Akers finished in second, one point behind. Mlujeak and Dybowski took third.

The evening was filled with crowd-thrilling performances beginning with the program's 1 mile sprint and a literal over the top performance by Mlujeak, the U.S. Coast Guard racer who's power had not yet been fully witnessed by anyone. At one to go, Tony Bruley, of Team Green, was fending off a two-man attack by Palmer and Team Red's Ron St. John. In the backstretch and going into Turn 3, the three were abreast when Mlujeak, accelerating in the slipstream of the three racers, caught them all, went high on the track and pulled up even so that it was four riders racing four abreast through the 44 degree banking. In a final kick, Mlujeak used the banking to pick up even more speed to win it at the line.

Mlujeak came into play again when he and Koesel were the last remaining riders in the Miss and Out. This time, Koesel took it.

The crowd was on its feet again for the last sprint of last Madison of the evening when Palmer, a 2003 National Champions of in-line speed skating, showed his power on the bicycle. Just before the bell, Akers threw in Palmer who was looking at Hughes and Mlujeak (both thrown in at two to go) a considerable distance ahead but somewhat protected by the traffic of lapped riders. Almost effortlessly, he powered past everyone and by the backstretch had Hughes and Mlujeak within reach. In the final turn, Mlujeak went over Hughes and in the homestretch, Palmer went over them both.

"Tonight's racing was the best, bar none," said an elated Hughes. "This is what bike racing is all about -- intense competition, incredibly skilled athletes and fans who get into it and out of their seats."

Next Friday, August 1, the teams go at it again in the NAS-TRACK Madison Racing League Championships. An expected eight teams will be competing for the title when racing begins at 7 p.m. at the 1/8th of mile Velodrome at Bloomer Park.
Final Results
Friday, July 25th

1st Team BLUE 57
Dave Koesel, Livonia
Jon Hughes, Rochester Hills

2nd TEAM WHITE 56
Terry Palmer, Macomb Twp.
Rob Akers, Garden City

3rd Team PURPLE 47
Steve Mlujeak, Rochester Hills
Ray Dybowski, Waterford

4th Team BLACK 37
Randy Aardema, Detroit
Rob Good, Toronto

5th Team GREEN
Tony Bruley, Rochester Hills
Andre Champoux, Ypsilanti

7th Team RED 23
Ron St. John, Hawaii
Mark St. John, St. Clair Shores

8th Team PINK 18
Rick Denman, Los Angeles
Mark Freed, Mt. Pleasant

8th Team NEON 13
Ron Sink, Rochester
Cullen Watkins, Royal Oak

OVERALL STANDINGS AS OF JULY26th
1st Jon Hughes, Rochester Hills 244 (34+55+43+55+57)
2nd Mark. St. John, St. Clair Shores 222 (65+39+42+43+23)
3rd Dave Koesel, Livonia 229 (65+45+62+57)
4th Andre Champoux, Ypsilanti 221 (45+43+43+55+35)
5th Rob Good, Toronto 216 (32+39+62+46+37)
6th Ray Dybowski, Waterford 188(16+46+23+46+47)
7th Rippin Ronnie Sink, Rochester 160 (46+55+46+13)
8th Pio Apostoli, Toledo 156 (32+45+50+29)
9th Randy Aardema, Detroit 139(17+46+39+37)
10th Rob Akers, Garden City 135 (45+34+56)
11th Ron St. John, Hawaii 118(42+53+23)
12th Terry Palmer, Shelby Twp. 99 (43+56)
13th Steve Mlujeak, Rochester Hills 97 (50+47)
14th Mark Freed, Mt. Pleasant 70(23+29+18)
15th Cullen Watkins, Royal Oak 52 (39+13)
16th Wayne Cook, Mt. Clemens 21
17th Dave Boynton, Royal Oak 21
18th Paul Jaqua, Savannah, GA 17