The first race of the new SRT/ SEER 2020 series! This was a highly anticipated day, from the riders, sponsors and race organizers alike.
Everybody got lucky with a race day full of sunshine! After weeks of rain and even snow, the weather showed itself from its best side and delivered a chilly, but sunny race morning.
Since the start was not before 11:00 am, it warmed up from the low 20s to the low 40s. A good temperature for a race which would definitely warm everybody up!
Registration
Online registration closed 2 days before the race, and there were 80 racers officially registered on Thursday.
It seemed like the great weather encouraged even more racers to show up. We ended up with over 40 (!) riders registering that morning.
T-Shirts
Here are the new 2020 T-shirts! They made it right on time to be ready for sale at the first event of the year.
For $20 you can show off as a SEER rider. On the back is a list of all 2020 races and dates.
Start in Rows
Each class started within each own row – 29 in Gold, 42 in Silver, and 56 in Bronze.
Gold started up front and with a 2 minute interval between the classes, Silver and Bronze took off.
All riders were pretty disciplined, and headed out without any difficulty.
Spectator Points
What would a race be without any spectators? Only half of the fun ;o)
Totally awesome, there was a very nice volunteer who shuttled kids and parents with a trailer and quad to all the ‘scenic’ points. Everybody really enjoyed it! Here is a selection of the fun sections spectators got to watch:
Derek’s Revenge
A steep, long uphill with lots of options. It was fascinating to watch the wide variety of skill levels. Some riders found lines nobody else saw before. And some riders worked together to reach the top.
Luckily only the Silver and Gold riders had to overcome this hill. Bronze riders got re-routed and had a few minutes to catch their breath.
Guys Diner
A rocky section, again, with various lines, but none of them looked too inviting…
Luckily it was not as long as its big brother ‘Carl’s Diner’, which is an ugly section at Erzberg. At Guys Diner, most riders got out of it after a few minutes of pulling and pushing.
The Grizzly Creek
This was out of a spectators perspective the toughest part of the race. A nasty creek bed with large rocks, having to go up and down. Not only wet (and cold), but also super slick, and LONG!
It did not help that it was at the end of each lap, where every rider was already pretty worn out and tired. Which made this section THE magnet for spectators. Plenty of cheers and encouragement tried to keep the riders going…
Bronze riders got a taste of the Griz by riding a short piece in the middle.
Awards
A special race needs to have special awards. Once again, Jason from Tennessee did an excellent job and cut out cool looking Grizzly trophies.
Those went to rank 2-4 of each class. The class winners received a special glass trophy supplied by Roger Smarr in memory of his friend Guy Anderson.
Shout Out To Volunteers
This race would not be possible without volunteers! They are willing to sacrifice their Saturday.
They get up early, stand in the cold and point you in the right direction.
No matter how tired or hungry they are themselves, they work hard without any complain! A big shout out and thank you to all of you who volunteered your precious time and energy!
Picture Time!
Check out our official SRT/ SEER race pictures. Larry Mayo is our go-to-photographer who supports the entire series and provided all the pics for the website. He did not shy away from climbing rocks and creek beds to find the best spots to get you in front of his camera. Here is the link to his pictures PICTURES
Come Back For More
Thank you for all the feedback on social media! Plenty of racers had a great time and enjoyed the challenging course. We hope you are ready for more and will come to our next race!
Groundhog’s registration is already online. Race day is March 15, 2020. Registration
We are working to get the Sasquatch registration up soon. Race day is June 6, 2020.
See you soon!