funk soul

Outdoor Chattanooga Cycling Team/ Scenic City Velo
Funk & Soul Volume 2
May 2005
The probability of survival is equal to the angle of arrival - C. Yeager
We are Scenic City Velo.
From the desk of Steve Carpenter
When Scenic City Velo was initially put
together we anticipated growth and
participation from a diverse group of people.
But I had not anticipated this would happen
so quickly. We have just been through one
of the toughest times for workloads that the
club has seen in years with the Raccoon
Mountain RR (Bill Parsons), John Karr’s
efforts with the Tour de Georgia and the
Tanasi Off Road race (Ty Geren). All of
these events were top class and were pulled
off with the help of many individuals and
very good directors, we need to be proud as
a club to have individuals like these who
give of themselves and get minimal in
exchange. Next time you see any of these
guys thank them for what they contribute to
cycling in our area.
The next order of business for our club will
be to finalize the Club bylaws. The most
recent copy is in the hands of the club
directors right now and will hopefully be
ready for presentation to the club in mid May for ratification by the end of the month.
These basically spell out certain operating
procedures and give us an outline for
operations in the future.
As far as events go, the 3-State 3-Mountain
Ride is upon us and I encourage all that are
not racing that weekend to participate as a
volunteer or rider in the event. And
remember that evening that Dr. Eric Clarke
(The Orthopedic Specialists- an SCV
sponsor) will be bringing Dr. Max Testa
(world renowned sports medicine physician
and expert in the field of cycling physiology)
to Chattanooga that same evening for a
conference at the Choo-Choo. I encourage
everyone to attend this is you can. It should
be a very informative and enlightening
evening.
Until next time, please be courteous,
respectful and careful on the road and trails
and enjoy this chronic illness we call cycling.
-steve
In this issue:
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•
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History of the Raccoon Mtn RR
Race director reports
Committee chair bio’s
MTB results YTD
Road Race results YTD
Multisport results YTD
May calendar
History of the Raccoon Mountain Road Race
by Bill Parsons:
The Raccoon Mountain road race, now the
largest single day road race in the state of
Tennessee, grew from humble beginnings in
the early 90'
s. Club historians tapped the
club statistician to begin documenting rider
counts in 1996, but a quick glance at the tshirt pile of yours truly shows evidence of a
Fall Festival Race and Tour on that course
as early as 1992. Further proof exists in a
dated photo of a certain race director
proudly holding a Cat 5 age group trophy
from Raccoon Mountain (verifying my
personal claims that at one time I did indeed
race and didn'
t just sit behind a desk).
I have been race director since about 1996,
and if memory serves me correctly, David
Haberkam (former owner of River City
Bicycles), Scott Moschkau, and Andy Meyer
wore the race director hat at one time before
my arrival. Sanity began to prevail around
2000 when we brought on Team Peggy as a
co-promoter. Within a year or so after that,
we had actually formed a race committee
(myself, Steve Blankenship, and Kym Flynn)
to handle the growing task of putting on the
race.
In 1996 when we just getting off the ground
with the spring race, we
had the obligatory 125 riders that is fairly
typical for any new road race.
The June 1996 NCCC newsletter started
with the words '
On an ominous, inclement
Sunday morning...'as the intro to what was
then known as the Tour de Raccoon. We
had 122 riders that day, including a
whopping three juniors and six women. The
top men'
s field was a combined 2-lap Cat
1/2/3 race with 31 riders. The total race
purse was an astonishing $1,000.
The next two years saw modest crowds in
the 160-175 rider range.
1998 was plagued by the threat of torrential
rains and possible floods on the night before
the race. I remember driving the course
early on race morning just to make sure that
no parts of it were under water. 1999 saw
us reach the unheard of level of 280 riders.
2000 marked a turning point when Team
Peggy came onboard as a co-promoter.
Rock City was a major sponsor of Team
Peggy at the time, and they earmarked a
significant amount of money towards the
Women'
s purses. Thus, the Rock City
Women'
s Challenge was born, and it made
Raccoon Mountain one of the few regional
races to offer an equal purse for both the top
men'
s and women'
s events. The women'
s
field attracted 43 riders in the first year of the
challenge, up from just five women riders
two years prior. Our race numbers
increased again, passing 300 total riders for
the first time ever.
As the race continued to grow and the
competition grew even stronger,
The Pro/1/2 riders decided that two laps was
just not enough to separate the men from
the boys, and they ask for a third lap to be
added to their race. Ouch, be careful what
you ask for.
As if reaching 300 riders in 2000 was not
enough of a milestone, we surpassed the
unheard of mark of 400 riders in 2001. With
the exception of 2002, our rider count has
increased every year since then to a total of
547 riders today. In the process, we'
ve had
to split fields, add fields, and even add an
entire afternoon wave of races in order to
accommodate the crowds.
Of course, none of this would be possible
without the help of dozens of Club
volunteers and friends from the local athletic
community. We had over 70 people listed
as volunteers in some capacity at this year'
s
race. In addition, we'
ve received
tremendous support from the local chapter
of the Christian Motorcycle Association for
many years now.
The SCV website lists Raccoon Mountain
results as far back as 1996, and
a quick glance reveals many great names
have competed in our race, as well as many
riders who were youngsters on their way up
at the time.
1995: Here'
s my finest memory from the
saddle at Raccoon Mountain. I was racing
with Travis Hutchinson in the Cat 4 race,
and being a good domestique, I was trying
to look out for him. As we approached the
lake on the last lap, I ask him who he was
concerned with for the finish. His answer:
'
No one, really.'He went on to win the race.
1996: The winner of the Cat 4 race was an
unattached rider named Scottie Weiss, who
not only would later go on to win the Pro/1/2
race two years in a row, he would ride
professionally for several years with West
Virginia and win an Elite National
Championship in Nashville in 2002. 2nd
place Cat 5 was an unattached rider named
Everett Baker, now known as a long time
rider on the Krystal team.
And of course, Vic Rogers was winning 45+
bonuses on a regular basis back then.
1997: The Pile Driver, Joe Fulton, won the
Cat 5 40+ race. The Junior field consisted
of Alan Rigby (current Cat 2) and Robbie
Yost (current Subway Pro)
1998: Ron Swope raced to a 4th place
finish in the Cat 5 20-29 race. This must
have been the pre-Ironman days.
1999: A young junior named Saul Raisin
finished 2nd in his 54 mile race. An aspiring
time-trialist from Ringgold (who would later
be known simply as KR) plodded to a 34th
place finish in the Cat 5 race.
2000: Saul Raisin continued his ascent,
finishing 8th in the Cat 3 race. The Cat 5
field saw a plethora of current SCV
members compete, with not a single one
finishing in the top 15. A sprinkling of pro
riders from the regional Zaxby'
s team began
to show up in the Men'
s Pro/1/2 field.
2001: The Pro/1/2 fields continue to get
stronger, with at least a dozen riders entered
that we recognize today as current
professionals and/or national champions.
Current Krystal rider Troy Adams won the
Cat 5 20-29 race. The top NCCC finisher in
the Cat 5 30-39 race was none other than
KR, in 8th place. Paul VanKooten won the
Cat 5 40+ race.
2002: Scottie Weiss won the Pro/1/2 for the
second year in a row, holding off the ageless
wonder Kent Bostick in 2nd and our very
own Travis Hutchinson in 4th.
2003: Multiple national champion Tina
Mayola-Pic took the Women 1/2/3 race in
what was one of the deepest Women'
s fields
in the history of the race. Junior phenom
David Talbott took the Junior win. Current
US National team member John Murphy
took 4th place for Team Krystal in the Men'
s
Pro/1/2.
2004: The top of the Pro/1/2 leaderboard
looked like a who'
s who of top Southeastern
riders. David Talbott takes the win again in
the Junior race, this time after finishing 5th
in the Cat 4 race earlier in the day. Jeff
Gibson and Jason Tatum finish 1-2 in the
Cat 5 30-39 race, and SCV riders filled four
out of the top six spots in the Cat 5 40+
race.
2005: Eight out of the top 11 finishers in the
Men Pro/1/2 are DIII professionals. Sam
Silvey completes the weekend sweep by
winning the Cat 4 race. Steve Carpenter
(30+) and Durward Higgins (60+) also bring
home wins for SCV.
Road Director’s Update (Steve Carpenter)
Mountain Director’s Update (Ty Geren)
We are now getting to the early competitive part
of the road season. We have had a slow start
with many races being cancelled or re-scheduled
but we have had good results none the less.
Right now we should have a fair lead in the
TBRA road season team standings thanks to the
good participation mongers that we have had at
TBRA events. Our Raccoon Mountain RR was a
tremendous success for the club thanks to Bill
Parsons and his crew and we scored numbers
results with 3 overall wins and multiple top 10
placing on the day. We are starting to develop a
good team feel at all levels which will further push
our results to the top of the page.
SCV'
s MTB component has embarked on a major
assualt on the South Eastern Regional
Championship (SERC) Series. We have had a
strong contingent of racers representing Outdoor
Chattanooga at each of the five races to date.
The series has spanned four states (FL, TN, NC,
& SC), and has a stop at each southeastern state
by series end (eight total races).
Upcoming events of importance are the Highland
Rim Classic in McMinnville, TN on may 7/8, the
th
Lascassas RR/TT in Murfreesboro on the 14 ,
one of my favorite road races is the Sonic Hot
Sumner Classic in White house, TN on May 21.
There are also several events in Georgia in May
that are worth the trip and should be considered.
In June, we have several good options to choose
from culminating with the Avery Trace Classic (an
SCV event) at the end of the month and the
USCF National Champ. in Park City Utah in
which SCV will be represented very well from
Juniors to Espoirs, Seniors and Master’s. I
anticipate several good results here with the
quality of riders we have.
For those of you who are still thinking about
trying our the road side of things we have our
training series going on Wednesday EveningsTT’s (on the south Ringgold Course)the first
Wednesday of every month and Crits at Apison
Elementary the second and fourth Wednesdays
of every month. Check out the website for more
info and be there or pedal squares.
Also a reminder that as the summer comes near,
we need to all keep thinking about our training
programs and which events we want to do. We
have a strong club with the beginnings of a great
racing development program. Please keep me
informed on a monthly basis of what events you
will do so I can communicate plans more
efficiently, I have been sending our weekly road
racing e-mails for event discussions and
planning, if you have not received these then I
don’t have your e-mail so send me a note at
stcarp@hotmail.com
SCV racers David Bishop, Sam Silvey, Jason
Howard, Ty Geren, Eric Tittsworth, Noah Harper,
Will Ford, the Tillmans (Dale, Haley Rae, & Troy),
Pal Van Kooten, Neil Ashton, and Trey
Commander have all competed in a majority of
the SERC events. It looks like we have a couple
of contenders for respective overall regional
champions: Noah Harper is sittin'pretty in second
place overall in Master Sport 30-39, and Ty
Geren is feeling the heat, riding the number one
spot in Master Expert 30-39.
The Tanasi Challenge race at the Whitewater
Center, hosted by SCV, was a big hit with almost
300 riders. Gone Ridin'was very pleased with
the club, and exposure at the race was very high
for our club and sponsors. Multiple podium
appearances, plugs over the PA for our club, and
ALOT of great help by both volunteers and our
riders made it a big success. Many braved in
COLD and WIND helping out with marshalling,
EMT, course sweeping, etc. A big thanks to all
who lended a hand!
Now to the future: Chattanooga needs a big old
MTB race in 2006. SCV is seeking a committed
race director to organize a MTB competition of
some sort for next season. The venue is open,
as well as the concept. An endurace/marathon
type event could be interesting......... Put on your
thinking caps.
Any suggestions or other forms of input may be
directed towards Ty Geren
(tgeren@marionenvironmental.com). Ty will be
assuming the SCV MTB Directors position for the
remainder of the 2005 season. Trey Commander
has been a big player on the MTB side of things,
and will also assist in that capacity. The MTB
budget is not enormous, but it is virtually
untapped. Any idea for productive uses of the
funds is greatly encouraged.
Ride on, it is hard to believe it is only May. Many
miles (and races) before we sleep.
BIO:
Steve Lewis - Scenic City Velo Public Relations
I have raced for this team dating back to the preTaco Bell days. I love every aspect of bicycle
racing. Tactics, training and especially racing. I
am excited with the direction Scenic City Velo
has taken. As a team, we really have a chance to
step up and grow competitive cycling in
Chattanooga, in all its many forms and variations.
Ralph Schmook taking the sprint against a
Peterbilt on Interstate 40.
BIO:
Ralph E. Schmook, Rider Advocate
Born, Chicago, Illinois, Age 56
Moved to Chattanooga,TN in 1960
Resides in Evensville, TN.
Married with two children (both gone from
the nest; I’m the only child at home)
Retired from TVA Nuclear Operations, 26
years (occasional contract work)
Hobbies (besides bicycle riding/racing) are
alpine skiing, Motorcycle riding (sport and
cruiser) and running. At least running was a
passion (> 20 marathons) until I got hit by a
car in New Mexico last year during a cross
country ride.
Favorite quote:
“That which does not kill us makes me
stronger”, Friedrich Nietzsche
Life Philosophies:
a) “Today’s home run won’t win tomorrows
ball game”, Babe Ruth
b) “The will to win means nothing without
the will to prepare” Juma Ikangaa
(Marathon runner)
Currently racing Masters 50+
Goals: Try to become competitive once
again in the division, support the team when
possible, promote goodwill across all areas
of interest. As rider advocate, I try to
provide perspective in club management
activities where all interests are represented.
In simple terms, my job as Director of Public
Relations is to generate attention for Scenic City
Velo. I will be sending weekly media releases to
each of our sponsors as well as our local media
outlets. The releases will include where our
various teams raced the previous weekend,
including results and where our teams will be
competing the following weekend. Hopefully,
these releases will include a photo of Outdoor
Chattanooga in action. In addition, I will attempt
to develop side bar stories for the media. For
example, the Mountain Bike team assisting in trail
maintenance. Stories about Paul'
s racing family.
As a club, we give a lot of money to various
organizations and schools. All good stories. The
more media attention we have, the happier we
keep our sponsors and the more sponsors we
can attract. You can help by getting your race
results to your race director. Mountain Bike,
Junior, Multi-sport, etc. Think how good the
release will look if we say the Outdoor
Chattanooga Mountain Bike team raced at the
Chicksaw Trace Classic in Columbia, TN. So
and So finished Second in the Sport division.
The Outdoor Chattanooga Road team competed
in such and such Criterium in Nashville, TN. Joe
Blow won the junior race, while A - B
& C finished in the top 10 of the Category 4 race.
To do this, I need schedules, results and digital
photos. Since I am primarily a road racer, I
especially need help from the Mountain Bike
team and multi-sport folks. Any story ideas you
have, pass them to me.
slewis@unumprovident.com. Or call me at home,
423 344-4844. Please go race and have fun!
2005 Road results highlights season to date
Cedar Hill Park Crit 3/13/05
Cat 4: Sam Silvey, 4th place
Junior: AJ Myer, 1st Place
Masters 30+ , Jay Westbrook, 4th
Masters 30+ , Steve Carpenter, 5th
Masters 40+ , Tom Knopp, 7th
Masters 40+ , Andy Myer, 8th
Masters 50+, Fran Rudy, 7th
Masters 50+, Joe Fulton, 4th
Masters 40+, Greg Talbott, 9th
Masters 40, Kevin Richardson, 10th
Cat 2, Jason Peters, 8th
Dogwood Arts Crit, 4/16/05
Masters 60+, Harry Williamson, 1st
Juniors, AJ Myer, 2nd
Cat 3 Women, Cary Brown, 10th
Masters 50+, Rick Watson, 8th
Masters 50+, Joe Fulton, 5th
Cat 4, Sam Silvey, 1st
Raccoon Mountain RR, 4/17/05
Cat 4, Sam Silvey, 1st
Cat 4, Dave Bishop, 5th
Cat 5, 30-39, Brad Cobb, 4th
Cat 5, 30-39, Noah Harper, 10th
Cat 5 40+, Denny Sutton, 5th
Masters 30+, Steve Carpenter, 1st
Masters 40+, Tab Tollet, 8th
Masters 50+, Rick Watson, 5th
Masters 50+, Joe Fulton, 9th
Masters 60+, War Rocket Higgins, 1st
Cat 4 Women, Jodie Wright, 10th
Juniors, David Talbot, 2nd
Juniors, AJ Myer, 10th
Juniors 10-14, Benton Ames, 5th
Early front runner for e-mail of the year:
In response to:
We need to release war rocket Durward
Sunday in the 60+ race... Somebody needs
to go pick him up in a van and take him to
the starting line and then roll him out. Then
using sign language, communicate to him
the number of laps he needs to complete.
After that, all we have to do is wait at the
finish line for the 30 TBRA points. Who'
s got
a van? Thx.
Ralph Schmook replied:
Just park the van where you prepare to
meet Jesus; He can ride from there.
The war rocket in full flight.
2005 MTB results highlights season to date
Hailes Trails - Jacksonville, FL
Expert Senior Men ,Eric Tittsworth, 4th
Expert Senior Men ,Sam Silvey, 6th
Junior Expert ,David Bishop, 4th
Heritage Park - Athens, GA
Sport Senior Men ,Trey Commander, 4th
Sport Master Men ,Will Ford, 10th
Sport Master 2 Men ,Paul Vankooten, 1st
Beginner Master 2 Women ,Dale Tillman,
1st
Beginner Junior Men ,Troy Tillman, 6th
Beginner Junior Women ,Haley-Rae Tillman,
2nd
Chickasaw Trace - Columbia, TN
Tanasi – Ducktown (continued)
Expert Master 2 Men ,Tim Cash, 6th
Sport Senior Men ,Trey Commander, 6th
Sport Master Men ,Noah Harper, 4th
Sport Master Men ,Brian Russell, 5th
Sport Master 2 Men ,Paul Vankooten, 4th
Beginner Master Men ,Daryl Black, 3rd
Beginner Master Men ,Mark Mcomie, 4th
Beginner Master 2 Men ,Neil Ashton, 8th
Beginner Senior Women ,Dale Tillman, 4th
th
Beginner Junior Men ,Troy Tillman, 10
Beginner Master 2 Men ,Neil Ashton, 6th
Beginner Senior Women ,LeAnn Alexander,
7th
Expert Master men ,Ty Geren, 4th
Expert Master men ,Will Scruggs, 5th
Expert Senior Men ,Sam Silvey, 5th
Sport Master 2 Men ,Paul Vankooten, 5th
Sport Master Men ,Noah Harper, 10th
Sport Senior Men ,Trey Commander, 4th
GA Childrens Home - Macon, GA
Sport Senior Men ,Trey Commander, 7th
Sport Senior Men ,Marcus Lyons, 9th
Sport Master 2 Men ,Paul Vankooten, 4th
Beginner Senior Women ,LeAnn Alexander,
2nd
Beginner Master Women ,Dale Tillman, 1st
Beginner Junior Men ,Troy Tillman, 4th
Beginner Junior Women ,Haley-Rae Tillman,
1st
Tsali - Bryson City, NC
Expert Master Men (30-34) ,Jason Howard,
8th
Expert Master Men (35-39) ,Ty Geren, 5th
th
Sport Master Men ,Noah Harper, 6
Tanasi - Ducktown, TN
Pro/Semi Pro Men ,Troy Adams, 5th
Expert Senior Men ,Sam Silvey, 6th
Expert Senior Men ,Eric Tittsworth, 8th
Expert Master men ,Ty Geren, 1st
Expert Master men ,Jason Howard, 8th
Junior Expert ,David Bishop, 5th
Expert Master 2 Men ,Will Scruggs, 2nd
The candidate from Tennessee: Mr. Eric
Titsworth.
2005 Multi-sports results highlights season to
date
th
Whistlestop Duathlon, Marshall Martin, 4 OA,
Masters winner
th
PowerMan Alabama, Matt Mcafee, 4
Clydesdale
Powerman Alabama, Robyn Wilham, Women’s
th
25-29, 5
st
Frank Maples Triathlon, Kevin Richardson, 1
place overall
The Sawblade, Cecile Maples, and KR at
the Frank Maples Triathlon.
Final word:
Good luck in Thailand and come back
soon, Raleigh Lama !
Please support our sponsors:
Outdoor Chattanooga
Chattanooga Visitors Bureau
McComie Dentistry
Economy Honda
Orthopedic Specialists
Krystal Corp.
Chattem
US Express
Raymond James
Bianchi
Rudy Project
VPNtranet
River City Bikes
Suck Creek Cycles
Owen Cyclery
East Ridge Bikes
McOmie Family Dentistry
Economy Honda Superstore