Stafford Springs aka, the real hipster NASCAR

I’ve wanted to race this crit from the moment I heard about it: A zero corner, super fast, wide-open oval, which, on the day, featured a blistering tailwind finish. If you were to suggest that there are other races with better circumstances for me to win, I would call you a liar.

Sam Dent.

I felt a little lousy at the onset, not because of my standard list of complaints and excuses, but because a car hit me on Wednesday. Badly. So to say that I was in peak physical condition coming into this race (one that I had been looking forward to since Krulewitz convinced the race organizer to allow the semi-pros come and play) would be a wild and dangerous overstatement.

Regardless, I was keen on getting the job done, especially after watching one of our new recruits, Jake, take the 3/4 race handily despite a feverish chase mounted by, you guessed it, his own teammate Kyle Butler… GLV STRIKES AGAIN.

Here is what happened in the 2/3: Chris Bailey, who was dragged kicking and screaming to the race, IMMEDEATELY attacked, and strung out the field. The pace stayed very, very high for the first few laps in response to his enthusiasm. It turns out his plan to instantaneously soften the field was a good one as, 5 laps in, someone allowed a very large to gap open, and 7 of us scurried off the front. We toiled for a bit, but began eeking out a discernable lead. We even kept the pressure high enough to drop a few of the would-be heroes back to the pack… a situation I am all too familiar with.

Once we were half a lap ahead, I wanted to make sure we rejoined the field, because, obviously, that’s where my friends were. Every pull I took was deliberate, and long. I did my best to turn the screws to the other guys, which is usually the exact opposite of what is happening when I am (accidentally) in a breakaway. I could tell a few of our compatriots were on the rivet, especially one dude… who kept shirking his pulls and let us just drag him around. When he did find his way to the front, he’d take a mini pull, and retreat to the back. I gave him an earful, and then pulled through as hard as I possibly could to try and pop him off… I am not that strong however, and he was able to leach his way back into the pack with us.

As we approached the group, I saw Jake looking over his shoulder for me, and once he had me in tow, he crushed it, and dragged us straight through the group like a boss. I knew it was one of my break-mate’s intentions to go straight out of the group again. I… didn’t want to do that.  I had four dudes ready to help me win this thing right here, and that’s where I wanted to stay.

Once we regained contact, the field was antsy for the first 3-4 laps. Guys would try to escape, and I would respond to every move that contained someone from the original break. Finally, GLV found its way to the front, and that is where we stayed. AJ, Chris, and Kyle started hammering out a 25mph pace, and all the attacks began to fade, and eventually stop altogether. With 15 to go we had the race smothered. Huge monster pulls down a very windy backstretch kept everyone pinned down behind us. I was secretly brimming with pride. My boys were burying themselves for me… and I had plenty left in the tank for the one thing I do well.

With 5 to go, Jake and AJ took the reigns when it started to get nervous. They kept the pace nice and quick, and kept me out of danger. AJ absolutely emptied the tanks and led the entire final 2 laps on his own. As we came around the sweeping bend for the final time, I was third wheel behind AJ, and Graham(?), who was also in the break. I was planning on waiting till Graham made his move, but as we exited to corner, I decided to just open it up. I haven't seen any pictures, but from what I've heard, and how I felt coming by first and second wheel, it was a convincing.

I kind of feel like I got to win twice on Sunday. I've been in the pack when the break laps the field, and then wins the field sprint. I couldn't fathom how they had the energy to do it. I'm not gonna say that this race was particularly hard, but I am supremely satisfied to tick that little box on my cycling bucket-list. It was, without question, a result of the ferocious effort our little team displayed.

So thanks, boys.