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Grattan Race Series |
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Written by Michael Green
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Friday, 02 October 2009 |
Grattan Race Series
 About this time last year, my job changed a fair bit, and travel became a more necessary part of my job description. Ultimately, it meant a night, or two, on the road each week, staying in various hotels around this great state of Michigan.
Fortunately, it is not hard to find a group ride in the evenings, making these excursions a bit of an adventure, riding with different groups, in different places. During a ride in Muskegon, one of the members mentioned I should check out the Grattan Race Series, on Wednesday nights, in western Michigan. Not knowing much about it, I “Googled” the series and found it fit into my travels quite well.
 A few weeks later, I planned on making my debut at Grattan – a motor speedway, just short of two miles around, and an amazing turnout by riders, 40 to 70 each class. Spectators filled the grass verges, with picnics, lawn chairs and children shouting for “daddy”. I’m not sure if this race is classified as a road race or a criterium, but it is certainly a hybrid. The race was forty to fifty miles on the two mile circuit, depending on the sunset, in a race structure that I was not accustomed to. I entered the “B” race with no expectations, but to test my race awareness and tactics – getting ready for ‘cross season.
The first race worked out well, forty racers, or so, I came in sixth, which was fine, but mostly I wanted to challenge my positioning and response to others, and their attacks etcetera. I ended up racing on four occasions at Grattan this summer. I raced the “B’s” on three occasions, and moved up to the “A’s” for my final race. Why not sooner? I have to admit that I was a little nervous about the jump. This is western Michigan, home of Bissell pro cycling, on their fine Penerillo Princes. These chaps were always present at the front pushing the pace and dominating the “W’s”.
 The other week was my final opportunity of the season, I committed to racing with the big guys, and would of course it happened to be the fastest race of the year. We averaged over twenty-six miles an hour for the 40 miles, with folks taking corners in ways I had never seen before. Each corner was a challenge, but worse was the straight away. Roughly half a mile long, and the opportunity for “full speed ahead”. I ride with a compact crank, and I’d never been in 50 x 11 so often.
I finished with the pack, and actually was moving up the field in the last two or three hundred yards, I had some confidence, until I got pushed into the grass on the final straight….yeah, I was a little steamed, but fortunately everyone saw it happen and commented on it on the “warm down” lap. I was happy; I faced my fear, and came out of the race with confidence. Oh, and yes, Bissell pushed the pace and won the event, like they do every week.
A quick note of thanks to EVERY group who has let me join them. You know who I am; I’m the guy in the BIKEMAN.COM gear. Thanks.
Michael
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