Florida State Championship series #4 + EMTB + EMTB Time Trial – Vortex trails – Ocala, Fl
Nice time of year to be in Florida for sure, sunshine, mild temps and no rain (until after the event that is). It was a busy weekend at the halfway mark of the season with a first ever E bike individual time trial held on Saturday and the regular XC races on Sunday. A healthy turnout for all and especially in youth classes which is always good to see.
The Saturday E bike TT bonus point race was a slightly shorter version of the analog bikes courses by about a mile and it pitted one rider at a time against the course to determine who could lay down the fastest times. As always at the Vortex featured some very techie sections along with flowing single track. Will Able claimed the top male time and Stephanie Lamer won the women’s E-TT.
Sunday racing kicked off early with a strong turnout in the Shimano Youth series races on a one mile special kids course. The yellow, white and e bike waves followed and the action was nonstop for the rest of the race day, it was Ryan Woodall taking his third XC win on the series and establishing a 7 point lead so far, Darla Woodall also holds the lead in the women’s top class with curiously the same total points score (128) as husband Ryan and she has an impressive lead as well, so no surprises with the Neutral Service leaders jersey as both will hold onto the jerseys going into round five in Lakeland.
The Florida Commercial Appliance (Z-Boys) $50 fast lap went to Bob McCarty in the XC-1 50+ class. Team“Muddy Santos Shredders” racked up three more points to stretch their lead to 13 in the team standings.
The E MTB group had a shorter loop as mentioned and the racers had two laps of fast paced action, in the end it was Zach Kulp taking his first win of the series and Stephanie Lamer logging another women’s win in the books.
Next race is another double header in Lakeland on November 1st & 2nd which will include a series Short Track and XC plus E MTB plus it is a Coconut Cup make up race.