Rockin' Fall Classic 10/20/01

Rockin' Fall Classic
San Diego, CA - Oct. 20, 2001

SDSE's Rockin' Fall Classic took place at the San Diego Velodrome on Saturday, October 20, 2001. This year's event was moved from the spring due to a scheduling conflict. Around 20 skaters participated, mostly from California and Arizona. The sunny weather was perfect with temperatures near 70 and a slight breeze.

Each skater started with a flying 200m Sprint to qualify into the Match Sprint Heats. Winners of each heat advance to the next level in this elimination-style competition. After lunch the skaters competed in a variety of mass-start events chosen from a grab bag of races used in track cycling.

In the Beginner/Intermediate class, Gary Wachs of San Diego won all five events for a perfect score. Although this was his first race, we're all sure that he is ready to move on to the next level.

Curtis Magee (Pirate) and Brandon Thorsten (SDSE) battled it out in the Advanced class. Brandon won the 200m Sprint and the Match Sprint Heats, but Curtis won the 3-Lap Scratch race and the Miss & Out to take home the first place trophy. Roger Olsen took a lucky gamble in the Unknown Distance that resulted in victory and finished third overall for the day.

Michelle Gaylor (Predator) was the champion of the Women's class. She won four of five events, including the 3-Lap Scratch race and the Win & Out. Wendy Holbert (SDSE) and Autumn Marsh (SDSE) consistently finished second and third in every event except for the Tempo race, where Wendy edged out Michelle for the win.

The Pro/Elite class was the most competitive category this time, as points were awarded evenly across the entrants. Keith Henry (Tucson) posted a strong showing in his first appearance at the San Diego Velodrome, winning the Miss & Out and the 9-Lap Points race. However, Carl Yee (SDSE), drawing from his experience during this year's Tuesday Night Summer Racing Series, earned enough points to finish the day on top. Joe Prescott (SDSE), also a TNSRS competitor, finished third.

SDSE's Rockin' Fall Classic was produced in cooperation with the San Diego Velodrome Association, which has been very supportive of our sport. We would like to thank Vons Food Markets for providing refreshments for our skaters, BikeRaceMc.com's Gary Westergren for spinning the rockin' tunes, and North Park Award & Trophy.

The Rockin' Fall Classic marks the end of the 2001 season at the San Diego Velodrome. Check back early next year for details on our 2002 events. Complete results from the Rockin' Fall Classic can be found on the SDSE web site at http://www.sk8.org.