Texas - Thursday Night Crits- Sunnyvale (Dallas area)

Several days ago, someone mentioned they were having bike races out by Highway 80. I didn't know what it was about, but I was out there riding this evening and spotted 'em. (I don't race, so I don't normally keep up with area races.) It was the Thursday Night Crits, put on by Ginny King with King Racing Group, www.kingracinggroup.com.

Location is here. Note that the roads are shown on the aerial photo, but not on the map, and I didn't get the street names. Anyway, they're riding around the big loop there. To get TO the race, take that road in from the east (it's the only paved one, Eleanor is gravel). I took the pictures from the road up on the north side.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sunnyvale,+tx&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.23349,56.162109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sunnyvale,+Dallas,+Texas&ll=32.790034,-96.535363&spn=0.008081,0.021887&t=h&z=16

Actual race, I assume. There was one guy about 50 yards ahead of these guys, and I don't know if he was just out front or about to get lapped. But these guys made a better picture.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0450_418Proc.jpg

And then some of the guys were riding around in between races.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0453_421Proc.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0454_422Proc.jpg

I ride out there all the time. Next time I'm out there, I will feel obligated to make a loop around that course.

Nice pix, I know some of those guys. Been meaning to get out there to race but this dang day job keeps getting in the way.

I need to bring the bent out and have a little fun.

I was out there again tonight.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0484_452Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0486_454Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0488_456Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0490_458Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0493_461Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0495_463Proc.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DECcXRCV5I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6MBW6NYuHo

A couple of videos, not mine.

That is St James Allee that comes in from the east, by the way.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0528_495Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0526_493Proc.jpg

That is St James Allee that comes in from the east, by the way.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0528_495Proc.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN0526_493Proc.jpg


come on Stephen, bring $25 and race next week, you know you want to try it!

Maybe if they gave me like a 5-lap handycap or something, I could take it on.

i have nothing but pleasantly unpleasant memories of riding criteriums, and doubt i'll ever do it again

I've been out at these races a little bit nearly all summer. One thing that has come up is that the city won't let them put up traffic cones anymore, so they'll have people stationed at the inlet roads to try to prevent car traffic, but can't just actually block it off.

This is a brief clip of the B group going past:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5K2yLujaF8
And a video I made riding around the course as fast as I could (keeping in mind there's a reason I don't race!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTD3xOyBrbU

But, the reason for the update is that while I was out there tonight, one of the guys mentioned a different race coming up (this is from the King Racing Group site above):
http://www.si2.com/files/ElkHillCircuitRaceFlier.pdf
The hill in question is one I've heard referred to as "Tripp Hill" as it's on Tripp Road east of East Fork Road. Not too long, but it definitely slows me down. Sounds like a cool event. I'll be tempted to try to get some pictures at the top of that hill.

Hey I was out there last night, and yep the Elk Hill race will use part of the crit course and part of Tripp Rd.

"racers should bring at least 1 literate passenger to read signs." Hah!

A couple of pictures from last week:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN1013_069.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z172/stephenhazelton/MiscBikePhotos/DSCN1014_070.jpg

I was out there tonight, but the races were already over by the time I got there. This was also their last night for the year. From what I overheard last week, it sounds like they're be looking at new locations for next year.