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NAS-Track Racing: Madison Bike Races
101: Season Opener
Saturday, 7/3 By: Tim Rimer (7/2/04) Team Neon claimed first place by a 16-point margin last Friday in an
injury-free season opener for the Madison Racing League in Rochester Hills.
Dave Koesel of Livonia and Rob Good of Toronto led the pack in points
most of the evening, ending the day's competition with 86 overall. Finishing
just behind were Team White members Rob Akers of Garden City and Nick
Laughton of Rochester Hills, with 70 points.
The deciding race of the evening was the 100 lap Madison, which can award
up to 30 points to a single team. First place was within reach for Team
White in the last sprint of the race, but they became tangled with Pio
Apostoli, Toledo and Jim Houston, Lake Orion of Team Blue, almost causing
a crash and giving Team Neon a comfortable lead in the last lap.
The 50 and 100 lap Madisons seemed to be dominated by Tony Bruley, Rochester
Hills and Ray Dybowski, Waterford as Team Pink, who set the pace and held
the lead position for a majority of both races. The two could not keep
up on the middle and end laps when points are awarded, however, coming
in sixth place overall with 42 points.
Although Team Neon kept a steady lead in points throughout the evening,
the competition was fierce. Team Green, Ronnie Sink of Rochester and Paul
Jaqua of Savannah, Georgia, took third place with only 7 points less than
Team White. Third place, fourth place, and fifth place were all separated
by a single point difference.
The Madison Racing League features eight two-man teams who compete in
five different races. The Madison pursuit is a half-mile, timed race;
the one mile sprint is split so that one member from each team competes
in two smaller races; and the miss & out eliminates the last rider
across the finish line in each consecutive lap.
The 50 lap and 100 lap Madison, the last two races of the competition,
require teammates to grab hands while riding and, by using each other's
inertia, toss one of the riders ahead. This "exchange," occurring
every two or three laps, allows one team member to take the lead while
the other catches his breath.
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