On an average week in Port Angeles you’d have a hard time finding the trails at Dry Hill unless you asked a local for directions, but if you visit during a NW Cup race, all you would need to do is swing by a drive-through or the Walmart parking lot to find a bike-laden car to show you the way. This weekend, an influx of riders showed up to enjoy some of the best downhill riding in Washington and to kick off the new season of racing.
Dry Hill is the customary host to the start of the season due to its low elevation, moderate weather, and aggressive descents. The courses typically follow well-established routes, but the network of closely crossing trails allows for variation between each event. This setup strikes a pleasant blend between the familiar and different, allowing repeat riders to warm up to courses from years past.
This year, however, additional changes were at hand. A lot of dirt slinging lead into the weekend, which brought a new start platform and reroutes to many of the courses. Most notably, the infamous root section on White Knuckle was replaced by a large table-top that sends riders soaring above a picturesque view of the San Juan Islands. With the site of so many crashes removed, it opened up new options for Cat 3 riders who skipped the Muffin Top trail for the first time in a long while. The Motoguzzi trail also received a reworking for Cat 2 riders, exposing a nest of roots and adding new drops to spice things up.
Although Dry Hill’s name suggests an area devoid of rain, the weather is always a wild card for races. Weather during Friday’s practice was reportedly lousy, but Saturday took a turn for the better with the occasional patch of sun. These favorable conditions translated into fast seeding times with Luke Strobel leading the pack for Pro Men, Jaime Rees taking the top for Pro Women, and Jason Eiswald setting a fast time for Juniors that would have scored him a fourth place seeding time in Pro Men.
Plenty of moisture on the trails made for sloppy conditions come Sunday, and the riders took things less aggressively. Fortunately, the rain only came in faint showers, so spectators were out in strong numbers to cheer the racers on. The riders didn't disappoint, particularly at the large hip-jump on Lower Pro that was the bottom of the course for Cat 1 and Pro Riders. The most impressive stunt of the day went to Daniel Shaw who barely managed to pull back from a solid over-the-bars.
At the end of the race, the top three Pro Men times fell within a second. Luke Strobel maintained his lead, Magnus Manson moved up the ranks to take second, and Weston Potter came in barely behind to take third. Jaime Rees dominated the Pro Women's field, and Lauren Heitzman-Patterson edged out Britney White to come in second. Simon Tellier beat Jason Eiswald by a very close .06 seconds for Juniors, while Blake Bunting secured third. Full Results
Here.
Spring is officially here and the PNW race scene is off to a great start for the seasons of 2016. The NW Cup returns to Dry Hill next month for the Pro GRT. Come face the trails, dry or not, or settle back for an entertaining weekend of spectating and heckling.
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