The American Track Racing Association’s NCS Winners

The American Track Racing Association’s National Championship Series Winners

The inaugural season of the American Track Racing Associations New National Championship Series has been run and won and it was Dan Harm and Cari Higgins taking the glory for the first time, with Higgins’ Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12 team taking the honors in the Overall Team Category.
Over the course of the 16 race series, the riders scored points in several individual categories including Sprint, Keirin, Time Trial, Individual Pursuit, Points Race, Scratch Race, Miss and Out and Madison for Men and Sprint, Keirin, Time Trial, Individual Pursuit, Points Race, Scratch Race and Miss and Out for women. The points from all of these events also scored the riders for the individual overall Omnium for both men and women, with each of those riders also scoring points for the team competition.

The Men’s Individual Omnium was a hard fought competition throughout the season, with several lead changes and a late charge by Broadmark Capital, presented by Gin Optics rider Dan Harm taking the honors over Oregonian Zachary Kovalcik riding for BRIHOP. Rounding out the podium was Atlanta’s favorite Trinidadian, Emile Abraham of Aerocat Cycling. "I really can't believe it!” Harm said, “This season has been insane. After taking two years off the bike I decided this winter that I was not done with the sport. I still had big goals--the Olympics--that I had let gather dust. I started to train hard in early spring, called up some old sponsors, and was hell-bent on racing as much as I could. I would not be where I'm today if it weren't for the support from Broadmark Capital, Corsa Concepts, and Gin Optics, I look forward to representing my new sponsors OUCH and Felt bicycles at the ATRA series next year, as well as at World Cups this winter as I prepare for the long-term goal of the 2012 Olympic USA team pursuit squad."

On the women’s side Cari Higgins of the Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12 team took the early lead with some impressive performances at the Minnesota Fixed Gear Challenge and Alpenrose Velodrome Challenge, and from there no-one could make up enough ground to challenge her for the overall title. After racing in three of the series races, Bell Lap Racing’s Elizabeth Newell put in some consistent performances to take second place ahead of the 2010 World Points Race and Omnium champion, Tara Whitten.

Cari Higgins’ performances led her Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12 to the Overall Team victory with their 90 points well clear of the Portland based BRIHOP team at 67 points. BRIHOP was buoyed by Zachary Kovalcik’s performances throughout the season. Atlanta’s Team Type 1 rounded out the team podium coming in just 5 points behind BRIHOP in the overall standings.
The success of the first time series was evident in talking with series coordinator Jeff Hopkins, “I am very happy with how the series went this year, and I feel like we have a great platform to be able to grow the series into something big that the riders can really get behind. We’re already looking forward to 2011 and making some changes to really encourage participation by riders across the country to get out and not only support their local velodrome racing, but to travel a little and visit other velodromes to broaden their experience ranges.”

Final Results

Men Overall
1. Dan Harm Broadmark Capital, presented by Gin Optics
2. Zachary Kovalcik BRIHOP
3. Emile Abraham Aerocat Cycling

Women Overall
1. Cari Higgins Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12
2. Elizabeth Newell Bell Lap Racing
3. Tara Whitten

Overall Team
1. Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12
2. BRIHOP
3. Team Type 1

Men’s Individual Winners

1km TT
Giovanni Rey

4km Pursuit
Dan Harm Broadmark Capital, presented by Gin Optics

Sprint
Giovanni Rey

Keirin
Kevin Mansker River City Cycles

Miss and Out
Emile Abraham Aerocat Cycling

Points Race
Colby Pierce Big Shark/THF

Scratch Race
James Carney Salamander

Madison
Dan Harm Broadmark Capital, presented by Gin Optics

Women’s Individual Winners

500m TT
Mary Glenn Carrasco

3km Pursuit
Elizabeth Newell Bell Lap Racing

Sprint
Cari Higgins Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12

Keirin
Jen Featheringill Bike Central

Miss and Out
Cari Higgins Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12

Points Race
Cari Higgins Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12

Scratch Race
Cari Higgins Peanut Butter & Co/Twenty12