In the final sprint of the bike race, Dave Koesel and Mark St. John poured it on to win, overcoming a huge lead lost by the team of Rippin’ Ronnie Sink and Jon Hughes. With one to go, Hughes was prevented from completing an exchange and throwing in his partner, the sprinter of the team, for the final lap. Koesel, fresh off relief, capitalized on his opponent’s bad timing and rode up and over to victory. Second in the final sprint and earning double points to move them into third overall was the team of Rob Akers and Andre Champoux. Hughes and Sink finished second overall in NAS-TRACK's season opener.
The action happened at the first event of the 2003 season of the NAS-TRACK Madison Racing League, Friday, June 20 at the Velodrome at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Six 2-man teams, semi-pros, were on the track for the 2003 inaugural event. They earned points through a series of events including a ½ mile pursuit; 1 mile scratch race; a miss and out and, ultimately, the trademark of the NAS-TRACK league, the Madison.
During the Madison, which became an Olympic sport during the Sydney Olympics, racers reach speeds of 40 mph while negotiating one-handed relay-type exchanges with their partners. All of it happens on a velodrome banked 44 degrees in the turns, 1/8 of a mile around. The race action and the venue are unique in the United States.
NAS-TRACK Madison League Racing continues this Friday, June 27 at 7 p.m. Races are scheduled for July 11, 18 and 25th. For more information, call 248-961-3705 or visit www.NAS-TRACK.com.
Final Standings -- June 20, 2003
1st -- Dave Koesel, Livonia & Mark St. John, St. Clair Shores - 65
2nd - Ron Sink, Rochester & Jon Hughes, Rochester Hills -- 55
3rd - Rob Akers, Garden City & Andre Champoux, Ypsilanti - 45
4th - Rob Good, Toronto & Pio Apostoli, Toledo - 32
5th - Dave Boynton, Royal Oak & Wayne Cook, Mt. Clemens - 21
6th - Ray Dybowski, Waterford & Cullen Watkins, Clawson - 16
NAS-TRACK is a single entity professional sports league with a goal to re-introduce America’s sport of track racing and showcase the excitement of this venue and the unique talents of the racers on it.
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