Following the same script he used to dominate last year’s Alpine Shop Short Track Dirt Crit Series, Chris Ploch took the lead during Thursday’s opening Elite level race in the second lap and never trailed again. Cheered on by a large crowd at Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, Mo., Ploch easily took the first win of the Series as well as the new 2010 Off-Road Racing League.
Ploch, a state champion mountain biker, took advantage of his competitors’ slow speeds through a creek crossing on the course to open up his lead.
“I saw how slow everyone went through the creek,” Ploch said. “And second lap, I got in front and tried to get a gap on them and stick it.”
The Alpine Short Track Dirt Crit Series includes five nights of racing on each Thursday night during the month of July. There are three races each night featuring the elite-level racers, the sport-level racers and the beginners. The course is a short mile-long combination of single-track, a creek crossing and a maze of corridors in a park meadow. All racers, regardless of skill level, are welcome and embraced.
Full results will be posted as soon as possible.
That dude Chris was looking at me funny. Like Ugly Face…..nice job Plochter! See you at the MR340!