[Eastern States Cup]

$10,000 Cash up for grabs at the POC Eastern States Cup Pro GRT’s at Mountain Creek and Plattekill Bike Parks

The POC Eastern States Cup is kicking off the DH MTB Race Season with two USA Cycling Pro GRT Series races. The Mountain Creek Spring Classic, May 17-20 and the Plattekill FOX RACING SHOX Gravity Open, May 24-27. The two bike parks have doubled the Pro GRT Pro Purse to $5000 at each race. The Pro GRT is the only national series recognized by USA Cycling. The races are USAC World Team Qualifiers for Pros and Juniors, the competition among the fastest DH racers in the USA will be fierce.

Amateurs will get a chance to race on the same course as many national and international world cup regulars including the 2012 World Cup Champion, American Aaron Gwin. Gwin will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Saturday at 9AM at the new Mountain Creek Bike Park. Mountain Creek is celebrating with a Saturday pre race rock concert featuring the “Misfits” and two other nation bands.

The POC Eastern States Cup is proudly offering 5 USAC State Championships and the USAC Eastern Regional Championship. The Series is offering over $35,000 in Cash and another $35,000 in prizes to Amateurs.

“I am excited that the POC Eastern States Cup is able to bring the USA Cycling Pro GRT Downhill Series to two of the premier bike parks in the United States. The POC ESC is committed to bringing the best mountain bike racers and racing to the East Coast. We are working on adding XC and Enduro Series races in 2013. With those additions the future of the POC Eastern States Cup is really exciting. “, says George Ulmer from the POC ESC.

The POC Eastern States Cup will offer double series points at both Pro GRT events, to start off the season with a bang. The series just announced a third Challenge to the racers. The POC ESC Speed Zone Challenge. This new challenge will reward the fastest MPH Amateur with great POC Gear at every race this season. The fastest speed of the season will earn a complete POC kit. Other Challenges are the $1000 POC Team Challenge and the $1000 Loeka Women’s Challenge. The series will produce a Voncooper video for every race, while Oliver Racing will take care of the fourth place prizing.

Both mountain trail crews have been working on their racetracks for weeks. Plattekill renewed one of their classic courses on the steep north face side of the bike park. The Plattekill course has new berms, chutes and the steep loose shale Plattekill is famous for. Mountain Creek is combining the new and the old for a real exciting track. The Mountain Creek course offers a few newly cut woods sections, and a steep wide-open ski trail section with large areas of granite slab rock. It will be one of the longest and fastest courses at Mountain Creek ever. Expect two of the best courses the east has to offer.

Schedules, Pre-Registration and all information can be found on the POC Eastern States Cup website: easternstatescup.com

 

[Eastern States Cup]

Mountain Creek Course Information from the Couse Designers: The race course is all mostly new cut sections but with some sections of pre-existing trails mixed in. It’s going to be pretty sweet and likely a bit faster than the US Open course. The course will start at the US Open start house then traverse under the gondola and over to the Great Northern ski trail. We’ll then continue down the face of Great Northern which features some massive, fully exposed granite slabs. Racers will be generating some really high speeds in this section before cranking it down a couple notches as they approach the Asylum rock garden. The course continues down Asylum which features a steep wooded area of the mountain with a handful of tacky berms. A newly cut, short section of woods then dumps you out onto the Independence Pass ski trail where racers have short traverse across the grass and into what is arguably the most fun section of the trail; Waterboy. A new exit is cut for Waterboy which leads racers through a couple of long sweeping grass turns and into a totally new woods section, never previously used for mountain biking! This section of woods features a gentle slope with wide spaced trees, some rocks and some awesomely fun fresh turns. After a creek crossing the course pops racers out onto the Sugar ski trail and into some wide open turns before ending in the base area. The course will surely become a new favorite amongst all racers!

 

[Smurfette]

POC ESC Mountain Creek Spring Classic - Practice starts today at 9:00am can't wait!