Vlaam4ever

Has anybody made the drive to Dawsonville for the AMP Crit Series? Looks like a fun course and may be a good place for a first race? The schedule is pushed back later in the evening for the Mid summer series so I can actually make it there after work from downtown Atlanta.

Event link https://www.ampcyclingseries.com/

Event result https://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2013-2021

Looks like only small fields. My goals this year are to gain some race experience and to better understand my strengths and weaknesses in the Cat 5 field. Giving me some time to address them in the fall and winter for a full season of racing in 2014. So was thinking this could be a fun track to test out the legs on.

Anybody have any experience out there?

Spoonrobot 

I've done 4 out of the first 5 races in the Cat 4/5 category. Of the three courses, two are like long, hilly crits with sweeping corners - very smooth. The third (The Sprint Loop) is like a short, fast technical crit where the field bunches up at the corners/turn and there's a sprint every lap.

It's a good series and it's been a lot of fun but be aware that to be competitive you're going to want to know how to corner on a full road at high speed since none of the corners are flat and the pack usually enters them going 30+. I blew my line badly a couple times during my first race and spent the next two tail-gunning and getting comfortable in the turns, I've noticed a huge improvement from this.

For a first race I think it wouldn't be too bad. Stay at the back of the pack and follow everyone else's line until you get comfortable. Most of the 4/5 guys have done a few races there so the pack cornering is generally pretty good. If there's new racers there's often a neutral first lap as well.

Pay attention to the website, they rotate through three courses and any time the Sprint Loop is the course of the week racers are allowed to ride the rest of the track during the 5pm-8pm race window. It's really fun and a great warm-up/cool-down or training ride.

Creatre

I've been wanting to make it up there, but it's over an hour drive from Midtown so I'd have to leave work just too early to make the P123 race.

Definitely head up there though. Don't worry too much about the course and stuff for your first time, just get out there and do it! And enjoy!

Vlaam4ever

Thanks for the notes!

I'll head up when they move 4/5 field to later in the evening. glad to hear they combine the 4/5 group, it wasnt clear on the description so the field will not be as small as I first thought. I'll get shelled anyway, but looking for a some feedback on how much I need to work this off season. I expect it will be a humbling, yet fun experience. 30mph corners with full lanes are not something you learn on group rides, no matter how fast they are.

I'll be driving up from Downtown so likely will be aiming for a 4-4:30 exit from work to beat the 400 corridor traffic.

Spoonrobot 

You'll be alright. I think the biggest field I've been in so far was 18 people and that was when they did a W3/4+Junior+M4/5 race for some reason. Usually the 4/5 is like 10-12 guys.

Oh, and there are two shower stalls in the rest rooms there. Come prepared and you can shower after the race if you want.

Dfarlow

Fantastic series on an really cool track. Aside from Road Atlanta (once per year at Gran Prix), this is one of the few opportunities around to ride/race your bike on an actual race track. Turnout has been very poor to date, which is unfortunate but not totally surprising given the start times and location (takes me more than one hour from Dunwoody). But if you're looking for experience and mass starts to upgrade to 4, it's a no brainer. Also, a couple of the "regulars" in the 4/5 race are very strong, and close to their Cat 3 upgrade...only mention this to prepare you for a faster than expected race.