Sure, it’s an unofficial race. Free, no prizes, no full results or timing company. But the Ada Shootout is already shaping up to be the hardest race this spring. 

Tom Burke has revived the old state road race route back to life for the Shootout. Two KOMs, two sprint points and four 11 mile laps are a recipe for implosion by even the strongest riders. And strong riders will be aplenty next Wednesday, April 18th at 6 pm. The charming village of Ada will be treated to some serious fireworks at absolutely no cost to the township.

Thus far, Leadout Racing is committed to defending their string of unofficial race victories, and by ‘string’, think of the only free race of the season, There Will Be Blood.  Blood champ Dan Korienek will call upon his teammates Peter Beels, Mark Hotchkin, Geoff Kuyper and everyone else they can convince to ride hard on a Wednesday to set a hard tempo. Strength in numbers also gives Leadout the opportunity to both protect a race winner and go after KOMs or sprint points throughout the race. It seems safe to assume they will have a full compliment of riders in attendance and wil drive the Shootout to an early climax, and an uncomfortable ride for those trying to hold on. See photo above for evidence of their commitment to being fast.

Craig Webb of Hagerty Cycling will be a serious challenge for the race win, though he’ll be relying on the help of two young, handsome, intelligent super-studs from Hagerty-TOLaw’s U-25 program, Wes and Cody Sovis. The Sovis Bros. are still smarting from the thorough beating they took at There Will Be Blood and will hope for some redemption in Hagerty Blue.

Of note for Wednesday’s race is the return of Mackenzie Woodring of Einstein Racing. Recovering from a broken leg, she’ll have very big goals in testing her form and regaining her dominant legs from 2011. Chelsea Clark will also be on hand, along with Amy Haney and the better-looking Hotchkin, Lauri.

Here’s a link to the MapMyRide readout of the race course, complete with elevation data, boasting just under 300 feet of climbing per lap.