Roger Williams is an accomplished racer in multiple disciplines. He was a driving force behind the Gravel Grinder National Championship held in Lawrence the past few years and a familiar face on the podium at mountain, gravel, track, (and on occasion) road events.
Roger sends us this overview of what’s coming up in regional mountain bike races for 2022.
First, the current schedule. You’ll find more information and flyers at the United Federation of Dirt page or at BikeReg as they become available:
Sunday April 10th, Warsaw , MO – Down & Dirty
Saturday and Sunday April 23/24 Fayetteville, Arkansas
Saturday May 21st and 22nd, Warsaw, MO – Mountain Madness Missouri State Championship
Saturday June 11th OMBA (members only)
Saturday June 18 (Fathers Day Weekend) Wyandotte County Lake Park, Kansas City, KS – The Meltdown
Sunday June 26th Columbia, MO – Rhetts Run
Sat/Sun July 23rd/24th Warsaw, MO – Show Me State Games
Sat/Sun September 3rd/4th Two Rivers Labor Day Weekend
Sat/Sun September 17th/18th Fort Scott, KS – Marmaton Massacre
Saturday 1 October 2022-Lawrence, KS-The River Trail Riot
“All of these MTB courses are in parks and have beginner friendly trails. All riders are welcome and we hope to have a great season.”
Some highlights:
From Frank Halsey the promoter. “The Marmaton Massacre Festival in Fort Scott, KS on the Gunn Park Trails Sept. 17th and 18th, is a weekend of free camping, with food, live entertainment, and racing on some of the nicest hand-built MTB trails in the area.”
From Mac Vorce the promoter of MTB riding and racing in Warsaw, MO. “The Down and Dirty is on 10 April and will be on some recently constructed trails.” On 21 and 22 May he will be hosting the Missouri State Championships, “Mountain Madness”. These events feature music and food. Racers and spectators are encouraged to hang around, enjoy the party, and cheer on the racing.
Roger Williams, will host The Meltdown MTB Race at Wyandotte County Lake Park, Shelter 9 on 18 June as a fundraiser for the WyCo trail crew. Food and music will be provided.
The Lawrence MTB Club brings The River Trail Riot for 2022. Once again taking place at the Lawrence River Trails on 1 October 2022. The club will be organizing and hosting the event with the support and sponsorship of the local cycling community. “The race welcomes all levels of mountain bikers, with great trails for those just getting into racing! We will have Cat 1, 2, and 3 races, as well as a marathon race. More details are still being ironed out, but this fundraiser race for LMBC is guaranteed to be a good time!”
There is the possibility of racing at Lake Jacomo, Landahl, and St. Joseph this season. More information to follow.
The UFD Series has added a Fayetteville, AR event. The racing, on April 23-24, is promoted by Brannon Pack. While a little further out from the KC metro, these are some of the finest trails in the Midwest.
There will be updates coming soon for all these events. This looks to be a healthy year for mountain bike racing.