KENOSHA, Wis. — The nation’s oldest operating velodrome opens its 97th season on Tuesday.
Washington Park Velodrome, 1821 Washington Road, opens its 16-week racing schedule with a series of miss-and-out, scratch, and points races.
Admission is free. Racing begins at 7 p.m.
Washington Park Velodrome opened in 1927. It’s graced the presence of Olympians, world champions, and national champions who torched the straightaways at speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour.
“The Velodrome has a very rich history,” Washington Park Velodrome President Robert Springer said. “It just spans generations.”
Springer has been competing at the Velodrome for nearly 30 years. He’s raced alongside legendary cyclists like Kenosha native Bob Pfarr.
Pfarr competed in the 1960 Rome Olympics and won a gold medal at the 1959 Pan Am Games.
The annual Bob Pfarr Classic (July 30) is one of the season’s most anticipated events, attracting cyclists from all over the country.
It’s a 150-lap race that riders complete in just over an hour.
“It comes into 28-29 miles per hour average speed for a 30-mile race," Springer said. "And it is very, very intense. It may look easy. The really good guys make it look easy, but it is tough.”
Other featured races this season include the Bill Schulte Memorial Junior Trophy Race (June 25), the Mayor’s Cup (July 9), and the Susan B. Anthony Women’s Cup (Aug. 6).
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