This week, the weekly criterium road race series at The Driveway will return with races every Thursday night until October 22 as well as new features like clinics, free Austin Bike Maps with route advice from city staff, and an open rally. Raced on a closed course autotrack and run as the longest continuous racing series in the U.S. covering essentially the entire daylight savings period, The Driveway Thursday Night Races Series is under new management this year. Holland Racing has taken over for Team Hotel San José with a focus on expanding the series beyond a weekly hammerfest for roadies to a fun night everyone in the cycling community can be a part of.

Last week, I spoke with Andrew Willis, one of the organizers from Holland Racing, about the return of this series and the new changes. “The Driveway has always been very popular with racers, but we want to reach out to more of the cycling community and make this a weekly event everyone wants to be a part of,” Willis said.

The biggest change to this end is the addition of the Progress Coffee Community Rally from 4:30 to 5:30 at which point the races start. This rally allows anyone to test ride the track and practice riding in a group our just getting used to riding a bike in a safe, carfree setting. Cyclists can ride the track as hard as they want, but since it is not technically a race, no USCF license is required and admission is less at $10 or only $5 with a 8 oz can of food for the Silicon Labs Canned Food Drive for the for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Whether you end up racing or not, everyone is encouraged to stay and watch the racing, enjoy good food (from Wahoo’s Tacos in March), and take advantage of some of the commuter resources from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop and the City of Austin Bicycle Program. Mellow Johnny’s will be holding clinics for commuters and beginner riders with topics like fixing a flat, basic bike maintenance, and proper bike fit. Staff from the City of Austin Bicycle Program will be giving out free Austin Bike Maps (normally $3) and helping cyclists plan bike commuting routes.

All of this serves to make the series more inclusive, but people will come to race and should be pleased with the format, course, and prizes. “The biggest thing racers need to know about is the course. The Driveway is a carfree, 36 foot wide race track with perfect asphalt. It’s going to be the best surface anyone is going to road race on,” Willis stated. With several loop choices ranging from 1 km to 2.2 miles, there is a lot of variety and Willis said they will mix up the course throughout the year to keep things fresh.

Road racers will have three races (Cat 4/5 at 6:10, Cat 3/4 at 5:30, Pro/Cat 1/2/3 at 6:45) to choose from with a fourth Masters race (40 + years old) running from May 21- August 6 starting at 7:45. Registration will be $20 with $5 off with a 8 oz can of food for the Silicon Labs Canned Food Drive ($10 off for Juniors under 18 or college students.) If you want to race more than one race, the second is only $5. For those who want to hammer the entire 33 week series, a season pass is also available for $375. This is a USCF sanctioned event so a USCF license is required which can be purchased onsite for one day license at $15 or annual license at $60. You’ll also need a helmet and road bike without aerobars.

For women interest in racing, Team Hotel San José will be holding a Women’s Road Racing Clinic as part of “Ladies’ Night at The Driveway” the first Thursday of every month starting April 2. Women will  learn how to ride comfortably and safely in a pack and carry speed through turns. The clinic will be at 6:15 and race the Women’s race at 6:45 which will be free with a paid clinic entry. The cost of the clinic is $10 again with $5 off with a 8 oz can of food. $5 for a clinic and race; what a deal!

Those wanting swag (6 pound can of nacho cheese anyone?) or cash for racing will be pleased with some of the prize changes. In addition to prizes for the weekly race winners, there will be a monthly mini-series with points assigned to the top seven finishers in each race. The person with the most points or most consistent, highest placing each month will be awarded the mini-series prize (think of it as their Green Jersey.) Plus, regardless of your placing, your participation will put you in a raffle for monthly prizes as well. The more events you participate in including the Community Rally, the more chance you have to win. 

The season end grand prize, a Giano Singlespeed bike, will be raffled off to a series participant.

The granddaddy prize of them all will come at the end of the season with the raffle of a Giano custom single speed bike. The move to raffle the grand prize was one out of fairness to all the participants. “In the past, a bike was given away to the top season finisher, but this always ended up being the same 5-10 guys competing for the prize,” Willis continued. “This way everyone gets a chance to win.”

So whether you want to race, spectate, learn something at a clinic, or just ride a pancake smooth race track for fun, make your way out to The Driveway any Thursday night until October 22. 

Website: www.drivewayseries.com

Location: The Driveway, off 183 & Bolm Road in southeast Austin. 

Directions by bike from downtown: Take 5th Street east to Springdale Road. Turn left on Springdale Road. Turn right on Bolm Road continuing east across Airport Blvd and under HWY 183. Turn left onto the access road and take until just before the access road merges back to the highway. Turn right on Smith Lane. Turn left at the fork in the road onto Delwau which will deadend into The Driveway. 

Directions by car: Take HWY 183 to Bolm Road. Exit Bolm Road. Proceed North on the 183 Frontage Road. Just as the frontage road merges back onto HWY 183 North you’ll see a small road, Smith Lane, to your right. Turn right onto Smith Lane. Smith Lane runs parallel to HWY 183 for a bit. Continue following the road as it winds around. Eventually the road will fork. Go left at the fork onto Delwau Lane. Delwau Lane ends at the entrance to the Driveway.

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