Wisconsin’s Official Unofficial Halloween race is back this Sunday at Cross Fire in Sun Prairie.
Held at Angell Park—host of the former USGP Planet Bike Cup—the Cross Fire name pays homage to the Sun Prairie firefighters who own Angell Park while providing cyclocross riders with the ultimate challenge.
Yes, that ultimate challenge.
Now in its second year, Cross Fire became Wisconsin’s Unofficial Official Halloween race thanks to its proximity to Halloween and the absence of a Halloween race on last year’s Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross calendar. Since any cyclocross scene is not complete without its version of Spooky Cross, Cross Fire stepped into the role in 2017 and the result was a graveyard smash.
Course Features Rising from the Dead in 2018
This year’s Cross Fire course will be similar to last year’s fun, flowy course that runs through the Angell Park Speedway, with some features returning and some old USGP favorites rising from the U.S. cyclocross series grave.
To encourage the Halloween spirit, call-ups will be given based on the best costumes, not USAC scores. Dress up like Ellen Noble or Stephen Hyde and you can share their impressive USAC rankings for a day and take a spot on the front row. Local hero who is a Halloween fun sponge? Back row for you.
Call-ups for costumes is back at Cross Fire in 2018.
The famed “Hillside Strangler” run-up/ride-up that was a spectator favorite in the USGP days returns in 2018 to provide riders with a steep challenge. The famed ’cross coffin is back from last year, and it will be joined by a second coffin to hop over.
Other course features will be left to the whim of the Magic 8-Ball. Will the Crossfire zone be back in 2018 to send riders tumbling over the barriers? Will there be a flaming pit to jump over? Will there be a Le Mans Style start for non-costumed riders?
Signs point to yes.
Free First-Time Racing and Clinic
Know someone interested in trying cyclocross for the first time? Cross Fire host L5 Racing will be providing free entries for all first-time racers. The team will be waiving the entry fee and covering the USAC one-day license fee. Just show up on Sunday, race and have fun.
The team will also be hosting an introductory clinic on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Angell Park. Come learn basic skills and ride some of Sunday’s course.
The course will be open to everyone for pre-ride at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Registration and More Info
Registration for Cross Fire is open at usacycling.org.
For updates and more information, visit the Cross Fire facespace page.
Food for Cross Fire will be provided by El Coqui, and Paoli’s Hop Garden will be fueling the Party Zone with its local brews.
Featured image: Jamie Young, 2008 USGP Planet Bike Cup
