Louisville's Papa John's Sponsors Zipp OVCX Tour
Following last week’s USGP, cyclocross returns to Louisville again this weekend to the third different park in the river city to host the Zipp OVCX Tour presented by Papa John’s. After races in Fisherman’s Park and at the World Championship venue at Eva Bandman Park , the Papa John’s Storm the Greens race returns to the spiritual home of Louisville Cyclocross, the old golf course at the River Road Country Club. It will also be the final trip to Louisville this year for the Zipp OVCX Tour.
Louisville-based Papa John’s Pizza will be all over the weekend as sponsor of the race, the promoting club and the series. Also over the event will be a tethered hot-air balloon that will offer thrill seekers and the curious a unique, once-in-a-lifetime perspective of what might be the final race at one of the iconic venues of American cyclocross. The four-dollar balloon rides will benefit Red Zone Junior Development Cycling.
They start ’em young in Louisville , where Junior cyclocross is a seriously big deal. Highlighting the focus on the future will be kid-friendly food and beverages and a separate all-day kids’ ’cross course in addition to the usual plethora of OVCX Junior racing classes. Kids-at-heart of all ages can participate in the Halloween Costume contest and gawk at John Schnatter’s Z28 Camaro, his co-star in Papa John’s television commercials. The former cyclocross racer sold the car in 1984 to raise capital for his first pizza restaurant. Showing himself to be a true kid at heart, Schnatter spent a quarter of a million dollars to repurchase his beloved hot rod in 2009.
