Maxxis ESC Intense DH #7 – Powder Ridge, Connecticut

Round seven of the 2024 Intense DH season went down at Connecticut’s Powder Ridge this past weekend. Combine the short Wild Turkey track with his weekend’s bone dry conditions and you’ve got to really push the limits of bike and body to land on the podium. Despite Powder’s 500′ vertical it’s not an easy ride down, the trails here are littered with sharp rocks that can slice through tires easily. The majority of the course is the same as our last race here in May with a few improvements, including the removal of the sketchy bridge near the bottom. Prime camping weather and tight racing made for a splendid weekend with the Maxxis ESC community, thanks to all who came out!

Powder had two lifts spinning to maximize both the practice and party laps. The weekend’s weather was as good as it gets this time of year in New England, highs in the 80’s with mostly sunny skies.

It’d be rude not to take advantage of the fire pits and wood provided by the resort.

Short but definitely not sweet, the rocks here are relentless at high speeds. Ditch the tubes and get yourself some Stan’s in those tires.

Robert Coletta opts for the less risky outside line that still gives you plenty of exit speed. He would notch his first 14U class win in a large field of 25.

Kate’s Kids 12U class winner Braxton Berger leaps back into the Connecticut woods for more bike abuse.

Our 8U Brat class was back in action this weekend, Blake Hamel handled the rocky terrain and earned second place right behind Chase Ulmer.

Avoiding the nasty root in this tight corner, Naomi Gariepy rode to her second straight 16U Girls win by a huge margin of over seventeen seconds.

Happy belated birthday to our Maxxis ESC Speed Zone aficionado and Amateur 19-29 racer Eli Hickey.

Our biggest classes of the weekend belonged to the youth. The 16U Junior boys class was 28 deep, Cody Guyott took the win by just 0.45s after losing a little bit of time in the third split.

We got three generations and four members of the Ulmer family out there racing this weekend.

Fast Freddy Bassett blasts over the mid track rock roller. Despite not winning any splits, he would sneak the 50+ Masters win out from under Mike Garbacik by just 0.06s.

Expert 30-39 winner Sebastian Estrada glides over the dusty braking bumps and into the woods section that will be transformed into a haunted Halloween attraction in the coming months.

For some reason there have been a lot more people racing Amateur than Expert lately. Declan Murphy beat one other person to take the Expert 19-29 class win and would love some more competition, time for some of you amateurs to step up.

First win for 19-29 Amateur racer Hector Castaneda, who improved one position from last year on the same track.

Peter Clark matched his career best with third place in the Amateur 30-39 class.

Tight racing in the Amateur 18U class with the top five all within five seconds of each other. Parker Snyder came out on top for his first win.

They removed the old crooked bridge from this section and filled it in with dirt, which may have made it even faster. Connor Parmelee lets it fly on the way to his first 16U Expert win.

On the gas and back onto the ski trail, Sara Ellen Godek captured her first Expert women’s class win by over five seconds.

Veteran Pro racer Sean Suprenant with the throttle wide open through the final few grass corners. He would finish P5, matching his effort from this same track last fall.

Sarah Hamlin pedals hard out of the woods and into third place for the Pro Women.

Second place for Emma Jarl, her best result since joining the Pro women’s class this season.

Fourth win of the season for Mazie Hayden as she topped the Pro Women by over fourteen seconds.

Pro Women: 2nd – Emma Jarl, 1st – Mazie Hayden, 3rd – Sarah Hamlin

Best result yet for first year Pro Matt Spain as he rounds out both the top three and final corner.

Dylan Conte said that’s about as fast as he can go on this track, and it seemed he reached the rev limiter as he lead two splits and was just 0.05s off the win. Second place while pushing the youth, he’s got to be happy with that.

We knew there would be more wins after his first but Nick Frazier wasted no time grabbing another one with a final race time of 1:27.65.

Maxxis ESC Announcer Kevin Jarrett was too excited to sit down while witnessing the exciting and tight racing in the Pro men’s class.

Pro Men: 4th – Josh Poirier, 2nd – Dylan Conte, 1st – Nick Frazier, 3rd – Matt Spain, 5th – Sean Suprenant

Thanks for the good times as always, Powder Ridge! As we get closer to fall the racing keeps heating up with some of the best venues of the season coming soon. Stan’s Enduro racers will be in Woodstock, Vermont on September 8th and Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain will host our next Intense DH on September 15th. See you there!

Words and photos: Andrew Santoro
Video: Seth Merritt

Full Results
Easternstatescup.com

2024 MAXXIS ESC PRESENTED BY KATE’S REAL FOOD SCHEDULE

INTENSE CYCLES DOWNHILL SERIES
May 19 Powder Ridge, CT
June 23 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 30 Killington, VT
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA
Aug 11 Mount Snow, VT
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 25 Powder Ridge, CT
Sept 15 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 13 Jiminy Peak, MA Finals

STAN’S NO TUBES ENDURO SERIES
May 5 Powder Ridge, CT
June 9 Glen Park, PA
June 23 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 30 Killington, VT
July 14 Arrowhead, NH
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA
July 28 Burke Mountain, VT
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 8 Woodstock, VT
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 5 Monteau, NH
Oct 20 Arrowhead NH

THULE SHOWDOWN SERIES
June 23 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 30 Killington, VT
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA

CANNONDALE EBIKE SERIES
May 5 Powder Ridge, CT
June 9 Glen Park, PA
July 14 Arrowhead, NH
July 21 Thunder Mountain, MA
Aug 18 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 8 Woodstock, VT
Sept 22 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 5 Monteau, NH
Oct 20 Arrowhead NH