Team Racing Returns to New England Masters

The 2006 team racing program was a resounding success and returns again for the 2006-2007 season. The program remains essentially unchanged from a year ago, with each team consisting of any combination of up to eight racers from Age Groups A, B, C, and D. This year, team racing will begin in December when the 2006-07 New England Masters racing season opens at Killington and will conclude on Sunday March 4 at Sugarbush. In addition to starting earlier, the combined weekend, Sunapee-Gunstock, will also be counted as a team race.

As a mid-season incentive, we will be holding a team racing bonanza at the Cranmore GS, scheduled for Friday January 26. Each member of the team that wins the Cranmore GS will receive a complimentary dinner at the annual New England Masters social gathering held at the Red Fox.

Last year, there were 9 teams, four of which were still battling for the championship into the final weekend. The eventual winner, Team Edgewise, prevailed despite forming in mid-January. The fact that Edgewise, Captained by Doug Carpenter, was able to win following a late season entry illustrates the importance of team composition and consistency. The lesson Team Edgewise taught has not been forgotten by the other teams and should result in stronger competition for the approaching season. Team “Hot Like Fire” has already made a few roster changes and is negotiating with two potential sponsors.

Now is the time to begin building your team for the fast approaching season! If you have questions, or need advice on building a team, contact Fred Dieffenbach at fdieffenbach at Bigfoot.com. See you at Killington, and we hope that you will join us when the members of Team Edgewise will each receive a jacket in recognition of their 2006 team racing conquest.