Rules/Records/Race Results/Rider of the year
Here’s a link to the Kissena Velodrome daily race guide featuring the race day flight schedule and other pertinent, day-of bits of information, along with the race guide that is below.
2024 Kissena Velodrome Racing Guide
1. Racer Obligations
Bib Numbers
Numbers must be placed correctly on the left side and back.
Do: please use 6–8 pins per number and make sure the side number is straight, rightside up, and directly on your side. Save your number for the season and remove it from your clothing before laundering the clothes.
When the rider is in the drops, side numbers should be clear to the judges and not wrinkled. Manatee/bulldog imitations are frowned upon by the judges.
Don’t: place your side number such that it is all the way up your back, at an angle, on your stomach, upside down, and/or wrinkled when you are in your drops.
Bikes
Ensure your bike is race ready and avoid delaying the start of the race.
Remove water bottle cages, quick release skewers, pumps, spoke cards, fenders, lights, brakes, and straight bars.
Wheels must be bolted on to bike frame
Handlebars must be plugged or covered with duct tape. Only track or road handlebars are allowed.
Bike computers may remain on the bike if they are securely attached, but the display must not be visible to the rider.
If using toe straps, get to the rail and then strap up, or have someone push you to the rail.
General Rules
Listen to all announcements.
Know your race schedule, including the race formats/rules.
At Kissena, you must race in the drops. Racing on the tops is cause for disqualification.
Exception to the above: when rolling off the rail, your hands can be on the top before turn 1.
Helmets must be worn at all times when on the bike!
Crossing the track to exit or enter is allowed only with permission from the Race Director or the Race Officials. A race is not over until every racer crosses the line.
The white line along the infield below the track is the staging area line. When you are called to wait for your start, please line up behind this line and wait for the announcement to go to the rail.
Failure to start any race in an omnium is cause for disqualification in the omnium. Please see the race director if you do not start one of your races.
If you are unable to finish any race and you exit the track, tell the judges. Proceed to the judging area immediately after you pull off and give the judges your bib number.
As a field rolls off the rail, the next field should be assembling at the staging area.
Collect all your trash and take it out with you, or dispose of it in the trash bag near the judges’ stand.
2. Race Formats
These are general formats and may be modified by officials due to time or other constraints. Please heed race announcements.
Scratch - Race distance stated as a number of laps; rider placement determined by finishing order.
Unknown scratch - A scratch race in which the racers do not know the total race distance; a bell will be rung with 1 lap to go.
Only 1 knows - A scratch race in which 1 racer knows the total race distance; a bell will be rung with 1 lap to go. Racers will be asked to write their choice of race distance and their name on a slip of paper at check-in; one of these will be drawn at random and officials will announce that the race is [Rider’s name]’s distance.
Points Race - Sprints every 3 laps; 5, 3, 2, and 1 point(s) awarded for the top 4 in each sprint. Officials will determine if the final sprint is worth double points. Riders gaining laps on the designated field will earn 20 points; riders losing laps on the designated field will lose 20 points. Ties in points are broken by the finish of the last sprint.
Point-a-Lap - Every lap, the first rider scores 1 point; the final lap is worth 2 and 1 points to the first and second riders, respectively.
Tempo - Every lap the first two riders score 2 and 1 points, respectively; the final lap is worth 3, 2, and 1 point(s) to the first, second, and third riders, respectively.
International Tempo - Following a bell after a certain number of laps to be announced by the starter, the first rider across the start/finish line on each lap will collect 1 point until the last lap in which the points are 2 and 1 for the top 2 places. There will be a bell at the start of the points laps and for the final lap.
Super Tempo - Every lap the first three riders score 3, 2, 1 points, respectively; the final lap scores 5, 3, 2, and 1 point(s).
Snowball - Lead rider each lap scores points; winner of the 1st lap gets 1 pt, with each subsequent lap worth 1 more point. Finish points will be announced on the rail before the start.
(Danish) Win & Out (no laps specified) - First sprint scored with 6 to go; the winner of that sprint wins the race, and may retire. Second sprint scored with 3 to go, winner of that sprint is 2nd place in the race, and may retire. Remaining riders sprint at the finish for 3rd place on.
6 Lap Win & Out - Similar to above, except sprints are scored at 4, 2, and 0 laps to go.
3 Lap Win & Out - Similar to above, except there is a sprint every lap (2, 1, and 0 laps to go).
Belgian Win & Out (no laps specified) - First sprint scored with 6 to go; the winner of that sprint is 3rd place, and may retire. Second sprint scored with 3 to go, winner of that sprint is 2nd place in the race, and may retire. In the final sprint, the winner of that sprint is 1st place in the race, and remaining racers will be placed according to their finish order in the final sprint, 4th place onward.
6 Lap Belgian Win & Out - Similar to above, except sprints are scored at 4, 2, and 0 laps to go.
3 Lap Belgian Win & Out - Similar to above, except there is a sprint every lap (2, 1, and 0 laps to go).
Elimination- Starting at the end of lap 2, the last rider across is eliminated (as judged by the trailing edge of the rear wheel) and must withdraw from the race. Riders are pulled until 2 are left, and the next lap determines 1st and 2nd place in the race (as judged by the leading edge of the front wheel).
Miss & Out - When a predetermined numbers of riders remain (to be announced on the rail), riders get one free lap, a bell, and the next lap determines the places in the race (as judged by the leading edge of the front wheel).
Devil’s Scratch - 1st part of the race is run as a miss-and-out; once half the riders are eliminated, it turns into a scratch race with 5 laps remaining.
Chariot - 1 lap held start race. Holders may push the rider at the start but may not cross the finish line of their own free will. If heats are required, they will qualify a number of riders to be announced by the start for each heat, with the final being held at a time to be determined by the race promoter.
Keirin - 4 lap race from a held start; riders are brought up to speed behind a motor in the sprint lane for the first 2 laps, and placement is determined by finishing order. Rider order at the start is determined by random drawing. Riders may not deviate from their drawn order for the first lap, and they may not pass the back of the motor for the first 2 laps. A keirin race often runs in heats with top finishers in preliminary rounds advancing to final rounds.
Longest Lap - Racers are given a set amount of time announced by the officials to ride 1 lap (usually 90 s) and position themselves on their bicycles without any part of their body touching the ground in a boxed area, the size of which is determined by the officials and the leading edge of which is defined by the start/finish line. Racers must stay inbounds of the boxed area without bodily contact with the ground for a period of time known only by the officials. During this time, racers may not hold the rail, another rider or bike, be perpendicular to the course or go below the white line in the sprinters lane On the official’s whistle, remaining racers compete in a 1 lap scratch race.
3. Scoring, Features, Series & Fields
Race day omnium scoring
Each day’s omnium points are awarded as: 7, 5, 3, 2, and 1 points for the top 5 riders in each race (Flights 1, 2, and 3, not including the Feature races).
Omnium results for the day are calculated as a sum of a rider’s omnium points across the 3 flights, with more points corresponding to higher ranking.
Features
Each non-Twilight race day will conclude with Feature races that include: A Feature, and either a B Feature or Women’s Feature.
If there is an A Feature and a B Feature: all Open A, all Women A, and the top 2 omnium finishers from the Women B, Open B, and Open C fields are invited to compete in the A Feature. All riders are invited to compete in the B Feature.
If there is a Women’s Feature and an A Feature: all Women racers are invited to compete in the Women’s feature, and all riders are invited to compete in the A Feature.
6 Days of Kissena series scoring
Series points will be awarded each day of the series for each field based on the day’s omnium results as: 37, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2, 2, 2, 2…points, descending from 1st place onward. Showing up and racing or volunteering nets you 2 points!
Top series finishers with the highest numbers of points in each field will be recognized, with the winner of each field earning a series jersey. See Section E for how scoring is handled when fields are merged or split on a given day.
Everyone gets a series mulligan– you drop your worst result.
If you miss a day, your worst result will be 0 points.
If you race, but do not place in the top 7 of the omnium that day, your worst result will be 2 points.
Participation in all days of the 6 Days series earns you a 6 point bonus.
Participation includes volunteering! If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please email us at kissena.velodrome@gmail.com.
Rider of the Year series scoring
Race days across the entire season (excluding 6 Days) comprise the Rider of the Year competition. Points for each race day are awarded as: 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, and 1 pts for the top 6 riders in each field based on the omnium results of the day (Flights 1, 2, and 3).
Top series finishers with the highest numbers of points in each field will be recognized, with the winner of each field earning a series jersey. See Section E for how scoring is handled when fields are merged or split on a given day.
Other scoring details: riders upgrading USAC categories; fields are split, merged, and split & merged; riders racing multiple categories
Fields are scored based on registration category: Open A, Women A, Open B, Women B, Open C, and U13 Boys/Girls.
When a rider upgrades USAC categories and therefore registration category (e.g. Novice to 4, or 4 to 3) in the middle of a series, half of their series points are transferred to their new field per USAC category and field. Note: USAC upgrade points are different from and independent of our omnium and series points, though they are also based on your omnium finishes. Details for USAC upgrades are here: https://usacycling.org/about-us/governance/policy-viii#Track.
Merged fields (2 or more fields are combined into 1 superfield, e.g. Open A + Open B fields race together): Series points and prize payouts will be awarded separately for the 2 fields.
Example: The Women A (8 riders) and the Women B (8 riders) fields are merged for the day into a 16-rider field. The raw race results of the merged field will be recorded (#1–16), and then separated series points and prize payouts will be awarded for the Women A field (#1–8) and Women B field (#1–8).
Split fields (1 field is partitioned into 2 smaller ones for safety, e.g. Open C is split into Open C Odds and Open C Evens): 2 sets of ROY points and prize payouts will be awarded for the field.
Example: The Open C field (30 riders) is split into Open C Odds (15 riders) and Open C Evens (15 riders) for the day. The raw race results of each field will be recorded (2 x #1–15) and awarded ROY points and prize payouts (2 x #1–15).
On non-USAC race days, officials may select racers to race a different field than the one in which they registered in order to facilitate the best and most competitive racing possible. A field may be both split, then merged into others. In this case, ROY points and prize payouts will be awarded to the original field with riders racing in higher fields competing for the top ROY points and prize payouts.
Example: Of 20 Open B riders, 5 agree to race with the Open A field, while the remaining 10 race as the Open B field. ROY points and prize payouts will be awarded to the Open B field, in which #1–5 will be awarded to the riders racing with Open A field, and #6–15 will be awarded to the remaining Open B riders.
Riders racing multiple categories
Riders who are performing well in their category are encouraged to check with the race organizer and challenge themselves on a given race day by trying a race or two in a more competitive field, in addition to the one in which they originally registered. Riders who do this will have their results recorded for both fields, but they will only be eligible for ROY points and prize payouts in their original field.
Riders who are eligible for, register for, and compete in multiple categories (e.g. Women A and Open B) are eligible for ROY points and prize payouts in their registered fields.
4. Gearing Information for U13 & Novice Fields.
Gear restrictions are implemented to enhance the safety and quality of races. This year at Kissena, U13 racers are subject to USAC gear restrictions. Junior racers who are racing in the Open or Womens’ fields are subject to that field’s gear restrictions, if any. Novice riders who are racing in Novice-only fields are subject to the gear restriction below.
Compliance with gear restrictions will be measured by gear development distance. The table below provides these distances according to age range/category, along with equivalent gear inches and approximate gear combinations. Gear combinations are approximate and conservative because a given gear combination will yield different gear inches and development depending upon wheel/tire size.
5. Number pinning: how to help us score races faster & better
Thank you to Andrew Johnson for putting together the foundation document on which this one is based, and to many others for adding and editing. We also want to credit the Northbrook Velodrome website, on which many of our Race Format explanations are based. We welcome further questions and feedback on this document at kissena.velodrome@gmail.com.
Everyone loves our newsletters and communiques! They’re super informative and we hope they inspire you to drop everything and race track bikes at the Kissena Velodrome. Race day communiques are sent from kissena.velodrome@gmail.com with pertinent day-of info and a link to our scoring spreadsheet where results are updated.
Track Fam Inc. is a 501(C)3 Nonprofit organization, FEDERAL TAX ID# 87-4417201. Trackfam hosts both USAC Cycling (USA Cycling license required) and non-USAC (no license required) track cycling races; register via bikereg.