Ballard Twilight Criterium, June 12, 2004

Luhndy gasses it toward the line

The Ballard Twilight Criterium, now officially dubbed the "Olympic Health Club Twilight Criterium," was another BRI target race from the start of the season - with sponsor Carter VW just down the street and a full contingent of local fans lining the course, even the rain that began to fall during the Cat. 4/5 race couldn't slow down the Benaroya boys.

Team O'Brien stalwart Andy Luhn went hard from the gun and ended up taking 5th place in the Cat. 3 race, with BRI teammate Brian Babbitt in 10th.

In the gathering gloom, and despite conditions that some maintained were sketchy on the wet cobbles, BRI team manager Russell Stevenson jumped the field and powered in for the win in the Pro/1/2 race, a full lap up on the chasers, with Mike Hainsworth in 6th and Jon "JP" Perry in 10th.

Here's the replay in Russy's own words:

"The Ballard Twilight Criterium was . . . well . . . a smack down. I thought I'd share . . . It was so wet and sketchy, half the field didn't even start. They must have watched the Cat 3's race, 14 crashes! The course went through old Ballard Ave. on cobbled red bricks, and the final two turns were sooooo slippery . . . As for me, that stuff doesn't bother me. I, too, was slipping in the turns but it just doesn't scare me, I guess.

In the end, my team was on the rivet. After taking my flyer and lapping the field, I did everything I could for the 5 of us remaining in the "field." We were the only team that started 5 and finished 5, making us, yes, a crit team. I had the magic legs that night and there was no hiding it . . . in the zone and steamrolling! It felt good to finally win this one after 5 years and two 2nd place finishes! "