MOUTH FULL OF DIRT : Super D's Blog: 2017 Stats

This is the post for analyzing the 2017 season. It was a wild one, full of highs and lows. It started off so promising with new sponsors that then bailed out on me. I thought I finally had the help I had been trying to get for years, but it wasn't to be yet. I had some bad races in the SERC and GSC Series, but came away with the SERC title again. Nationals didn't go so great with a mechanical issue ruining my day, but I won the DINO Series. It all balanced out and was maybe my best season ever.

I focused on the mountain bike this year, but also still got in some road racing time with 14 criteriums and 2 time trials. I did 51 total races in 2017, down a few from last year's 56, mainly due to missing most of cross season. I raced in nine different states and had 0 DNFs this season! That is highlight number one for me. Number two is two series titles and eight race wins. I stood on the podium 23 times during the season. Highlight races for me started early in the year with the Montgomery Bell Winter MTB Time Trial Series. I was good at both the February and March races. Multiple flats took me out of the running in February, but I crushed March and it netted me the series overall as well. The GSC Series opener in Macon was also an early-season highlight as I rode well both days and got into an epic battle with Dustin White, Mose Howard, Simon Lewis and Justin McMurrer. Then I had a bit of a rough patch with some good days and bad days. I think the DINO opener at Winona Lake was a turning point for my season. I had doubts after the SERC and GSC races in April and getting a win there gave me confidence. It started a build-up of momentum that peaked for the DINO races in Versailles and South Bend. The latter was super special because the win was so unexpected after I had been sick for over a week and actually won the race on a power stretch where I am usually the weakest. That sealed the DINO Series title for me. I can't forget about the Music City Crits finale where I controlled an entire team to win the Fat Tire race and had a solid Pro/1/2/3 event the same night. I finished off the season with some other big wins at Ben Hawes and in the Lock 4 Six Hour. I may not have rocked the GSC Series overall, MTB Nationals or the State Championship, but I can't and won't complain about how the rest of the year went. Winning three out of four series I went for isn't bad at all! Definitely one of the highlights of my year came off the bike when Shannon got her own mountain bike. That was a big deal for us.

Here are stats for races and finishes in 2017:

Total Number of Races: 51

Race Breakdown:
XC: 19
Short Track: 4
MTB Time Trial: 5
Endurance XC: 1
Downhill: 0
Super D: 0
Criterium: 14
Road Race: 0
Road Time Trial: 2
Cyclocross: 6

Wins: 8
Top 3s: 19
Top 5s: 26
Top 10s: 33
DNFs: 0

I would have to give my "Race of the Year" award to the Ben Hawes XC. What a fun course, great race and awesome group of people in Owensboro! Gateway Cup was also a highlight of the year for overall affordability, fun, competition and location.

It was another tough year of working as hard off the bike as I did on it. I have to thank my wife, Shannon, for her continued support. She gives up a lot to let me ride, both at home and on race trips most weekends out of the year. Also, a huge thank you goes out to Maxxis, First Endurance and MOAB Bikes for helping me with tires, nutrition, parts and labor. Jeremy has not only been good to me, but my whole family as well, including Shannon. Without the support of MOAB, I would have had a lot more difficulty getting wheels and suspension fixed and had a lot less cash in my pocket afterwards. I look forward to working with all three of these sponsors again in 2018.

That does it for 2017. I posted some pictures from my favorite moments of the year below. Now on to 2018!