Men's Categories & divisions:

Expert/cat1: all ages

Sport/cat2: 19 & under
Sport/cat2: 20-29
Sport/cat2: 30-39
Sport/cat2: 40-49
Sport/cat2: 50 & over

Novice/cat3: 19-29
Novice/cat3: 30-39
Novice/cat3: 40-49
Novice/cat3: 50 & over

Women's Categories & divisions:

Expert/cat1:  all ages

Sport/cat2: 29 & under
Sport/cat2: 30 & over

Novice/cat3: 29 & under
Novice/cat3: 30 & over

Junior divisions:

Juniors 15-18
Juniors 14 & under

Junior age divisions may vary depending on hosting club

Kids Races:

Kids also race for prizes! (Registration is still required for kids races but kids race FREE)

Awards:

The top 3 racers in each age division will receive medals.

The top 5 Men & Women’s Expert racers will also receive cash prizes!

**Cash payout to top 5 based on 15+ participants.  Cash and prizes may vary per event depending on hosting club. **

Swag Raffle:

Merchandise from sponsors will be distributed by raffle. So no matter where you place, you have a chance to leave with a fine prize.  Raffle entry is included with your race registration.

IHRS Series Championship

Racers must compete in a minimum of 6 out of 11 races.  The top 3 winners of each category will be awarded prizes.

USA Cycling
IL State Championship

Racers must compete in a minimum of 5 out of the 8 IL USAC sanctioned races.  Racers will receive national points ranking as well as age division medals.

Race Distances:

Experts/Cat 1: 22-32 miles, 100-150 minutes
Sport/Cat 2: 12-22 miles, 70-115 minutes

Novice/Cat 3: 7-10 miles, 40-55 minutes
Juniors: (where available)  7-10 miles, 40-55 minutes
Kids: 1/4 mile, distance will vary when available

Start times for PAMBA races are:

10:00am Novice Men & Women
10:02am Juniors
11:30am Kids Race
12:00pm Expert Men & Women
12:02 Sport Men & Women

*Start times for races will vary by club.  Check the club website for details.

IL HOMEGROWN RACE SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Racers must complete a minimum of 6 out of 11 races.  The top 3 winners of each category will be awarded trophies. and prizes.

USA CYCLING IL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Expert/Cat1 and Sport/Cat2 must have an annual license from USA Cycling.  Novice/Cat3 must set up USA Cycling account to be able to acquire IL State Championship points.  Participants must have competed in a minimum of 5 USA Cycling sanctioned events to be eligible for a State Championship awards. The top 3 in each age division of Novice/Cat3, Sport/Cat2 and Expert/Cat1 will receive USA Cycling IL State Championship medals. The top 3 overall in each category will receive IHRS series championship trophies and prizes at the end of the season Farmdale Festival race. To purchase a USA Cycling license visit www.usacycling.org

Expert/Cat1, Sport/Cat2 and Novice/Cat3 IL State Championship age divisions: Men 19 and under, Men 20-29, Men 30-39, Men 40-49, Men 50 & over, Women 29 & under, Women 30 & over, Juniors 15-18, Juniors 14 & under.

*** CORBA, KMBC and Imagination Glenn races will not be USA Cycling sanctioned events and no points will be awarded for the USA Cycling IL State Championship.  Only IHRS points will be awarded at these races.  Please look at the race schedule for qualified USA Cycling state championship races.***

USA Cycling Mountain is the mountain bike division of USA Cycling, whose purpose is to guide, service, and promote mountain biking as a competitive sport and outdoor activity.  USA Cycling is the internationally recognized body for conducting of State and National championships, selection of the National team, and selection of Olympic competitors in the sport of mountain biking.

USA Cycling has the following objectives:
To achieve widespread mountain bike participation for all ages, skill levels, and genders;
To have its sanctioned events be of high quality and meet the basic requirements of good event management;
To be a forum to identify and select the best elite athletes;
To support and promote proper land use ethics and responsible riding;
To influence national and international decisions that affect mountain biking; and
To promote a good public image of mountain biking and mountain biking cyclists.

The Purpose of the USA Cycling Mountain Bike State and Regional championships is to recognize the best mountain bike racers in each state and region. Through the USA cycling MTB State and Regional championships, riders will be eligible for state and regional titles and medals, along with being able to qualify and compete at the USA Cycling MTB National championships.

RACE CATEGORIES & DIVISIONS

Men and Women’s categories are Expert/Cat1, Sport/Cat2 and Novice/Cat3.  Not all categories will have age divisions.  Men and Women’s divisions are Expert (no age groups), Sport men: 50 and over, Sport men: 40-49, Sport men: 30-39, Sport men: 20-29, Sport men: 19 and under,  Sport women: 29 and under, Sport women: 30 and over, Novice men: 50 and over, Novice men: 40-49, Novice men: 30-39, Novice men: 19-29,  Novice women 29 and under, Novice women 30 and over, Juniors 15-18, Juniors 14 & under.

**Some races might have extra categories and age divisions that may not apply to the race series**

Kids Races:

Kids' races are for kids 12 and under and entry is free.  Please check out each club's race page to see if the Kids' race is available.

Prizes:

The top 3 finishers of each age division will win prizes at each event.  Men and Women’s Expert winners will receive a medal and a cash prize.  Winners of all other age divisions will receive a medal.  Merchandise from sponsors will be distributed by raffle, so no matter where you finish; you have a chance to leave with a prize.  Raffle entry is included with your race registration.

Awards Presentation:

IHRS award winners wishing to claim their award are strongly encouraged to participate in the official awards ceremony for that race.  Racers unable to attend the awards ceremony are responsible for making arrangements to receive their award by emailing the race coordinator for that event found on that clubs website.

Series Awards:

The final XC event will be September 23rd at Farmdale Festival where the prizes will be awarded and champions crowned.  USA Cycling IL State Championship medals will be awarded to the top 3 in each age division. Trophy and prizes will go to the top 3 overall in each category; Novice Men and Women, Sport Men and Women, Expert Men and Women.

Series Points:

A rider's best 6 finishes out of the 11 IHRS races will be used to calculate a series point total. A rider's best 5 finishes out of the 8 IL USAC Sanctioned races will be used to calculate a series age division points total.  Points are based on overall place within the category.  1st place receives 60 points, 2nd -55, 3rd -50, 4th -45, 5th -40 and so on.

IHRS/State Championship Points Scale

***Medals, Trophies and Prizes will be awarded at
the Farmdale Festival final race. ***

ENTRY FEES:

Registration fees are determined by the hosting club, and may vary from race to race. The entry fee for series races hosted by PAMBA is $30 for on-line registration, and $35 for walk-in registration.  On-line registration closes at noon on the Thursday before the race.  Walk-in registration closes 15 minutes prior to the start of the race.  Other events, such as Downhill and MTX events, will have separate registration fees.

Racing Rules:

1. Racers may finish the race riding, pushing, or carrying a bike that is mechanically impaired so long as all laps have been completed and no short-cutting of the course has occurred.  Race events that are USA Cycling sanctioned must use the USAC rules.

2. Racers must ride with courtesy at all times and allow faster riders to pass when trail space allows.

3. Un-sportsman like conduct will not be tolerated and may result in the issuance of a DNF by a race official.

4. Falsification of registration information will result in the issuance of a DNF.

5. Race/rider protests may be filed with a USAC official within 15 minutes of the Race Results being posted.

MANDATORY UPGRADE POLICY

Category 2/Sport Men:
Effective at the end of the 2012 race season, IHRS will require Category 2/Sport to upgrade to Category 1/Expert if:
1. Rider placed in the top three overall in points the prior season. 
2. Rider wins five times during the current season.

Category 3/ Novice Men:
Effective at the end of the 2012 race season, IHRS will require Category 3/Novice to upgrade to Category 2/Sport if:
1. Rider placed in the top three overall in points the prior season. 
2. Rider wins five times during the current season.

Category 3 and Category 2 Women:
Effective at the end of the 2012 race season, IHRS will require Category 2 & 3 Women to upgrade to their next category if:
1. Rider placed first overall in the series must move up to the next category.

Note: IHRS upgrade policy is in addition to USA Cycling upgrading rules.

US DOT or CPSC approved helmets are mandatory for all racers. The event organizers reserve the right to add/delete or combine classes or age groups depending on turnout.  The event organizers also reserve the right to modify course layout or cancel events depending on course conditions.

Questions??? Please contact:

IHRS/PAMBA Race Coordinator: Tony Thaller
PAMBA Race Coordinator: Mike Howard

See you at the races!!!!