Sunday night it was standing room only as Sacramento’s Hot Italian hosted another Savage Sprints event to benefit the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Project.
The venue worked well, providing food and drink for the adults, along with a comfortable location for the many children that also came out with their parents. The races saw brother pitted against brother, and even a national track champion was in attendance.
![](https://justanothercyclist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hot_italian_kevin_mansker.jpg)
Kevin Mansker, USA Cycling track rider, demonstrated the difference between a full time cyclist and, well, all the rest of us. While the fastest men were posting times within a half a second of 9 seconds, Kevin clocked a 7-second whopper. Donning his USA cycling jersey and – yes – aero track helmet, Kevin personified the general feel of the entire event. While the event is clearly a competition, it is a good natured, fun event that anyone can participate in and enjoy.
The Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association is a group dedicated to getting a velodrome built in the Sacramento area, and utilizes these Savage Sprint events to help raise both funds and awareness for the effort. According to their mission statement, the Association is:
…a nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes.
B. The specific purpose of this corporation is to develop and operate a velodrome for the use and benefit of the communities in the greater Sacramento region.
Charitable and educational programs will include:
a)bicycling safety and education, with an emphasis on junior development
b)the promotion of healthy lifestyles and fitness
c)the promotion of local, regional, and national sporting events
Watch for these events to continue in the Sacramento area as other local business like Hot Italian and Rex Cycles (Steve Rex, owner, pictured at left) get behind the effort.