Sunday, September 27, 1998 -- Kingwood
Heritage Day Classic

[More Pictures] [Results]

The Canadians, Joe Giuliano(L) and Daniel Maggiacomo(R), took control of the race

A warm and sunny day, with highs in the mid 80's, got the racers started in the final event of the 1998 Mountain State Road Series. The Heritage Day Classic, in Kingwood, has been a long time fixture on the WV road racing scene and is always held in conjunction with the Preston County Buckwheat Festival, one of the state's largest festivals. The Cat 1-4 and Master's riders were sent on a challenging 37 mile course while the Cat 5 and Citizens group completed a 25 mile journey.

The start of the Cat 1-4 race wound along 72 South and offered nice views of the Cheat River off the racers' left. The pack seemed to keep a relaxed pace for about the first 12 miles when two rider's finally decided to make a move. These riders were two visiting Canadians, Joe Giuliano and Daniel Maggiacomo. They quickly surged away from the pack of riders and raced alone to the finish. At the finish it was Giuliano out sprinting his countryman to the finish line. The first to complete the 25 mile short course was rider Robert Riffle.

Mark Pinson, and the GoMart Team, was a constant on the MSRS tour

After the race the competitors, and their friends and families, were all treated to a delicious pasta dinner. The Heritage Day Classic awards followed with honors going to Giuliano and Katina Sayers, the top female racer for the day. Congratulations were also extended to all the men and women who participated in the race, and to all those that made the 1998 MSRS a success.

After the race awards were handed out, the ceremony shifted to celebrate the years top riders for the 1998 series. We will post the final series standings as soon as we can verify the point totals. But don't sit around and wait for us, get out and start training for 1999!