There always seems to be someone that is quite good aging up into the 55+ category and many times in the 60+ category. In 2012 Mark Hoffenberg and Danny Nicolette aged into the 55+ category and both race for the Sho Air team. Mark was strong throughout the year and Danny came on strong from the middle to the end of the season. In 60+ it was a rather light year in aging up but Howard Miller of Paramount aged into this category and raced with added zest.
Mark stayed healthy throughout the season and made every race "hot". Mark has a very aggressive racing style and might as well since he is so strong and can finish a race with the best of them. Former winners Mike Birditt(suffered back problems mid way through the race), Dale Luedtke and Kal Szkalak(Kal was down with an injury as well) raced well but Mark was always in the hunt for the win and placed high if he didn't win. Danny Nicolette came on strong at the end of the year to break into the top 5.
In 60+ Monty Pettus showed his awesome sprint and won many of the 60+ criteriums. Howard Miller raced a lot and was consistently a top placer. Last year's winner Mike Marotta didn't race as often but rode very strong when he did. Former winner in the 55+ and 60+ categories, John Rubcic started racing more toward the end of the season to get ready for Natz and had very good form. I had been number 2 early in the season but also had crash and injury problems and dropped to 5. Actually tied with Steve Borer in points but I guess the tiebreaker is the last race head to head which I bested Steve. If Steve had beaten William Carvin in the last CBR race he would have taken the last spot for the SCNCA podium and payout. The SCNCA pays out to 5 places.
Good year of racing. Pretty good turnout of 55+ racers but fair to poor in 60+ turnouts. I hear all this talk about a 65+ category but the 60+ numbers aren't there. Until both 55 and 60 have large fields, it is going to be a combined race with separate results. Every promoter gives the 60+ group a separate purse but Ontario. Ray is usually behind the times. Even CBR does though there almost never is over 20 racers.
Next season will see new 55+ and a lot of new 60+ racers. In the 55+ group a certain rider that will be aging up from a team that starts with P and is boasting that he will brush everyone aside even Hoffy. Good luck, I say. Lol! I know he is very good on the track but let's see how he does on the road. UC Cyclery will have some new 60+ racers and will look to take away Paramount's lock on this category. Paramount had 3 of the 5 top spots. It should be fun. Hope everyone's winter training is going well and everyone is healing from late injuries and health problems.
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| In 55+ you can see 3 of the top performers at Natz in Bend, Or. Mark Hoffenberg, M. Hill, & D. Nicolette. |
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| 3 top performers in 60+ - Mike Marotta, Monty Pettus and John McKee |
SoCal Cup Standings For 2012
| Masters 55+ |
| Place | Name | License # | Team Name | SoCal Points |
| 1 | Mark Hoffenberg | 45461 | Sho-air/Rock 'n Road | 492 |
| 2 | Michael Birditt | 47255 | Spy-Swami's Cycling Team | 350 |
| 3 | Dale Luedtke | 47262 | Spy-Swami's Cycling Team | 259 |
| 4 | Kalman Szkalak | 54522 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 239 |
| 5 | Daniel Nicolette | 26090 | Sho-air/Rock 'n Road | 217 |
| 6 | Michael Mueller | 46688 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 194 |
| 7 | Malcolm Hill | 156650 | Breakaway from Cancer Masters | 193 |
| 8 | Ricky Shorts | 52251 | Velo Allegro | 159 |
| 9 | Steve Hensler | 15874 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 149 |
| 10 | Nelson Alaan | 64439 | Cal-Pacific Export Packers / LV | 148 |
| 11 | Mark Huffman | 59572 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 128 |
| 12 | Alex Collins | 46255 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 109 |
| 13 | Jeffrey Moreton | 25023 | PAA/REMAX | 104 |
| 14 | cyril hunte | 52086 | 102 | |
| 15 | Robert Willcox | 69952 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 101 |
| 16 | Bob Pellkofer | 47652 | Sho-air/Rock 'n Road | 100 |
| 17 | Deogracias Asuncion | 50532 | South Bay Wheelmen | 88 |
| 18 | Donald Denegal | 93812 | Velo Allegro | 82 |
| 19 | Chuck Thompson | 193819 | Polli Veloce | 77 |
| 20 | Mark Ainslie | 1254 | 71 | |
| 21 | Steve Cahill | 204724 | Celo Pacific | 70 |
| 22 | Michael Hines | 125061 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 69 |
| 23 | Albert Shorts | 230085 | Velo Allegro | 69 |
| 24 | lee romans | 110259 | Velo Allegro | 68 |
| 25 | Kirk Freeman | 12354 | Santa Clarita Velo | 66 |
| 26 | Paul Rodriguez | 58847 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 66 |
| 27 | Eddie Morris | 49080 | Breakaway from Cancer Masters | 51 |
| 28 | wayne hermes | 272891 | Cycles Veloce | 50 |
| 29 | Chris Black | 3814 | Morgan Stanley /Specialized | 49 |
| 30 | Fred Hoblit | 16360 | Santa Clarita Velo | 48 |
SoCal Cup Standings For 2012
| Masters 60+ |
| Place | Name | License # | Team Name | SoCal Points |
| 1 | Leo Pettus | 219074 | Paramount Racing | 388 |
| 2 | Howard Miller | 49424 | Paramount Racing | 349 |
| 3 | Mike Marotta | 72880 | Spy-Swami's Cycling Team | 286 |
| 4 | John Rubcic | 48760 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 248 |
| 5 | John McKee | 180386 | Paramount Racing | 233 |
| 6 | Steven Borer | 245777 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 233 |
| 7 | Donald Kimper | 195498 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 216 |
| 8 | Kenny Fuller | 46765 | Team Simple Green/Bike Religion | 184 |
| 9 | Michael Fleming | 129293 | South Bay Wheelmen | 173 |
| 10 | Donald Davidson | 48278 | Citrus Valley Velo | 157 |
| 11 | Steve Bernede | 126351 | Team Werks | 151 |
| 12 | john wagenaar | 61193 | UC Cyclery/JW Floors | 143 |
| 13 | James Swigart | 228631 | ACQUA AL 2/SDBC | 103 |
| 14 | Jean Villiot | 59805 | CA Pools / CFS Mortgage | 98 |
| 15 | Bruce Steele | 236498 | South Bay Wheelmen | 93 |
| 16 | Robert Paganini | 45763 | PAA/REMAX | 91 |
| 17 | Mario Seri | 61278 | Velo Club LaGrange | 89 |
| 18 | David Lang | 107852 | DARE | 74 |
| 19 | Fred Nicolet | 26089 | ACQUA AL 2/SDBC | 72 |
| 20 | Leo Longo | 189814 | Bike Palace | 68 |
| 21 | Donald Williams | 38334 | Cynergy Cycles Racing | 64 |
| 22 | Josef Lemire | 46799 | SHO-AIR/ SERT | 62 |
| 23 | Fred Haim | 269972 | Velo Club LaGrange | 59 |
| 24 | Raphael Gomez | 3793 | Rage Cycling | 56 |
| 25 | Richard Stahlberg | 50911 | Ironfly | 54 |
| 26 | William Carvin | 101582 | 52 | |
| 27 | Richard Lilleberg | 64127 | South Bay Wheelmen | 48 |
| 28 | Bruce DePriester | 259387 | Sho-air/Rock 'n Road | 47 |
| 29 | James Morehouse | 283640 | FFKR Architects Racing | 46 |
| 30 | Jon Miller | 167489 | Platinum Performance Cycling Team | 37 |
