Monster Track 9 is off, with organizers citing safety concerns in the wake of a recent death of an racer in Chicago. Monster Track was billed as one of the world’s largest alleycats, with organizers expecting up to 250 participants this year, many of them non-messengers.
For those who’ve just arrived in America or somehow missed the late nineties, an alleycat race is an unsanctioned bicycle race on open streets (i.e. with traffic). The Chicago racer, who wasn’t a courier, was killed when he ran a light and was hit by an SUV, said the Chicago Tribune.
The organizers said that the growing popularity of alleycats among non-messengers contributed to their decision to cancel it:
“As many of you know, Monster Track started as a race held for a small, close group of NYC bike messengers. It has now become an overwhelmingly all-inclusive event. This, on its face, may seem like a positive direction for a race but in the context of a solely track bike alleycat it brings many problems. First and foremost, the safety of the racers is compromised. We believe that this is not a tenable position for race organizers.”
BikeBlog quotes a press release saying several smaller events will go on:
Friday March 7, 8PM
Goldsprints at Third Ward
195 Morgan Ave. Brooklyn
Saturday March 8, 1PM
Fixed Gear Comp and injured messenger fundraiser at Rocky’s
South 5th St. at Kent Ave. Brooklyn
Sunday March 9, 12PM
Velo City Track Competition at Kissena Velodrome
Booth Memorial Ave near Kissena Blvd. Queens
