Davy Crockett Classic Returns this Weekend
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – The 5th Annual Davy Crockett Classic returns to Houston County this weekend, Feb. 13 and 14. Following a very successful race in 2020, with over 500 cyclists in attendance, organizers have made some changes to better accommodate the size and operations of the event.
The weekend events actually get started on Friday, Feb. 12 as the riders and their teams are asked to pick up their packets between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Moosehead Café in Crockett.
The actual racing begins bright and early on Saturday, Feb. 13 and will consist of three stages.
According to Race Director Alex Montoya, “Stage One will be a road race out of the Latexo area taking place on a 23-mile loop. The race starts and finishes in front of Latexo High School on FM 2663. The race starts by turning right onto US Hwy. 287 and continues from there to FM 2423 (in Grapeland). The racers will travel down FM 2423 until they intersect with FM 2022. From there, the cyclists travel back to FM 2663 and then back to Latexo.”
“There will be two waves of races,” he continued, “consisting of four different groups within each wave. Each group is comprised of a different skill level of racers and consists of 20-100 individual racers that race various distances based on their group’s skill level. Each group of racers is escorted by a lead vehicle radio operator, a USA Cycling race official and a neutral support vehicle trailing behind.”
Following the Saturday morning road race, Stage Two will be an individual time trial event in the afternoon.
Montoya explained, “Racers will test themselves against the clock on an 8.5 mile out-and-back course on FM 2663. This course uses the same start/finish set-up from the road races, but instead of groups racing, each racer starts individually.”
Once the Saturday races have been completed, the cyclists will take a break but hit the road once again for the Wild Frontier Road Race on Sunday, Feb. 14 starting at 8 a.m.
Starting at Tyer Real Estate located at 200 N. Fifth St, the cyclists will travel down FM 2022 and exit the Crockett city limits. They will then follow FM 2022 into Percilla. At the intersection of FM 2022 and FM 228, the route turns right onto FM 228 and heads east. The riders will follow the road to FM 3016 (the Liberty Hill road) where they’ll turn right and head towards FM 227.
At FM 227, the riders take another right and head west, back towards FM 2022. At the FM 227 and FM 2022 intersection, the riders turn left on to FM 2022 and head back towards Crockett. The more advanced riders will make three loops between FM 228 and FM 227 for a total of approximately 80 miles.
Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
