Fair Hill Firecracker MTB (Mid-Atlantic Super Series)

Woohoo, we've escaped Granogue and are ready to deliver an even more DYNAMITE time at the 2nd annual Fair Hill Firecracker, Saturday July 12th!

That's right! The producers of the legendary Escape Granogue, Granogue Classic Rewind, and Big Elk Off Road have teamed up to ignite an adrenaline-pumping day of action-packed racing at the Gallaher Rd Event Grounds at Fair Hill.

Although the fuse went out with Granogue, we’re bringing the same POP - SIZZLE - WOW that you’ve come to expect from our events. It’s gonna be lit! You may even see a familiar sign or two - and maybe some for sale!Get ready for a rockin’ tent row, mouthwatering tacos from Mojo Loco food truck, toe-tapping beats, and an explosive atmosphere of camaraderie and cheer! Let your colors burst!

Mountain bike racers of all levels are invited to test their skills on the BRAND NEW course (2024). The trails are maintained regularly and the course is fast and flowy this direction. Think more YIPPEE-KI-YAY and less $@#&! It’s a piece of cake compared to Granogue and has less climbing - no Chuck Norris skills required!

The Firecracker is part of the Mid Atlantic Super Series (MASS), the premier mountain bike race series of the region. One does not have to be part of the series to participate, but series racers earn points for end-of-season champion jerseys and awards - bragging rights included! If you'd like to join the serie, visit masuperseries.com for more info. 

Be sure to score some race swag! Show off your red, white and blue as we follow the 4th of July holiday with a spirited design on a super comfy, cotton/poly blend, high quality T-shirt. If you want a shirt and can’t make the event, go ahead and purchase online before reg closes and I’ll be happy to ship it to you, if you cover shipping cost. 

Let’s light it up! Family, friends and spectators welcome! Dogs, too, on leash if you clean up after Fido. Set up your camp chair or blanket under the tree in the podium area and make it a day! 

Get your sparkle on - it's going to be an absolute BLAST! 

Now who's ready for an EPIC day of racing?

Your fiery friends,

Heather, Tom, John

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COURSE INFORMATION

New course out of the Gallaher area including Punctured Lung and Ridge Trails.

Attention Cat 4 / First Time Racers - your lap will be about 5 miles (2 miles short of the full-length course). The First-Timers will turn right at the bottom of Yellow onto the gravel road instead of turning left. They will avoid the climb up Punctured Lung and the decent down Yellow Single track, cutting off about 2 miles of course.

START LOCATION & PARKING

Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area 483 Gallaher Road, Elkton, MD  21921

Caution - Fair Hill has several parking areas. Make sure you have selected directions to the Gallaher Rd Parking Lot, Fair Hill NRMA Parking Lot #4

Race parking, registration, start and staging will be at the Gallaher Road Event Grounds, across the road from the Gallaher parking lot, behind Big Elk Chapel. Please do not park in the gravel lot. Park in the event designated areas only. Parking attendants will be at the entrance to guide you.

COURSE MAP

Trail Forks Map https://www.trailforks.com/route/mass-firecracker-mtb-race-course/

A gpx file and a pdf map are posted under “downloads”.

REGISTRATION

On-site registration will open at 7:30am and close 30 minutes prior to each event.

Online Registration closes Thursday July 18th, Midnight.

Online registration prices shown include the item cost as well as BikeReg platform service & processing fees, previously only displayed at check-out. 

Day of Registration Available for entry fee + $10 (cash only).

Save yourself $10 and pre-register online! 

Make sure your BikeReg profile autofills your current email address, please. We will be using that email address to communicate valuable event information to you!

Each racer will receive an email confirmation upon registering with important information. If you don't receive this, there's your first clue if your email address was entered incorrectly.

Fair Hill has instituted a $3 per racer venue fee. This is in addition to the regular permit fee required for Fair Hill. We have had to add the $3 fee to registration.

$1 of each race entry will go to the newly formed Delaware Middle School / High School NICA League

SCHEDULE

Endurance 8:45am start

Pro / Cat 1 9am start

Cat 2 11:30am start

Cat 3 1pm start

Cat 4 / First Timer 1:30pm start

Note: Registration closes 30 minutes prior to each event. All races will follow a mass start format. Age-groups within each race will be dispatched in 2-minute increments.

PRIZES AND PAYOUTS
The payout schedule for most MASS races can be found by clicking here MASS Cash Payouts. We have some pretty awesome medals for the other Cat 1-3s.

WEATHER & RAIN DATE

Zip code 21921 for your weather app. This is a light rain or shine event. In the event of postponement, an announcement will appear on the MASS website by 6:00pm Friday July 12th. We will also contact all registered racers using the email address provided on your registration - make sure it's accurate.

Rain Date Saturday July 20th. Refunds are ONLY available to those who purchase the optional Refund Insurance at the SAME TIME as their entry fee, offered on the Registration Page - Not the BikeReg insurance. 

NO INSURANCE = NO REFUND if we have to postpone or cancel the event.

This is a smart purchase for those who know they cannot make the rain date, should the race be postponed. 

For those who don't buy it, you may transfer your entry to someone else who wants to race for the original transaction entry amount. And perhaps they’ll reimburse you. You must coordinate with your replacement, who can choose any category in the event, and your replacement pays the difference in price of entry fee, if applicable.

RULES

MASS Race Rules can be found HERE. This includes information regarding series rules, determining your racing age/category and upgrade policy.

MASS Rules apply to all races.

No e-bikes

Helmets must be worn at all times while riding, including warm ups.

No earbuds permitted during pre-ride or races.

No course pre-riding during races. 

NO ALCOHOL is permitted within park property.

NO WATER PROVIDED - BRING YOUR OWN

You must provide your own water. It will be hot, you will be thirsty. Even if you are just doing one lap, you will need to HYDRATE so bring water with you. You will drink more than you think.

FOOD VENDOR

Mojo Loco food truck - serving up delicious tacos and more!

PRE-RIDES

The park is open to the public. You may ride during their open hours. We may or may not hold guided rides. If you are interested in leading a ride, please let us know. There will be no pre-riding or warming up on the course during any race. If found doing so, racers are subject to disqualification with no refund. Please be off the course by 8:45am on the day of the event.

NO CAMPING

There is no overnight camping. See here for Fair Hill Rules. The race directors are not campers. Please use the web to search, not our inbox.

TEAM TENTS

We’ll have a suggested area designated for tents along both sides of the course along the gravel road between the Finish and the Start. On one side, vehicles will be allowed with your tent. You will have to cross the course with your vehicle to access this area, so please arrive before the first race starts, 9am. Once you are on this side, we ask that your vehicle remains until no more racers (ie Endurance or Cat2s) are headed out for their next lap. Since Cat 2 starts at 11:30a, I would estimate by 1pm all Cat2s have passed the vehicle crossing area.

On the opposite side, (where the registration tent and the podium are), there will also be team tents, but no vehicles allowed on this side, so as not to clutter the festival area, dude! You can easily drop off your gear and walk it into position, then park in general parking. 

FEED ZONE

Feed zone will be along tent row, either side of course, as you choose. This is the section of course between the finish line and the start. You are also welcome to leave bottles elsewhere, if you choose. However, we ask that you do not use the area just before the finish, so you don’t potentially jam up racers in a battle to the finish line. See Tent Row map above.. 

T-SHIRTS

Pre-ordered T-shirts can be picked up at the registration tent or purchased on-site. To ensure you get your preferred size, pre-ordering is strongly recommended on BikeReg. If you'd like to snag one of these sweet babies up but can’t make the event, go ahead and purchase online before reg closes and I’ll be happy to ship it to you if you cover shipping cost.

MUSIC

We've curated a killer compilation of songs to kick up the excitement and amp up your motivation! Carrying over the Classic Rock vibe from Granogue, these songs will boost your confidence and get your blood pumping with a variety of energizing vibes.. Think of music as your secret weapon - let it fuel your motivation and go crush this race! Each track hits differently, and hopefully, you will be able to find some that inspire you as you both prepare to race and as you sprint to the finish line! 

PHOTOGRAPHY

You know you'll look good when you’re caught shredding the gnar in a First Place Photo! That’s why we are ecstatic to have Mike and his staff of professional and top notch sports photographers spending the day at the Firecracker! When it comes to capturing the raddest moments in the highest quality, nothing comes close to First Place Photo. 

Info on how to get your photos will be emailed after the race.

Stay shreddy, my friends, because the digital delight of the camera is gonna be righteous! 

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

DELAWARE ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALISTS