Mitch Graham, Director of the Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series, announced today that the organization has signed a six-year contract with business development company SpectaSport. “One of the cool, underutilized things about the Ohio Valley Region is that we have six semi-major metropolitan markets,” said Graham. “From downtown Cincinnati, you have 14 million people within 90 minutes. The Ohio Valley racing region that we represent encompasses almost a perfect 90 minute driving circle around Cincinnati - you have Indianapolis, Columbus, Lexington, and Louisville. Within that circle you have Dayton. All of our races are within these metropolitan areas.”

According to SpectaSport President Ken Getchell, the area is ideally situated for cyclocross. “There’s no other region in the U.S.A. where racing sports carry as much prestige as in the Ohio Valley. Indianapolis is home to the most famous auto race in the world, the Indianapolis 500. Louisville is home to the Kentucky Derby thoroughbred race. And Madison Indiana has such an infatuation with powerboat racing that a Hollywood movie named “Madison” was released in 2005. This is a region with big cities and big-time professional sports teams, but where, culturally, it’s an accepted norm to watch people race things.”

For Graham, the signing of a business development company is but one more step toward the goal. “Right now, OVCX is an elite grassroots series. In only five years, we’ve grown to 15 races, including five that are UCI sanctioned. The vision for the series is that it continues to grow in baby steps up into a national caliber series -- a focus point for Midwest ‘cross racing. I want each race to be the Midwestern destination point on each weekend.”