Individual Time Trials test riders' personal strengths

With Qualifications out of the way and the field of 33 set, it's time for Little 500 riders to have some fun, beginning with the official start of the Spring Series Events -- Individual Time Trials. The event will begin at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium and will go well into the evening, alternating between men's and women's teams.\nFor veteran riders, ITTs are a chance to improve on their success from previous years and to have fun on the track. It's also a great source of motivation, said senior Phi Gamma Delta rider Matt Davis.\nDavis placed second in ITTs last year behind graduated Cutters rider Chris Vargo. Davis said the three other riders in his heat -- senior Dodds House rider Craig Luekens, Alpha Tau Omega rider senior Hans Arnesen and sophomore Cutters rider Sasha Land -- only increase his drive. \n"(Being in a heat with them) adds pressure, but it motivates me as well," Davis said. "I know they are going to be fast, so I know I have to be fast as well."\nWhile some riders don't put too much bearing on ITTs, others judge some of what happens during the event on what will happen on race day. Luekens, who placed third in last year's ITTs, said although it's meant to be enjoyable, ITTs is also a good measure of talent.\n"It's an individual event, so you can tell a lot about one rider," Luekens said. "This is the biggest indicator; this will tell you who will go four laps hard. But the series events are where the fun happens. You're in the race now, so hopefully it's just a fun time."\nITTs is the first of three series events, which tests a rider's individual strength. Four riders, each at a different corner of the track, begin from a dead stop and race four laps for the fastest time. At the end of evening the fastest time wins. Scoring for the Spring Series Events works in reverse of conventional scoring -- one point is awarded to winners, two for second and so on. Each event is scored and at the end the team with the least amount of points will be declared the winner and be awarded white jerseys to wear on race day.\nFor a handful of rookie riders the first series event may be nerve-racking for some and for others less stressful. Cutters rider freshman Alex Bishop and Cinzano rider freshman Shane Whittington both said they are calm and ready for the event with help from their teammates and their coaches. \n"I think, with the team I'm on, it's really prepared me for the future and what's going to happen," Bishop said. "I'm not too nervous. I know I have to go out there and do it."\nBishop has the upper hand as a rookie on the returning 2004 Little 500 Championship team, but for Whittington being a rookie on an all-rookie team can be a little harder. Luckily, Whittington said her coach has prepared Cinzano well, and the team is nothing but confident.\n"As a rookie I want to stand out so people can recognize the name Cinzano again," Whittington said. "I'm nervous because I want to get a good time. I guess it goes with experience."\n-- Contact Senior Writer\nKatie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.