The Eighth Annual Human Performance Company MS Gran Prix isexpected to draw a record turnout this weekend. Veteran bicycleracer Frank Moak has worked hard to promote the local event and itsgrowth has been impressive.

Action starts Friday night with the Bank of Brookhaven Criteriumin downtown. Streets will be barricaded for the event that beginsat 7 p.m.

“We are ahead of our record year of last year,” said Moak. “Iexpect 70 to 80 riders in Friday night’s events. I wouldn’t besurprised to see over 300 riders for the weekend events.”

After Friday’s race, racers move outside the city limits for aSaturday morning, 80-mile Human Performance Company road racestarting at Heucks Retreat Baptist Church. It concludes around noonand will feature nearly 300 entries, men and women.

A Just Kiddin’ time trial will be held Saturday afternoon,starting at 5 p.m., at Union Hall Baptist Church. The 4-mile courseruns along Nola Road.

On Sunday morning, starting at 7 a.m., a PhysiotherapyAssociates Circuit Race, resembling a large criterium, will be heldat the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus in Wesson.

Moak, 49, founder of the Herring Gas racing team 22 years ago,competes mainly across the southeast. He is a physical marvel,improving his race times as he grows older.

“As the race grows the competition gets better and better,” saidMoak. “The trouble is I get older and older.”

Moak said he and the Herring Gas team have scaled back theirrace schedule in an effort to avoid fatigue.

“Last year, I had done nearly 25 races when we got to this one,”said Moak. “We have tried to peak too early. We won’t be sooverprepared. We are more rested. Hopefully, this is our luckynumber.

Moak said the Herring Gas team considers this weekend’s event amajor. “This is our most important regional race.”

Last year the criterium was rained out. Slick streets and tightturns would have caused disastrous wrecks.

The criterium has been compared to NASCAR on 2 wheels. Playersand teams jockey for position, and take turns drafting. Crashes arespectacular and dangerous.

There are180 turns in the criterium. By comparison, there areabout six turns in road races. By contrast, road races and timetrials are no problem to run in the rain.

Moak won the downtown criterium in 2005 and was second in 2007.”I usually get inspired for this race.”

Moak said the criterium route has been expanded and moved to thewest side of the railroad tracks to reduce the tight, congestedturns. The start and finish line is on Whitworth Ave., in front ofTrustmark Bank.

Prize money total for this weekend is $20,000. It includes teampayouts and individual prizes.

“We have riders coming from as far away as California,” saidMoak. Most of the riders are from Georgia, Texas, Tennessee,Alabama and Louisiana, Florida.

Moak said the riders are dedicated to their task. They aresupported by corporate sponsorships.

“After Friday night’s race, they are looking for food and abed,” said Moak. “For the riders themselves, there’s not a lot ofrecreation time.”

Several national and internationally know rides are entered thisweekend. Michael Olheiser, a 2-time national champion and a roadrace champion, from Huntsville, Ala., is among the entrants. He’s aWorld Masters champion and a Warp-9 Team member. He finished firstin ’06.

Carlos Vargas from Team Hotel San Jose out of Austin, Texas, wassecond last year. He won the Category 1-2-3 road race.

Eric Murphy, with Myogenesis, a former winner from Atlanta, wasfirst in 2007.

Debbie Milne of the Brandon-based Pro Bike Cycling, captured thewomen’s division road race last year. It was a 53-mile course forthe women.