The Mississippi Gran Prix saw many familiar faces including returning frontrunners, one impressive youngster moving up in the ranks and one rider who came to finish what he started. 

Once again, leading teams during the weekend race held throughout Brookhaven and Lincoln County were Team LaS’port from Shreveport, Louisiana; Marx and Bensdorf Cycling Team out of Memphis, Tennessee and home team Palmer Cycling, formerly Herring Gas. Overall winner was Matthew Davis of LaS’port, who has won the prix in recent years.

Race director Richard Barker said the $10,000 payout will be split up among winners in each category except category 5 riders, who must move up to level 4 before they can receive prize money rather than medals. Barker said the race went very well, with great weather and many compliments from racers and spectators about the venues, parking, access and courses.

“They love our courses and one of the main venues is Co-Lin,” Barker said. “Staging races from there is really nice. The last race on Sunday around their campus is a really good course, and everybody likes it.”

Barker said the criterium race downtown went very well, despite two other events happening simultaneously within the route of the course. The “Annie Jr.” program and a dance recital were attended with no traffic or pedestrian issues.

“Friday night was great. The Brookhaven Police Department and City of Brookhaven street department just really did a great job for us,” he said. “It’s a testament to the ability of the police and streets departments, and the sheriff’s department on Saturday. It turned out really good.”

Returning for his second time to race the Gran Prix was 14-year-old Jacob Waters from Lake Charles Racing. Waters has moved up from the amateur category 5 to competing as a category 4, Barker said, unhindered by a prosthetic leg from the knee down. Barker said Waters has proven he can hang with older riders, finishing somewhere in the middle of his category.

Bronson Breaux of Acadiana Bicycle Racing finished fourth in Sunday’s circuit race, which was cut short for him last year when he broke his femur. Race coordinator Loretta Prather said Breaux was out for four months for the injury, and he said the Mississippi Gran Prix is a race he won’t soon forget.

The top three overall winners for each category are as follows: Category 1/2/3 winners were Matthew Davis of Team LaS’port, Brian Funston and Adam Morris; Category 3/4 were Brett Shanaman of Marx and Bensdorf Cycling Team, Taco de Vries and Michael Boedigheimer.

Category 4/5 top winners were John Mooney of Indian Cycle, LaRon Lumpkin and Logan VanWay; Master 40+ were Jerald Simon of Lake Charles Racing Club, Timothy Doiron and Scott Gurganus.

Top winners for the women’s category were Sally Landham, Pamela Tate and Emily Strange, all from Marx and Bensdorf Cycling Team; and junior category winners were Hunter Keyes of S3 Racing Team and Greyson Swartzfager.