Meet the Gang
We like to party!!
Jared Wood (Team Manager)
Expert 19-29
Team manager for Chaingang Racing. Also overall Champion for Expert 19-29.
Cooper Pleva
Junior Expert
Cooper is a highly motivated young man with passion in many different places. He’s working his way to be an eagle scout while also highly involved in wrestling and gymnastics. He will be one to watch this year as we focus on his line choice and endurance.
Brandon Schoenborn
Expert 19-29
Currently serving in the Air Force, Brandon is going to be traveling across the country to make 6/8 races. With the winter training and riding he has the advantage. We expect to see more than just military medals on him.
Joey Szczepaniak
Amateur 16-29
Joey is taking on a new career half way across the country, but that’s not stopping him. He plans on making it to most of the races this year.
Matt Thompson
Amateur 30-45
The Joker in the group, Matt has been working all winter to pull some solid results. On the side Matt also does stand-up comedy and artwork. Matt is also a trusted rider with support on social media and the website.
Kevin Wilson
Pro
Kevin is the fastest on the team. In 2019 he landed 7th overall in the pro class. With a fresh bike we expect to see Kevin on the podium this year and at least 5th overall in pro.
Collin McBride
Expert 19-29
A new face to the team but not the race scene, Collin was part of the UCI world cup team back in 2015. That opportunity has given him the chance to race in two world cups.
Nelphison (Nels) DeAlmeida
U18
The youngest on the team but also the most stylish. Nels spends his summers at Highland Bike Park. Last year he started to race to see how he liked it, let’s just say you’re going to see a lot coming from this guy.
Dan Hopmans
Amateur 16-29
New to racing but we expect good things out of Dan. He will be learning the tools of the trade to hit some good results this year. Dan also helps run the team website and is the right hand man to Chaingang Racing.
Patrick Healy
Amateur 16-29
The only original member left that started when the team was formed. Unfortunately, Pat suffered from a broken wrist last year at one of the races. We will be working with Pat to get him back up to speed, and hopefully some podiums too.
Scott Surdyke
Amateur 30-45
If you want a good conversation, Surdyke is your man. Scott is a caring person and truly cares about watching the team do its best and grow. If Scott is at a race you can count on him to pitch a hand into anything that needs to get done.
Sean Suprenant
Pro
New face to the team but not the racing scene. Last year he finished 9th overall in pro. We are hoping to see some podiums this year!
Chris Sinclair
Expert 19-29
Chris spent his winter living in New Zealand to ride his bike and explore the country side. His dedication for growing the sport shows, he gave up his career as an exploration geologist to become a full time trail builder.
Katlin Parenteau
Amateur 19-29
New to the team but not to the podium. Artist, Tattooist, Snowboarder & Biker - Katlin had a big showing in 2019 for her first downhill race season and aims to do even better in 2020.
Jackson (Sam) Kinney
Amateur 19-29
Captain Kinney! Sam spends his weeks out on the sea catching lobsters. In 2019 Sam also caught 3rd overall in Amateur 19-29, this year we are aiming for him to be top dog.
Isaac Hernandez
Amateur 30-45
Golden boy! Isaac is a great guy with an even greater personality. Any time you need help, Isaac is right there for you. With his roots in racing we won’t be surprised to see him pulling some good results this year.
Scot Carpeneter
Amateur 30-45
Also known as MTB BETA, Scot is our camera and video guy. His job is to create content taken at races and make them into videos. He also goes around and creates reviews on different bike parks and trail systems. You can find him on You Tube under