Meet the Gang
We like to party!!
Jared Wood (Team Manager)
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Team manager for Chaingang Racing. Also overall Champion for Expert 19-29 in the 2019 season. As Jared started in racing he always thought about how cool it would be to have a race team. One year he made it happen and found the best group of riders any team could ask for. Since every one yelled at him about being too fast on 26" wheels he got a new steed for the 2021 season to level out the playing field, As always, Jared is either going for gold or going for the bushes.
Megan Darrow
Amateur Women (Cat 2/3)
Meg has always been a fan of an adrenaline rush and when she was introduced to DH, it was the perfect fit. She hopped on a bike two summers ago and has loved every minute since. Meg finally graduated college over the fall an is excited to be able to dedicate more time to the sport!
Nels DeAlmeida III
Junior Amatuer 15-18 (cat 2/3)
The youngest on the team but also the most stylish. Nels spends his summers at Highland Bike Park. Two years ago 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 in the future! Coming off of a few minor injuries that kept him from the podium last year, he's hungry for some metal!
Cooper Pleva
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
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. A true character on & off the course! "You can catch flies with honey but you can catch more honeys bein' fly" - Cooper
Justin Hushon
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
A former pro motocross racer who got into racing mountain bikes after breaking his back and being told never to do anything like racing again. Justin sick of sitting around and said forget the Doc, let's go racing!
Brian Pleva
Team Support & Ambassador
Team moral compass & beer officianado. Brian goes above & beyond every race weekend to not only help the Gang but to help the race community as a whole. We'd be lost without him!
Katlin Parenteau
Pro/Expert Women (pro and cat1)
Katlin will be classing up in 2021 after 1st place for the series in Amatuer Women. Katlin owns a tattoo shop in Northern VT called Live Iron Tattoo. She has been tattooing for seven years and is also a visual artist. She has three dogs, (two pit bulls) that love being outside and going on adventures. In her free time she likes to send it as big and as fast as she can. Mountain biking, Snowboarding, longboarding, you know, all the fun mountain stuff.
Aaron Perry
Veteran Expert 30-39 (cat 1)
Aaron is an excited new father to a baby boy! Aaron is new to the Gang but is a force to be reckoned with at the Eastern States Cup. Aaron is looking forward to another big season, with a newly built ride!
Chris Sinclair
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Exploration geologist turned professional trail builder and owner of TerraSculpt Inc. Chris started riding mountain bikes in 2006 and downhill in 2008 at age 14. Race result highlights include 4th at the 2018 Killington US Open in Amateur, 2nd in 19-29 Cat 1 at Thunder Mtn 2018 and 2nd in 21-29 open at the Camp Fortune Canadian National Enduro Series.
Dan Hopmans
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Dan is building his experience in the race world with 2nd place overall in ESC Amatuer 19-29 in 2020. Dan is the Assistant Team Manager, helping to keep the train on the tracks.
Jackson (Sam) Kinney
Men Amateur 19-29 (cat 2/3)
Pound for pound the fastest God fearing hell hound on the mountain! His style is impeccable, his times are untouchable! If he's not lobstering off the Maine coast he's on two wheels causing chaos of the finest kind. Chaingang runs through his veins. In 2019 Sam also caught 3rd overall in Amateur 19-29, this year we are aiming for him to be top dog.
Nels DeAlmeida Jr
Team Support & Ambassador
A grumpy old Marine supporting his son and team in a sport they love. Nels goes to great lengths to help the team and ESC to great success! We can always count on his wise cracks!
Kevin Wilson
Pro Men (pro)
Kevin sets the pace for 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, assuming he can get out of Canada! "Simply put, I am the best rider on the mountain! I am the fastest and go the biggest! Girls want to be with me and guys want to be me.I'm the best there is and ever has been!" - Kevin
Brandon Schoenborn
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Currently serving in the Air Force, Brandon is going to be traveling across the country to make as many races as possible. With the winter training and riding he has the advantage. We expect to see more than just military medals on him!
Collin McBride
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Collin was part of the UCI world cup team back in 2015 & has continued racing USDH & ESC since. That opportunity has given him the chance to race in two world cups (and counting)! "Lets go ride some bicycles and forget about this mess we call life" - Collin
Geoff Smith
Men Expert 19-29 (cat1)
Geoff grew up riding in Southern New Hampshire & he frequents Highland Mountain Bike Park. 2021 will be his 3rd season racing bikes and his first racing an entire season of ESC. Geoff is also a member of the UNH collegiate mountain bike team.
Scott Surdyke
Team Support & Ambassador
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.