His coach Eric Anderson called the performance the ITT version of the Dixie Highway Award. In 2013, Beta Theta Pi’s Chris Craig finished 111th overall at ITTs (yes, that’s one-hundred eleventh, not a typo). This year, he was faster than every other rider in the field. 111th to 1st.

How did he do it? How has his training changed? What, overall, has changed for him in the last year?

And what’s it like trying to defend Beta’s title after losing all four riders from last year’s championship team?

We asked. Craig answered.

While Craig is humbled by the win, he understands his team of four race rookies still has a lot to work on before race day.

33to1: How were the nerves going into Saturday?

Craig: I felt pretty relaxed. I didn’t really know quite what to expect going in, just wanted to try to perform my best. We’ve been training hard all year. i was just really excited to get out on the track. With the rain delay and everything like that, I was just ready to get out there.

33to1: Was that weird having ITTs pushed back four days?

Craig: We had to adjust for it. We were considering doing a race over the weekend and we had to cancel that and stay here and train. Things did work out how we hoped it would, though. We felt good going into the day.

33to1: When you completed your ITT run, did you have any idea that you did sub-2:23? (Craig won ITTs with a 2:22.98)

Craig: No, actually. I thought I was around a high 2:23. I actually wasn’t too sure how well the run was going half way through until I was getting yelled at by Eric (Anderson) saying that I was on pace to break 2:24. That really pumped me up for the last lap and I just went all out. 

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