| Moore-Gray Goat Sports Mountain Bike Race Team |
| John Essex Wheeler II |
Age: 42 09/04/64
Category: NORBA Sport, USCF 4
Years racing: 1983 1995, 2002-2006
Residence: Carmel, IN
Education: University of Southern Indiana (1987 BS Communications)
Occupation: Creative Team Leader/Producer/Director - The Sanders Group “A Business
Communications Company”
By 1995 I thought racing was over, family and career responsibilities shifted my priorities, but I kept
riding. In August of 2001 when I broke a hip pointer in a road bike accident and made it a goal to race
again. An injury that forces time off the bike can turn into a catalyst to get back on the bike. Adversity is
a strange motivator.
Adversity has become a hallmark of my second bike-racing endeavor. After a broken wrist in ‘04, two
broken hands in ‘05 all on the bike and a brain injury off the bike in ’06 a wise man might say “that’s
enough”. But during that time, even with the injuries, cycling was my grounding, my therapy. The
camaraderie around the team helped me through difficult times and created friendships with like-
minded cyclists that will last a lifetime.
Category: NORBA Sport, USCF 4
Years racing: 1983 1995, 2002-2006
Residence: Carmel, IN
Education: University of Southern Indiana (1987 BS Communications)
Occupation: Creative Team Leader/Producer/Director - The Sanders Group “A Business
Communications Company”
By 1995 I thought racing was over, family and career responsibilities shifted my priorities, but I kept
riding. In August of 2001 when I broke a hip pointer in a road bike accident and made it a goal to race
again. An injury that forces time off the bike can turn into a catalyst to get back on the bike. Adversity is
a strange motivator.
Adversity has become a hallmark of my second bike-racing endeavor. After a broken wrist in ‘04, two
broken hands in ‘05 all on the bike and a brain injury off the bike in ’06 a wise man might say “that’s
enough”. But during that time, even with the injuries, cycling was my grounding, my therapy. The
camaraderie around the team helped me through difficult times and created friendships with like-
minded cyclists that will last a lifetime.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Recovering to the cyclist I was before a ‘06 brain injury has been a challenge that only cycling could have prepared me to fight. I realize I will
never fully recover but can only hope to continually make progress. So my racing focus has changed from a top placing to improving on my
abilities and previous post injury race results.
never fully recover but can only hope to continually make progress. So my racing focus has changed from a top placing to improving on my
abilities and previous post injury race results.
Career Highlights
2007
DINO races - 40-49 SPORT Race results:
• 73rd - Winona Lake
• 46th – Logansport
• 13th – Brookside Park Cyclocross – 35+
2006
• 17th – Brookside Park Cyclocross – 35+
2005
• 8th – Mud Sweat and Gears, Kentucky – 3rd 40+ SPORT
• 8th – IRS Morgan Monroe Stage Race – Cat 4
• 9th – IRS Saint Crispian Road Race - Cat 4
• 2nd – Only had points in 5 DINO races due to crash
40-49 SPORT (highlight 5th overall at Race Ferdinand)
SPORT Race results:
• DNF - Winona Lake (broke both hands in crash)
• 42nd – Towne Run Trail
• 21st – Muscatatuck
• 13th – Logansport
• 15th – Westwood
• 5th - Ferdinand
• 2nd – 5 Indy Cyclocross races – Brace (highlight one1st in 35+) results:
• 10th - Brookside
• 3rd - Velodrome 1
• 7th – Velodrome 2
• 9th - KOA Campground 1
• 5th - KOA Campground 2
• Top 15 – two Ohio Valley Cyclocross races – 35+
• Top 10 – Chicago Cup Cyclocross race – 35+
2004
• Top 10 – Land Between the Lakes 27mi MTB race, Kentucky
• 3rd – Sunfest, Kentucky - SPORT
• 2nd – 8 DINO races - 40-49 SPORT (highlight 7th overall at Ferdinand) results:
• 31st - Winona Lake
• 22nd – Terre Haute
• 36th – Towne Run Trail
• 16th – Muscatatuck
• 15th – Logansport
• 7th – Ferdinand
• 14th – Richmond
• 23rd - Portage
• 2nd – 5 Indy Cyclocross races – 35+ (highlight two 2nds in 35+) B race
results
• 13th - Velodrome 1
• 17th - Velodrome 2
• 11th - Brookside
• 4th - KOA Campground
• 5th - Avon
2003
• 8th – OMBC #8 son of Gonzo
• 5th – Bike Line CC Stage race
• 7th – DINO race series (35-39 State runner up by 1 point, three overall top 10
and three overall top 20 finishes with age group podium finishes in four races).
• 5th – Revolution Series, OH, race #2
• 4th – Kentucky Open
• 8th – KOA Campground Cyclocross Race – 4/5
2002
• Worked back to racing form, by year-end I was placing in the top 20 in DINO
races.
1990-1995
• Several MTB SPORT races with top 10 or 20 places
• 15th at 1993 NORBA CC Nationals in Bloomington, IN
• 13th at 1993 Cactus Cup CC in Mansfield, OH
1983-1987
• Crits and road races, no notable finishes.
2007
DINO races - 40-49 SPORT Race results:
• 73rd - Winona Lake
• 46th – Logansport
• 13th – Brookside Park Cyclocross – 35+
2006
• 17th – Brookside Park Cyclocross – 35+
2005
• 8th – Mud Sweat and Gears, Kentucky – 3rd 40+ SPORT
• 8th – IRS Morgan Monroe Stage Race – Cat 4
• 9th – IRS Saint Crispian Road Race - Cat 4
• 2nd – Only had points in 5 DINO races due to crash
40-49 SPORT (highlight 5th overall at Race Ferdinand)
SPORT Race results:
• DNF - Winona Lake (broke both hands in crash)
• 42nd – Towne Run Trail
• 21st – Muscatatuck
• 13th – Logansport
• 15th – Westwood
• 5th - Ferdinand
• 2nd – 5 Indy Cyclocross races – Brace (highlight one1st in 35+) results:
• 10th - Brookside
• 3rd - Velodrome 1
• 7th – Velodrome 2
• 9th - KOA Campground 1
• 5th - KOA Campground 2
• Top 15 – two Ohio Valley Cyclocross races – 35+
• Top 10 – Chicago Cup Cyclocross race – 35+
2004
• Top 10 – Land Between the Lakes 27mi MTB race, Kentucky
• 3rd – Sunfest, Kentucky - SPORT
• 2nd – 8 DINO races - 40-49 SPORT (highlight 7th overall at Ferdinand) results:
• 31st - Winona Lake
• 22nd – Terre Haute
• 36th – Towne Run Trail
• 16th – Muscatatuck
• 15th – Logansport
• 7th – Ferdinand
• 14th – Richmond
• 23rd - Portage
• 2nd – 5 Indy Cyclocross races – 35+ (highlight two 2nds in 35+) B race
results
• 13th - Velodrome 1
• 17th - Velodrome 2
• 11th - Brookside
• 4th - KOA Campground
• 5th - Avon
2003
• 8th – OMBC #8 son of Gonzo
• 5th – Bike Line CC Stage race
• 7th – DINO race series (35-39 State runner up by 1 point, three overall top 10
and three overall top 20 finishes with age group podium finishes in four races).
• 5th – Revolution Series, OH, race #2
• 4th – Kentucky Open
• 8th – KOA Campground Cyclocross Race – 4/5
2002
• Worked back to racing form, by year-end I was placing in the top 20 in DINO
races.
1990-1995
• Several MTB SPORT races with top 10 or 20 places
• 15th at 1993 NORBA CC Nationals in Bloomington, IN
• 13th at 1993 Cactus Cup CC in Mansfield, OH
1983-1987
• Crits and road races, no notable finishes.
