Several riders dedicate themselves to Thursday Night Lights each year. The series defines their summer, and many of them define the series. Fans know them by name, kit and even racing tactics. They certainly recognize TROY finalist Dan Schueller.

A true Thursday Night Lights fixture, Dan has missed only two races since starting in May 2007, and one of those was to compete at Nationals. Lured from the stands to the track class, he fell fast and hard for the sport in late 2006-the bike was purchased before the four-week session concluded.

The timing seemed perfect. An avid runner for more than 20 years, Dan mainly raced triathlons and duathlons before one of his ankles wore out from the more than 38,000 miles worth of pounding they'd endured. Biking didn't hurt, so he switched his focus.

As a track racer, he's learned that the best way to prevent slivers in your butt is to avoid crashes and has developed a fondness for the Madison because it requires more concentration and attentiveness than most races. This year, Dan is competing for the first time in the 50+ masters division, and he'd like to better the five individual district track records for 50+ (200,500,1000,2000,3000. He also hopes to win at least one Cat 1/2 race-a goal he says seems to get tougher every year Thanks to the many fast legs that only seem to get younger. He always heads to the rail with the mindset that "making it fun is #1."

Dan's commitment to the sport extends beyond simply showing up week after week. He races on the road as well as the track and puts in 13,000 miles per year, including 200 per week commuting to work as a financial analyst at the Metropolitan Council. As a Type I diabetic for 25 years, keeping his blood sugar levels normal adds an extra challenge to his athletic pursuits.

Among his proudest cycling moments, he includes winning the Cat 3 Mt. Evans Hill Climb on a 24-pound bike in 2:05 on his first attempt, strong bike efforts that helped him win 25 of the 130 duathlons and triathlons he's done, and finishing just behind Tim Mulrooney in a strong field at last year's State scratch.