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MAX RUML WINS @ INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY – By Tim Kennedy
Industry, CA., Jul. 20 – Max Ruml, 19, continued his winning ways Wednesday at Industry Speedway by leading every lap in all three of his heat races, a semi-final and the four-lap 500cc Division 1 main event. He rode his usual No. 5 GM speedway bike prepped by mechanic Claudio Marquez. The Huntington Beach teen duplicated his perfection from the Orange County Fair Derby at Costa Mesa Speedway four nights earlier when he also led every lap he raced. More than 800 spectators watched his encore at Industry on the annual Bert's Mega Mall Night.
Ruml started the feature Wednesday from gate four at the crash-wall. He charged to the outside when the starting gate lifted and had the lead over pole starter Charlie Venegas when they exited the second turn. He won by two lengths over the Jawa of Venegas, 49. Dillon Ruml, 17, started from gate two and ran third all the way. His Jawa finished a mere length in back of the runner-up. Broc Nicol, 18, came from the third gate and placed fourth, four lengths in back of the younger Ruml brother.
Austin Novratil, 22, returned from a recent absence of two weeks to score a perfect nine points with three victories in his heat races. He was second behind Venegas in the second semi-final for three laps. On the final lap Dillon Ruml made a sensational outside move in the third and fourth turns that netted him the final feature transfer spot by inches over a surprised Novratil at the finish line. Novratil led all four laps in the consolation race.
SIDECARS: With six sidecars present, Joe Jones had his older brother Chris subbing as his sidecar swing-man for recuperating Tom Summers, a June 25 crash victim at Ventura. The Jones brothers led every laps in the feature. Dillon Osborne and sidecar rider Ashley Gibbons enjoyed their best racing night ever. They had a first and second in the two heats and then a second place in the main, ten yards in back of the Jones boys. Adam Duckett/Kimberly Bailey finished third with Bryan Motis/Cody Brant fourth.
Division 2 500cc rider Hayley Perrault, 19, led all four laps on her No. 170 Jawa for her first Industry feature triumph of 2016. Fifteen D-2 riders (intermediate skill level) competed. Rick Valdez, Rudy Laurer, who fell and remounted, and Kenny Hansen followed.
D-3 newer 500cc riders had five entered and all raced in a pair of heats and the feature. George Yates was the only rider who started at the gate and led every lap for his first main event win this season at Industry. He defeated Steve Brown, Brent Smith, Kevin Fife and Tom Bryant. Second through fourth finishers had all won Industry mains this season and Smith won two. They started at least 10-yards from the gate with Smith 20 yards behind the gate.
JUNIORS: The six rider field in the 250cc Junior Division had two missing from the feature. Auburn resident Colton Hicks, 14-year old son of D-1 500cc rider Bob Hicks, was the late race star. He chased the leader for four laps before making a strong inside pass on the fifth and final lap. Michael Wells settled for second, with Jake Isaac and Skylar Schnakenberg trailing. Hicks also won the June 8 Industry feature.
Sara Cords, 14, did not start after a nasty-looking heat race crash in turn one after receiving the checkered flag in P. 2. She had led the first four laps in event 23 (of 47) but was barely edged for the victory by Hicks at the finish line. She got to turn one at speed, flipped over the bars and landed hard on the track. She was stunned by the sudden turn of events but rose quickly and walked to the pits. She did not return. Nor Cal visitor Landon Norton also had a nasty-looking flip in one of the heats and DNS the feature.
Junior 150cc Division 1 rider Luke Whitcomb, 10, returned after missing a week with a wrist injury following his crash with Dakota Shockley on July 6. He started at the 10-yard line in a three rider field and split heat victories with Slater Lightcap. 10. “Lightning” Luke passed 0-yard line starter Keelan Venegas, 12, on the initial lap and and ran away to almost a straightaway victory. Forty-yard line starter Lightcap was runner-up and Venegas third. It was feature victory two of 2016 at Industry for June 22 winner Whitcomb.
The Juniors 150cc Division 2 main was another last lap pass for the victory. This time Travis Horn, 8, came from the 20-yard line and on lap 5 passed 0-yard line starter and lap 1-4 leader Andrew Russell. It was former pee-wee division star Horn's fourth victory this season. July 13 feature winner Rachel Schnakenberg, almost 11, finished third this week. Cole Ayers was fourth.
PEE-WEES: Speedway bike rookie/off road-racer Owen Williams, 9, led every lap en-route to his first speedway feature victory. Levi Leutz, speedway rookie/five time 2016 main event winner Kristian Daniel, Jr., Gavin Dryfka, Ken Matsudaira, Connor Salazar, and rookie female rider Dakota Black, 5, finished in P. 2-7 respectively. Six riders started at the gate, while Daniel started 20-yards behind the starting gate. Only Black, in her second race ever, was lapped.
PIT NOTES: Missing 500cc D-1 riders this week were a pair of 2016 Industry feature winners. Four-time winner Billy Janniro and July 13 winner Luke Becker had an early flight Thursday, July 21 out of San Francisco to Europe. They will be racing for two weeks in Sweden and England as part of the five rider Team USA in the Speedway World Team Championship.
Junior Division 250cc star Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese, 12, was in the pits this week but not racing. He fractured a wrist Saturday practicing. Injured 150cc rider Dakota Shockley was in the pits as well with a cast on his wrist. Kurtis Hamill and Austin Novratil returned to Industry racing after recent injuries.
D-3 500cc rider Greg Willis (No. 215 Jawa)) was in the Industry pits July 20 with his right arm in a sling. The 52-year old West Covina resident said nothing was broken, but his arm was very sore down to his fingers. He fell on the backstretch during a July 13 heat race and was run over by Steve Brown. Willis said he is right-handed and is an electrician. He added he cannot miss any more work, so speedway racing is out for awhile.
Sidecar driver Russell Mitchell, vacationing from Perth, Australia, had intended to race July 20 at Industry. However, he could not get a flight out of Sacramento to make it on time. His Industry July 13 feature-winning sidecar swinger was not Dana Catone as reported. She tumbled out of the sidecar on the backstretch during a heat race and was still sore at feature time. So Cody Brant, the No. 2 sidecar swinger for Bryan Motis, subbed for her and got the victory with Mitchell. Catone was in the pits spectating this week.
Former Junior Division rider Courtney Crone, 15, and her father Jack were present this week and brought along her No. 35 Formula Mazda race car for display at the front gate. Track announcer Bruce Flanders interviewed Courtney during one of three intermissions for track grooming. She related her experiences in midget and sprint car racing. AMA great Sammy Tanner said Courtney is the subject of a new You Tube video. .... Other open-wheel racing drivers present in the Industry grandstand were: Wally Pankratz, Jerome Rodela and Shane Scully.
D-1 500cc rider Rick Richards (No. 345) enjoyed his career-best D-1 performance July 20 with a second and two thirds in heat races for four points. He tied for P. 7 in the 16 rider field and for the first time made a semi-final, where he placed fourth. ... The Sauer brothers from Bakersfield both raced at Industry July 20 for the first time in about two years. Brad (No. 21) raced in D-1; Robbie (No. 17) raced in D-2 after returning from a two-year absence caused by the lingering effects of valley fever.
Shawn McConnell, 57, finished second in the July 13 Industry main. On Friday, July 15 he drove north to Auburn for the annual north vs. south challenge race at Auburn's Fast Fridays Speedway. He drove back south on I-5 right after the Auburn race and raced Saturday, July 16 in the annual Orange County Fair Derby at Costa Mesa. Others who made the quick Auburn--Costa Mesa turn-around trip were: Dillon Ruml, Austin Novratil, Aaron Fox, and Broc Nicol. Charlie Venegas raced only at Auburn last week and took his family on a Nor Cal vacation.
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