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VENEGAS HAS EDGE AT INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY – By Tim Kennedy
Industry, CA., Jun. 25 – Charlie “the Edge” Venegas, of San Bernardino, recaptured his winning edge in AMA Speedway Motorcycle competition Wednesday night at Industry Speedway in the Grand Arena of the Industry Hills Expo Center. It was week five in the 11th year of exciting two-wheel racing on the indoor eighth-mile smooth dirt track. The all-time feature winner at the track won his first Industry main event this season during an undefeated night. The 2000 and 2006 US National Champion and 1997, 2007 and 2013 California State Champion won his three heat races, his semi-final and led all four laps of the feature on his 500cc No. 43 Jawa.
The battling Billies—Janniro and Hamill—had won the first four Division 1 scratch mains at Industry this season. However, neither champion was present this week, which was “Military Night” honoring veterans. Janniro, winner on weeks one, two and four, was preparing for the Saturday, June 28 AMA US National Championship event two at Ventura Raceway. Event three of four races at four tracks will take place at Industry on August 9. Hamill and his son Kurtis were entered Wednesday, but both riders remained home with a flu-like illness according to a track official.
When it came to the Division 1 main it was 50% veteran and 50% young riders. High-point Venegas, 47, had lane choice and took the pole. Buck Blair, 36, took lane three. Max Ruml, 17, chose lane four next to the plywood crash-wall, leaving Russell Green, 22, lane two. Green won the Division 1 main last Friday at Pirate Speedway in San Bernardino and has been hot lately. It was one of his best nights at Industry.
When the light turned green and the starting tapes lifted, Venegas shot into the lead immediately. At turn one, Ruml was forced high by three dueling riders to his left. He remained fourth all four laps. Blair chased inside-running Venegas all the way and his outside line almost gave him the lead on lap 3. However, Venegas pulled away to a two length victory. Runner-up Blair had two lengths on Green, with Ruml a length back in fourth. The 43rd race of the busy night concluded at 9:56 pm.
The scratch consolation race went to race-long leader Broc Nicol. 16, in a solid ride by the personable rookie D-1 rider. Other young riders Rocco Scopellite, 18, Jason Ramirez, 22, and Tyson Talkington, 27, followed in that order. There was no transfer to the feature under current rules.
Wild and crazy sidecar racers brought seven of the 1,000cc rigs this week. The four-lap sidecar main had three teams lead the race. The No. 007 Yamaha of Dual Anderson and passenger David Dent led the first and fourth laps for another victory. They ran a back-up rig after their original mount “blew the clutch or lost first gear” on the initial lap and slowed on the backstretch. The No. 1 of driver Chris Jones and rider Johnny Glover piled in and both rigs spun to the infield, causing a red flag.
Jones/Glover led lap 2, but dropped to P. 3 at the finish. Paraplegic driver Bryan Motis and his swing-man Josh Bennett led lap 3, but fell one spot to take runner-up at the close finish. The all-female team of driver Heather Rowe and her sidecar swinger, Michelle “Ducky” Hovanec ran fourth all the way in their second week racing together at Industry.
Division 2 for intermediate level 500cc riders became the first Industry D-2 feature triumph for the No. 101 of Mike Wiley, 41, from San Diego. The mechanical engineer working on contract to the US Navy “raced only once at Industry last season on opening night.” Brad Moreau, Ron Davis and Carl Gazafy chased him across the line. ... The 500cc Division 3 main for newer pro riders went to last Industry winner Lewis Hughes (No. 244 Jawa). “Rev” Wade Whitcomb, Steve “Beach-ball” Brown, Greg Willis and newcomer Thomas Richton followed.
The Junior Division 250cc winner was “Daring” Dillon Ruml, 15, of Huntington Beach. Courtney Crone, 13, Michael Wells and Gage Geist followed. Geist was a non-finisher after falling in turn two while in second place. Braydon Galvin was a scratch after he fell in an earlier race on the opening lap when three-riders fell together. He rose holding his wrist and did not race again.
The Junior 150cc first division main had six riders and went five laps. Dominant Sebastian Palmese, 10, started 60-yards from the starting gate. Jake Isaac 11, led the first three laps before “Big Daddy” Pamese caught and went around him and led the final two laps over Isaac. Salinas resident Sterling Martin, 9, beat Palmese earlier in their two heat races. He finished third after starting 30 yards from the starting tapes next to his twin Alex. Slater Lightcap, 8, Landon Norton, 10, and Alex Martin finished in P. 4-6 respectively. ... The three rider Junior 150cc second division main was a victory for Tristan Britt, 11, who led laps 2-5 after passing lap 1 leader “Lightning” Luke Whitcomb, 8. Andrew Russell, 8, placed third.
The pee-wee main had a new winner in young Tanner Richey, on his No. 13 500cc Honda. Rookie Rachel Schnakenberg, 8, led the first two laps and enjoyed her best result of second. Frequent winner Travis Horn, 6, started 30-yards from the starting tapes and could only race forward to third this week. Cameron Titterness, 6, Adam Csanyi, 6, and Conner Salazar, 5, followed.
The scratch semi-finals finishing order was: race one-Ruml, Blair, Talkington and Ramirez; race two-Venegas, Green, Nicol and Scopellite. ... The sidecar last chance race went to the all-female team after the Jeff Medberry/Heather Bennett and then Jeff Rowe/Johnny Bach teams veered into the infield while exchanging the lead.
One of the wildest scenes of the season occurred at the conclusion of event 25—a sidecar heat race. No. 44 Medberry/Bennett used the outside to pass the No. 007 of Anderson/Dent at the finish line. The 44 sidecar bumped the wall, causing sidecar rider Heather Bennett to fall out and tumble along the ground three or four times next to the wall. She popped up quickly and walked to the pits unaided. Later she reported no aches or pains and added, “I wasn't even wearing leathers.”
PIT NOTES:
Open-wheel drivers at Industry this week included: Jeff Heywood in the pits, plus midget owner/driver Jerome Rodela with his 4-year old daughter/racing fan in the grandstand. Jerome said he has a new midget from “down under” and will have Aussie driver Michael Pickens race it in the August 30-31 USAC Midget events at Calistoga Speedway. ... The Ruml family was ill a week ago and the flu-like malady spread to the Hamill family this week.
Other usual D-1 riders missing this week had a variety of reasons. EDDIE CASTRO – is spending time with his critically ill father-in-law. ... SHAWN McCONNELL may be out for the season after he blew both of his motors last week. ... TIM GOMEZ is still rebuilding his No. 30 bike after a hard collision with the Industry backstretch crash-wall shortened his frame. ... TYSON BURMEISTER was on vacation this week in Hawaii. ... 500cc D-2 riders who moved up to D-1 ranks this week were: Eloy Medellin, 2013 Junior rider Dalton Leedy, 16, and US Navy sea-bee Davey Shaw, the son of speedway bike veteran “Lightning” Larry Shaw. ... This week Chris Jones, a 500cc D-2 rider, sub-drove the No. 1 sidecar for his younger brother Joe, who was on a fishing vacation in Alaska.
Gino Manzares, the 2013 speedway bike long track champion in a one night event at Perris Auto Speedway, has been racing in England this season as has Aaron Fox. Gino will return to So Cal to visit his family and race in the AMA US National Championship round two of four event on June 28 at Ventura Raceway. Round three will be held Saturday, August 9 at Industry Speedway. Round four will be held at Fast Fridays Speedway in Auburn. ... A new 50cc pee-wee rider this week on the No. 99 Honda was Adam Csanyi, from Costa Mesa. His dad said their surname is Hungarian and his son, 6, really enjoys racing. He stayed upright in all his races Wednesday during his Industry Speedway debut.
Irwindale Speedway had a booth just inside the main gate Wednesday with IS staff promoting stock car racing at the paved half-mile speedway located just 11-miles northwest of Industry Speedway. Irwindale's jack-of-all-trades/racer Tommy Mason, a novelty stand employee and official track scorers Sarah and Janne Atkinson staffed the booth at Industry Speedway on June 18 and 25. Industry and Perris Auto Speedways have a similar cooperative arrangement to attract new spectators. It's a wise business practice for speedways to cooperate in that manner.
The 50/50 drawing this week had a total pot of $794, with $397 going to the spectator with the winning ticket number. Sammy “the Flying Flea” Tanner, 75, a retired speedway bike and AMA flat track motorcycle racing star was the winner. He said he will give the two 50/50 ticket selling girls a financial reward at the next race and buy them 50/50 tickets. ... The next Industry Speedway race will be July 9 because the track is dark on July 2 for July 4 celebrations. Tanner, an Arai helmet dealer, wanted everyone to know about the June 28 rocket jump event in Arizona. Check onetwolive.com for details. He said the jump will be shown live on the big screen at Industry Speedway.
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