By: Ryan Evans
Despite new competition that traveled long distances, Scott Brant won the Scratch Main Event for the third consecutive week at Arrowhead Motor Speedway in San Bernardino Wednesday night.
Making their first appearances at Arrowhead in 2002 were SRA National Champion Chris Manchester and Coventry Bees rider Billy Janniro. Manchester drove down from his home in Reno, Nevada and Janniro, in the United States on his rider return, flew in from Northern California where he won both main events in Auburn on Friday night. Both riders made the Scratch Main Event and were looking to stop Brant's winning streak.
In the Scratch Main, Brant drew the pole, Manchester was in gate two, "Fast" Eddie Castro was three, and Janniro was on the outside. Brant was first to turn one but Janniro was making a big run around the outside and pulled slightly ahead of Brant on the back straight. Brant stayed on the low line in turn three and was able to regain the lead as they came out of turn four. They continued their inside-outside battle throughout lap two but Brant's line proved to be quickest and he steadily opened up ground. By the time Janniro dropped to the low line he had to contend with Manchester, who was now riding the high line in an attempt to get second. Manchester made it interesting, but Janniro held on to the position. At the checkered flag, it was Brant making it three in a row, Janniro finishing second, Manchester was third, and Castro was fourth.
In the Handicap Main Event, John DeFries took the early lead from the 20 yard line, but the action was fierce behind him. DeFries maintained the lead until he suffered an engine failure at the end of lap three and Castro was there to take the lead. Brant, who started from the 60, was behind Castro, but he never got close enough to put any pressure on him. For the second week in a row, Castro took home top honors on the handicap side of the program. Brant finished second, Janniro, also starting on the 60, was third, Randy DiFrancesco was fourth, DeFries was credited with fifth, and Shawn McConnell was sixth.
The Second Division Main Event should've been renamed "The Steve Murray Show" because Steve Murray completely dominated the field in both his heat and the main event. Murray opened up gigantic leads and led both races from start to finish in very impressive fashion. Chad Newlee finished second, Scott Tidwell was third, Eloy Medellin finished fourth, Terry McCurdy was fifth, and Tom Rossano finished sixth.
The Second Division B Main Event proved to be an entertaining event. The initial leader was Jeffrey Badders, who was making his speedway debut. Badders held the lead for a lap before falling in turn one and allowing Rusty Hall to take the lead. There was a three-way battle for the lead between Hall, Mike Hernandez, and Japan's Hideaki Ota. Ota was able to wrestle the lead from the other two on the back straight on lap three. Ota then pulled away for the win. Steve Nelson went through the traffic to finish second, Hernandez was third, Hall finished fourth, Kevin Templeton was fifth, and Badders was credited with sixth.
RESULTS Second Division B Consolation 201 - Neil Facchini 10 350 - Kodiak Calkin 0 9 - Joe Jones 20 *NOTE - Joe wore his sidecar number* 105 - Michael Hernandez 0 (fell, remounted) Second Division B Main Event 240 - Hideaki Ota 10 202 - Steve Nelson 10 108 - Mike Hernandez 0 164 - Rusty Hall 0 155 - Kevin Templeton 0 119 - Jeffery Badders 0 (fell) Second Division Consolation 293 - Rick Valdez 10 182 - Rudy Laurer 30 147 - Winston Williams 10 (retired) 125 - Johnny Lupo 10 (fell) Second Division Main Event 214 - Steve Murray 0 123 - Chad Newlee 20 118 - Scott Tidwell 0 178 - Eloy Medellin 10 158 - Terry McCurdy 30 296 - Tom Rossano 0 Youth Speedway 3 - Justin Boyle Handicap Main Event 14 - Eddie Castro 50 10 - Scott Brant 60 14n - Billy Janniro 60 12 - Randy DiFrancesco 30 316 - John DeFries 20 (engine failure) 6 - Shawn McConnell 50 (engine failure) Scratch Consolation 6 - Shawn McConnell 12 - Randy DiFrancesco 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 89 - Danny Perkins (fell, remounted) Scratch Main Event 10 - Scott Brant 14n - Billy Janniro 130 - Chris Manchester 14 - Eddie Castro
