Arrowhead Motor Speedway
Orange Show Pavilion
San Bernardino, California

2002 Week Seven
Arrowhead Speedway
May 29, 2002
From Ryan Evans

Scott Brant held off Gary Hicks to capture the Scratch Main for the second week in a row at Arrowhead Motor Speedway in San Bernardino Wednesday night.

Brant started from the pole and took the early lead in the Scratch Main. Hicks started to close ground on Brant and turned up the heat. On the second lap Hicks went high into turn three then tried to cross underneath Brant exiting turn four. Hicks had a run on Brant on the front straight but couldn't quite get under Brant entering turn one. Brant didn't flinch from the pressure and he led the rest of the way for the victory. Eddie Castro finished third and Shawn McConnell was fourth.

Shaun Harmatiuk took the lead in the Handicap Main at the start and was bidding for his second consecutive main event victory. "Cowboy" Bobby Krips tried to pass Harmatiuk on the outside the first two laps but couldn't quite find enough traction to make the pass. Krips shifted his attack to the inside on the back straight on lap three while Castro attacked on the outside. Harmatiuk and Krips made contact entering turn three straightening both riders and allowing Castro to take the lead. Castro pulled away for his second Handicap Main Event victory of the season. Brant finished second, McConnell was third, Hicks was fourth, Harmatiuk finished fifth, and Krips was sixth.

Eloy Medellin jumped into the lead ahead of fellow zero yard rider Steve Murray at the beginning of the Second Division Main Event. Medellin stretched his lead over Murray, but when Rick Valdez took over second Medellin's lead began to shrink dramatically. Valdez was ready to make his move, but Chad Newlee was prone in turn one after falling and the race was red-flagged. Referee Steve Lucero ruled that three laps had been complete and the race was over. Medellin was declared the winner, Valdez was credited with second, Murray was third, Colorado's Chuck Johansen was fourth, Johnny Lupo was fifth, and Newlee was relegated to sixth.

In the Second Division B Main Event there were four riders lined up at the tapes and Steve Nelson shot into the lead from gate four. Nelson then put together four smooth laps to take the victory. Rusty Hall finished second, Japanese rider Hideaki Ota finished third, Mike Hernandez was fourth, Neil Facchini finished fifth, and Mitch Melott was sixth.

RESULTS

Second Division B Consolation    (restarted)
105 - Michael Hernandez          0    (penalty line)
350 - Kodiak Calkin              0
155 - Kevin Templeton            0    (penalty line)

Second Division B Main Event
202 - Steve Nelson               0
164 - Rusty Hall                 0
  6J - Hideaki Ota              10
108 - Mike Hernandez             0
201 - Neil Facchini             10    (fell, remounted)
124 - Mitch Melott               0

Second Division Consolation
118 - Scott Tidwell              0
128 - Doug Benjamin             10
213 - Mike Reed                 30
196 - Rod Lenz                   0
158 - Terry McCurdy             30
182 - Rudy Laurer               30
174 - Tomasz Hampel             10
117 - Billy Braden               0     (retired)
296 - Tom Rossano                0     (fell)

Second Division Main Event   (race ruled complete after 3 laps)
178 - Eloy Medellin              0
293 - Rick Valdez               10
214 - Steve Murray               0
45c - Chuck Johansen            20
125 - Johnny Lupo               10
123 - Chad Newlee               20     (fell)

Handicap Main Event
 14 - Eddie Castro              50
 10 - Scott Brant               60
  6 - Shawn McConnell           50
  3 - Gary Hicks                50
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk           20
223 - Bobby Krips               20     (retired)

Scratch Consolation
 11 - Bobby Schwartz
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk
 19 - Richard Jones         (tape exclusion)
223 - Bobby Krips           (non starter)

Scratch Main Event
 10 - Scott Brant
  3 - Gary Hicks
 14 - Eddie Castro
  6 - Shawn McConnell