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Industry Hills Speedway
The Grand Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California
2004 Season Opener
August 18, 2004 - Industry Hills Speedway
By: Ryan Evans
Former National Champion Chris Manchester scored a dramatic victory in the Scratch Main with a pass in the final corner at the Grand at Industry Hills on Wednesday.
The first attempt to run the main ended in a heap in turn two when Bobby Krips went down, leaving Randy DiFrancesco nowhere to go but into the fallen rider. Both riders were down for several minutes with DiFrancesco able to make the restart and Krips having to leave the track with assistance.
Venegas, who entered the main undefeated, launched into the lead on restart and was successful in holding off Manchester for two lap, but his luck changed as he entered turn one. Venegas hit a hole which forced him wide and allowed Manchester a run up the inside on the back straight. Venegas was able to use the outside to maintain the lead as they took the white flag, but Manchester tried the low line on the back straight again. Manchester's inside line proved to be superior when he surged into the lead on the final corner and beat Venegas to the checkered flag by inches. DiFrancesco finished third and Krips was credited with fourth.
The first of three rounds began with Robbie Sauer getting the win when Eddie Castro suffered an engine failure on the final lap. Manchester beat Krips for his first win of the evening. Shaun Harmatiuk was a runaway winner in race three. Shawn McConnell beat DiFrancesco in race four. Venegas finished round one with an easy victory.
Venegas made it two for two with a win over Castro to begin the second round. Krips took the win in race 17. Manchester scored victory number two ahead of Justin Boyle in race 18. McConnell earned another victory in the next race and DiFrancesco finished the round with a win over Harmatiuk.
Nate Perkins began round three with a win over Denny Scopellite. Venegas remained perfect by beating Harmatiuk in race 27. McConnell's victory over Manchester also gave him a perfect score. Krips beat Castro in race 29 and Boyle beat DiFrancesco to end the final round.
McConnell took the lead in the first semi and was well on his way to the main when a rough spot in the track forced him wide and first allowed Krips, then DiFrancesco to go by on the inside and take the two transfers to the main. In the other semi, Venegas was victorious again and Manchester's second place allowed him to take a place in the main as well. McConnell scored a close victory over Harmatiuk in the Scratch Consolation with Robbie Sauer finishing third and Boyle being credited with fourth.
Tim Gomez made it look easy while winning the Second Division Main Event for the second straight week. Japan's Hideaki Ota finished second, Rohn Zellner was third, and Brian Starr finished fourth.
Mike Boyle fought off all the challenges that Carl Gazafy could muster to win the Third Division Main Event. The two riders battled throughout the four lap race, but Boyle was able to hold on for the win ahead of Gazafy. Nathan Smelser was third and Greg Vandemore finished fourth.
Both youth main events ended prematurely due to crashes. Ricky Wells was victorious over Jason Ramirez in First Division after Ramirez fell. In the Youth Second Division Main, Ricky Valdez and Nathan Galvin had a great two-lap battle before Galvin went down and forced Valdez down as well. Valdez was awarded the victory, Gino Manzares finished second, Eddie Conner was third, Joey Holt finished fourth, and Galvin was placed in fifth.
There will not be speedway next Wednesday, but speedway returns to the Grand the following Wednesday, September 1.
RESULTS
Youth Second Division Main Event (awarded)
5 - Ricky Valdez
21 - Gino Manzares
135 - Eddie Conner
114 - Joey Holt
134 - Nathan Galvin (fell)
Youth First Division Main Event
142 - Ricky Wells
66 - Jason Ramirez (fell)
Third Division Main Event (restarted)
198 - Mike Boyle
176 - Carl Gazafy
188 - Nathan Smelser (fell, remounted)
209 - Greg Vandemore (non starter)
Second Division Main Event
136 - Tim Gomez
240 - Hideaki Ota
163 - Rohn Zellner
248 - Brian Starr (fell)
First Division Scoring 1 2 3 T
6 - Shawn McConnell 3 3 3 9
11 - Bobby Schwartz 1 2 N 3
12 - Randy DiFrancesco 2 3 2 7
14 - Eddie Castro E 2 2 4
16 - John DeFries 1 1 1 3
17 - Robbie Sauer 3 1 1 5
18 - Justin Boyle 1 2 3 6
21 - Brad Sauer F 1 1 2
24 - Bobby Krips 2 3 3 7
37 - Denny Scopellite X 2 2 4
43 - Charlie Venegas 3 3 3 9
130 - Chris Manchester 3 3 2 8
131 - David Lynch 2 1 1 4
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 3 2 2 7
145 - Dario Galvin F F R 0
214 - Steve Murray 1 0 1 2
230 - Doug Greyson 1 0 0 1
249 - John Stunkard 2 0 F 2
301 - Dale Facchini 2 F F 2
389 - Nate Perkins 0 1 3 4
Race Results
1: R. Sauer, Facchini, Boyle (fell, remounted), Castro (engine failure)
2: Manchester, Krips, Murray, B. Sauer (fell)
3: Harmatiuk, Stunkard, Schwartz, Galvin (fell)
4: McConnell, DiFrancesco, Greyson, Perkins
5: Venegas, Lynch, DeFries, Scopellite (excluded)
16: Venegas, Castro, Perkins, Stunkard
17: Krips, Schwartz, R. Sauer, Greyson
18: Manchester, Boyle, Lynch, Galvin (fell)
19: McConnell, Scopellite, B. Sauer, Facchini (fell)
20: DiFrancesco, Harmatiuk, DeFries, Murray (fell, remounted)
26: Perkins, Scopellite, Murray (fell), Schwartz (non starter)
27: Venegas, Harmatiuk, B. Sauer, Greyson (fell, remounted)
28: McConnell, Manchester, R. Sauer, Facchini (fell)
29: Krips, Castro, DeFries, Galvin (retired)
30: Boyle, DiFrancesco, Lynch (fell), Stunkard (fell)
Semi #1: Krips, DiFrancesco, McConnell, R. Sauer
Semi #2: Venegas, Manchester, Boyle, Harmatiuk
Scratch Consolation
6 - Shawn McConnell
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk
17 - Robbie Sauer
18 - Justin Boyle (non starter)
Scratch Main Event (restarted)
130 - Chris Manchester
43 - Charlie Venegas
12 - Randy DiFrancesco (fell)
24 - Bobby Krips (fell, injured)
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