Industry Speedway
The Grand Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California

2007 Industry Speedway Track Championship
September 12, 2007 - Industry Speedway
By: Ryan Evans

Tommy Hedden brought the curtain down on the Industry Speedway season in grand style by winning the Industry Speedway Track Championship.

Hedden scored fourteen of a possible fifteen points to take the top honors. Charlie "The Edge" Venegas, finished second with 13 points, and "Nasty" Nate Perkins was third with 12 points.

Five rounds of competition began with Fisher's evening getting off to a rotten start as he suffered a bike problem at the line. When the race finally began Ricky Wells defeated Michael Hull, who replaced Fisher.

Venegas held off the outside challenge of Hedden for his first win and what would ultimately be Hedden's only defeat. Eddie Castro used the outside to take the lead and the win in the next heat. Jimmy Fishback ended round one with a win over Perkins.

Round two began with championship favorite Venegas getting penalized for touching the tapes. Shawn McConnell took his first win ahead of Buck Blair and Venegas. Fishback made it two in a row ahead of Robbie Sauer. Hedden earned his first win by holding off Castro. Mike Bloom led race 16 before Greg Ayers passed him at the end of lap one. Ayers succumbed to the pressure of Perkins who scored his first win.

Perkins started the third round by holding off Wells for his second straight victory. Venegas got back on track with a win over Robbie Sauer. McConnell won his second in a row ahead of Fisher in race 21. Hedden brought round three to a close with his second win.

At intermission McConnell, Perkins, and Hedden were all tied at eight points with Fishback and Venegas tied with seven points apiece.

Hedden opened round four with his third straight win to put the pressure on McConnell and Perkins. Ayers withdrew from the next race and was replaced by Jonas Messing, who had just arrived from Sweden the day before. Messing, on Greg Hancock's bike found far too much traction in turn two and had to dismount before hitting the fence. Messing was unscathed, but the bike was destroyed from its impact with the fence. On the restart, Blair defeated Castro for his first win.

Venegas, needing a victory to remain in the hunt for the title, was leading Fisher and Perkins when Fisher hooked up in turn four and hit the ground hard. Fisher suffered an ankle injury that forced him to withdraw from the meeting. Attrition throughout the evening meant no reserves and just Venegas and Perkins were left in the restart. Venegas led the entire way to maintain hope for the title. McConnell won the final race of the fourth round to match Hedden's score.

Wells started the final round with a victory over Brad Sauer.

Three riders entered the track in race 34 with title aspirations while Venegas sat in the pits with his hopes still alive. Either McConnell or Hedden could secure the title with a win. Perkins could force a runoff with a win. A Perkins win would also bring Venegas back into the picture because he could be in a runoff with a victory of his own. McConnell got the best start, but his bike found traction at an inopportune time and sent him straight in turn two. Hedden went underneath for the lead and was followed by Perkins. Hedden was smooth as ever and scored the victory and the championship. Perkins was second, followed by Robbie Sauer while a disappointed McConnell was fourth.

Blair brought his total to 11 points with a win in the penultimate race.

Venegas and Fishback both had podium chances in the final race. A win for Venegas locked up second place overall. A win by Fishback would force a runoff for second overall. Venegas left little doubt as he cruised to the win with Castro second an Fishback mired in third.

The Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge Championship began with eight riders competing in two heats that would whittle the field down to the final four. Castro, and then Hedden were eliminated in heat one while McConnell and Castro moved on. Blair and Perkins were eliminated in heat two with Fisher and Fishback going to the final. Wells was the first one out in the final and was followed out the door by Fisher, leaving McConnell and Fishback. McConnell led Fishback on the first lap, but had no room for error. Exiting turn two on the second lap, Fishback tried to charge up the inside but lifted going down the back straight. Fishback was able to get the front wheel down and bumped McConnell going into turn three. McConnell stayed upright while Fishback went down. McConnell took the checkered flag while the crowd roared its approval of the tremendous effort of both riders.

Bryan Buffington led the Second Division Track Championship from start to finish for the win. Kenny Hansen finished second, Vince Giamformaggio was third, and John Marquez was fourth.

Danny Baker, who won the most Third Division Main Events, continued his dominance of that division with a victory in the Third Division Track Championship. Aimiris Santana was second, Steve Leffler finished third, and Jim Painter was credited with fourth.

Austin Novratil made an excellent start and was first to the checkered flag in the Youth First Division Track Championship. Russell Green was second, Gino Manzares finished third, Joey Holt was fourth, Brad Pappalardo finished fifth, and Richard Crocker was sixth.

Dylan Black led all four laps to win the Youth Second Division Championship. Rocco Scopellite was second, Braydan Galvin finished third, and Eloy Medellin III was fourth.

The Industry Track Championship concluded the fourth season of speedway at the facility and the second season under the current promotion. Hugh Randolph, Kelly Inman, and Lee Crecelius have brought a high level of professionalism and entertainment to Southern California and their hard work and that of their staff hasn't gone unnoticed. The consensus of opinions is that of high praise and of a bright future for Industry Speedway and everyone is excited and looking forward to Industry's 2008 season.

RESULTS 

Youth Second Division Track Championship Final 
7 - Dylan Black 
9 - Rocco Scopellite 
2 - Braydan Galvin 
178 - Eloy Medellin III 

Youth First Division Track Championship Final 
8 - Austin Novratil 
18 - Russell Green 
21 - Gino Manzares 
4 - Joey Holt 
611 - Brad Pappalardo
 91 - Richard Crocker 

Third Division Consolation 
155 - Scott York 
362 - Ralph Chudy 
157 - Tony DeAlmeida
 308 - Hugh Randolph 
 
Third Division Track Championship Final (restarted)
126 - Danny Baker 
357 - Aimiris Santana 
328 - Steve Leffler 
172 - Jim Painter (non starter) 

Second Division Consolation 
149 - Philip Harmatiuk
293 - Rick Valdez 
182 - Rudy Laurer 
178 - Eloy Medellin 

Second Division Track Championship Final 
77 - Bryan Buffington 
171 - Kenny Hansen 
309 - Vince Giamformaggio 
241 - John Marquez 

Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge Championship 
Heat 1: Shawn McConnell, Ricky Wells, Tommy Hedden, Eddie Castro 
Heat 2: Ryan Fisher, Jimmy Fishback, Nate Perkins, Buck Blair 
Final: McConnell, Fishback, Fisher, Wells 

Track Championship Scoring      		1  2  3  4  5    T
 6 - Shawn McConnell 2  3  3  3  F    11
 11 - Bobby Schwartz 1  0  N  -  -    1
 13 - Nate Perkins 2  3  3  2  2    12
 14 - Eddie Castro 3  2  0  2  2    9
 17 - Robbie Sauer 1  2  2  1  1    7
 21 - Brad Sauer 0  0  0  0  2    2
 22 - Mike Bloom 0  1  1  1  N    3
 25 - Jimmy Fishback 3  3  1  2  1    10
 36 - Ryan Fisher N  1  2  N  -    3
 39 - Buck Blair 1  2  2  3  3    11
 40 - Tommy Hedden 2  3  3  3  3    14
 43 - Charlie Venegas 3  1  3  3  3    13
 55 - Travis Henderson 1  1  1  2  2    7
 99 - Greg Ayers 0  2  0  -  -    2
110 - Jon Stasiefski 0  0  1  0  1    2
142 - Ricky Wells 3  0  2  1  3    9
320 - Michael Hull (R)                       	2  -  -  -  -    2
Jonas Messing (R)                            	N  -  -  -  -    0 

Race Results 7: Wells, Hull, R.Sauer (tape penalty), Bloom, Fisher (non starter)
 8: (restarted) Venegas, Hedden, Henderson, Ayers (penalty line)
 9: (restarted) Castro, McConnell (penalty line), Schwartz, Stasiefski
10: Fishback, Perkins, Blair, B.Sauer
13: McConnell, Blair, Venegas (tape penalty), Wells
14: Fishback, R.Sauer, Henderson, Schwartz
15: Hedden, Castro, Fisher, B.Sauer
16: Perkins, Ayers, Bloom, Stasiefski
19: Perkins, Wells, Henderson, Castro
20: Venegas, R.Sauer, Stasiefski, B.Sauer
21: (restarted) McConnell, Fisher, Fishback, Ayers (penalty line)
22: (restarted) Hedden, Blair (penalty line), Bloom, Schwartz (non starter)
25: Hedden, Fishback, Wells, Stasiefski
26: (restarted) Blair, Castro, R.Sauer, Messing (non starter)
27: (restarted) Venegas, Perkins, Fisher (non starter)
28: McConnell, Henderson, Bloom, B.Sauer
33: Wells, B.Sauer
34: Hedden, Perkins, R.Sauer, McConnell (fell)
35: (restarted) Blair, Henderson, Stasiefski (penalty line)
36: Venegas, Castro, Fishback, Bloom (non starter)