Victorville Speedway
Wheel2Wheel Raceway
Victorville, California

2007 Victorville League Semi Finals
November 3, 2007 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans

Ryan Fisher won the Rider of the Night Final and the Victorville Vikings defeated the Perris Eagles 42-30 to advance to the finals of the Major Speedway League in an action-packed evening at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.

The Czech Republic's Lubos Tomicek, still in the U.S. after a spectacular performance the previous week at the U.S. versus the World in Auburn, guested for Perris and led a 4-2 to begin the match. Fisher and Jon Stasiefski teamed for a Vikings 4-2 to tie the score at six. A string of three consecutive drawn heats was broken when Fisher and Stasiefski scored another 4-2 to give the Vikings a 19-17 lead.

Tomicek was leading race 14, but drifted wide and savvy veteran Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell snuck by on the inside for the lead and held on for the win and increased the Vikings' lead to 23-19. Ricky Wells and Eddie Castro paired for another Viking 4-2 to bump increase the lead by two more points. Fisher trapped the field from the outside and kept Tomicek at bay as he and Stasiefski scored their third straight 4-2 and made the score 31-23.

Two straight drawn heats clinched the match for the Vikings prior to the Nominated Heat. Castro and Stasiefski teamed for a 5-1 to make the final score 42-30 in favor of the Vikings and send them to the Major Speedway League Finals against the Industry Aces.

In the first Rider of the Night Semi Buck Blair got the best start, but Tomicek powered around the outside and into the lead on the back straight. Blair gave chase, but Tomicek showed why he was the Czech Republic's Wild Card rider in the Grand Prix this season as he pulled away for the win. Fisher gated the field in the second semi and cruised to the win while Castro had to use every inch of the outside of the race track to get past Wells and steal the second transfer spot in the final corner.

Blair got the best start in the final, but exiting turn two he had Tomicek and Fisher snapping at his heels. Tomicek and Fisher made contact which caused Tomicek to fall off the back of his bike. The riderless machine collected Blair and Fisher with all three riders ending up in a heap in turn three and Castro laying his bike down to avoid the carnage. Blair's and Tomicek's bikes were writeoffs, but everyone was able to get up on their own. Tomicek was a little sore and woozy and elected not to borrow a bike for the restart.

Fisher led the restart from start to finish to complete his perfect night with a main event victory while Castro used the outside to pass Blair for second.

Rudy Laurer got the best start and led the entire way to capture the Second Division Main Event. Robert Christian passed Bryan Buffington on the final lap for second, Daniel Faria was fourth, and Steve Bowen finished fifth.

Brad Moreau led all four laps en route to victory in the Third Division Main Event. J.C. Masters was second and Tony DeAlmeida finished third.

Austin Novratil passed Dylan Black for the lead and pulled away for the win in the Youth Main Event. Russell Green finished second and Black was third.

Newly crowned Sidecar National Champions Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen led the first lap and were destined for victory when they spun completely around and handed the lead and victory in the Sidecar Main Event to Brian Motis and Loren Thurston. Tommy Thornton and Steven Bumpass were second and Jones and Olsen finished third.

The next event at Wheel2Wheel Raceway is the Season Finale which features the Victorville Vikings against the Industry Aces in the Major Speedway League Finals. It also marks the final event of the 2007 Southern California speedway season. The event starts at 3:00 p.m.

RESULTS

Sidecar Main Event
4 - Brian Motis/Loren Thurston
31 - Tommy Thornton/Steven Bumpass
1 - Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen
19 - Dale Facchini/Matt Davis (non starter)

Youth Main Event
8 - Austin Novratil 40
18 - Russell Green 40
7 - Dylan Black 0

Third Division Main Event
153 - Brad Moreau
202 - J.C. Masters
157 - Tony DeAlmeida
300 - Jason Dupuy (non starter)

Second Division Consolation
212 - Steve Dziadus
163 - Rohn Zellner
136 - Kim Stevens
232 - Allen Doss (non starter)

Second Division Main Event
182 - Rudy Laurer
222n - Robert Christian
77 - Bryan Buffington
105n - Daniel Faria
177 - Steve Bowen

Victorville "Schlamans" Vikings 1 2 3 4 5 T
1 - Eddie Castro Fx 1' 1 3 5+1
2 - Ricky Wells 2 2 3 7
3 - Ryan Fisher 3 3 3 9
4 - Jon Stasiefski 1 1 1 2' 5+1
5 - Dale Facchini 1' 1 1' 3+2
6 - Shawn McConnell 2 3 2 7
7 - Steve Bowen 2 2 4
8 - Rohn Zellner 1' 1' 2+2

Perris Eagles 1 2 3 4 5 T
1 - Lubos Tomicek 3 3 2 2 10
2 - Rider Replacement
3 - Buck Blair 2 3 2 3 10
4 - Steve Dziadus R F 0 0 1 1
5 - Rider Replacement
6 - Robbie Sauer 1 0 2 0 3
7 - Kim Stevens 0 0 0 0 0
8 - Rudy Laurer 3 F 3 6

Race Results
4: (restarted) Tomicek, Wells, Sauer, Castro (fell, excluded) (2-4) (2-4)
6: Fisher, Blair, Stasiefsk (tape penalty), Dziadus (fell, remounted) (4-2) (6-6)
8: Tomicek, McConnell, Facchini, Sauer (3-3) (9-9)
9: Laurer, Bowen, Zellner, Stevens (3-3) (12-12)
10: Blair, Wells, Castro, Dziadus (fell) (3-3) (15-15)
12: Fisher, Sauer, Stasiefski, Stevens (4-2) (19-17)
14: McConnell, Tomicek, Facchini, Laurer (fell) (4-2) (23-19)
18: Wells, Blair, Castro, Sauer (4-2) (27-21)
20: Fisher, Tomicek, Stasiefski, Dziadus (4-2) (31-23)
21: Laurer, Bowen, Zellner, Stevens (3-3) (34-26)
22: Blair, McConnell, Facchini, Dziadus (3-3) (37-29)
26: Castro, Stasiefski, Dziadus, Stevens (5-1) (42-30)

Rider of the Night Semi #1: Tomicek, Blair, Facchini, Stasiefski
Rider of the Night Semi #2: Fisher, Castro, Wells, McConnell

Rider of the Night Consolation
142 - Ricky Wells
6 - Shawn McConnell
19 - Dale Facchini
110 - Jon Stasiefski

Rider of the Night Main Event (restarted)
36 - Ryan Fisher
14 - Eddie Castro
39 - Buck Blair
Lubos Tomicek (non starter)