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Golden Gate Motor Speedway
Solano County Fairgrounds
Vallejo, California
Grand Opening
July 26, 2008 - Golden Gate Motor Speedway
By: Ryan Evans
Under 21 National Champion Ricky Wells and “Nasty” Nate Perkins christened speedway’s newest venue by winning main events at Golden Gate Motor Speedway in Vallejo, California.
The Scratch Main Event began with local native Billy Janniro, home from England to compete in the previous night’s National Round, getting the best start. Tommy Hedden put his 22” rear tire to good use by challenging Janniro’s lead on the outside. Hedden surged ahead of Janniro and was joined in the battle by Wells. The riders were three-wide for a lap before Wells went a little too low entering turn one, clipped a hay bale that was placed on the infield to prevent riders from going inside the chalk that marked the pole, and went down. The race continued, however, Janniro made the same mistake as Wells but he went down hard off the highside of his bike and brought out the red flag. Janniro would not take part in the restart and was credited with fourth place.
Wells left the line first on the restart and hugged the inside line. Hedden tried to make the outside line work again, but wasn’t as successful this time. Wells led the entire distance to win the main, Hedden finished second, and Bob Hicks, in his first meeting of 2008, finished third.
Bryce Starks led the six-rider Handicap Main Event field for two laps before Janniro, who was up to fourth, found too much traction exiting turn four and went over backward on the front straight. The Coventry Bee’s bike and body went tumbling down the front straight and brought out the red flag. Janniro did not participate in the restart.
Starks led the second attempt, but Perkins caught him on lap two, stalked him for another lap, and overtook the sixteen year old for the lead at the end of lap three. Perkins was uncontested on the final two laps and was first to the checkered flag. Eddie Castro was second, Wells finished third, Starks was fourth, J.J. Martynse finished fifth, and Janniro was credited with sixth.
Charles Haines led the Second Division Main Event without a challenge for the first four laps before Daniel Faria caught him on the last lap. Haines went a little wide on the final corner, but Faria’s desperate charge to the finish line came up just short. Danny Turner finished third, Jim Lewis was fourth, Matt Drury finished fifth, and David Fonts was sixth.
Harley Peek led the Third Division Main Event the first three laps before Richard Fehrman went by on the inside. Fehrman led the rest of the way for the victory. Kevin Fereira finished second, Chris Wilkes finished third, Peek finished fourth, Shane Loessberg was fifth, and Doug Geist was sixth.
A crash marred the first running of the Youth First Division Main Event and left P.J. Byrne with what turned out to be a broken arm. On the restart Cody Ciciarelli held off Thomas Reich for the win.
Jameson Dilkey led the Youth Second Division Main Event before Tyler Warren passed him the second time they went down the back straight. Warren increased his lead with each lap and scored the win. Kendra Warren finished second, Dilkey was third, Gage Geist finished fourth, and Desi Fehrman was fifth.
Golden Gate Motor Speedway (GGMS) is the second venture into speedway promotion by former National Champion Charlie “The Edge” Venegas, who promoted Arrowhead Motor Speedway in San Bernardino in 2001 and 2002. GGMS is located on the Solano County Fairgrounds in Venegas’s original hometown of Vallejo. The facility is not in the same location of the fairgrounds as the Vallejo Speedway that held speedway races a decade ago. Instead, the track is built on a parking lot on the southwest end of the fairgrounds and directly across the street from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Venegas was very encouraged by the size and enthusiasm of the crowd as well as the rider turnout which numbered 42 professionals and eight youths. Venegas is confident that the venue will be successful throughout the remaining six events in 2008 and into the future as well.
RESULTS
Youth Second Division Main Event
25 – Tyler Warren
29 – Kendra Warren
145 – Jameson Dilkey
85 – Gage Geist
23 – Desi Fehrman
Youth First Division Main Event (restarted)
70 – Cody Ciciarelli
12 – Thomas Reich
61 – P.J. Byrne (non starter – restart)
Third Division Consolation
343 – Greg Lovlien 20
220 – Gary Hubbert 0
246 – Rich Mignano 0
223 – Michelle Fehrman 0
00 – Victoria Hubbert 10 (non starter)
Third Division Consolation
185 – Kjell Lovlien 10
343 – Jeff Irwin 20
181 – Billy Vaughn 0
377 – Tor Lovlien 0
173 – Lenny Bourassa
0
151 – John Randolph 0
Third Division Main Event
240 – Richard Fehrman 10
143 – Kevin Fereira 20
111 – Chris Wilkes 0
112 – Harley Peek 0
307 – Shane Loessberg 20 (fell)
399 – Doug Geist 10 (penalty line) (retired)
Second Division Consolation
340 – Tom Fehrman 0
257 – Mike Browne 10
305 – Brian Leventon 0
359 – L.C. Veale 0
Second Division Main Event
135 – Charles Haines 0
105 – Daniel Faria 20
311 – Danny Turner 30
132 – Jim Lewis 30
309 – Matt Drury 10
322 – David Fonts 20 (fell, remounted)
Handicap Consolation
30 – Devin Defreece 0
93 – J.T. Mabry 30
24 – Ben Essary 20
3 – T.J. Fowler 40
808 – Bob Hicks 40
361 – Kelly Kerrigan 0 (fell)
Handicap Main Event (restarted)
13 – Nate Perkins 30
14s – Eddie Castro 40
142 – Ricky Wells 40
245 – Bryce Starks 0
25 – J.J. Martynse 30
14 – Billy Janniro 50 (penalty line) (fell, excluded)
Scratch Consolation (restarted)
13 – Nate Perkins
14s – Eddie Castro
3 – T.J. Fowler
24 – Ben Essary
Scratch Main Event (restarted)
142 – Ricky Wells
40 – Tommy Hedden
808 – Bob Hicks
14 – Billy Janniro (fell, excluded)
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