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

California Speedway
May 14, 2008 - Industry Speedway
By: Ryan Evans

Charlie “The Edge” Venegas overcame some early adversity and won his second straight Scratch Main Event at Industry Speedway.

Jimmy Fishback started on the inside and led the field into turn one while Venegas, who started on the outside made a wide run around the outside to find traction and generate speed. Fishback, completely aware of Venegas’s strategy, widened his line as he exited turn two to block Venegas. The former National Champion found plenty of grip in the deep cushion and blazed past the leader and dropped down to the inside to secure the lead. Fishback gave chase but couldn’t get close enough to force a mistake. Venegas was first to the checkered flag with Fishback finishing second. Buck Blair used the outside to make a final-corner attempt to overtake Shawn McConnell for third, but came up inches short. Neil Facchini finished fifth.

The earned-handicap format began with a round of scratch heats. Venegas led the first heat before mechanical gremlins struck and he slowed to a stop. Tim Gomez was the benefactor and scored the win. John Marquez led the next heat before Fishback used the outside to take the lead and the win. Blair got a great start and won the next heat easily. Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz fended off the outside challenge of McConnell to win the last race of round one.

Rounds two and three had the riders handicapped based on their finish in the previous round. Facchini began round two by leading two laps before McConnell squeezed past on the inside for the lead and his first win. Venegas started in the front and had a very predictable victory in event 20. Fishback came from 30 yards back to win the next heat. John Marquez started in the front and won the final race of the second round, but only after holding back the tremendous outside effort of Travis Henderson.

Blair started the final round by scoring his second win after using the outside to pass Rudy Laurer on lap two. Henderson was impressive in winning event 27 over McConnell. Facchini withstood the challenge of Venegas to win then penultimate heat. In the final heat race Fishback used the outside to get through the field and received a thunderous ovation after nearly beating Schwartz after starting 30 yards back.

McConnell got the best start in the first semi and led Blair all the way to the finish and into the main event. Venegas used the outside in the second semi to get the lead and the win with Fishback following him into the main event. Facchini withstood numerous outside assaults from Henderson to win the Last Chance and book the final slot in the main.

In the initial Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge Jon Stasiefski and John Marquez were the first two eliminated, which left Gomez and Robbie Sauer for the two-lap battle. The battle ended with a thud as the riders bumped in turn one and Sauer slammed to the ground hard. Sauer was able to walk away, but declined to restart thus handing the win to Gomez.

Steve “Rattlesnake” Bowen led the Second Division Main Event before Eloy Medellin went underneath him for the lead entering turn three. Medellin didn’t turn a wheel wrong the rest of the way and took home the win. Justin Hassan finished second, Bowen was third, and J.C. Masters finished fourth.

Ron Mongenel, who also races trucks at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, led all four laps to win the Third Division Main Event. Matt Davis finished second, Chris Thomas was third, and Tony DeAlmeida finished fourth.

Brad Pappalardo got the best start in the Youth First Division Main, but Gumball Rally Champion Austin Novratil used the outside to take the lead on the back straight. Novratil never looked back and won his second consecutive main. Gino Manzares was second and Papplardo was third.

Rocco Scopellite was fast and smooth en route to victory in the Youth Second Division Main Event over Elijah Harrison-Hicks.

Industry Speedway promoters Jeffrey Immediato and Bruce Penhall decided to begin the program at 7:00 with the First Division heats beginning at 7:30. Those heats concluded early enough to allow for a short break before the bulk of the program started. The decision proved to be a sound one because that and the efficiency of the program led to the Scratch Main concluding before 9:30 and well ahead of the dreaded curfew.

RESULTS 

Pee Wee Main Event 100 – Cameron Delby
  7 – Gino Scopellite
 27 – Cameron Denton
  4 – Gabe Manzares		(non starter) 
 
 Youth Second Division Main Event
 9 – Rocco Scopellite 
 3 – Elijah Harrison-Hicks Youth First Division Main Event
  8 – Austin Novratil 
  21 – Gino Manzares 
  611 – Brad Pappalardo 
  
Third Division Consolation 186 – Tim McGrath
308 – Hugh Randolph 
124 – Paul Thornton
 00 – Toni Hicks (non starter) 
 
Third Division Main Event 
158 – Ron Mongenel 
301 – Matt Davis
189 – Carl Thomas
157 – Tony DeAlmeida 

Second Division Last Chance (transferred two)
178 – Eloy Medellin 
202 – J.C. Masters
153 – Brad Moreau
209 – Greg Vandemore (non starter)
389 – Ryan Tovatt (non starter) 

Second Division Main Event 
178 – Eloy Medellin 
132 – Justin Hassan 
177 – Steve Bowen 
202 – J.C. Masters 

Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge 
30 – Tim Gomez 
17 – Robbie Sauer 
41 – John Marquez 
110 – Jon Stasiefski 

First Division Scoring       1        2        3        T 
6 – Shawn McConnell 2        3        2        7
 11 – Bobby Schwartz 3        0        3        6
 17 – Robbie Sauer 1        2        1        4
 21 – Brad Sauer 2        1        1        4
 25 – Jimmy Fishback 3        3        2        8
 30 – Tim Gomez 3        2        1        6
 39 – Buck Blair 3        1        3        7
 41 – John Marquez 0        3        1        4
 43 – Charlie Venegas R        3        2        5
 52 – Marvin Sonnier 1        1        0        2
 55 – Travis Henderson 2        2        3        7
 86 – Neil Facchini 1        2        3        6
110 – Jon Stasiefski 2        0        0        2
182 – Rudy Laurer 0        0        0        0
232 – Allen Doss 0        F        N        0
321 – Russell Green 1        1        2        4 

Race Results 9: Gomez, Henderson, R.Sauer, Venegas (retired)
10: Fishback, Stasiefski, Sonnier, Marquez (fell, remounted)
11: Blair, B.Sauer, Facchini, Laurer
12: Schwartz, McConnell, Green, Doss
19: McConnell [20], Facchini [10], Sonnier [10], Stasiefski [20]
20: Venegas [0], R.Sauer [10], Green [10], Schwartz [30]
21: Fishback [30], Gomez [30], B.Sauer [10], Doss [0] (fell)
22: Marquez [0], Henderson [20], Blair [30], Laurer [0]
26: Blair [10], Green [10], Gomez [20], Laurer [0]
27: Henderson [20], McConnell [30], Marquez [30], Doss [0] (non starter)
28: N.Facchini [20], Venegas [30], R.Sauer [20], Sonnier [10]
29: Schwartz [30], Fishback [30], B.Sauer [10], Stasiefski [0] 

Semi #1: McConnell, Blair, Gomez, N.Facchini (fell, remounted) 
Semi #2: Venegas, Fishback, Schwartz, Henderson 

Last Chance 
86 – Neil Facchini 
30 – Tim Gomez 
55 – Travis Henderson 
11 – Bobby Schwartz

Scratch Main Event 
43 – Charlie Venegas 
25 – Jimmy Fishback 
6 – Shawn McConnell 
39 – Buck Blair 
86 – Neil Facchini