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

California Speedway
July 9, 2008 - Industry Speedway
By: Ryan Evans

United States Under 21 Champion Ricky Wells used a stunning move to capture the Industry Speedway Scratch Main Event for the first time in his career.

Buck Blair started on the pole and led the field into turn one. Wells used the outside to mount a challenge for the lead on the back straight. For the next two laps Blair stuck to the low line while Wells continued using the outside to cut into his lead. On lap three Wells entered turn three wide, but backed his bike in and showed savvy beyond his 16 years of age with a brilliant cutback move. The maneuver took the inside line away from a shocked Blair on the exit of turn four and electrified the crowd. Wells blasted into the lead while Blair straightened up and lost his momentum. Wells led to the finish underneath a cascade of cheers from the appreciative fans. A disappointed Blair settled for second, Eddie Castro finished third in his first appearance at Industry Speedway in 2008, Charlie Venegas finished fourth and had his four-week winning streak snapped, and Shawn McConnell was fifth.Bobby Schwartz had the first heat of the evening in the bag but suffered an engine failure in the final corner that handed the win to McConnell. McConnell was generous enough to loan Schwartz a bike for the rest of the evening. Venegas handed Wells his only defeat of the evening in the next heat. Blair finished off the round one with a win over Castro.

Wells started round two with his first win of the evening.Russell Green started in the front and led the next heat from start to finish. Neil Facchini closed out the second round with a victory over Brad Sauer.

Castro began the last round by holding off Venegas for the win. Blair used the outside to narrowly defeat Schwartz in event 32. McConnell led the final heat before Wells stole the victory at the finish line with an awesome outside pass. Schwartz defeated Green in a runoff for the final spot in the semis.

Wells cruised to the win in the first semi with McConnell finishing second to join him in the main event. Blair was penalized for touching the tapes in the second semi and the handicap prevented him from challenging Venegas and Castro for either transfer to the main. However, Blair did win the Last Chance to earn a spot in the Scratch Main.

Facchini was the first rider eliminated in the Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge and he was followed out the door by Castro, who was eliminated next. The final two-lap challenge never evolved as McConnell experienced bike troubles and Venegas won by default.

Bryan Buffington was leading the Second Division Main Event when J.C. Masters went down and brought out the red flag. Buffington led the restart but Allen Doss went to the outside on the back straight and dropped down in front of the leader entering turn three. Doss steadily increased his lead with each lap and was first to the checkered flag. Buffington was second, Brad Moreau finished third, and Masters was fourth.

Chris Thomas was the initial leader of the Third Division Main Event, but had Tim McGrath breathing down his neck. McGrath patiently stalked the leader for three laps, but Thomas remained in front. McGrath's patience ran out entering the final corner and he made bold inside move on Thomas. The two riders were side-by-side exiting turn four. McGrath won the drag race to the finish line to take the win. Thomas was second, Dave Zetterlund finished third,Tony DeAlmeida was fourth, Paul Thornton finished fifth, and Hugh Randolph was sixth.

Austin Novratil led all four laps and won the Youth First Division Main Event for the second week in a row. Gino Manzares finished second, Joey Holt was third, and Brad Pappalardo finished fourth.

Rocco Scopellite won the Youth Second Division Main Event, but had to fight off the challenges of a very persistent River McDougall.

Dan and Chris Jones led the Sidecar Main Event but fell under pressure from their brother, Joe Jones, and Jimmy Olsen. Joe Jones and Olsen pressured the leaders for two laps before pushing their way past in turn one. Dan and Chris Jones gave chase but parked in turn three and Scott and Sean Driggers plowed into them and brought out the red flag. The victory was awarded to Joe Jones and Olsen, Dave Alexander and Chris Lovitt were second, the Driggers Brothers were third, and Dan and Chris Jones were relegated to fourth.

RESULTS

Sidecar Main Event (awarded)
1 – Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen
22 – Dave Alexander/Chris Lovitt
13 – Scott Driggers/Sean Driggers
7 – Dan Jones/Chris Jones (fell, excluded)

Pee Wee Main Event
41 – Nicky Reimer
3 – Nicholas Varner
22 – James Walter
111 – Matthew Duffy

Youth Second Division Main Event
9 – Rocco Scopellite
43 – River McDougall

Youth First Division Main Event
8 – Austin Novratil
21 – Gino Manzares
4 – Joey Holt
611 – Brad Pappalardo

Third Division Main Event
186 – Tim McGrath 0
189 – Chris Thomas 0
160 – Dave Zetterlund 0
157 – Tony DeAlmeida 0
124 – Paul Thornton 10
308 – Hugh Randolph 10

Second Division Last Chance
153 – Brad Moreau
202 – J.C. Masters
147 – Rick Farron
301 – Matt Davis
136 – Kim Stevens

Second Division Main Event (restarted)
232 – Allen Doss
77 – Bryan Buffington
153 – Brad Moreau
202 – J.C. Masters (penalty line)

Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge
43 – Charlie Venegas
6 – Shawn McConnell
14 – Eddie Castro
86 – Neil Facchini

First Division Scoring 1 2 3 T
6 – Shawn McConnell 3 2 2 7
11 – Bobby Schwartz 1 0 2 3
14 – Eddie Castro 2 1 3 6
21 – Brad Sauer 1 2 1 4
39 – Buck Blair 3 2 3 8
43 – Charlie Venegas 3 1 2 6
69 – Jay Pickard F 0 R 0
86 – Neil Facchini 1 3 1 5
142 – Ricky Wells 2 3 3 8
178 – Eloy Medellin 0 1 1 2
182 – Rudy Laurer 2 0 F 2
321 – Russell Green 0 3 0 3

Race Results
12: McConnell, Laurer, Schwartz (engine failure), Medellin
13: Venegas, Wells, Facchini, Green
14: Blair, Castro, Sauer, Pickard (fell)
22: Wells [20], Blair [30], Medellin [0], Pickard [0]
23: Green [0], McConnell [30], Castro [20], Laurer [20]
24: Facchini [10], Sauer [10], Venegas [30], Schwartz [10]
31: Castro [10], Venegas [10], Sauer [20], Laurer [0] (fell)
32: Blair [20], Schwartz [0], Medellin [10], Pickard [0] (retired)
33: Wells [30], McConnell [20], Facchini [30], Green [30]
Runoff: Schwartz, Green
Semi #1: Wells, McConnell, Sauer, Facchini
Semi #2: Venegas, Castro, Blair (tape penalty), Schwartz

Last Chance
39 – Buck Blair
11 – Bobby Schwartz
21 – Brad Sauer
86 – Neil Facchini

Scratch Main Event
142 – Ricky Wells
39 – Buck Blair
14 – Eddie Castro
43 – Charlie Venegas
6 – Shawn McConnell (retired)