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Victorville Speedway
Wheel2Wheel Raceway
Victorville, California
Champions Cup Team Racing
March 1, 2008 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans
Current United States Under 21 National Champion Ricky “The Kiwi Kid” Wells was undefeated in six races and took home the main event victory while the Victorville Vikings defeated the Los Angeles Aces 42-36 in the Champions Cup at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
The first event of the day gave a glimpse of what was in store as Wells scored his first victory in what would prove to be the start of six consecutive drawn heats in the team event. Rudy Laurer was the victor in the next heat before Wells won his second straight race. Michael Hull held off Greg Ayers for a victory and that was followed by Wells getting his third straight win. Blair won the next team race, but Hull fell while battling for second, thus allowing the Aces to keep the match deadlocked at 18.
The tie was finally broken when Hull’s second victory of the day was backed up by a third from teammate Rohn Zellner to give the Vikings a 4-2 heat advantage and a 22-20 match lead. The lead didn’t last long, however, as Allen Doss and Bryan Buffington countered with a 4-2 heat win of their own to tie the match at 24.
Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell and Billy Lyons teamed for a 5-1 to break the tie for good and give the Vikings a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Blair won the next heat, but John Marquez and Ayers were second and third, respectively, to keep the Aces’ deficit at four. Wells made it four straight wins, but the Aces couldn’t cut into the Vikings’ lead as Hull and Zellner battled for a drawn heat. Blair and Lyons combined for a 4-2 heat win to extend the Vikings’ lead to six and seal the victory. Wells won the final heat ahead of the Vikings duo of McConnell and Hull, who kept the gap at six points and a final score of 42-36.
On the individual half of the program, McConnell got the best start in the Last Chance and was leading comfortably when Lyons fell on the third lap and brought out the red flag. Enough laps and been completed and the referee awarded the race, and the main event transfer, to McConnell.
In the main event, Wells blasted off the line first but was challenged on the outside by Blair. Wells found enough traction exiting turn two to lead on the back straight. Blair tried to use the high banking in turn three to go around the sixteen year old leader, but Wells maintained his lead at the end of lap one. It would prove to be the closest threat that Blair could make for the lead. Wells led comfortably to the checkered flag and completed his perfect day. Blair settled for second and Hull narrowly beat McConnell to the line for third.
The Orange County Silver Stars defeated the Perris Eagles 26-16 in a match featuring teams comprised of Second and Third Division riders. The top scorers were Billy J. Vaughn, Steve Bowen, and Brad Moreau for the Silver Stars and Donnie Robinson for the Eagles.
Robinson led from start to finish for an impressive Second Division main event victory, his first since returning to speedway late last season. Rudy Laurer finished second, Bowen was third, Buffington finished fourth, Moreau was fifth, and Doss finished sixth.
Billy J. Vaughn led all for laps to win the Third Division Main Event. Jeff Remington was second, Tony DeAlmeida finished third, Paul Thornton was fourth, Rick Huspek finished fifth, and Jonni Jade was sixth.
Austin Novratil got the best start and held off Joey Holt to win the Youth Main Event. Dylan Black finished third.
The next event at Wheel2Wheel Raceway will be the Night Opener on Saturday, March 22.
RESULTS
Youth Main Event
8 - Austin Novratil
4 - Joey Holt
7 - Dylan Black
Perris Eagles 1 2 3 T (16)
1 - Donnie Robinson 3 3 6
2 - Mike Nutting 1 0 0 1
3 - Rider Replacement
4 - J.C. Masters 1 1 2
5 - Jeff Remington 2 2 4
6 - Jonni Jade 0 2 0 2
7 - Rick Huspek 1 0 1
Orange County Silver Stars 1 2 3 T (26)
1 - Tyler Hansen 2 1' 3+1
2 - Russell Green R 2 2
3 - Steve Bowen 3 2' 5+1
4 - Brad Moreau 2' 3 5+1
5 - Billy J. Vaughn 3 3 6
6 - Tony DeAlmeida 1 3 4
7 - Paul Thornton 0 1 1
Race Results
6: Vaughn, Remington, DeAlmeida, Jade (3-3) (3-3)
10: Robinson, Hansen, Nutting, Green (retired) (3-3) (6-6)
12: (restarted) DeAlmeida, Jade, Huspek, Thornton (penalty line) (3-3) (9-9)
14: Bowen, Moreau, Masters, Nutting (1-5) (10-14)
22: Moreau, Bowen, Masters, Nutting (1-5) (11-19)
25: Vaughn, Remington, Thornton, Huspek (2-4) (13-23)
27: Robinson, Green, Hansen, Jade (3-3) (16-26)
Victorville Vikings 1 2 3 4 5 T (42)
1 - Buck Blair 1' 3 3 3 10+1
2 - Rider Replacement
3 - Shawn McConnell 1' 2 3 2 8+1
4 - Billy Lyons 2 2 1 2' 1 8+1
5 - Michael Hull 3 0 3 2 1' 9+1
6 - Rohn Zellner 0 1 0 1' 2+1
7 - Rudy Laurer 3 0 2 0 5
Los Angeles Aces 1 2 3 4 5 T (36)
1 - Ricky Wells 3 3 3 3 3 15
2 - Marvin Sonnier E - - - - 0
3 - Rider Replacement
4 - John Marquez 0 2 2 0 0 4
5 - Greg Ayers 2 2 1 1 2 8
6 - Allen Doss 1' 1' 3 0 5+2
7 - Bryan Buffington 2 1' 0 1 4+1
8 - Donnie Robinson 0 0 0
Race Results 4: Wells, Lyons, Blair, Sonnier (3-3) (3-3)
5: Laurer, Buffington, Doss, Zellner (3-3) (6-6)
7: Wells, Lyons, McConnell, Marquez (3-3) (9-9)
9: Hull, Ayers, Buffington, Laurer (3-3) (12-12)
11: Wells, McConnell, Lyons, Buffington (3-3) (15-15)
13: Blair, Ayers, Doss, Hull (fell, remounted) (3-3) (18-18)
15: Hull, Marquez, Zellner, Robinson (4-2) (22-20)
19: Doss, Laurer, Buffington, Zellner (2-4) (24-24)
20: McConnell, Lyons, Ayers (fell, remounted), Doss (5-1) (29-25)
23: Blair, Marquez, Ayers, Laurer (3-3) (32-28)
24: Wells, Hull, Zellner, Robinson (3-3) (35-31)
26: Blair, Ayers, Lyons, Marquez (4-2) (39-33)
28: Wells, McConnell, Hull, Marquez (3-3) (42-36)
Third Division Main Event
181n - Billy J. Vaughn 10
252 - Jeff Remington 10
157 - Tony DeAlmeida 10
124 - Paul Thornton 20
226 - Rick Huspek 20
266 - Jonni Jade 20 (non starter)
Second Division Consolation
321 - Russell Green 10
104n - Tyler Hansen 10
218 - Mike Nutting 20
202 - J.C. Masters 10 (fell, remounted)
163 - Rohn Zellner 20 (non starter)
Second Division Main Event 388 - Donnie Robinson 10
182 - Rudy Laurer 10
177 - Steve Bowen 10
77 - Bryan Buffington 20
153 - Brad Moreau 10
232 - Allen Doss 10 (fell, remounted)
First Division Last Chance (awarded)
6 - Shawn McConnell
99 - Greg Ayers
41 - John Marquez (fell, remounted)
32 - Billy Lyons (fell)
First Division Main Event
142 - Ricky Wells
39 - Buck Blair
320 - Michael Hull
6 - Shawn McConnell
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