Victorville Speedway
Wheel2Wheel Raceway
Victorville, California
Kids Night
July 19, 2008 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans
Former Under 21 National Champion Neil Facchini rode brilliantly all evening and collected the first Scratch Main Event victory of his career on Kids Night at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
Facchini scored 11 of a possible 12 points and earned the right to pick his starting position first. After glancing at gates one and four, he decided on gate one. Neil’s brother, Dale, had second choice and he selected the gate four that his older brother had shunned. “Fast” Eddie Castro picked gate three, which left gate two for Tony “The Tiger” Bienert who was in his first Scratch Main since returning to speedway earlier this season.
Neil Facchini made his selection pay off by getting a great start and leading everyone into turn one. Castro and Dale Facchini came together with Dale Facchini going down. The referee allowed the race to continue and Castro had a lot of ground to make up. Neil Facchini remained on the inside line with Bienert in tow. Castro tried the outside line once in an effort to make one of his famous around-the-boards passes, but found insufficient traction before settling down on the inside. Neil Facchini made no mistakes and was first to the checkered flag, Bienert was second, Castro finished third, and Dale Facchini was fourth.
The format featured four rounds of heats with the top two scorers qualifying for the main event with the third through sixth scorers battling in the Last Chance for the final two spots in the main.
Neil Facchini won three of his four heats and one of those victories included a spectacular pass around the outside of his brother. Dale Facchini scored 10 points, but suffered an engine failure after his final race and borrowed Rick Huspek’s bike for the main event. Castro suffered mechanical problems in his first race that relegated him to third before rattling of three straight wins. Bienert was the most consistent rider of the night with four second place finishes in the heats. He followed that up with a second in the Last Chance and in the main event as well.
The race meeting also featured the annual Pit Stop Challenge. In this event, the competitors race to turn three before coasting onto the infield to an awaiting pitman. The bike must be placed on a stand and the rear wheel must be removed with the edges, sprocket, and wheel disc switched before the wheel is remounted. The rider is then push-started and must be the first one to complete a lap.
Neil Facchini was first into the pits and led through most of the pit stop. However, the team of Billy Lyons, who rode the first lap, and Bienert were more efficient. Both teams completed their stops simultaneously which led to a wild scramble to get their bikes started. The Lyons/Bienert team included a switch of riders, which meant Bienert was now on the bike with Lyons pushing. Bienert entered the track first, but Neil Facchini was right on his heels. Bienert remained composed and held off Facchini to the trophy for himself and Lyons.
Max Eddy led the first lap of the Second Division Main Event before falling in turn one and bringing out the red flag. Eddy was penalized for the restart. Brad Moreau left the line first on the restart, but Blake Bowen charged up the inside on the back straight to take the lead. Bowen pulled away from there and led to the finish. Eddy was second and Moreau finished third.
Mike Schultz led the Third Division Main Event before oversliding in turn four. By the time Schultz recovered, Ralph Chudy had already assumed the lead. Chudy remained in control the rest of the way and was victorious. Tony DeAlmeida was second, Schultz finished third, and Huspek was fourth.
Major Davis patiently followed Erika Lyons for two laps before using the outside to take the lead and then he pulled away for the win.
Nick Varner used the outside to pass Nicky Reimer on the first lap and made no mistakes en route to victory in the Pee Wee Main Event. Reimer was second, Kevin Dugmire finished third, Demetrius Boyd was fourth, and Erika Lyons finished fifth.
The Second and Third Division riders competed in Last Man Out Trophy Dashes in their respective divisions as well. Promoter Steve Evans included these events to offset the main events that were not run last week due to the rain delay pushing the meeting close to the curfew. Schultz was victorious in the Third Division Last Man Out Trophy Dash and Bowen won the Second Division Last Man Out Trophy Dash.
Next week is 70s Night at Wheel2Wheel Raceway which includes a $2.00 discount on admission to anyone who was born in the 1970s. The program will also include the sidecars.
RESULTS
Pee Wee Main Event
3 – Nick Varner
41 – Nicky Reimer
3x – Kevin Dugmire
401 – Demetrius Boyd
77 – Erika Lyons
Youth Main Event
999 – Major Davis
77 – Erika Lyons
Third Division Last Man Out Trophy Dash
292 – Mike Schultz
157 – Tony DeAlmeida
362 – Ralph Chudy
226 – Rick Huspek
Third Division Main Event
362 – Ralph Chudy
157 – Tony DeAlmeida
292 – Mike Schultz
226 – Rick Huspek
Second Division Last Man Out Trophy Dash
187 – Blake Bowen
153 – Brad Moreau
202 – J.C. Masters (withdrew)
52 – Marvin Sonnier (fell, excluded)
Pit Stop Challenge
Tony Bienert/Billy Lyons
Neil Facchini/Mike Lara
Blake Bowen/Steve Bowen
First Division Scoring 1 2 3 4 T
14 – Eddie Castro 1 3 3 3 10
19 – Dale Facchini 3 2 3 2 10
32 – Billy Lyons 2 1 0 1 4
52 – Marvin Sonnier 1 1 1 0 3
86 – Neil Facchini 3 3 2 3 11
103 – Tony Bienert 2 2 2 2 8
177 – Steve Bowen 0 0 1 1 2
Race Results
4: D.Facchini, Bienert, Castro
5: N.Facchini, Lyons, Sonnier, Bowen
10: Castro [10], Bienert [20], Sonnier [10], Bowen [0]
11: N.Facchini [30], D.Facchini [30], Lyons [20]
15: Castro [30], N.Facchini [30], Sonnier [10], Lyons [10]
16: D.Facchini [20], Bienert [20], Bowen [0]
21: Castro [30], Bienert [20], Lyons [0], Sonnier [10]
22: N.Facchini [20], D.Facchini [30], Bowen [10]
Last Chance
14 – Eddie Castro
103 – Tony Bienert
52 – Marvin Sonnier
32 – Billy Lyons
Scratch Main Event
86 – Neil Facchini
103 – Tony Bienert
14 – Eddie Castro
19 – Dale Facchini (fell)
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