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Victorville Speedway
Wheel2Wheel Raceway
Victorville, California
2008 Victorville Pairs Track Championship / 2008 Sidecar National Championship - Round 2
October 18, 2008 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans
2008 Victorville Pairs Track Championship
Buck Blair and Jason Ramirez teamed up to win the Victorville Best Pairs Track Championship at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
Blair and Ramirez were matched up with Joker Machine teammates Ricky Wells and Greg Ayers in the Final. The points for the semis and final (4-3-2-0) differed from the heats (3-2-1-0), which put the premium on not finishing last rather than finishing first. Wells and Blair left the line together while Ramirez emerged from the start in third, ahead of Ayers. Wells and Blair engaged in an all-out war at the front of the field while Ramirez handily kept Ayers at bay. Blair could’ve eased up and taken the easy way to the title, but he chose to risk a fall and battle with Wells for the lead. The beneficiaries were the fans, who were treated to an electric battle as the riders were inches apart the entire race. Wells finally surged ahead on the final lap for the race victory, but Blair and Ramirez took the title by avoiding fourth place.
Seven teams, including three pairs of brothers, battled through four rounds of heats in an effort to qualify for the semi finals. The competition was close after four rounds, but the Sauer Brothers, the Facchini Brothers and the team of Jon Stasiefski and Charlie Venegas were eliminated. Former National Champion Venegas was making his first appearance at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in four years. He scored eight points from three of his rides, but was squeezed up against the wall in another race and fell. The lost points proved to be costly.
Ayers and Wells needed a superb effort to get past the team of Tony Bienert and John Marquez in the first semi. Bienert got the best start followed by Ayers and Marquez with Wells mired in the back. Wells, knowing he had to avoid last place in order to advance to the Final struggled to get past Marquez. He finally found a way through and was able to get his team into the Final. Ramirez and Blair dominated the second semi by finishing first and second ahead of the Harmatiuk Brothers to advance to the Final.
Russell Green and Tim McGrath were powered by Green’s three victories for a total of 15 points and the Second Division Pairs Championship. Marvin Sonnier and Rick Fehrman were second overall and Tyson Burmeister and Steve Dziadus were third overall.
Jonni Jade and Jeff Remington proved to be a formidable duo as they scored 22 points to take home the Third Division Pairs Championship. McGrath and Ryan Brant were second overall, Rick Huspek and Drew Coates were third overall, and Tony DeAlmeida and Paul Thornton were fourth overall.
Joey Holt led all four laps to win the Youth Main Event. Nicky Reimer finished second and Erika Lyons was third.
Reimer was victorious in the Pee Wee Main Event, Lyons finished second, Brandt Fletcher was third, Troy Bienert finished fourth, Kylie Ayers was fifth, and Summer Fehrman was credited with sixth.
RESULTS
Pee Wee Main Event
41 – Nicky Reimer
77 – Erika Lyons
7 – Brandt Fletcher
4 – Troy Bienert
17 – Kylie Ayers
8 – Summer Fehrman (non starter)
Youth Main Event
4 – Joey Holt
41 – Nicky Reimer
77 – Erika Lyons
Third Division Scoring 1 2 3 T TT
266 – Jonni Jade 5 3’ 4 12+1 22
252 – Jeff Remington 4’ 4 2 10+1
186 – Tim McGrath 4 5 5 14 21
156 – Ryan Brant 2 2 3 7
226 – Rick Huspek 1 0 1 2 10
240 – Rick Fehrman 3 5 F 8
157 – Tony DeAlmeida 2 3 1 6 7
124 – Paul Thornton 0 1 0 1
Second Division Scoring 1 2 3 T TT
321 – Russell Green 5 5 5 15 18
186 – Tim McGrath 1 1 1 3
52 – Marvin Sonnier 3 3 4 10 14
240 – Rick Fehrman 2’ 0 2 4+1
184 – Tyson Burmeister 4 4 F 8 13
212 – Steve Dziadus 0 2 3 5
First Division Scoring 1 2 3 4 T TT
39 – Buck Blair 3 3 3 2 11 17
66 – Jason Ramirez 2’ 1 2’ 1’ 6+3
103 – Tony Bienert 2 1 3 3 9+1 15
41 – John Marquez 3 0 1 2 6+1
142 – Ricky Wells 3 3 3 3 12 15
99 – Greg Ayers 2’ 0 1 0 3+1
139 – Shaun Harmatiuk 2 2 1 3 8
149 – Philip Harmatiuk 1’ 1’ 0 0 2+2 10
17 – Robbie Sauer 1 2 2 1’ 6+1 9
21 – Brad Sauer 0 1’ 0 2 3+1
19 – Dale Facchini 0 0 2 2 4 9
86 – Neil Facchini 1 3 0 1’ 5+1
110 – Jon Stasiefski 0 0 1 0 1 9
43 – Charlie Venegas 3 2 F 3 8
Race Results
4: Marquez, Bienert, R.Sauer, B.Sauer
5: Wells, Ayers, N.Facchini, D.Facchini
6: Venevas, S.Harmatiuk, P.Harmatiuk, Stasiefski
10: Blair, Ramirez, Bienert, Marquez
14: N.Facchini, R.Sauer, B.Sauer, D.Facchini
15: Wells, S.Harmatiuk, P.Harmatiuk, Ayers
16: Blair, Venegas, Ramirez, Stasiefski
22: Bienert, D.Facchini, Marquez (fell, remounted), N.Facchini
23: Wells, R.Sauer, Ayers, B.Sauer
24: Blair, Ramirez, S.Harmatiuk, P.Harmatiuk
28: Bienert, Marquez, Stasiefski, Venegas (fell)
34: S.Harmatiuk, B.Sauer, R.Sauer, P.Harmatiuk
35: Venegas, D.Facchini, N.Facchini, Stasiefski
36: Wells, Blair, Ramirez, Ayers
Semi #1: Bienert, Ayers, Wells, Marquez
Semi #2: Ramirez, Blair, P.Harmatiuk, S.Harmatiuk (fell)
Best Pairs Track Championship Final
142 – Ricky Wells
39 – Buck Blair
66 – Jason Ramirez
99 – Greg Ayers
2008 Sidecar National Championship - Round 2
Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen ended their evening upside down, but their evening also culminated with them successfully defending their title at Round 2 of the Sidecar National Championship at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
Jones and Olsen entered the A Final with a perfect score and also with the knowledge that they had already clinched their second consecutive national championship. However, they weren’t going to cruise around on parade. They wanted to go out like champions and finish the evening undefeated. The pair selected gate one after having earned first gate choice. Dave Alexander and Matt Davis picked gate three. Bob Brayton and Steven Bumpus picked gate two, which left Stuart Glass and Jack Straw with the outside.
Jones and Olsen jumped into the lead at the start, but Brayton and Bumpus gave chase on the first lap. Brayton and Olsen switched their attack from the inside to the outside on the back straight and used the banking in turns three and four to gain enough momentum to take the lead at the end of lap two. Jones and Olsen didn’t give up without a fight and tried to regain the lead. Their efforts ended in a heap in turn four as they got too far sideways and tumbled upon exiting the turn. Both were able to walk away, but the race was declared over. Brayton and Bumpus were awarded the victory, Alexander and Motis were second, Glass and Straw were credited with third, and Jones and Olsen were fouth.
Despite the A Final result, Jones and Olsen were champions again with 27 points overall. Brayton and Bumpus finished second overall with 26 points, and Alexander and Davis were third overall with 24 points.
Jones and Olsen began the heats with their first win. Alexander and Davis ended round one with a win over Brayton and Bumpus.
Jones and Olsen started round two with another victory while Brayton and Bumpus finished a costly fourth place. Alexander and Davis made it two in a row by beating Glass and Straw to finish the second round.
Jones and Olsen defeated Alexander and Davis in a battle of the unbeaten teams for their third straight win. Bumpus, who is actually the passenger to Tommy Thornton, had to leave Brayton to pair with Davis, because the teams met each other in the final heat. Brayton, despite the one-ride partner, was victorious in the final heat of the evening.
Brian Motis and Loren Thurston scored an impressive victory in the B Final. Gerard Jackson and Dave German finished second, Thornton and Bumpus were third, and Joe Petraglovic and Mike Moreno were credited with fourth place.
RESULTS
Sidecar Scoring – Round 2 1 2 3 T F T
1 – Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen 3 3 3 9 4 13
2 – Bob Brayton/Steven Bumpus 2 0 3 5 7 12
4 – Brian Motis/Loren Thurston 1 1 1 3 3 6
22 – Dave Alexander/Matt Davis 3 3 2 8 6 14
31 – Tommy Thornton/Steven Bumpus 2 R 0 2 0 2
33 – Joe Petraglovic/Mike Moreno 0 1 0 1 0 1
66 – Gerard Jackson/Dave German 0 2 1 3 2 5
911 – Stuart Glass/Jack Straw 1 2 2 5 5 10
Race Results
7: Jones/Olsen, Thornton/Bumpus, Motis/Thurston, Petraglovic/Moreno
8: Alexander/Davis, Brayton/Bumpus, Glass/Straw, Jackson/German
17: Jones/Olsen, Jackson/German, Motis/Thurston, Brayton/Bumpus
18: Alexander/Davis, Glass/Straw, Petraglovic/Moreno, Thornton/Bumpus (retired)
29: Jones/Olsen, Alexander/Davis, Motis/Thurston, Petraglovic/Moreno
30: Brayton/Davis, Glass/Straw, Jackson/German, Thornton/Bumpus
Sidecar B Final
4 – Brian Motis/Loren Thurston
66 – Gerard Jackson/Dave German
31 – Tommy Thornton/Steven Bumpass (retired)
33 – Joe Petraglovic/Mike Moreno (non starter)
Sidecar A Final (awarded)
2 – Bob Brayton/Steven Bumpass
22 – Dave Alexander/Matt Davis
911 – Stuart Glass/Jack Straw
1 – Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen (fell, excluded)
Sidecar National Championship Final StandingsR1 R2 T
1 – Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen 14 13 27
2 – Bob Brayton/Steven Bumpass 14 12 26
22 – Dave Alexander/Matt Davis 10 14 24
911 – Stuart Glass/Jack Straw 6 10 16
4 – Brian Motis/Loren Thurston 9 6 15
66 – Gerard Jackson/Dave German 7 5 12
31 – Tommy Thornton/Steven Bumpass 3 2 5
33 – Joe Petraglovic/Mike Moreno 0 1 1
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