Costa Mesa Speedway
Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, California

2009 Warren Russell Cup
June 20, 2009 - Costa Mesa
By: Ryan Evans

Buck Blair added a prestigious title to his collection by winning the Warren Russell Cup at the world famous Costa Mesa Speedway.

The first attempt to complete the main event ended as quick as it started when Gary Hicks and Shaun Harmatiuk clashed entering turn one which left Hicks on the ground and Harmatiuk careening into Bobby Schwartz. A full restart was ordered and all riders and machines were healthy enough to participate. When the tapes rose for the second time Blair exploded into the lead. The Colorado native led down the back straight with Harmatiuk trying to catch him. Blair was still in front at the end of the first lap but Hicks, and eventually the rest of the pack, got under Harmatiuk. Blair cruised the rest of the way and was first to the checkered flag. Hicks finished second, Schwartz was third, Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell finished fourth, and Harmatiuk was fifth.

Hicks opened the evening with an easy win. McConnell beat Tyson Burmeister in event two. Neil Facchini defeated Brad Sauer in the next heat. Schwartz ended round one with a victory over Jimmy Fishback.

The earned-handicap rounds started with Blair collecting a victory. Harmatiuk got past John Marquez and Justin Boyle to win the next heat. Robbie Sauer led all four laps for the victory in event 11. Dale Facchini passed Nate Perkins to win conclude the second round.

The final round commenced with Burmeister beating McConnell for a victory. Schwartz scored his second victory with a win over Hicks. Blair earned his second win by becoming the only rider to come from the 30 yard line for a victory. Marquez held every one off to win the last heat race.

Hicks and Schwartz ran one-two in the first semi and both transferred to the main. Harmatiuk led Blair all the way in the second semi and into the main event.

Burmeister led the First Division Last Chance before McConnell tried to go underneath him entering turn three. McConnell made contact and brought Burmeister down and the red flag as well. Burmeister was livid and when McConnell circled around the two riders intensely exchanged words. The referee ordered a full restart in which McConnell won to take the last position available in the main event.

Gino Manzares held off a field of veteran riders to win the Support Main Event. Rudy Laurer finished second, Ryan Tovatt was third, Rick Farron finished fourth, and Eloy Medellin was fifth.

Charlie Ousley led the Support B Main Event for nearly a lap before a mechanical issue slowed him down and allowed Norman Graham to take the lead. Graham never looked back from there and took home the victory. Ralph Chudy was second, Ousley finished third, and Rick Fritch was fourth.

Austin Novratil defeated Rocco Scopellite to win the Youth First Division Main Event.

River McDougall led the Youth Second Division Main Event before falling and causing the red flag. Despite starting from the penalty line, McDougall charged into the lead on the restart, but went down again and the race had to be stopped. McDougall was excluded from the third attempt for causing two restarts. Maxwell Ruml led the third try for the entire distance to collect the win. Samuel Ramirez finished second, Nicky Reimer was third, and McDougall was credited with fourth.

Bradley Wilson, a competitor from New Zealand, led from start to finish and won the Youth Third Division Main Event. Dillon Ruml was third and Hayley Perrault was credited with third.

National Champions Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen nursed an ill-running machine to victory in the Sidecar Main Event. Gerard Jackson and Dave German finished second and Tommy Thornton and Gene Stone were third.

The next event at Costa Mesa will include the Stanley’s Exhaust Tech Motorcycle Demolition Derby. Due to the upcoming Orange County Fair, it will be the final event at the venue before the Fair Derby on August 1.

RESULTS 

Sidecar Main Event 
  1 - Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen 
 66 - Gerard Jackson/Dave German 
 31 - Tommy Thornton/Gene Stone (retired) 
  7 - Danny Jones/Chris Jones 	(non starter) 

Youth Third Division Main Event (restarted) 
  2 - Bradley Wilson 
111 - Dillon Ruml 
  0 - Hayley Perrault 		(non starter) 

Youth Second Division Main Event (restarted twice) 
356 - Maxwell Ruml 
 22 - Samuel Ramirez 		(fell, remounted) 
 41 - Nicky Reimer 		(fell) 
  5 - River McDougall 		(excluded) 

Youth First Division Main Event 
  8 - Austin Novratil 
  9 - Rocco Scopllite 

Support B Consolation
124 – Paul Thornton
226 – Rick Huspek
308 – Hugh Randolph
368 – Scott Rousseau		(non starter)

Support B Consolation
101 – Mike Wiley
131 – Rod Requejo
198 – Mike Boyle
231 – Gene Stone

Support B Main Event 
129 - Norman Graham 
362 - Ralph Chudy 
312 - Charlie Ousley 
288 - Rick Fritch 		(fell) 

Support Consolation
213 – Mark Sincavage
153 – Brad Moreau
136 – Kim Stevens
107 – Monte McKeon

Support Main Event (restarted) 
221 - Gino Manzares 
182 - Rudy Laurer 
389 - Ryan Tovatt 
147 - Rick Farron 
178 - Eloy Medellin

First Division Scoring	1	2	3	T
  3 – Gary Hicks		4	2	3	9
  6 – Shawn McConnell		4	1	3	8
 11 – Bobby Schwartz		4	1	4	9
 13 – Nate Perkins		1	R	N	1
 15 – Dukie Ermolenko		2	2	3	7
 17 – Robbie Sauer		1	4	0	5
 18 – Justin Boyle		1	3	1	5
 19 – Dale Facchini		2	4	1	7
 21 – Brad Sauer		3	2	2	7
 25 – Jimmy Fishback		3	2	2	7
 30 – Tim Gomez			2	3	1	6
 39 – Buck Blair		1	4	4	9
 41 – John Marquez		0	0	4	4
 66 – Jason Ramirez		2	3	1	6
 86 – Neil Facchini		4	0	0	4
120 – Doug Greyson		0	3	2	5
139 – Shaun Harmatiuk		3	4	3	10
145 – Brad Pappalardo		0	1	2	3
184 – Tyson Burmeister		3	1	4	8

Race Results
 1: Hicks, Harmatiuk, Ramirez, R.Sauer, Ramirez
 2: McConnell, Burmeister, Ermolenko, Perkins, Pappalardo
 3: N.Facchini, B.Sauer, D.Facchini, Boyle
 4: Schwartz, Fishback, Gomez, Blair, Greyson
 9: Blair [0], Greyson [0], Hicks [30], Pappalardo [0], N.Facchini [30]
10: Harmatiuk [20], Boyle [0], Fishback [20], McConnell [30], Marquez [0]
11: R.Sauer [0], Gomez [10], Ermolenko [10], Burmeister [20]
12: D.Facchini [10], Ramirez [10], B.Sauer [20], Schwartz [30], Perkins [0] (retired)
17: Burmeister [0], McConnell [0], Fishback [10], Ramirez [20]
18: (restarted) Schwartz [0], Hicks [10], Pappalardo [0], D.Facchini [30], R.Sauer [30]
19: Blair [30], Harmatiuk [30], Greyson [20], Boyle [20], Perkins [0] (non starter)
20: Marquez [0], Ermolenko [10], B.Sauer [10], Gomez [20], N.Facchini [0]

Semi #1: Hicks, Schwartz, Burmeister, Ermolenko, Fishback
Semi #2: Harmatiuk, Blair, D.Facchini, McConnell, B.Sauer (fell, remounted)

First Division Last Chance (restarted)
  6 – Shawn McConnell
184 – Tyson Burmeister
 19 – Dale Facchini
 15 – Dukie  Ermolenko		(fell)

Warren Russell Cup Main Event (restarted) 
 39 - Buck Blair 
  3 - Gary Hicks 
 11 - Bobby Schwartz 
  6 - Shawn McConnell 
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk

Past Winners
1989 - Bobby Schwartz
1990 - Mike Faria
1991 - Mike Faria
1992 - Chris Manchester
1993 - Sam Ermolenko
1994 - Sam Ermolenko
1995 - Greg Hancock
1996 - Steve Lucero
1997 - Mike Faria
1998 - Bart Bast
1999 - Brad Oxley
2000 - Charlie Venegas
2001 - Josh Larsen
2002 - Josh Larsen
2003 - Scott Brant
2004 - Mike Faria
2005 - Chris Manchester
2006 - Charlie Venegas
2007 – Mike Faria
2008 – Bobby Schwartz