Costa Mesa Speedway
Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, California

2009 John Matherson Cup
August 29, 2009 - Costa Mesa
By: Ryan Evans

Jimmy “Little Animal” Fishback and National Sidecar Champions Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen took home the top honors at the Mission Motorsports John Matherson Cup at the world famous Costa Mesa Speedway.

Fishback, starting in gate three, made the best start and led the five-rider main event field into turn one. Former National Champion Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz challenged on the outside while Gary Hicks was pressuring the leader from the inside. Schwartz maintained close proximity to Fishback for a lap before fading back and losing positions. Hicks chased Fishback the entire distance but couldn’t get close enough to force a mistake. Fishback was first to the checkered flag, Hicks settled for second, Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell was third, Tyson Burmeister finished fourth, and Schwartz was fifth.

Jones and Olsen took the lead in the Sidecar Main Event but were challenged by Dave Alexander and Matt Davis on the outside. Jones and Olsen kept their tight inside line and it paid off as they surged ahead of their counterparts. Jones and Olsen were first to the finish line followed by Alexander and Davis. Sean Driggers and Missy Driggers finished third and Brian Motis and Chris Leavitt were fourth.

The John Matherson Cup honors the former sidecar competitor who was also the owner of Mission Motorsports, a longtime sponsor of Costa Mesa Speedway. Matherson was killed in an accident last year while on his way to Costa Mesa Speedway. The event is particularly prestigious to the sidecar competitors because of the camaraderie they shared with Matherson. All the sidecar competitors wore Mission Motorsports jerseys that had Matherson’s name and number 29 on the back.

17 year old Dylan Black led all four laps and won his first Support Main Event of the season. Rudy Laurer finished second, Drew Coats was third, Damon Barry finished fourth, and Justin Hassan was fifth.

Nicky Reimer led the Youth First Division Main Event for two laps before River McDougall went by on the back straight for the lead. McDougall led the rest of the way to claim the win. Reimer held on to second, Maxwell Ruml was third, and Samuel Ramirez finished fourth.

Dillon Ruml got the best start and never looked back en route to victory in the Youth Second Division Main Event. Hayley Perrault finished second, Michael Wells was third, Brian Pintar finished fourth, and Jacob Wondolowski was fifth.

RESULTS

John Matherson Cup Sidecar Main Event
  1 – Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen
 22 – Dave Alexander/Matt Davis
 23 – Sean Driggers/Missy Driggers
  4 – Brian Motis/Chris Leavitt

Youth Second Division Main Event
111 – Dillon Ruml
  0 – Hayley Perrault
 14 – Michael Wells
 58 – Brian Pintar
251 – Jacob Wondolowski

Youth First Division Main Event
  5 – River McDougall
 41 – Nicky Reimer
356 - Maxwell Ruml
 22 – Samuel Ramirez

Support Consolation
136 – Kim Stevens
198 – Mike Boyle
169 – Dan Wensloff
312 – Charlie Ousley		(fell)

Support Consolation
153 – Brad Moreau
266 – Jonni Jade
231 – Gene Stone
124 – Paul Thornton

Support Last Chance
150 – Damon Barry
176 – Carl Gazafy
129 – Norman Graham		(fell)
288 – Rick Fritch		(fell)

First Division Scoring	1	2	3	T
  3 – Gary Hicks		4	4	3	11
  6 – Shawn McConnell		4	4	4	12
  9 – Mike Faria		3	4	4	11
 11 – Bobby Schwartz		1	4	4	9
 17 – Robbie Sauer		2	1	R	3
 21 – Brad Sauer		0	2	0	2
 22 – Mike Bloom		1	1	2	4
 25 – Jimmy Fishback		3	3	3	9
 39 – Buck Blair		2	2	4	8
 66 – Jason Ramirez		3	3	3	9
120 – Doug Greyson		0	2	1	3
139 – Shaun Harmatiuk		4	3	3	10
141 – Josh Abbott		3	0	2	5
145 – Brad Pappalardo		2	1	2	5
147 – Rick Farron		1	0	1	2
149 – Philip Harmatiuk		1	0	1	2
178 – Eloy Medellin		0	1	1	2
184 – Tyson Burmeister		4	2	2	8
221 – Gino Manzares		2	3	1	6

Race Results
 1: S.Harmatiuk, Faria, R.Sauer, Farron
 2: Hicks, Fishback, Manzares, P.Harmatiuk, B.Sauer
 3: McConnell, Ramirez, Pappalardo, Bloom, Medellin
 4: Burmeister, Abbott, Blair, Schwartz, Greyson
 9: Faria, Manzares, Blair, Bloom, P.Harmatiuk
10: Hicks, S.Harmatiuk, Burmeister, Pappalardo
11: McConnell, Fishback, Greyson, R.Sauer, Abbott
12: Schwartz, Ramirez, B.Sauer, Medellin, Farron
15: Faria, Ramirez, Pappalardo, Medellin, R.Sauer (retired)
16: Blair, Hicks, Abbott, Greyson, B.Sauer
17: (restarted) McConnell, S.Harmatiuk, Bloom, Farron
18: Schwartz, Fishback, Burmeister, Manzares, P.Harmatiuk (fell, remounted)

Semi #1: Fishback, Hicks, Faria, Ramirez, Manzares
Semi #2: Schwartz, McConnell, S.Harmatiuk, Burmeister, Blair (tape exclusion)

First Division Last Chance
184 – Tyson Burmeister
  9 – Mike Faria
139 – Shaun Harmatiuk
 66 – Jason Ramirez

John Matherson Cup Main Event
 25 – Jimmy Fishback
  3 – Gary Hicks
  6 – Shawn McConnell
184 – Tyson Burmeister
 11 – Bobby Schwartz