Industry Speedway
The Grand Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California

Season Opener
May 27, 2009 - Industry Speedway
By: Ryan Evans

Gary Hicks continued his early-season success by winning the Industry Speedway Season Opener in front of a big crowd at the Industry Hills Expo Center.

Hicks started the Scratch Main Event from gate two, made the best start, and led the five-rider field into turn one. Hicks immediately opened up his lead and left all the battles for the minor positions. Faria made a great cutback move on Shaun Harmatiuk to take second but had little hope of catching the leader. Hicks cruised to the victory, Faria finished second, Harmatiuk was third, Eddie Castro finished fourth, and Charlie Venegas was fifth.

The heats opened with Harmatiuk beating Shawn McConnell. Jimmy Fishback trapped the field from the outside and held off Venegas to win the next heat. Heat three required three starts before Faria claimed victory ahead of Castro. Hicks ended the first round by chasing down John Marquez and narrowly defeating him at the finish line.

The second round started with Castro beating Mike Bloom. McConnell beat Nate Perkins to win the next heat. Harmatiuk won his second straight heat by beating Venegas. Round two ended with Faria being awarded the victory after Fishback found too much grip in turn four, went over backward, and brought out the red flag.

Bloom began round three with an impressive victory. Fishback earned his second win by beating Jason Ramirez in event 28. Neil Facchini held off McConnell to win the next heat. Hicks defeated Venegas to win the final heat. Facchini beat Bloom in a runoff for the final spot in the semis.

Venegas used the pole position in the first semi to his advantage and led Hicks into the main event. Faria won the second semi and was followed into the main by Harmatiuk. The First Division Last Chance race required two restarts before Castro was victorious and claimed the final spot in the main.

In a battle of former youth riders, Austin Novratil led all four laps of the Second Division Main Event to claim the victory. Youth National Champion Brad Pappalardo finished second and Joey Holt was third.

Bruce Marteney put together four smooth laps en route to victory in the Third Division Main Event. Bubba Vazzana was second, Tim McGrath finished third, and DeWayne Stark was fourth.

Gino Manzares won both his heats and defeated Rocco Scopellite in the Youth First Division Main Event.

Samuel Ramirez was victorious in the Youth Second Division Main Event. Nicky Reimer finished second, Maxwell Ruml was third, and Dillon Ruml was fourth.

Reimer beat Jacob Wondolowski to win the Pee Wee Main Event.

National Sidecar Champions Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen led all four laps en route to victory in the Sidecar Main Event. Dave Alexander and Matt Davis were second, Gerard Jackson and Dave German finished third, and Tommy Thornton and Gene Stone were fourth.

Industry Speedway began its sixth season, and second season led by promoters Jeffrey Immediato and former World Champion Bruce Penhall, with a big crowd. The promoters advertised heavily in the weeks leading up to the Season Opener including appearances at the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross event at Glen Helen and having television commercials aired during the Indianapolis 500. This Wednesday’s event is Harley Night and the program will include street-legal Harley races.

RESULTS 

Sidecar Main Event 
1 - Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen
 22 - Dave Alexander/Matt Davis 66 - Gerard Jackson/Dave German
 31 - Tommy Thornton/Gene Stone		(retired) 

Pee Wee Main Event (restarted)
 41 - Nicky Reimer
251 - Jacob Wondolowski 

Youth Second Division Main Event 
22 - Samuel Ramirez 41 - Nicky Reimer
356 - Maxwell Ruml
111 - Dillon Ruml 

Youth First Division Main Event 
21 - Gino Manzares 
9 - Rocco Scopellite

Third Division Consolation 
157 - Tony DeAlmeida 
231 - Gene Stone 
124 - Paul Thornton 
226 - Rick Huspek Third Division Main Event 
242 - Bruce Marteney
274 - Bubba Vazzana
186 - Tim McGrath
268 - DeWayne Stark 

Second Division Consolation (awarded)
141 - Josh Abbott
326 - Mark Lane 
234 - Frank Pecce 
202 - J.C. Masters
266 - Jonni Jade (excluded) 
Second Division Main Event 
181 - Austin Novratil 
145 - Brad Pappalardo 
244 - Joey Holt 
153 - Brad Moreau (non starter) 

First Division Heat Scoring 	1	2 	3 	T (Points: 3-2-1-0-0)
  3 - Gary Hicks 3	1	3	7
  6 - Shawn McConnell 2	3	2	7
  9 - Mike Faria 3	3	1	7
 11 - Bobby Schwartz 1	0	R	1
 13 - Nate Perkins 1	2	1	4
 14 - Eddie Castro 2	3	1	6
 19 - Dale Facchini 0	1	0	1
 22 - Mike Bloom 0	2	3	5
 25 - Jimmy Fishback 3	F	3	6
 41 - John Marquez 2	0	1	3
 43 - Charlie Venegas 2	2	2	6
 66 - Jason Ramirez 1	0	2	3
 86 - Neil Facchini 1	1	3	5
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 3	3	2	8
149 - Philip Harmatiuk 0	0	0	0
184 - Tyson Burmeister 		0	1	0	1
321 - Russell Green 0	2	0	2 

Race Results 8: S.Harmatiuk, McConnell, N.Facchini, Bloom
 9: Fishback, Venegas, Ramirez, D.Facchini, P.Harmatiuk
10: (restarted twice) Faria, Castro, Perkins, Burmeister (penalty line)
11: Hicks, Marquez, Schwartz, Green
19: Castro, Bloom, D.Facchini, Schwartz
20: McConnell, Perkins, Hicks, Ramirez, P.Harmatiuk
21: S.Harmatiuk, Venegas, Burmeister, Marquez
22: (awarded) Faria, Green, N.Facchini, Fishback (fell)
27: Bloom, S.Harmatiuk, Faria, D.Facchini
28: Fishback, Ramirez, Perkins, P.Harmatiuk, Schwartz (retired)
29: N.Facchini,McConnell, Castro, Burmeister 
30: Hicks, Venegas, Marquez, Green

Runoff: N.Facchini, Bloom
Semi #1: Venegas, Hicks, Fishback, McConnell
Semi #2: Faria, S.Harmatiuk, N.Facchini, Castro 

First Division Last Chance (restarted twice)
 14 - Eddie Castro 
 6 - Shawn McConnell
86 - Neil Facchini 
25 - Jimmy Fishback (fell) 

First Division Main Event 
3 - Gary Hicks 
9 - Mike Faria 
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 
14 - Eddie Castro 
43 - Charlie Venegas (retired)