Inland Motorcycle Speedway
National Orange Show
San Bernardino, California

Speedway Racers Remembrance Night
June 26, 2009 - IMS, San Bernardino
By: Ryan Evans

Jason Ramirez and Tim Gomez gave Southern California speedway fans a glimpse at its future by claiming main event victories on Speedway Racers Remembrance Night at Inland Motorsport Speedway in San Bernardino.

Dukie Ermolenko led the first start of the Scratch Main Event before Jimmy “Little Animal” Fishback found too much traction in turn four, collected Ermolenko, and hit the wall hard. Fishback was up very quickly considering the impact of the crash. Ermolenko was down for several minutes before getting to his feet. Fishback was excluded from the restart and Ermolenko elected not to participate in the restart.

When the tapes went up the second time Ramirez jumped into the lead with Tyson Burmeister challenging on the inside and Tommy Hedden using the deep cushion on the outside. Ramirez and Hedden made it a two-man battle with the riders maintaining their different racing lines for over two laps. The third time into turns three and four Hedden had his best opportunity as Ramirez drifted slightly off his line exiting the corner. Hedden had more momentum but elected to stay wide rather than cutback under the former Youth National Champion. Ramirez still led entering turn one and Hedden went too wide and lost ground. Hedden chased the seventeen year old leader and went for broke in the final corner, but lost ground to Ramirez and gave up his position to Burmeister. Ramirez claimed his first ever Scratch Main Event victory, Burmeister was second, and Hedden took a hard-earned third.

Gomez led the Handicap Main for the first lap before Ramirez took the lead entering turn one the second time. Ramirez looked poised to claim double main event victories but the red flag came out from a crash at the back of the field. Gomez led the last completed lap, therefore, he would start at the front for the restart.

The second attempt saw Ramirez chase Gomez on the inside for two laps before switching his attack to the outside. Ramirez was alongside Gomez entering turn three, but went too deep and fell. Gomez was unchallenged the rest of the way and claimed his first victory of 2009. Neil Facchini finished second, Hedden was third, Buck Blair finished fourth, and Ramirez was fifth.

Burmeister outlasted Facchini, Brad Sauer, and John Marquez to win the Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge.

Josh Abbott fought off a last-lap challenge from Joey Holt to win the Second Division Main Event. Rohn Zellner finished third and Billy Lyons was fourth.

Butch Waymire started the Third Division Main Event from the 20 yard line and used a bold outside move to pass all but one of his competitors in turn one. He then chased down Ralph Chudy and took the lead at the end of lap one. Waymire didn’t look back from there and was first to the checkered flag. Chudy held on for second, Pat Smith finished third, DeWayne Stark was fourth, Rick Huspek finished fifth, Kevin Johnson was sixth, and Hugh Randolph finished seventh.

Bradley Wilson of New Zealand scored an impressive victory in the Youth Main Event. Maxwell Ruml finished second, Jacob Wondolowski was third, and Samuel Ramirez finished fourth.

Wondolowski led all four laps to claim victory in the Pee Wee Main Event. Dakota Shockley finished second and William Ballasteros was credited with third.

Speedway Racers Remembrance Night honored Ernie Roccio, Ken Berry, and Randy Evans. All three riders were fatally injured while racing speedway.

Roccio, a 1951 World Finalist, died on July 23, 1952 from injuries suffered in a crash the night before at West Ham in England.

Berry, a regular on the Southern California speedway circuit, passed away after a crash while racing at Glen Helen on July 19, 1988.

Evans, the 1990 Junior National Champion, suffered massive head injuries from a crash in Victorville on August 26, 1995 and survived over 12 years before succumbing to those injuries on September 26, 2007.

The next event at IMS is the Firecracker Derby Championship sponsored in part by Schlaman’s Heating and Air Conditioning.

RESULTS

Pee Wee Main Event 
251 - Jacob Wondolowski 
 34 - Dakota Shockley 
 7 - William Ballasteros 	(non starter) 

Youth Main Event 
  2 - Bradley Wilson 		10 
356 - Maxwell Ruml 		10 
251 - Jacob Wondolowski 	0 
 22 - Samuel Ramirez 		20	(fell, remounted) 

Third Division Main Event 
363 - Butch Waymire 		20 
362 - Ralph Chudy 		0 
247 - Pat Smith 		10 
268 - DeWayne Stark 		10 
226 - Rick Huspek 		0 
122 - Kevin Johnson 		0 
308 - Hugh Randolph 		0 

Second Division Consolation
177 – Steve Bowen
234 – Frank Pecce
293 – Rick Valdez
136 – Kim Stevens		(non starter)
115 – Mark Baldwin		(non starter)

Second Division Main Event 
141 - Josh Abbott 
244 - Joey Holt 
163 - Rohn Zellner 
 32 - Billy Lyons 

Scott’s Muffler and Headers Match Race (Best of Three)
 40 – Tommy Hedden		2 victories
  9 – Mike Faria		1 victory

Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge 
184 - Tyson Burmeister 
 86 - Neil Facchini 
 21 - Brad Sauer 
 41 - John Marquez 

Handicap Main Event (restarted) 
 30 - Tim Gomez 		20 
 86 - Neil Facchini 		30 
 40 - Tommy Hedden 		40 
 39 - Buck Blair 		40 
 66 - Jason Ramirez 		30	(fell) 
 25 - Jimmy Fishback 		40 	(retired) 
  9 - Mike Faria 		50 	(retired) 
 14 - Eddie Castro 		40	(non starter) 

First Division Last Chance 
 15 - Dukie Ermolenko 
 14 - Eddie Castro 		(engine failure) 
  6 - Shawn McConnell 		(retired) 
 39 - Buck Blair 		(retired) 

Scratch Main Event (restarted) 
 66 - Jason Ramirez 
184 - Tyson Burmeister 
 40 - Tommy Hedden 
 15 - Dukie Ermolenko 		(retired) 
 25 - Jimmy Fishback 		(excluded)