Inland Motorcycle Speedway
National Orange Show
San Bernardino, California

2009 Denny Pyeatt Memorial
September 11, 2009 - IMS, San Bernardino
By: Ryan Evans

Former National Champion “Flyin” Mike Faria turned in another brilliant performance to capture the Denny Pyeatt Memorial at Inland Motorsport Speedway in San Bernardino.

The five-rider main event was reduced to four when former Youth National Champion Jason Ramirez was excluded for touching the tapes. When the race finally started Faria exploded off the start line and into the lead with Jimmy “Little Animal” Fishback and Gary Hicks chasing him into turn one. Faria led down the back straight while Fishback emerged from turn two in second. Fishback set his sights on the leader and followed him the rest of the way but it was to no avail. Faria was first to the checkered flag, Fishback settled for second, Hicks finished third, Shaun Harmatiuk was fourth, and Ramirez was credited with fifth.

The event honored Pyeatt, who was tragically killed from injuries suffered in a crash at Hackney, England on July 16, 1982. Pyeatt’s crash occurred just one night after he top-scored for Reading with 11 points, including a victory over future World Champion Hans Nielsen. Former World Under 21 Champion Ron Preston, who promoted the Denny Pyeatt Memorial in El Centro several times in the 1980s, supplied the original perpetual trophy so that it can continue to be presented to the event’s winner.

The heats began with Harmatiuk getting a victory over Buck Blair. Faria beat Shawn McConnell in the second heat. Fishback held back Ramirez to win the third heat. Gary Hicks ended round one with a win over Josh Abbott.

Round two started with Faria using the outside to get the lead and a win over Fishback. Harmatiuk beat Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz for his second win. Ramirez beat Gary Hicks in the next heat. Blair beat Gino Manzares to end the second round.

The third round opened with Ramirez and McConnell in an electrifying inside-outside battle. The veteran planted on the inside and the teenager blazing on the outside all four laps with Ramirez just edging ahead at the finish line for the win.

Facchini was leading the next race before being brought down by Hicks who was penalized on the restart. Faria led the restart the entire distance for his third straight victory. Fishback beat Manzares in the next heat for his second win. Blair concluded round three with a win over Eddie Castro.

Schwartz, who was Pyeatt’s teammate and close friend at the time of his tragic crash, opened the final round by beating Brad Pappalardo. Harmatiuk beat Ramirez for his third win. Castro handed Faria his only defeat in the penultimate heat. Fishback ended the heats with a win over Gary Hicks.

Ramirez won the Last Chance with Gary Hicks holding off Blair for second and the final transfer to the main event.

Kyle Hicks got the best start in the Second Division Main Event and never looked back en route to victory. Rick Valdez finished second, Kim Stevens was third, and Ed Lynch finished fourth.

Kris Harlow, who hails from Texas, led the Third Division Main Event until Chris Jones went by exiting turn two the second time. Jones never looked back from there and took the win. Kevin Johnson finished second, Harlow was third, and DeWayne Stark finished fourth.

River McDougall, despite being handicapped about 90 yards, charged from the back to take the lead and the win in the Youth Main Event. Gabe Price finished second and William Ballasteros was third.

Jimmy Fishback IV held off Ballasteros to win the Pee Wee Main Event with Hanna Smith finishing in third.

RESULTS

Pee Wee Main Event
275 - Jimmy Fishback IV
  7 - William Ballasteros
  9 - Hanna Smith

Youth Main Event
  5 - River McDougall
 13 - Gabe Price
  6 - William Ballasteros

Third Division Consolation
211 - Steve Brown
226 - Rick Huspek
257 - Justin Weeks 		(fell, remounted)

Third Division Main Event
116 - Chris Jone
122 - Kevin Johnson
255 - Kris Harlow
268 - DeWayne Stark

Second Division Main Event
103 - Kyle Hicks
293 - Rick Valdez
136 - Kim Stevens
354 - Ed Lynch

First Division Scoring		1	2	3	4	T
  3 – Gary Hicks		3	2	0	2	7
  6 – Shawn McConnell		2	0	2	0	4
  9 – Mike Faria		3	3	3	2	11
 11 – Bobby Schwartz		1	2	1	3	7
 14 – Eddie Castro		R	1	2	3	6
 16 – John DeFries		0	0	1	0	1
 25 – Jimmy Fishback		3	2	3	3	11
 30 – Tim Gomez			R	-	-	-	0
 39 – Buck Blair		2	3	3	1	9
 41 – John Marquez		1	0	0	1	2
 66 – Jason Ramirez		2	3	3	2	10
 86 – Neil Facchini		1	1	1	1	4
139 – Shaun Harmatiuk		3	3	2	3	11
141 – Josh Abbott		2	1	1	0	4
145 – Brad Pappalardo		1	1	0	2	4
221 – Gino Manzares		0	2	2	1	5
293 – Rick Valdez		F	0	N	-	0

Race Results
 1: Harmatiuk, Blair, Marquez, Gomez (retired)
 2: Faria, McConnell, Pappalardo, Manzares
 3: Fishback, Ramirez, Facchini, Castro (retired)
 4: Hicks, Abbott, Schwartz, DeFries
11: Faria, Fishback, Abbott, Valdez (fell)
12: Harmaituk, Schwartz, Castro, McConnell
13: Ramirez, Hicks, Pappalardo, Marquez
14: Blair, Manzares, Facchini, DeFries
21: Ramirez, McConnell, DeFries, Valdez
22: (restarted) Faria, Harmatiuk, Facchini, Hicks (penalty line)
23: Fishback, Manzares, Schwartz, Marquez
24: Blair, Castro, Abbott, Pappalardo
27: Schwartz, Pappalardo, Facchini, Valdez (non starter)
28: Harmatiuk, Ramirez, Manzares, Abbott
29: Castro, Faria, Marquez, DeFries
30: Fishback, Hicks, Blair (tape penalty), McConnell (fell, remounted)

First Division Last Chance
 66 - Jason Ramirez
  3 - Gary Hicks
 39 - Buck Blair
 14 - Eddie Castro
 11 - Bobby Schwartz 		(retired)

Denny Pyeatt Memorial Main Event
  9 - Mike Faria
 25 - Jimmy Fishback
  3 - Gary Hicks
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk
 66 - Jason Ramirez 		(tape exclusion)