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Victorville Speedway
Wheel2Wheel Raceway
San Bernardino County Fairgrounds
Victorville, California
Valley-Hi Team Racing Championship
July 25, 2009 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans
Eddie Castro won the First Division Main Event and the Victorville Vikings and Ridgecrest Aces raced to a 39-39 tie at the Valley-Hi Team Racing Championship at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
Castro got the best start in the main event while previously-undefeated Jason Ramirez found himself in last as they entered turn one. Castro tried to break away from the pack while Ramirez quickly went to the outside and passed Philip Harmatiuk then Gino Manzares to get into third. The former Youth National Champion then went to work on second but couldn’t find a way past Austin Novratil. Castro cruised to the victory, Novratil finished second, Ramirez was third, Manzares finished fourth, and Harmatiuk was fifth.
The Last Man Out Challenge brought the same five riders to the tapes. Harmatiuk was eliminated first, then Manzares, followed by Novratil. Castro used the outside to get the lead on the first lap of the final challenge. On the second and final lap, though, Castro switched to the inside and Ramirez wisely went to the cushion entering the final corner. Castro looked back in turn three to locate Ramirez, but he was making a big swoop around the outside. Ramirez had more momentum exiting the final corner and beat Castro to the line for the win.
The team competition opened with Ramirez getting the win in a drawn heat. Drew Coats won the next team heat, but the match remained a draw. Butch Waymire and Tim McGrath won the next two team heats that each went 4-2 for the Vikings. Ramirez and Novratil then scored an impressive 5-1 for the Aces to tie the match. Frank Pecce won a drawn heat which was followed by another drawn heat that was won by Castro which left the score tied at 21 at the intermission.
McGrath and Rick Fritch teamed for a Viking 5-1 and that was followed by a Waymire-Rick Fehrman 5-1 to give the Vikings at 31-23 lead. Mike Schultz was victorious and Jason Ramirez led consecutive Ace 4-2 heats to close their deficit to four points. McGrath won a drawn heat which left the score at 38-34 prior to the final heat.
Ramirez jumped into the lead and was followed by Manzares with Novratil in third and Castro at the back. The Vikings could secure the match victory by either Manzares holding his position or Castro getting by Novratil. Castro couldn’t make up ground on Novratil who was now pressuring Manzares. Novratil made his way past on lap three, and coupled with Ramirez’s victory, was able to force a 39-39 tie.
The first start of the Second Division Main Event ended on the back straight when Rick Fehrman got too sideways and collected Pecce. The red flag came out again on the second start when Pecce went down in turn three. Coats got the best start on the third attempt and ran away with the victory. Jeff Remington finished second, Rick Fehrman was third, and Waymire finished fourth.
Michelle Fehrman led the Third Division Main Event before McGrath came roaring around the outside for the lead at the end of lap one. McGrath never looked back and was first to the checkered flag. Michelle Fehrman finished second, Schultz was third, and Jonathan Chavez finished fourth.
Jacob Wondolowski led the Youth Main Event for a lap, but Nicky Reimer went by on the back straight for the lead. Reimer ran away from there and claimed the victory. Wondolowski finished second and Erika Lyons was third.
Wondolowski and Reimer engaged in an entertaining side-by-side battle in the Pee Wee Main Event. Wondolowski mustered just enough speed coming out of the final corner to beat Reimer to the finish. Brandon Rhea was third, Lyons finished fourth, Summer Fehrman was fifth, Dakota Shockley finished sixth, and Jeremiah Watson was seventh.
Cassi Novratil led all four laps to claim victory in the Powder Puff Main Event. Summer Fehrman finished second, Ally McGrath was third, and Julie Shockley finished fourth.
The next event at Wheel2Wheel Raceway is the 2009 Track Championship on Saturday, August 8.
RESULTS
Powder Puff Main Event
288 – Cassi Novratil
8 – Summer Fehrman
186 – Ally McGrath
81 – Julie Shockley
77 – Erika Lyons (retired)
Pee Wee Main Event
251 – Jacob Wondolowski
41 – Nicky Reimer
9 – Brandon Rhea
77 – Erika Lyons
8 – Summer Fehrman
34 – Dakota Shockley
3 – Jeremiah Watson
Youth Main Event
41 – Nicky Reimer 30
251 – Jacob Wondolowski 0
77 – Erika Lyons 0
Third Division Main Event
186 – Tim McGrath 30
223n – Michelle Fehrman 0
292 – Mike Schultz 20
323n – Jonathan Chavez 0
288 – Rick Fritch 20 (non starter)
Second Division Main Event (restarted twice)
195 – Drew Coats
252 – Jeff Remington
240n – Rick Fehrman (penalty line)
363 – Butch Waymire
234 – Frank Pecce (non starter)
Victorville Vikings 1 2 3 4 5 T (39)
1 – Eddie Castro 2 1 3 0 6
2 – Gino Manzares 1’ 0 2 1 4+1
3 – Philip Harmatiuk 2 0 0 2
4 – Rick Fehrman 1’ 2 2’ 5+2
5 – Butch Waymire 3 1’ 3 7+1
6 – Rick Fritch 1 2’ 2 5+1
7 – Tim McGrath 3 3 3 9
8 – Michelle Fehrman 1 0 0 1
Ridgecrest Aces 1 2 3 4 5 T (39)
1 – Jason Ramirez 3 3 3 3 12
2 – Austin Novratil 0 2’ 2 2’ 6+2
3 – Drew Coats 3 1’ 1 5+1
4 – Frank Pecce 0 3 F 3
5 – Jeff Remington 0 0 1 1
6 – Mike Schultz 2 2 0 3 2 9
7 – Rider Replacement
8 – Jonathan Chavez 0 1 1 1 3
Race Results
4: Ramirez, Castro, Manzares, Novratil (3-3) (3-3)
6: Coats, Harmatiuk, R.Fehrman, Pecce (3-3) (6-6)
8: Waymire, Schultz, Fritch, Remington (4-2) (10-8)
10: McGrath, Schultz, M.Fehrman, Chavez (4-2) (14-10)
12: Ramirez, Novratil, Castro, Manzares (fell, remounted) (1-5) (15-15)
14: Pecce, R.Fehrman, Waymire, Remington (3-3) (18-18)
19: Castro, Novratil, Coats, Harmatiuk (3-3) (21-21)
21: (restarted) McGrath, Fritch, Chavez, Schultz (5-1) (26-22)
23: Waymire, R.Fehrman, Remington, Pecce (fell) (5-1) (31-23)
25: Schultz, Fritch, Chavez, M.Fehrman (2-4) (33-27)
27: Ramirez, Manzares, Coats, Harmatiuk (2-4) (35-31)
29: McGrath, Schultz, Chavez, M.Fehrman (3-3) (38-34)
31: Ramirez, Novratil, Manzares, Castro (1-5) (39-39)
Last Man Out Challenge
66 – Jason Ramirez
14 – Eddie Castro
181 – Austin Novratil
221 – Gino Manzares
149 – Philip Harmatiuk
First Division Main Event
14 – Eddie Castro
181 – Austin Novratil
66 – Jason Ramirez
221 – Gino Manzares
149 – Philip Harmatiuk
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