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Inland Motorcycle Speedway
National Orange Show
San Bernardino, California
Turn 64
The 2010 Western States Speedway Championship
October 2, 2010 - Inland Motorcycle Speedway
An Opinion by Dorcey Wingo©
The last scheduled race at Inland Motorcycle Speedway has come and gone and before I start crying in my French Dip, I’d better tell you what stood out at Saturday’s big event.
When I spotted a bunch of “extra” girls in the pits, I whipped out my new program to verify that the legendary Power Puffs were gearing up to ride, just before the Third Division Consolation race. Some of these gals can really ride a motorcycle! Based on Margo King pouring gas into her small-bore Japanese crotch-rocket nearby, I figured we were in for a treat - in addition to a Star-studded line-up.
From out of town we had #29e Adam Mittl, a winning First Division rider we read about in the East Coast Speedway Bikes race news. Adam rode last week in the Costa Mesa Nationals and would like nothing better than to fly the WSC trophy back to New York.
NorCal rider #40 Tommy Hedden rode to an impressive 4th place at the Nationals but knowing the serious tact that Tommy plies in a sport with no brakes, he was gunning to win this one for Team MX-RC - and himself!
Also coming off a disappointing stint at the 2010 Nationals was Josh Larsen, with a large number “2” on his leathers. An amazing rider with tons of experience, Larsen waits for the right race before he straps on the heavy steel shoe. Though we have seen little of him this year, from what we did see, Josh might win the whole thing.
With #26 Tyson Burmeister and #14 Eddie Castro off with Team USA touring in England, our regular IMS Main Event winners #39 Buck Blair, #9 Mike Faria, #25 Jimmy Fishback and #6 Shawn McConnell planned to take their track experience to the test and keep the trophy in SoCal.
Tyson Talkington had his own share of problems, showing up without any racing leathers. Left them at home, somehow. Fortunately, Gary Hicks was in the Turn One bleachers and willing to loan him his #3 racing leathers, in exchange for Tyson’s first born son, or something to that effect. And in Heat No.1, Talkington beat Bobby Schwartz, Dillon Black and Geoff Herkner to the finish, as if Hicks were in those #3 leathers!
Josh Larsen got a taste of the snakebite in Heat No. 2. Josh putted back to the pit gate after his clutch test. There was a problem with the bike but something happened with his pit crew and he had to hurry to Gate 3 as two minutes elapsed. Whatever the problem was, Josh gated poorly and fell behind early. He would have to make up two points down the line.
Buck Blair went wide in Turn 3 in his first race chasing Mike Faria and was unable to get back in the race. A bad start for Blair, although he would regroup to win his next three races.
Did I mention the track was quite wet at race time? Well it was. As Buck discovered, the outside line was no-man’s-land for several heats. And then the track slowly dried out. Guys like Tommy Hedden, Shawn McConnell and Jimmy Fishback began probing the perimeter for signs of traction. When passing on the outside started paying off, it was a whole new racetrack. [And when Tyson Talkington got his own leathers back, he stopped winning races.]
The Facchini brothers rode together in Event 23, and when you put two determined kid brothers (on brakeless drag-bikes) inside a walled dirt arena, one of them will be heading for the wall in short order. On this occasion, it was older brother Neil who got the wiener. Of course, he had to smack the wall right next to me – showering me in DG.
I had quite a bit of digging to remove the dirt from my Canon and ear canals. Neil was okay, just pissed with his “0” as brother Dale finished with a “2” and no dirt in his clutch.
By the end of the fourth Round, Mike Faria and Tommy Hedden were tied for first at 11 points. Fishback and McConnell were tied for second with 10 points apiece. Larsen, Blair and an impressive Jason Ramirez would be spectators for the four-man “finale,” tied at 9 points each.
Event 37 could have determined the winner, but Jimmy Fishback tucked in behind a fast-gating Mike Faria. Gathering speed at every turn, “Fish” found a passing lane on the outside to the finish line - leaving Hedden and Larsen behind, and forcing a run-off with Faria. Hedden had to be satisfied with Third, and would watch the Runoff from the pit wall.
In the end, it was Jimmy Fishback III racing to the title, having battled a game Mike Faria around the packed IMS track four more times. Mike frankly did an excellent job of staying on the pipe, but Jimmy’s outside line was just a bit faster, carrying The Little Animal over the finish line comfortably ahead, while Jim Fishback II did a tap dance in the infield.
Congratulations Jimmy, you always did run hard when the bucks were on the line. And Mike Faria, you rocked, dude! For both of them, the Speedway gremlins were held at bay. Larsen could tell us all about gremlins, while I begin crying about the winter.
Photos by Dorcey Wingo
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