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Victorville Speedway
San Bernardino County Fairgrounds
Victorville, California
2010 Dream Team Fun-Racer
March 6, 2010 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans
YouTube Main Event
Josh Abbott showed why he was selected for the USA Dream Team by winning the main event at the Dream Team Fun-Racer at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.
Abbott, starting the main event from gate two, and former Under 21 National Champion Neil Facchini entered turn one side-by-side. Their battle continued down the back straight with Abbott on the inside and Facchini on the high line. Facchini’s fight ended in turn three when he hit a hole and went down. Tim Gomez picked up where Facchini left off by pressuring Abbott on the front straight. Gomez tried high and low to get past the leader but couldn’t find a way around him. Abbott was first to the checkered flag, followed by Gomez and Gino Manzares to make it a Dream Team one-two-three. Facchini remounted and finished fourth. The victory was Abbott’s first in the top division.
The Dream Team Fun-Racer was a charity event to raise funds for the 5th Anniversary USA Dream Team tour of Britain. The Dream Team is made up of seven riders who aspire to race speedway professionally in Europe. The two-week tour will include six race events during which the racers hope to impress the promoters enough to earn a British League contract.
The event had a rough start when Austin Novratil and Joey Holt both went down in turn three. A bent machine and sore back ended Novratil’s day. Abbott won the restart ahead of Steve Bowen. Rick Valdez defeated Gino Manzares in event two. Rick Fehrman ended round one with a surprise victory.
Holt began round two with a win over Brad Pappalardo. Abbott made it two wins in a row in the next event. Gomez finished the second round by holding off Manzares for his first win.
Pappalardo opened the final round by deftly fighting off the challenge of Facchini. Holt got his second straight win by beating Rohn Zellner. Gomez and Manzares had an excellent wheel-to-wheel battle in the final heat with Manzares getting a narrow victory.
Pappalardo led the first semi before a crash behind him forced a restart. Gomez and Abbott made the most of the second chance and they finished one-two and claimed spots in the main. Facchini led the second semi wire-to-wire with Manzares getting a gift second when Holt fell in the final corner.
The Consolation required three starts, but Pappalardo led all three attempts, including the one that counted, to close out his day with a victory.
Rick Fehrman got the best start and never looked back en route to a triumph in the Second Division Main Event. Zellner finished second, Bowen was third, Brandon Leedy finished fourth, and Steve Dziadus was fifth.
Rick Howard led the Third Division Main Event for a lap before Mike Fuson took over the lead. Fuson faced heat from Tony DeAlmeida but never relinquished the lead and was first to the checkered flag. DeAlmeida settled for second, Kevin Johnson was third, Howard was fourth, and Rick Huspek finished fifth.
The Youth Division could’ve easily been dubbed the Ruml Brothers Show as Maxwell Ruml defeated Gabe Price to win the Youth First Division Main Event and Dillon Ruml beat Michael Wells to capture the Youth Second Division Main Event.
Nick Varner won both heats and claimed the Pee Wee Main Event. Wells finished second, Summer Fehrman was third, Dakota Shockley finished fourth, and Keelan Venegas was fifth.
The Dream Team Fun-Racer was the first event of the 2010 season at Wheel2Wheel Raceway. The next event at the Victorville facility will be Moran Brothers Tribute Night on Saturday, March 20. The event will honor the dynamic Kelly and Shawn Moran. Shawn, the 1983 World Long Track Champion and U.S. National Champion, will be in attendance. Kelly will be unable to attend due to his ongoing health issues.
RESULTS
Pee Wee Main Event
3 – Nick Varner
214 – Michael Wells
8 – Summer Fehrman
34 – Dakota Shockley
43 – Keelan Venegas
Youth Second Division Main Event
111 – Dillon Ruml
214 – Michael Wells
Youth First Division Main Event
356 – Maxwell Ruml
13 – Gabe Price
Third Division Main Event
245 – Mike Fuson 10
157 – Tony DeAlmeida 20
122 – Kevin Johnson 20
188 – Rick Howard 10
226 – Rick Huspek 10
Second Division Last Chance
151 – Brandon Leedy
208 – Geoff Herkner
122 – Kevin Johnson
Second Division Main Event
240n – Rick Fehrman
163 – Rohn Zellner
177 – Steve Bowen
151 – Brandon Leedy
212 – Steve Dziadus (engine failure)
First Division Scoring 1 2 3 T
24 – Gino Manzares 2 2 3 8
30 – Tim Gomez N 3 3 6
86 – Neil Facchini 1 2 2 5
141 – Josh Abbott 3 3 1 7
145 – Brad Pappalardo 1 2 3 6
163 – Rohn Zellner 2 0 2 4
177 – Steve Bowen 2 0 N 2
181 – Austin Novratil Nr - - 0
201 – Dylan Black 0 1 0 1
240n – Rick Fehrman 3 1 1 5
244 – Joey Holt 1 3 3 7
293 –Rick Valdez 3 1 1 5
Race Results
1: (restarted twice) Abbott, Bowen, Holt (retired), Novratil (non starter – restart)
2: Valdez, Manzares, Pappalardo, Black (fell, remounted)
3: Fehrman, Zellner, Facchini (retired), Gomez (non starter)
7: Holt, Pappalardo, Fehrman, Zellner
8: Abbott, Facchini (fell, remounted), Black (fell, remounted)
9: Gomez, Manzares, Valdez, Bowen
13: Pappalardo, Facchini, Abbbott, Black
14: Holt, Zellner, Fehrman, Bowen (non starter)
15: Manzares, Gomez, Valdez
Semi #1: (restarted) Gomez, Abbott, Pappalardo, Fehrman (fell, remounted)
Semi #2: Facchini, Manzares, Valdez, Holt
First Division Consolation (restarted twice)
145 – Brad Pappalardo
244 – Joey Holt
240n – Rick Fehrman (fell, remounted)
293 – Rick Valdez (non starter – restart)
First Division Main Event
141 – Josh Abbott
30 – Tim Gomez
24 – Gino Manzares
86 – Neil Facchini (fell, remounted)
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