Victorville Speedway
San Bernardino County Fairgrounds
Victorville, California

2010 Spring Classic
April 3, 2010 - Victorville
By: Ryan Evans

Gary Hicks capped an excellent evening of racing by capturing the Spring Classic Main Event at Wheel2Wheel Raceway in Victorville.

Hicks and Jimmy Fishback both entered the main event with 11 points, but Fishback held first gate choice since he had defeated Hicks earlier in the evening. Fishback chose gate three and Hicks decided to start one spot inside in gate two. After careful consideration Buck Blair chose gate one which left Jason Ramirez with gate four.

Hicks left the starting line first when the tapes went up but Fishback was planted on his right hip. Hicks held the lead on the back straight but Fishback tried to use the steep Wheel2Wheel banking to swoop around the outside of the leader. Hicks subtly moved into Fishback’s line to take away his momentum at the end of lap one. Hicks remained low with the former Youth National Champion trying to muster enough speed on the outside to take the lead. All of Fishback’s efforts proved fruitless, however, as Hicks held him back the rest of the way for the victory. Blair finished third and Ramirez was fourth.

The first heat required three tries with Fishback being penalized for the third attempt. Former National Champion Charlie “The Edge” Venegas was handily leading when his bike sputtered to a halt. Venegas’s troubles allowed Fishback to take his first win of the evening.

Blair led the second heat for two laps before Hicks blasted underneath exiting turn four to take the lead and start his evening off victoriously.

Heat 16 saw Venegas’s miserable evening continue as he suffered a broken chain while Hicks raced away with his second straight win. Fishback kept pace with Hicks by notching his second victory in the next heat.

Fishback and Hicks waged a magnificent four-lap battle in heat 20 with the riders tussling just inches apart at times. Fishback got the better of Hicks to remain the only undefeated rider. Ramirez scored a blistering victory ahead of Blair while Venegas’s disaster of an evening continued from another mechanical failure.

Hicks defeated Blair to earn his third win of the evening. Fishback looked like he was going to stay perfect but Venegas went high along the banking in turn four and made an incredible pass to overtake the leader and took the win.

Dylan Black and Ramirez were the first two riders eliminated in the Signify Designs Last Man Out Challenge leaving Venegas and Blair for the two-lap final challenge. Blair made the best start but Venegas went to work on the outside and found enough grip in turns three and four to propel him past the Colorado native at the end of lap one. Blair had no answer and Venegas took the win.

Rick Fehrman led the Second Division Main Event into turn one before Kyle Hicks flew past him on the back straight for the lead. The fourth-generation racer never looked back and went on to the victory. Fehrman held onto second, Tim McGrath finished third, and Michael Raines was fourth.

McGrath put together four smooth laps to win the Third Division Main Event. John Pavia finished second, Tony DeAlmeida was third, Kevin Johnson finished fourth, and Jake Myers was fifth.

Ally McGrath narrowly edged Summer Fehrman at the finish line to win the Pee Wee/Powderpuff Main Event. Dakota Shockley finished third.

National Champions Joe Jones and Jimmy Olsen won three of their four heats and scored a dominant victory in the Sidecar Main Event. Brian Motis and Dave German finished second, Kevin Brown and Matt Davis were third, and Dylan Beard and Edwin Soto were fourth.

The next speedway event at Wheel2Wheel Raceway will be its traditional Memorial Day Weekend event, the Eliminapolis 500, on Saturday, May 29.

RESULTS

Sidecar Main Event
  1 - Joe Jones/Jimmy Olsen
 66 - Brian Motis/Dave German
 16 - Kevin Brown/Matt Davis
5150 - Dylan Beard/Edwin Soto

Pee Wee/Powderpuff Main Event
186 - Ally McGrath
  8 - Summer Fehrman
 34 - Dakota Shockley

Youth Main Event
999 - Major Davis

Third Division Main Event
186 - Tim McGrath
355 - John Pavia
157 - Tony DeAlmeida
122 - Kevin Johnson
175 - Jake Myers

Second Division Main Event
103 - Kyle Hicks
240 - Rick Fehrman
186 - Tim McGrath
259 - Michael Raines 		(fell)

Signify Designs Last Man Out Challenge
 43 - Charlie Venegas
 39 - Buck Blair
 66 - Jason Ramirez
201 - Dylan Black

First Division Main Event
  3 - Gary Hicks
 25 - Jimmy Fishback
 39 - Buck Blair
 66 - Jason Ramirez