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Legends Night - City of Industry, CA, USA - August 1 Billy "The Bullet" Hamill and Aaron Fox both captured main event victories on Legends Night at Industry Racing. Hamill drew the dreaded gate three for the Scratch Main Event, but still beat the field to turn one. Charlie "The Edge" Venegas chased after the former World Champion with Tyson Burmeister and Fox in tow. Hamill was well aware of the lurking Venegas but kept a comfortable lead throughout the race and was first to the checkered flag. Venegas settled for second, Burmeister was third, and Fox finished fourth. Former Youth National Champion Jason Ramirez started at the front of the Handicap Main Event field but his lead lasted less than a lap as mechanical issues forced him out and Fox took over the lead. Hamill, the only rider starting from the 50 yard line, was carving his way through the field in wholesale fashion while Fox opened up his lead. Hamill, who had a double main event evening earlier in the season, got into second with a lot of ground to make up on the leader. Fox remained steady on the inside line while Hamill ate into the lead mostly by using the outside line. Fox led as they took the white flag and Hamill narrowed the lead dramatically through turns one and two and would try one last effort in the final corner. Fox hugged the pole and Hamill had to go very deep to catch the dirt in turns three and four. Fox got the finish line first and Hamill was a close second with the efforts of both riders loudly praised by the appreciative crowd. Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell was third, Buck Blair finished fourth, and Tyson Talkington was fifth. Davey Shaw, who has a family tree filled with speedway legends, led the Second Division Main Event and was seeking a victory that would prove symbiotic with the theme of the evening. His hopes were dashed when he fell on the second lap and handed the lead to Eloy Medellin. Mike Maely, son of the legendary Ken Maely, went after the new leader. Medellin was unfazed, however, and led to the finish. Maely was second, Tim McGrath finished third, and Shaw was fourth. Dave Troutt led the Third Division Main Event for a lap before Lewis Hughes went by. Hughes never looked back from there and won for the second straight week. Troutt hung on to second place, and Pam "Pinky" Bennett finished third in her first evening at Industry Racing. Max Ruml made the best start in the Youth 250cc Main Event and led all four laps en route to victory. Broc Nicol finished second and Kurtis Hamill was third. Courtney Crone and Maverick Molloy battled handlebar-to-handlebar for the lead in the Youth 200cc Main Event through the first corner with Molloy getting control on the back straight. Molloy led through lap two before Braydan Galvin went around the outside for the lead. Galvin raced away into the horizon for the victory, Crone finished second, Molloy was third, and Dylan Smith finished fourth. "Lightning" Luke Whitcomb started in the back and took three laps to take the lead and the win in the Pee Wee Main Event. Jake Troutt finished second and Nick Dunn was third. Legends Night was well attended by many former racers who have left an indelible mark on speedway in Southern California. Sonny Nutter, "Wild" Bill Cody, and Rick Miller were among more than 20 attendees who were there to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. "Dangerous" Dubb Ferrell, Billy Gray, and Billy Meister were among several racers from the past who also took laps on the track. Track announcer Bruce Flanders, a legend himself, interviewed several of the special guests throughout the evening. The next event at Industry Racing will include the sidecars and the third Last of the Mohicans Last Man Out Challenge. The following week will be Harley Night and will include the street-legal Harley Races. RESULTS Pee Wee Main Event Second Division Main Event Handicap Main Event Scratch Consolation Scratch Main Event Youth 200cc Main Event Youth 250cc Main Event Third Division Main Event Ryan Evans HAMILL & FOX WIN INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY CYCLE MAINS – By Tim Kennedy The 500cc Division 1 scratch main had Charlie Venegas in lane one, two-time 2012 feature winner Tyson Burmeister in lane two, Hamill in lane three and Fox on the outside. Hamill beat Venegas to the first turn and led all four laps over Venegas, Burmeister and Fox in the 29th race of the night. The final race, event 34, was an eight rider, 6-lap handicapped feature. Jason Ramirez started 20 yards from the starting gate. Fox, Tyson Talkington and Steve Russell were 30 yards back. Venegas, Shawn McConnell and Buck Baker started 40 yards from the gate, and two-time Speedway Cycle World champion Hamill was 50 yards back. Ramirez led the crowded field into the third turn as riders maneuvered for positions on the initial lap. The leader suddenly developed an electrical problem, slowed and pulled into the infield. Fox led the first lap over McConnell as Russell and Venegas laid their cycles down in the third corner. Both riders remounted and continued to the finish, but they were down a lap. Charging Hamill was third on lap 2 and he passed McConnell a lap later for second. Hamill, the June 13 winner of both scratch and handicap mains at Industry, chased Fox to the lap 6 checkers, but he was four lengths short of victory. McConnell, Blair, Talkington, Venegas, Russell and Ramirez followed. Blair won a 4-lap scratch consolation race. Eloy Medellin led the final three laps of the 500cc Division 2 main for intermediate level riders. Lewis Hughes, 42, took his second consecutive Industry 500cc Division 3 (rookies) 4-lap main. Max Ruml, 15, led the Youth Division 250cc main all four laps over second generation riders Broc Nicol and Kurtis Hamill. Braydan Galvin started 70 yards back in a five rider field and won the 5-lap Youth 200cc feature after leading all but the first lap. Courtney Crone, 11, was second in her pink leathers. "Lightning" Luke Whitcomb, 6, won his seventh consecutive Industry main for the Pee-Wee Division in a three rider field. He started 50-yards behind his two 4-year old rivals. The fan-favorite with amazing cornering speed took the lead on his 50cc mini cycle with an inside pass in the fourth turn. Legendary speedway riders signing autographs were: Dave Galvin, Billy Gray, Dubb Ferrell, Miss Bobbi Hunter, Billy Meister, "Big" Jim Fishback, Johnny Griffitts, Sammy Tanner, Ryan Evans, Bobby Tocco, Rick Miller, Tommy Burba, Bruce Flanders, Jan Ballard, Steve Gresham, Don Odom, Mike Lupo, Sonny Nutter, "Wild" Bill Cody, Pam Bennett, Gary Hicks, Scott Sivadge, Doug Nicol, Stu Egli, Tumbleweed Walton, Bobby Hardesty, Lee Crecelius, and 80-year old Hugh Randolph. Danny "Berzerko" Becker was unable to attend because of surgery recently. LEGENDS COMPETE: Pam Bennett, who raced in the 1980s, donned her old leathers and raced against the two Division 3 riders present. She finished a close second in her two heat races and third in the Division 3 main. Meister raced in a best of three two lap races with active Division 1 rider Joe Donaldson. He won the final race after trailing Donaldson closely in their first two races. Other speedway cycle legends make solo speed runs on the track from the starting gate. They included Billy Gray, Dick Northrop, Hicks and Meister. Legends Bobby Schwartz, McConnell, Venegas and Donaldson still race each week in Division 1. They came from the pits to the infield and also posed in the group photo taken during an intermission for track preparation. The wild sidecars will return next Wednesday as part of the regular Industry Speedway program of scratch racing for all divisions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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