The PAS
Perris Motor Speedway
Lake Perris Fairgrounds
Perris, California

2013 AMA Long Track National
July 27, 2013 - The PAS
By: Steve Evans - Photos by Paul Flanders and Michael Phipps - MSD Photos

Manzares lands AMA National Long Track Crown!

Nineteen year old USA World Cup star Gino Manzares completed the most memorable month of his speedway career by landing his biggest title so far; the 2013 AMA Long Track National Championship at PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY, California on July 27th. Prior to this he has finished 3rd in Round 1 of the AMA Nationals at Ventura and then gone on to Europe to race for Team USA in the Speedway World Cup who placed 5th overall, their highest ranking since 2001.

The race, which attracted a very good sized crowd, was held on the 466 yard Perris track that had not seen a Speedway event in 3 years, but judging by the response of the riders, fans and management, it won't be so long before the next! The track was well prepared and the ultra professional race crew ran an extremely smooth show.

Manzares won all four his qualifying heats to be the top scorer on a full house of 20 points. This gave him first gate pick for the Main Event and he led the other five competitors into turn 1 after the tapes rose. His closest challenger in turns 1 and 2 was 3 time AMA National Champion (Youth / U21) Austin Novratil who kept very close until a lock up relegated him to fourth place behind Buck Blair and Mike Faria. Novratil did not give up the challenge and picked off first Faria and Blair to get back to 2nd place, but by then Manzares had established a big lead which would not be relinquished. Blair came in 3rd place, Faria 4th, Eddie Castro, who served as Grand Marshall 5th and Jason Ramirez, who had impressed all night in 6th.

Ramirez led the first heat before Manzares charged by at the end of lap one to take the lead. Heat two saw the much favored Aaron Fox lead home a very impressive Tyson Talkington in only his 3rd event on a European sized track. Blair (fall / exclusion) and Castro (tapes) both zeroed out! Austin Novratil led home and passed veteran Mike Faria in heat 3, Fox fell while out in front on lap 2. Ramirez led home Blair and Castro to lay down a marker in heat 4. Manzares won heat 5 from Blair, Ramirez having a costly retirement, with Castro beating Faria in the over 50's battle in heat 6. Kayle LeoGrande recorded 3rd in this heat, steadily putting down points that saw him end a career best night 8th in the standings. Heat 7 saw Blair lead home Novratil and Faria with Fox's championship bid turning into a nightmare with a retirement and a second consecutive 0. Manzares went 3 for 3 in heat 8 leading home Ramirez, Talkington and Neil Facchini. Manzares kept the trend going by winning heat 9 with Novratil and LeoGrande next in line. The 10th and final heat was won by Grand Marshall Castro from Faria and Fox - Castro's 2nd win put him straight into the final on the count back rule, with Faria (15 points), Novratil (16) and Manzares (20) joining as automatics.

Scorers 5-10 went to a semi final with only two making the big final race. It was Blair who came out the winner, edging friend and rival Ramirez on the line though both transferred. Talkington was the unlucky rider in third place from LeoGrande, Facchini and another retirement from Fox who had a nightmare evening by his own recent high standards. Perhaps the only rider with worse luck than Fox was 16 year old World Cup reserve Max Ruml who could not make the show after suffering bike problems in the pits pre race.

Aside from the Long Track National there were 12 other races for three divisions on the smooth moving race card. 8 riders made up the Support Class. Heat 1 went to Mitch Pierson by a mile, with 'Rowdy' Ron Davis winning the second. Pierson was a faller in heat 3 but managed to get back up to 2nd. Chris Wiggins, the winner joined Pierson and Davis on 9 points from the heats and each of them were thus straight to the Main. The other 5 riders raced a semi final for the last three spots, that race was won by Tony DeAlmeida who led Jeremy Dunn and Dave Trout into the Main. Eliminated riders were Rick Howard and Ricky Carlisle. The final saw Pierson once more come out on top from Davis and Wiggins.

The 250cc Junior class had four riders and all put on some stellar races. Broc Nicol won heat 1 but he was taken by surprise by a very fast Dryden Gale who led most of the race. Next time out Nicol won again from Samuel Ramirez and they repeated this finish order in the final with Dillon Ruml third.

The Sidecars had three entries and came out four times. Heat 1 and 2 were won by National Champions Joe Jones and Johnny Glover, though they lost their unbeaten run in heat 3 which was won by Dual Anderson and Ethan Smith. Jones and Glover however were back to winning ways in the final, from Bryan Motis and Bob Dent.

The race at Perris Auto Speedway was the 2nd of 4 races that make up the '2013 AMA Elite Series events.' Next up is a one off return to the super fast and banked 1/8 mile track in Victorville for Round 2 of the AMA National Series on Sunday 22nd September. The fourth and final race will be Round 3 at Fast Fridays Speedway in Auburn on 27th September.

Results:

AMA Long Track National Championship Main Event
24 - Gino Manzares
27 - Austin Novratil
39 - Buck Blair
9 - Mike Faria
14 - Eddie Castro
66 - Jason Ramirez

Semi Final
39 - Buck Blair
66 - Jason Ramirez
48 - Tyson Talkington
185 - Kayle LeoGrande
86 - Neil Facchini
46 - Aaron Fox (ret)

Heat Points -Gino Manzares 20 (maximum), Austin Novratil 16, Mike Faria 15, Eddie Castro 13, Buck Blair 13, Jason Ramirez 13, Tyson Talkington 12, Kayle LeoGrande 10, Aaron Fox 8, Neil Facchini 8, Justin Boyle 7, Jamison Dilkey 7, Gabe Price 3, Nick Dion 3, Max Ruml DNR.

SUPPORT CLASS MAIN
192 - Mitch Pierson
163 - Ron Davis
282 - Chris Wiggins
157 - Tony DeAlmeida
376 - Jeremy Dunn
210 - Dave Troutt (ret)

Semi
157 - Tony DeAlmeida
376 - Jeremy Dunn
210 - Dave Troutt
188 - Rick Howard
257 - Ricky Carlisle

250cc Junior Main Event
1 - Broc Nicol
22 - Samuel Ramirez
111 - Dillon Ruml
73 - Dryden Gayle

Sidecar Main Event
1 - Joe Jones / Johnny Glover
2 - Bryan Motis / Bob Dent
007 - Dual Anderson / Ethan Smith

Steve Evans dreamteamspeedway@sbcglobal.net

Michael Phipps - MSD Photos

	Paul Flanders Photos
Broc Nicol dominated in the 250cc Junior class while Gino Manzares smoked the competition for the Long Track National Championship.	Mitch Pierson took the Support Class main win.	Austin Novratil placed 2nd in the First Division main.
Buck Blair was 3rd in the main.	Flying Mike Faria flew into 4th place.	Fast Eddie Castro served as Grand Marshal and finished in 5th place in the main.
Preston Petty brought out his electric powered Zero motorcycle for a demo ride.	Preston Petty's electric bike cut some fast laps during his demo ride.	Dryden Gayle was looking really good in the 250cc Juniors.
Joe Jones and Johnny Glover won the sidecar main.	Jim Williams represented the AMA to award Gino Manzares the #1 plate as the National Long Track Champion.	Sammy Ramirez and Dillon Ruml made up some great four rider races in the 250cc Juniors.