Ventura Raceway
West Harbor Blvd
Ventura, California

Speedway Racing
World Champion, Young Guns and Veterans star at Ventura Opener
March 7, 2015 - Ventura Raceway
From Steve Evans and Paul Flanders Photos

Speedway Bikes returned to 'The Commotion By Ocean' at Ventura for its opening event of 2015, sharing the bill with several Flat Track classes.

Though rider turn out was low, the entertainment was high, taken to unexpected levels when 2014 World Champion Greg Hancock showed up to join in the fun. Hancock ran five simulated full race runs during the evening and his speed left the appreciative crowd applauding loudly after each run. It was a rare opportunity for US fans to see Hancock on perhaps the only circuit in use right now in America that truly approximates a GP race track, and it was his first appearance in front of an audience here in close to 20 years.

In the First Division Class Broc Nicol won all five races in style. His closest rival was Russell Green, both riders were putting in laps to get ready for the coveted AMA National Series Round on June 27th. Bike trouble meant Green did not appear for the last two rides. Hayley Perrault won 4 of the 5 Support Class heats including the Main Event. Ken Thiebaud, after a last first time out, came back to win four in a row to win the Vintage class.

The event was the first of five events at Ventura this season. Four of the events will be mixed with Flat Track and Quads, with the June 27th AMA National Series Speedway round being the only standalone Speedway show. The big banked race track produced exciting and fast action in all Divisions.

Division 1 Main Event
4 Broc Nicol
170 Hayley Perrault
141 Mike Lane
321 Russell Green (non starter)

Support Main
170 Hayley Perrault
246 Bentley Barrett
181 Mike Novratil
254 Chris Mistretta
224 Bander Alexander (non starter)

Vintage Main
63 Ken Thiebaud
163 Ron Davis
247 Pat Smith
9 Dave Tice
55 Ron Brankov
180 Malcolm Roe (fell)
21 Dan Waller (non starter)

Paul Flanders Photos
Russell Green and D1 Main winner Broc Nicol.	Hayley Perault hauled in the D2 Main Event win.
Ken Thiebaud (left) won the vintage class main.	Putty Mills chats with Greg Hancock.
Announcer Chris Ackerman and promoter Steve Evans clown for the camera.	Steve Evans conducts the riders meeting.
Wilbur Hancock served as manager and Doug Nicol served as mechanic for Broc Nicol.	Malcolm Roe chats with Steve Evans.
Greg Hancock and Eddie Castro. Greg put in some solo test laps. Eddie has retired from racing.	Broc Nicol and his new manager Wilbur Hancock.
Ken Thiebaud displays his trophy.	Speedway officials for the evening were Steve Evans, promoter, Steve Graham, finish line flagger, Tom Fox, referee, and Chris Ackerman, announcer.