Industry Racing
The Grand Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California
Laidlaw's Harley Davidson Night
July 13, 2016 - Industry Racing
Thanks to Ryan Evans and Tim Kennedy
Results from Industry Racing and are Continued Below...
Laidlaw's Harley Davidson Night - Industry Racing - July 13 - Ryan Evans
Luke “Little Missile” Becker scored his biggest victory in his brief professional speedway career by winning the Scratch Main Event on Laidlaw’s Harley Davidson Night at Industry Racing.
“Mad” Max Ruml entered the Scratch Main Event perfect and when he left the starting line first it looked like his evening would end unblemished. Becker made a deft cutback move as they exited turn two and took the lead on the back straight. Max Ruml would also give up second place to veteran Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell, whose age exceeded the combined ages of his competitors in this race. The veteran chased the 17 year old leader the entire distance but the youngster remained calm under pressure. Becker wrapped up his maiden victory when he crossed the line first, McConnell had to settle for second, Max Ruml finished third, and Gage Geist came in fourth in his first Scratch Main Event at Industry Racing. Becker’s victory made him the third first-time winner this season.
Tyson Talkington led the opening race for a lap before Dillon Ruml slipped past for the lead and the win. Geist scored an impressive victory over Becker and McConnell in event two. Max Ruml began his evening with a win ahead of Broc Nicol. Aaron Fox finished the first round by beating Northern California’s Bob Hicks.
Geist led the first race of the second round for a lap before Nicol used the cushion to take the lead and his first win. Dillon Ruml won his second race ahead of Becker. McConnell held off Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz to win event 15. Max Ruml went around the outside of Fox on the first lap to close round two with his second win in a row.
Hicks started the final round by defeating McConnell. Nicol beat Dillon Ruml for his second straight win. Max Ruml used the dirt on the outside to pass Geist and remain perfect. Fox made the best start in the final heat but Becker cut back to take the lead exiting turn two and led to the finish.
Max Ruml made it four wins in a row in the first semi with Geist following him in to the main. Becker and McConnell finished one-two in the second semi and transferred to the main.
David Lynch led the first two laps of the Second Division Main Event before Rick “The Rage” Valdez took the lead. Harold Hartke then challenged Valdez on the outside. Hartke remained close for a lap but went too wide and allowed Joey Donaldson to get past. Valdez remained in front the rest of the way for his first victory of the season. Donaldson came in second, Hartke was third, and Lynch finished fourth.
George Yates led the Third Division Main Event but had Brent Smith challenging on his outside. Smith went around Yates for the lead as they completed lap one. Smith then dropped to the inside and ran away with the victory. Steve “Beach Ball” Brown finished second, Kevin “Rip” Fife was third, Yates finished fourth, and Dennis Osmer was fifth.
Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese held off the persistent challenge of National Champion Colton Hicks to win the Junior 250 Main Event. Skylar Schnakenberg finished third.
Rachel Schnakenberg led all five laps en route to her first victory in the Mini 150 Second Division Main Event. Gavin Geist finished second, Andrew Russell was third, last week’s winner Jose Navarrete finished fourth, and Cole Ayers was fifth.
Kristian Daniel chased down Levi Leutz and went around him for his fifth Pee Wee Main Event win of the season. Gavin Dryfka was third, Conner Salazar finished fourth, Ken Matsudaira was fifth, and Dakota Black finished sixth.
Charlie Davis and Josh Bennett led the Sidecar Main Event for a lap before Russell Mitchell and Dana Catone took the lead. Mitchell, who is from Australia, piloted his machine to the victory along with Catone. Davis and Bennett held on to second, Jeff Medberry and Niki Davis were third, and Joe Jones and Chris Jones finished fourth.
RESULTS
Sidecar Main Event
97 - Russell Mitchell/Dana Catone
13 - Charlie Davis/Josh Bennett
44 - Jeff Medberry/Niki Davis
1 - Joe Jones/Chris Jones (retired)
Pee Wee Main Event
46 - Kristian Daniel Jr. 10
3 - Levi Leutz 0
6 - Gavin Dryfka 0
5 - Conner Salazar 0
74 - Ken Matsudaira 0
503 - Dakota Black 0
Mini 150 Second Division Main Event
5 - Rachel Schnakenberg 0
33 - Gavin Geist 10
96 - Andrew Russell 0
48 - Jose Navarrete 10
116 - Cole Ayers 0
25 - Travis Horn 20 (non starter)
Mini 150 First Division Main Event
3 - Slater Lightcap
Junior 250 Main Event
18 - Sebastian Palmese
1 - Colton Hicks
8 - Skylar Schnakenberg
Third Division Main Event
103 - Brent Smith 10
211 - Steve Brown 10
311 - Kevin Fife 10
136 - George Yates 0
303 - Dennis Osmer 0
215 - Greg Willis 0 (non starter)
Second Division Main Event
293 - Rick Valdez
37 - Joey Donaldson
290 - Harold Hartke
131 - David Lynch
First Division Heat Scoring 1 2 3 T
4 – Broc Nicol 2 3 3 8
5 – Max Ruml 3 3 3 9
6 – Shawn McConnell 1 3 2 6
9 – Mike Faria 1 1 1 3
10 – Gage Geist 3 2 2 7
11 – Bobby Schwartz 1 2 1 4
22 – Dalton Leedy 1 0 0 1
22n – Luke Becker 2 2 3 7
46 – Aaron Fox 3 2 2 7
48 – Tyson Talkington 2 1 1 4
60 – Dave Clark 0 0 0 0
90 – Niall Strudwick 0 1 0 1
111 – Dillon Ruml 3 3 2 8
345 – Ricky Richards T 0 1 1
808n – Bob Hicks 2 1 3 6
Race Results
1: D.Ruml, Talkington, Leedy
2: Geist, Becker, McConnell, Richards (tape exclusion)
3: M.Ruml, Nicol, Schwartz, Clark
4: Fox, Hicks, Faria, Strudwick
13: Nicol, Geist, Hicks, Leedy
14: D.Ruml, Becker, Faria, Clark
15: McConnell, Schwartz, Strudwick
16: M.Ruml, Fox, Talkington, Richards
27: Hicks, McConnell, Talkington, Clark
28: Nicol, D.Ruml, Richards, Strudwick
29: M.Ruml, Geist, Faria
30: Becker, Fox, Schwartz, Leedy
Semi #1: M.Ruml, Geist, Fox, Hicks
Semi #2: Becker, McConnell, Nicol, D.Ruml
Scratch Consolation
111 - Dillon Ruml
4 - Broc Nicol
808n - Bob Hicks
46 - Aaron Fox
Scratch Main Event
22n - Luke Becker
6 - Shawn McConnell
5 - Max Ruml
10 - Gage Geist
BECKER WINS INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY FEATURE – By Tim Kennedy
Industry, CA., Jul. 13 – Rising speedway star Luke “Lil' Missile” Becker, 17, came south solo to race in Wednesday's Industry Speedway event at the Grand Arena on Laidlaw's Harley Night with 1,409 spectators present. He lived up to his nickname by launching his No. 22n from the outside lane into an immediate lead on the opening lap. He led all four laps and won his first scratch 500cc Division 1 feature at Industry by three lengths in round seven of 14. Becker has won Division 1 features this season at Ventura and Perris within the last three months. He also won two Division 1 handicapped main events in 2015 at Industry and his home track in Auburn.
Perhaps the weekly printed program given free to spectators was psychic. This week it pictured Becker broad-sliding his bike on the cover. Additional first place money he earned will help him fund his July 21 departure from San Francisco to Europe. His absent mentor Billy Janniro did not ride south with him to race at Industry this week. The winning duo will race two weeks as part of the five rider Team USA in 2016 Speedway World Team Championship events in Sweden and England.
Movie stuntman Shawn “Mad-Dog” McConnell, 57, started from lane three and had an inspired inside run. Runner-up was his best feature finish this season. Pole starter Max Ruml, 19, ran his Jawa on the outside all the way. He was second for two laps before yielding the position to determined McConnell on lap 3 in the fourth turn. Ruml fought back and trailed McConnell by one length at the finish. Gage Geist, 17, started in lane two in his first Industry main this year. He ran fourth all four laps and trailed Ruml by three lengths.
Dillon Ruml, 17, led every lap on his No. 111 Jawa in the Division 1 consolation “money only” race after starting from lane three. He edged pole starter Broc Nicol. Fast Friday's Speedway in Auburn rider Bob Hicks and Aaron Fox placed third and fourth. Fox started next to the wall and tried to storm into the lead on the outside, but his first lap charge was blocked by two-wide traffic; he ran in P. 4 every lap.
Fifteen Division 1 500cc riders raced three rounds of heats. M. Ruml had the only perfect score of nine points after his three victories. Three riders—Nicol, Fox and D. Ruml—scored eight points with two wins and a second. Geist had a win and two seconds for 7 points. It required six points to qualify for the pair of semi-finals, which sent the top two finishers in each race to the feature. McConnell, Becker and Hicks grabbed the coveted final starting positions for the feature. Both races had intense racing duels.
SIDECARS: With seven 1,000cc sidecar teams present, driver Russell Mitchell, a 54-year old visitor from Perth, Australia, teamed with Dana Catone, a 24-year old sidecar “swinger” from Chino Hills, to score a memorable victory on his first visit to Industry. They won one of two heat races. Catone tumbled out of her sidecar and onto the track on the backstretch on the first lap of their other heat. She rose quickly and showing grit made the complete restart. Mitchell/Catone finished third and scored enough points to make the four rig feature.
As team No. 97 Mitchell drove one of his “Mitch” frames owned by sidecar USA champion Joe Jones. It is a backup for his No. 1 and both No. 1 sidecars raced in the feature. Mitchell started his 1,000cc Suzuki from the second lane, took the lead on lap 1 in the second turn, and led all four laps. Sidecars race in a clockwise direction as opposed to the counter-clockwise direction used by bikes.
Kevin Holman/Josh Bennett (No. 13) and Jeff Medberry/Niki Davis (No. 44) finished second and third. Joe Jones had his older brother Chris Jones as his No. 1 sidecar swinger this week for the recuperating Tom Summers. They ran fourth until lap 2 when they pulled into the infield. During post-main event award ceremonies at the podium in the pits, Racing Director Kelly Inman presented silver trophies to the winners. The P. 2-3 sidecar teams each received wooden plaques with sidecars portrayed on them and perfect for mounting on a wall. Bryan Motis/Cody Brant won the three rig sidecar consolation race.
Fourteen Division2 500cc riders present raced two rounds of heats for points (4-3-2-1-0) to determine a four rider feature. Three of the four riders led the race. Rick Valdez, 40, started from pole position and led laps 3 and 4 on his GM/JHR. Joe Donaldson finished second. Harold Hartke led lap 2, drifted high in turn four on lap 3 and finished third. Lap 1 leader David Lynch placed fourth.
Six Division3 500cc riders all raced in the same two rounds of heats and in the feature. Brent Smith, 46, led all the way in the feature on his No. 103 GM. It was his second Industry Speedway feature triumph this season. Past 2016 feature winners Steve Brown, Kevin Fife, and George Yates finished in P. 2--4. Newcomer Dennis Osmer was fifth. Greg Willis fell hard in a heat and did not start.
JUNIOR DIVISION: All three 250cc riders raced in two heat races and the main event. So Cal's Sebastian Palmese, 12, and Nor Cal's Colton Hicks, 14, won the heats. “Big Daddy” Palmese led all four laps of the main to edge pressing Hicks, son of Division 1 rider Bob Hicks, from Auburn. Skylar Schnakenberg, 17, finished third, half a lap behind the leaders.
The 150cc field had six Division2 newer 150 riders and only one Division 1 more experienced 150 rider so they ran together. Slater Lightcap, 10, was the Division 1 winner. He started half a lap from the starting gate in each race. He finished the seven rider feature fifth. Three riders started at the gate, one at the 10-yard line and two 20-yards back.
“Rocket” Rachel Schnakenberg, who will turn 11 on August 9, enjoyed her career-best 150cc racing performance at Industry. After starting at the gate and leading all the way in the first heat and finishing second in the other heat, she led all five laps in the main. It was her initial feature victory at Industry. Now in her third season of speedway racing, she won her first 150cc main at Perris on April 16 and her second at Ventura on June 25. As a 50cc pee-wee division rider in 2014, Rachel won Division2 mains at Industry and Perris on 7/30/14 and 1/24/15. She started racing in the 150cc class during May 2015.
The initial 150cc feature start had four riders fall together on lap 1 in turn four after Jose Navarrete fell. Andrew Russell and heat winner Travis Horn piled in quickly and fell together. Only Horn was unable to restart after his left foot got trapped and had to be iced in the pits to prevent swelling. The finishing order behind Rachel was Gavin Geist, 10, Russell,10, Navarrete, 7, Cole Ayers, 10, and crash victim Horn, 8.
PEE-WEES: The five usual 50cc pee-wee division riders were joined by first-timer and youngest rider present. Her name is Dakota Black, from Huntington Beach. The five year old, pig-tailed lass rode a Yamaha 50 and stayed upright in her two heats and the main. After getting lapped on lap 1 and lap 3 in her first heat, she only got lapped on lap 2 in her second heat and the main. Speedway rookie Kristian Daniel, Jr, 7, won his fifth pee-wee feature at Industry on his Honda CRF 50. He also won both heats. Levi Leutz, 7, led the first two laps and finished second. Gavin Dryfka, also 5, Conner Salazar, 8, Ken Matsudaira, 5, and Black followed.
In keeping with the annual tradition on Laidlaw's Harley Night, Laidlaw's, of Baldwin Park, employees raced mini bikes from 50cc to 180cc in engine size. Ten starters, three females and seven males, raced one heat and a 5-lap main. Jamie Myers won the heat; Ty McPherson took a header over the handlebars at the finish line. He returned for the main. In the main event, females—Selena Ybarra and Nicole Chapman—collided on the initial lap and fell together. Laidlaw's sales manager Matt Laidlaw and Ty McPherson got together high in turn two near the backstretch wall and also and fell together on the opening lap. No serious injuries resulted. Carlos Pena led laps 2-5 for the victory over Jamie Myers and Doug Maddux.
HARLEY RACE: Harley Night annually also features street-legal Harley hogs. There were 1,200cc Harley Sportsters with number plates, a Dyna, and even a 1998 General Lee 1,340cc Harley. The 11 entrants included Division 1 rider Shawn McConnell on his No. 6 Sportster. McConnell led all six laps of the Harley heat race after a staggered start with three rows. Several riders collided on the first lap in the first turn and fell without injury. Finishing second through fourth in order were: No. 11 Alfonso Vasquez, No. 51 Brandon Holstein, and No. 84 Mark Felt.
With a staggered starting lineup of three rows, the six lap Harley feature restarted all riders. McConnell started 30-yards from the gate and finished fifth. Holstein led the first three laps and placed second to laps 4-6 leader/winner No. 3x Scott Jones. Juan Arceo and Alfonso Vasquez finished third and fourth respectively. Eight riders were still racing at the checkered flag.
PIT NOTES: Tom Summers, who was injured seriously in a sidecar crash at Ventura Raceway on June 25, was discharged from the hospital and present Wednesday at Industry. The 52-year old Rancho Cucamonga resident was interviewed by track announcer Bruce Flanders over the PA mic. Tom revealed he had 41 facial fractures and surgeons installed two protective metal plates. Recuperating Summers was replaced in the No. 1 Suzuki 1,000cc-powered rig by driver Joe Jones' brother Chris, an experienced sidecar driver and 500cc Division2 rider. They won both heat races but did not finish the main event.
Sidecar “swinger” Dana Catone won her second S/C feature ever this week with her second winning S/C driver. She won at Santa Maria Speedway on Sunday, July 3 on board the No. 74 rig driven by James Kinney. Now in her second year of sidecar racing, Catone works during the week as an engineering project manager.
INJURED RIDERS: Ten year old Junior 150cc riders Dakota Shockley and Luke Whitcomb watched races together in the Industry pits this week. Dakota wore a cast on his right wrist and his arm was in a sling. Luke wore a soft cast on his right hand/wrist. Both boys were injured last Wednesday when they were in P. 3-4 and collided. The impact sent their bikes hard into the front straight wall near the fourth turn. Both remained on the ground several minutes. Luke walked to the pits and Dakota was carried to his pit and then transported by ambulance to a local hospital. He was released that night. His parents took him to Loma Linda Hospital, near San Bernardino, the next day where surgery was performed. He suffered a clean break in his right wrist. He said he will have follow-up X-rays and will be unable to race for at least six weeks.
Dakota said he is right-handed so signing in at the pit gate as a southpaw was difficult. He said he remembers hitting the crash-wall and his head extending over the wall briefly. He said the wall had the give it was designed to have, much like a SAFER barrier used at major speedways. He said his bike was bent but his 150cc engine was undamaged. Dakota turned 11 on July 14. Luke said he had a soft cast on his hand and wrist, but a hard cast will be installed Saturday, July 16. Both youngsters said the crash was a temporary set-back and they will return ASAP.
Division 1 feature winner Luke Becker said Billy Janniro, his mentor and fellow Interstate 5 southbound rider for Wednesday races, was absent this week because he started a new plumbing job. Billy and Luke will fly out of San Francisco Thursday, July 21 with a stop in New York City before landing in Sweden. That is the site for the first of two weeks of racing for Team USA in the five-rider per team 2016 Speedway World Team Championship. Tracks are in Vastervik, Sweden and Manchester, England. Luke said he doesn't know what he will be riding. Rides have been arranged for them. His European-based teammates (from So Cal) will be past world speedway champion Greg Hancock, Ricky Wells and Ryan Fisher. The races should be shown live on the Internet.
Aaron Fox, 28, returned to speedway racing on his No. 46 at Industry on July 13 after missing four weeks at the track overlooking the San Gabriel Valley. He said, “I've been too busy working to race.” On his return he won two heats and had a second, but missed a transfer from his semi-final to the feature. ... Charlie Venegas and his son Keelan were absent for the second time at Industry this season. ... England-resident/Division 1 500cc rider Niall Strudwick, 28, raced again at Industry July 13 and earned one point for his third place ride in his second heat.
Affable Russell Mitchell, a 54-year old resident of Perth, Australia, made an impressive debut at Industry July 13. He and his wife are on a two-week business vacation to So Cal. He builds and races “Mitch” sidecar frames in Perth. Joe Jones owns two of them and is the “Mitch” distributor in the United States. Mitchell drove one of Jones' two Mitch frames (the oldest) and the backup also had No. 1 on the sidecar. Mitchell wore his No. 97 bib to differentiate the two No. 1 rigs.
Mitchell told me he has built 125 of his Mitch frames for popular sidecar racing in Perth and Adelaide, Australia. He continued, “We race at 800 meter speedways. Track size varies from an eighth mile like Industry to a half-mile. Speeds on the big tracks get up to 253 km on the straights or 120 mph as you say here. We get up to 30 sidecar teams for our races and attendance is about like here in California.” Mitch said he liked Industry Speedway and racing under a roof. He will race again next Wednesday, July 20 before returning home.
Louis “Louie” Senter—Celebration of Life: The respected, long-time racing figure (dragsters, boats, open-wheel oval racing, and Indianapolis cars), was a pre-WW II midget driver, US Navy machinist mate 1st class during WW II, life-long innovator, inventor, race car owner, speed equipment manufacturer, and in 1963 a co-founding member of the SEMA organization. He started Senter Engineering in Los Angeles and in 1947 had a partner named Jack Andrews. They renamed the firm Ansen Automotive Engineering for the first letters in Andrews and Senter and later moved to a larger building on Western Ave. in Gardena. Whittaker Corp. bought the business in 1969. Louie then started Senter Wheels (aluminum) for use on race and street cars and made flame-retardant uniforms for drivers. He later became a consultant for W. R Grace Inc. and continued his involvement in the industry.
Louie was inducted into numerous halls of fame (including SEMA in 1978, National Sprint Car H of F in Knoxville, IA in 2009, and NHRA in 2013). He died at age 95 after a two-day illness from age-related causes on May 28. That was a day before the 100th Indy 500, which he attended each year since 1946. Louie helped prepare cars for the Indy 500 in the late 1940s, 1960s and later even entered his own Indy car in the Indy 500.
A celebration of life honored Louie Sunday, July 10 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the NHRA Museum at the Fairplex in Pomona with almost 300 people in attendance. Drivers in attendance included 1963 Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones, five-time CRA sprint car champion Jimmy Oskie, 1994 Turkey Night Midget GP winner Jordan Hermansader, and four-time USAC Western States Midget Champion Robby Flock, of Temecula. Ed Justice, Jr., midget engine builder Stewart Van Dyne, and numerous after-market manufacturers, business associates and family members including granddaughter-in-law Roxanne and great granddaughters Brooke and Hannah, also attended.
Speakers from his family were Louie's only child/daughter Marsha, son-in-law Rodney Scully, grandson/USAC feature winning midget driver/Silver Crown race driver Shane Scully, and granddaughter Lindsey. Other speakers included famous So Cal manufacturers Ed Iskenderian. Ed Pink, and Nick Arias, plus famed drag racing announcer Dave McClelland, Doug Dwyer, employee Dan Rackeman, media members John Springer, Bobby Kimbrough, Harry Hiller and J. C. Agajanian, Jr., representing the race promotion Agajanian family. They related stories about Louie that showed his generosity, innovative spirit, business acumen and love for his late wife and business partner Betty, who passed away two years ago. A catered luncheon by In & Out Burger mobile lunch trailer staff kept everyone present bench-racing for several hours. RIP Louie.
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Quick Results from Industry Racing.
Ryan Evans
RESULTS
Sidecar Main Event
97 - Russell Mitchell/Dana Catone
13 - Charlie Davis/Josh Bennett
44 - Jeff Medberry/Niki Davis
1 - Joe Jones/Chris Jones (retired)
Pee Wee Main Event
46 - Kristian Daniel Jr. 10
3 - Levi Leutz 0
6 - Gavin Dryfka 0
5 - Conner Salazar 0
74 - Ken Matsudaira 0
503 - Dakota Black 0
Mini 150 Second Division Main Event
5 - Rachel Schnakenberg 0
33 - Gavin Geist 10
96 - Andrew Russell 0
48 - Jose Navarrete 10
116 - Cole Ayers 0
25 - Travis Horn 20 (non starter)
Mini 150 First Division Main Event
3 - Slater Lightcap
Junior 250 Main Event
18 - Sebastian Palmese
1 - Colton Hicks
8 - Skylar Schnakenberg
Third Division Main Event
103 - Brent Smith 10
211 - Steve Brown 10
311 - Kevin Fife 10
136 - George Yates 0
303 - Dennis Osmer 0
215 - Greg Willis 0 (non starter)
Second Division Main Event
293 - Rick Valdez
37 - Joey Donaldson
290 - Harold Hartke
131 - David Lynch
Scratch Consolation
111 - Dillon Ruml
4 - Broc Nicol
808n - Bob Hicks
46 - Aaron Fox
Scratch Main Event
22n - Luke Becker
6 - Shawn McConnell
5 - Max Ruml
10 - Gage Geist
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