Perris Raceway
1205 Burton Road
Perris, California
AMA Speedway National Championship Qualifier
Perris Raceway April 22, 2017
By: Steve Evans dreamteamspeedway@sbcglobal.net
Dorcey Wingo and RC Jones Photos
Results from Perris and are Continued Below...
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RC Jones Photos |
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| Eddie Castro |
Division 2 Track Champion Hayley Perrault |
Division 3 Track Champion Tom Bryant |
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| 250cc Track Champion Sebastian Palmese |
Mini 150 Track Champion Cole Ayers |
Pee Wee Track Champion Cole Ayers |
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| Eddie battles Neil Facchini |
(L) Brad Sauer and Rick Richards |
(L) Rick Richards and Dan Faria |
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| (L) Rick Richards and Dan Faria |
Kurtis Hamill and Robbie Sauer |
(L) Andrew Russell and Cole Ayers |
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| In this sequence, Robbie Sauer #17 squeezes Kurtis Hamill while Jeremy Estes #136 stays just out of range. |
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| Sebastian Palmese lead Jake Isaac |
Jake Isaac battles with Sara Cords |
Rick Richards leads Eddie Castro |
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| (L) Tommy Hedden, Kurtis Hamill and Tyson Talkington |
Robbie Sauer leads Rick Valdez |
(L) Rudy Laurer and Mike Lane |
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| Gage Geist, Eddie Castro and Rohn Zellner |
Rick Richards leads |
Brad Sauer in the lead |
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| Tommy Hedden and Jeremy Estes in control |
Fred Armenta leads Mike Lane |
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| Perfect 15 Point Scorer Gage Geist |
Kurtis Hamill and Rick Richards trading positions |
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Dorcey Wingo Photos |
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| 1st Division Heat 2 Richards and Faria |
1st Division Castro for the win and Chris Ackerman |
1st Division Castro, E. |
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| 1st Division Dilkey, Jamison |
1st Division Geist, G. |
1st Division Green and Faria |
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| 1st Division Hamill, Kurtis |
1st Division Heat 1 |
1st Division Heat 3 Green and Hedden |
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| 1st Division Heat 4 - J. Estes, K. Hamill and R. Sauer |
1st Division Heat 6 |
1st Division Main Event |
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| 1st Division Perrault |
1st Division Sauer, Brad |
2nd Division Brown and Bryant |
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| 2nd Division Donaldson, Joey |
2nd Division Kohler, Chet |
2nd Division LCQ |
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| 2nd Division Perrault with flag |
2nd Division Zellner, Rohn |
2nd Division Track Championship |
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| 3rd Division Track Championship race |
3rd Division Track Champion Tom Bryant |
150cc Russell, Andrew |
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| 150cc Cole Ayers |
150cc Track Champion Ayers |
250cc Event 26 |
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| 250cc Track Championship race |
250cc Track Champion Sebastian Palmese |
Pee Wee Track Champion Levi Leutz |
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| Sidecar Curry, Robert and Jon |
Sidecars Rowe, J. and Medberry, J. |
Sidecar Rowe, Jeff and Josh Bennett |
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| Sidecar Track Championship race |
Sidecar Osborne, Dillon and Tom Malcom |
Sidecars Rowe and Medberry |
Castro & Geist Lead The Way At 2017 AMA National Qualifier
Though more than a dozen of the riders on show were worthy headliners, it was two riders, incredibly over 40 years apart in age, who topped the charts at the 2017 Dr Thermal AMA National Championship Series Qualifier at Perris Raceway, CA on his April 22nd.
Whilst Gage Geist had a career best display with a dominant and untroubled 15 point maximum in the heats, 58 year old cancer survivor Eddie Castro won the Main event to cap a remarkable comeback after his career seemed over and his life in danger less than two years ago. The qualifier, for the second year in a row, lived up to its billing as the most intense night in American Speedway with 6 qualification spots open for its 16 competing riders. The racing was close and the glory and elation was mixed with disappointment and heartbreak for those who did not make it.
It was Castro who led home Neil Facchini in the opening heat. Dan Faria got by Rick Richards to win heat 2. Geist led home Russell Green and Tommy Hedden in a blockbuster heat 3, with Kurtis Hamill trapping fast to win heat 4 from Robbie Sauer.
Round two saw Green get the better of Castro in heat 5. Hamill kept his future father in law Hedden behind him in heat 6. Geist made it two for two in heat 7, leading home Faria. Brad Sauer confidently won heat 8 from Hayley Perrault as Neil Facchini suffered was would later be a crucial engine failure.
Geist made it 9 points out of 9 in heat 9, Castro getting another second place. Heat 10 saw Richards recover from a slow start to defeat Robbie Sauer. Green led Hamill to the flag in heat 11. Heat 12 was an epic, NorCal rookie Jeremy Estes out trapped a very experienced field and confidently charged ahead. Only a late mistake from Estes allowed the close chasing Hedden by to claim his first win. Estes held back Facchini and Faria to hold second.
Castro won heat 13 from Faria to move into 10 points. Faria and Hamill were locked in an epic duel for second which ended when Hamill, having just moved by, suffered an engine failure on the final turn and put Hamill under big pressure for his final race. Geist led home the ultra impressive Brad Sauer to win again in heat 14. Hedden by now was dialed into his best form and defeated Richards in heat 15 to edge a step closer to qualification. Facchini got grooved in again to win heat 16 from Green.
Castro beat Hedden in heat 17 but their 13 and 11 point hauls secured them both top 6 qualification places. Green also made into the series and 13 points by winning heat 14. Dan Faria was 2nd and was on the bubble with 9 points. Tyson Talkington, a pre meeting favorite to qualify suffered his third straight bike failure in a nightmare evening. After a slow start Jamison Dilkey came to life and led home Perrault in heat 19. Heat 20 was intense, Geist needing a win to stay perfect, with Richards, Hamill and Facchini all needing points to qualify. It was Geist once more who took the win. Facchini moved by Hamill to grab second whilst Richards was relegated from 2nd to last. The upshot was Hamill ended up on 9 points which was enough for he and Faria to get the final two spots.
Neil Facchini led home Rick Richards from Brad Sauer in the run off for 7th which secured the series reserve rider order.
The Final had Geist, Green, Castro and Hedden partake to determine the top four places on the night. Green made a magnificent gate but Castro made an inside move going into turn 3 on lap one to take the lead. Hedden followed suit at the end of lap 1 to get second, whilst Geist soon moved by to third. Castro was in a second wind and was not troubled. Geist got close to Hedden but the NorCal veteran protected his line and secured second place.
The meeting was very busy outside of the AMA Qualifier, with 23 more races and 6 track championships for the 'Nick Varner Trophy' up for grabs. Division two had 9 riders. Heat wins went Perrault (2), Zellner and Rudy Laurer. Chet Kohler held off Brad Moreau to win the Last Chance race. It was Hayley Perrault however who continued her fine big track form after recent wins at Ventura and Santa Maria to take home the gold. Division Three dominated by Tom Bryant, returning after breaking ribs in the February race to win both heats and the Main.
In 250 Junior Sebastian Palmese won both heats. In the main he went wide of the back straight of lap one, letting Jake Isaac by. Isaac himself bobbled in the same spot on lap two allowing Palmese to take a clean sweep. Andrew Russell won both 150 Mini heats but Cole Ayers pulled out a big ride to take the final. Levi Leutz was the only entered Pee Wee and won the Championship. The 150 Mini riders rode in his races, giving all valuable track time.
Sidecars wrapped up the bill. Dillon Osborne and Tom Malcolm won two heats and the Main. The other heat went to Jeff Rowe and Josh Bennett with the last chance being won by Jeff Medberry and Niki Davis.
The event ended the fourth straight winter series at Perris Raceway. The 2017/18 Winter Series will likely begin late November or early December.
Results
AMA Speedway National Championship Qualifier
Main Event
14 Eddie Castro
40 Tommy Hedden
10 Gage Geist
321 Russell Green
Heat Points Scores
Gage Geist 15, Russell Green 13, Eddie Castro 13, Tommy Hedden 11. Kurtis Hamill 9, Dan Faria 9 (all qualify for 2017 AMA National Championship Series). Neil Facchini 8+3, Rick Richards 8+2, Brad Sauer 8+1, Robbie Sauer 6, Hayley Perrault 6, Jamison Dilkey 4, Jeremy Estes 4, Rohn Zellner 2, Rick Valdez 2, Tyson Talkington 2.
2017 Nick Varner 333 Track Championships
Division 2
170 Hayley Perrault
182 Rudy Laurer
141 Mike Lane
202 Chet Kohler
118 Rohn Zellner
LCQ
202 Chet Kohler
153 Brad Moreau
175 Fred Armenta
131 David Lynch
37 Joey Donaldson (non starter)
Division 3
220 Tom Bryant
211 Steve Brown
303 Dennis Osmer
109 Don Nemarnik
103 Brent Smith
250 Junior
1 Sebastian Palmese
16 Jake Isaac
214 Michael Wells
14 Sara Cords
150 Mini
116 Cole Ayers
96 Andrew Russell
42 Czane Dunbar
7 Justin Almon
Pee Wee
3 Levi Leutz
Sidecar
64 Dillon Osborne / Tom Malcolm
1965 Jeff Rowe / Josh Bennett
31 Robert Curry / Jon Curry
44 Jeff Medberry / Niki Davis
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