Industry Racing

The Grand Arena
Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California

44th AMA California State Speedway Championship
August 24, 2019 - Industry Racing

MAX RUML WINS 2019 CALIFORNIA STATE SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP – By Tim Kennedy

Industry, CA., August 24- Max Ruml, 22, won his second AMA California State Speedway Championship Saturday at Industry Speedway during the 44th running of the prestigious speedway bike racing event that started in 1968. He also won the 2016 running of the event. It was his seventh feature triumph this season at Industry where he did not race in one of the 12 events because of an injury June 15 at Ventura. Almost 1,000 persons attended the final scheduled race this season at the eighth-mile dirt track inside the Grand Arena at Industry Hills Expo Center.

Ruml, from Orange Country, had to contend with Nor Cal superstar and five-time California State Champion Billy Janniro, 39, during their heat race, in a semi-final, and in the four-lap feature. With first lane choice, Ruml (GM power) selected the inside lane. Gino Manzares (GM) was in lane two, Janniro (GM) lane three, and Austin Novratil (Swiss designed/manufactured GTR) next to the crash-wall. Novratil was the only rider who won all five of his heat races and scored a perfect 15-points.

In the first semi-final, Manzares led all four laps over challenging Novratil. Russell Green and Blake Borello finished third and fourth. In the second semi-final Ruml launched from lane two and beat lane one starter Janniro to the first turn. He led all the way over contending Janniro. Tim Gomez and Aaron Fox placed third and fourth. There was no consolation race for non-transfers from the two semis.

FEATURE: In the final race (event 36), Ruml shot from the starting gate to the inside entering the first corner and beat Janniro, whose front wheel rose at the start. Ruml led Janniro, Manzares and high-riding Novratil after lap 1. On lap 2 Novratil executed an outside pass in turn four and took third from Manzares.

The field was separated by a total of five lengths after the third lap. Janniro was pressing Ruml for the lead from a length back. Novratil was three lengths in back of Janniro and Manzares was five lengths behind Novratil. They completed the race in that order with runner-up Janniro only one length away from winning his sixth California State title.

Reigning California State Champion Dillon Ruml, 20, was sidelined with his broken left wrist still in a cast. He assisted others perform customary aerial tosses of the winner into the air on the front straight in front of the podium. The top three riders all received large silver trophies on the podium steps. Then they sprayed bottles of bubbly on each other and the crowd gathered in front of the podium placed at the finish line.

JUNIOR DIVISION
250cc Division: Landon Norton, 15, from Citrus Heights, led the final three laps and won the 250 main event over pole starter and first lap leader Wilbur Hancock, 14. from Costa Mesa. Slater Lightcap, 13, and Salinas resident Alex Martin, 14, followed closely. Hancock, the son of four-time Speedway World Champion Greg Hancock, won all three of his heats for a perfect nine points.

150cc Division: Inside starter Nick Hohlbein, 10, from Auburn, led all the way and beat lane two starter Owen Williams, 12. Hohlbein won four 150cc mains at Industry this season, including the Sunday, August 11 AMA/FIM Silver Cup. Levi Leutz, 10, and Colton Nelson, 12, finished third and fourth in a competitive contest.

HEAT WINS:
The 500cc riders raced in five rounds of heats for a total of 20 races. Eleven of the 16 rider field won at least one heat race. They were: Novratil (5 wins); M. Ruml and Janniro (3 wins each); Borello (2 wins), and single victories by Manzares, Green, Fox, Gomez, Charlie Venegas, Bob Hicks and Tommy Hedden.

Alternates Eloy Medellin and Kayle Leo Grande alternated in the heat positions assigned to Broc Nicol. He was en route back to Europe to rejoin his British League team after having surgery to repair a racing injury. It took seven points to qualify for a semi-final race berth open to the eight riders with the most heat race points.

Junior Heats: There were three rounds of heat races in both the 250cc and 150cc divisions with six heats in each. There were eight 250cc riders and it took four points to make the feature. There were seven 150cc riders and it took six points to make the main event. Three riders won the six 250 heats--Hancock (3 wins), Norton (2), and Martin (1). Five riders won the six 150 heats—Hohlbein scored two wins. Nelson, Leutz, Williams, and Jose Navarrete each won once.

PAST CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONS: Nineteen 500cc speedway riders have won the now 44 California State Speedway Championships. The event was not held from 1998-2005. Since the 2006 running, 14 events (including 2019) have been held at Industry Speedway.

Eight multi-year champions are: Steve Bast and brother Mike Bast (6 championships each from 1969 to 1983); Billy Janniro (5 from 2010 to 2017); current AMA referee Steve Lucero (4 from 1985-1996), Mike Faria (4 from 1987-1994); Charlie Venegas (4 from 1997-2013); Bobby Schwartz (2 in 1984 & 1991), and Max Ruml (2 in 2016 & 2019).

Eleven single year champions in order have been: Sonny Nutter (1968), Alan Christian (1980), Bruce Penhall (1981), Lance King (1982), Bobby Ott (1986), Sam Ermolenko (2088), Chris Manchester (1993), Josh Larsen (2006), Ricky Wells (2009), Billy Hamill (2015), and Dillon Ruml (2018).

Industry Speedway Racing Director Kelly Inman and Max Ruml were responsible for excellent advance television coverage for the 44th AMA California State Speedway Championship at Industry August 24. They arranged for KCAL (Channel 9 in Los Angeles) to air a three-minute, impressive plug on Thursday, August 22 on the 10 pm newscast sports segment. On Tuesday afternoon Kelly and Max met Ch. 9 sports reporter Jamie Maggio and a cameraman at the Grand Arena. TV coverage showed Max racing his speedway bike around the dirt track at speed. They also showed recent speedway racing action at Industry and explained the basics of speedway racing and the attraction for fans.

The TV plug concluded by giving the address of the Grand Arena for viewers wishing to attend the race Saturday. The promotion was successful because the crowd Saturday was the most since opening night in May which is the annual Connor Penhall Memorial Cup. Also, the 50/50 total of $2,000 was a season high.

PIT NOTES:
> Past Industry Speedway multi-year track champion Charlie Venegas made his first racing start of 2019 at Industry on his No. 43 Jawa. He scored six points and just missed making a semi-final. He has won two scratch features at Auburn this season.

> The IHEC tractor dragged the track after all five rounds and again before the Division 1 main event to give riders a perfect track. It was.

> Kelly Inman said he is looking for 50/50 drawing reps for the 2020 season. The two young ladies who have done the job for years are moving on to other things. Infield workers are also being recruited. He added that there is a good chance there could be speedway racing at the Grand Arena once a month during the winter months.

> The 2020 Industry Speedway tentative racing schedule was printed in the free lineup program given to attendees upon entering the premises. It lists these race dates: February 22-23 Big Kids Gumball Rally; May 27-Connor Penhall Memorial Cup; June 3, 10, 17, 24, July 8, 15, and 22 as Speedway & Sidecars Nights. Other dates are: July 29 - Legends & Heroes Night. August 8 - AMA Speedway National Championship Series round. August 9 – AMA/FIM Junior Division Silver Cup Championships. August 12 – tentative. August 19 – Junior Kurtz Memorial Cup, and August 22 - 45th AMA California State Speedway Championship.

> Attendees Saturday included ex-SCRA 410 sprint car publicist Robert Mayson and his son Derek, 9. He said it was his third race in person at Industry this season.

> Also attending and sitting with AMA legend Sammy Tanner, were Jack Crone, of Corona, and his racing daughter Courtney, 18, who raced 150 and 250cc speedway bikes in the junior division from 2011 to 2015. It was her first visit to Industry this season. She now is a formula car driving instructor at Laguna Seca. Courtney drove in the Rolex Monterey Reunion held at Weather Tech Raceway--Laguna Seca on August 17-18. She drove a 1972 Elden Mk 8 car in the 1,600cc Group 3B (1967-1981 Formula Fords) that had 56 entries. She raced all 11 laps in the Sunday morning race and placed 16th. A broken rear suspension prevented her from racing the orange No. 6 car in the afternoon race.

> Jerome Rodela, of El Monte, was Courtney's USAC & BCRA Series No. 25 midget car owner a few years ago. He also attends speedway races each season at Industry. Jerome, too, raced in the Laguna Seca vintage sports cars events that had more than 500 cars in numerous categories. He was in Group 7A Prototype Group for 6,000cc cars. He drove a 2005 Riley-Pontiac Mk XI (car No. 1) and completed all 12 laps in 11th place in a field of 23 from an entry total of 34 cars.

> Industry PA announcer Terry Clanton interviewed former motorcycle road racer Peter Starr, from Scotland originally. He was promoting his 90-minute motorcycle racing film “Take It to the Limit” that has been redone from film to video tape by Kawasaki for distribution. A commercial clip was shown on the Grand Arena third turn video screen several times during breaks for track prep.

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