Industry Racing

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

44th California State Championship
August 24, 2019 - Industry Racing
By Ryan Evans

44th California State Championship - Industry Racing, CA, USA - August 24, 2019

“Mad” Max Ruml brought an end to Industry Racing’s 2019 season by winning his second California State Championship.

Ruml started in gate one and made good use of his starting position. He led everyone into turn one and held the lead on the back straight. Five-time State Champion Billy “The Kid” Janniro led the charge with Austin Novratil and Gino Manzares in tow. Janniro tried valiantly to force a mistake from the leader but was unable to rattle him. Ruml was first to the checkered flag, Janniro had to settle for second, Novratil finished third, and Manzares was fourth.

The evening commenced just at concluded, with a Ruml victory. Four-time State Champion Charlie “The Edge” Venegas beat Russell Green in event two. Novratil used the outside to pass Aaron Fox on the final lap to win event three. Janniro defeated Manzares to end round one.

Round two started with Novratil beating Manzares for his second victory. Ruml defeated Tim Gomez for his second straight win. Janniro made it two wins in a row by beating Colton Hicks. Green held off Fox to finish the second round with a win.

Bob Hicks and Blake Borello began the third round with a great side-by-side battle. Borello took the lead and Bob Hicks then watched his son, Colton, pass him on the outside. Borello took his first win with Colton Hicks settling for second. Janniro defeated Ruml and Fox to keep his perfect score alive. Novratil beat Green to keep pace with Janniro’s unblemished evening. Manzares scored his first win to end round three.

Fox started round four with a win over Venegas and Borello. Ruml scored his third victory by defeating Manzares. Event 23 saw Bob Hicks and Tommy Hedden engage in a battle of brothers-in-law with Bob Hicks getting the win after Hedden fell. Novratil stayed perfect and also handed Janniro his first defeat to end the fourth round.

Entering the last round of heats Novratil sat atop the score chart with a perfect 12 points; Janniro and Ruml were tied with 11; Manzares had nine points; Fox and Green each had eight; and Borello had seven.

Borello opened the final round of heats with a very impressive win over Janniro that left the crowd and the pit area buzzing. Novratil defeated Ruml in the next heat to complete his heats with a perfect 15 points. Hedden beat Fox in the penultimate heat. Gomez came up big by winning the last heat over “Fast” Eddie Castro to get himself into the semis.

Manzares ended the Novratil’s unbeaten run by winning the first semi. Novratil would get another chance in the Final after finishing second. Ruml got the better of Janniro in the second semi with the latter joining him in the Final with a second place.

Wilbur Hancock made the best start in the Junior 250 Final but lifted as he exited turn four the first time. He was able to save it but his mistake allowed Landon Norton to charge underneath for the lead. Norton didn’t run a wheel wrong from there and went on the victory. Hancock finished second, Slater Lightcap was third, and Alex Martin finished fourth.

Nick Hohlbein put together four smooth laps and was victorious in the Mini 150 Final. Owen Williams finished second, Levi Leutz was third, and Colton Nelson finished fourth.

The California State Championship brought the curtain down on the sixteenth season of speedway at the facility and the eighth under the current promotion. The tentative 2020 schedule was printed in the program. The calendar includes the return of the world famous Gumball Rally Weekend in February and the regular season will start with the Connor Penhall Memorial Cup in May.

RESULTS

California State Championship Final
5 - Max Ruml
1 - Billy Janniro
7 - Austin Novratil
24 - Gino Manzares

Junior 250 State Championship Final
2 - Landon Norton
117 - Wilbur Hancock
28 - Slater Lightcap
30 - Alex Martin

Mini 150 State Championship Final
3 - Nick Hohlbein
04 - Owen Williams
9 - Levi Leutz
45 - Colton Nelson

State Championship Semi Final 1
24 - Gino Manzares
7 - Austin Novratil
321 - Russell Green
27n - Blake Borello

State Championship Semi Final 2
5 - Max Ruml
1 - Billy Janniro
30 - Tim Gomez
46 - Aaron Fox

Division 1 Heat Scoring 1 2 3 4 5 T S T
1 – Billy Janniro 3 3 3 2 2 13 2 15
5 – Max Ruml 3 3 2 3 2 13 3 16
7 – Austin Novratil 3 3 3 3 3 15 2 17
14 – Eddie Castro 0 0 1 1 2 4 - 4
21 – Brad Sauer 1 0 0 1 1 3 - 3
24 – Gino Manzares 2 2 3 2 1 10 3 13
24n – Colton Hicks 1 2 2 0 0 5 - 5
27n – Blake Borello 2 1 3 1 3 10 0 10
30 – Tim Gomez 1 2 1 0 3 7 1 8
40n – Tommy Hedden 1 1 0 0 3 5 - 5
43 – Charlie Venegas 3 0 0 2 1 6 - 6
46 – Aaron Fox 2 2 1 3 2 10 0 10
178 – Eloy Medellin F 0 0 - - 0 - 0
185 – Kayle LeoGrande 0 0 - - - 0 - 0
259 – Sebastian Palmese 0 1 2 2 0 5 - 5
321 – Russell Green 2 3 2 1 1 9 1 10
808n – Bob Hicks 0 1 1 3 0 5 - 5

Division 1 Heat Results
1: Ruml, Borello, Hedden, Castro (fell, remounted)
2: Venegas, Green, Sauer, Medellin (fell)
3: Novratil, Fox, C. Hicks, Palmese
4: Janniro, Manzares, Gomez, B. Hicks
5: Novratil, Manzares, Borello, Sauer
6: Ruml, Gomez, Palmese, LeoGrande
7: Janniro, C. Hicks, Hedden, Venegas
8: Green, Fox, B. Hicks, Castro
13: Borello, C. Hicks, B. Hicks, Medellin
14: Janniro, Ruml, Fox, Sauer
15: Novratil, Green, Gomez, Hedden (fell, remounted)
16: Manzares, Palmese, Castro, Venegas
21: Fox, Venegas, Borello, Gomez
22: Ruml, Manzares, Green, C. Hicks
23: B. Hicks, Palmese, Sauer, Hedden (fell, remounted)
24: Novratil, Janniro, Castro, LeoGrande
29: Borello, Janniro, Green, Palmese
30: Novratil, Ruml, Venegas, B. Hicks (fell, remounted)
31: Hedden, Fox, Manzares, Medellin
32: Gomez, Castro, Sauer, C. Hicks

Junior 250 Heat Scoring 1 2 3 T
2 – Landon Norton 2 3 3 8
7 – Justin Almon R 0 0 0
27 – Luke Whitcomb 1 1 F 2
28 – Slater Lightcap 2 Fx 2 4
30 – Alex Martin 3 2 2 7
51n – Greg Moore R 2 1 3
96 – Andrew Russell 1 1 1 3
117 – Wilbur Hancock 3 3 3 9

Junior 250 Heat Results
11: Hancock, Norton, Whitcomb, Moore (retired)
12: Martin, Lightcap, Russell, Almon (retired)
19: Norton, Martin, Whitcomb, Almon
20: (restarted) Hancock, Moore, Russell, Lightcap (fell, excluded)
27: Hancock, Martin, Russell, Whitcomb (fell)
28: Norton, Lightcap, Moore, Almon

Mini 150 Heat Scoring 1 2 3 T
3 – Nick Hohlbein 2 3 3 8
04 – Owen Williams 2 2 3 7
8 – Max Anderson 0 0 1 1
9 – Levi Leutz 3 1 2 6
45 – Colton Nelson 3 2 2 7
48 – Jose Navarrete 1 3 1 5
76 – Nick Dunn 0 1 1 2

Mini 150 Heat Results
9: Nelson, Hohlbein, Navarrete, Dunn
10: Leutz, Williams, Anderson
17: Hohlbein, Nelson, Leutz, Anderson
18: Navarrete, Williams, Dunn
25: Williams, Nelson, Dunn, Anderson
26: Hohlbein, Leutz, Navarrete

Past California State Champions
1968 – Sonny Nutter
1969 – Steve Bast
1970 – Steve Bast
1971 – Steve Bast
1972 – Mike Bast
1973 – Steve Bast
1974 – Steve Bast
1975 – Steve Bast (6)
1976 – Mike Bast
1977 – Mike Bast
1978 – Mike Bast
1979 – Mike Bast
1980 – Alan Christian
1981 – Bruce Penhall
1982 – Lance King
1983 – Mike Bast (6)
1984 – Bobby Schwartz
1985 – Steve Lucero
1986 – Bobby Ott
1987 – Mike Faria
1988 – Sam Ermolenko
1989 – Steve Lucero
1990 – Mike Faria
1991 – Bobby Schwartz (2)
1992 – Mike Faria
1993 – Chris Manchester
1994 – Mike Faria (4)
1995 – Steve Lucero
1996 – Steve Lucero (4)
1997 – Charlie Venegas
1998-2005: Event not staged
2006 – Josh Larsen
2007 – Charlie Venegas
2008 – Charlie Venegas
2009 – Ricky Wells
2010 – Billy Janniro
2011 – Billy Janniro
2012 – Billy Janniro
2013 – Charlie Venegas (4)
2014 – Billy Janniro
2015 – Billy Hamill
2016 – Max Ruml
2017 – Billy Janniro (5)
2018 – Dillon Ruml
2020 – Max Ruml (2)

Ryan Evans