The Dirt Track
Kern County Raceway Park

Bakersfield, California

Spring Triple Crown Series 2
KCRP Bakersfield - April 24, 2021
Promoted By: Steve Evans E-mail: dreamteamspeedway@sbcglobal.net

Pirates Plunder Bakersfield Bandits homecoming, Max Ruml wins again!!

Team Racing Challenge, Kern County Raceway, Bakersfield 24th April 2021

America’s newest speedway venue staged its third meeting of the season, featuring an emotional and popular homecoming. The Bakersfield Bandits won the 1976 American Speedway League during a one off season of team league racing in the USA. 45 years later, the team has reformed and they competed their first home match since against the Perris Pirates at Kern County Raceway.

Track announcer Chris Ackerman gave the curious crowd, many of whom were new to speedway, the lowdown on team racing. They responded quickly with vocal support for the Bandits and light hearted boos for the visiting Pirates. Due to huge rider demand, the teams consisted of ten riders, with each rider racing three times in the team show. The top 8 in points then moved on to the semifinals in individual competition.

Heat 1 saw the Pirates take a 4-2 advantage with Gino Manzares (Bandits) defeating Max Ruml (Pirates) with Dan Faria in third. Chris Kerr inflicted an impressive win over Billy Janniro in heat 2, Rheten Todd’s third place gave the Bandits a 4-2 back to tie the scores at 6-6. The Bandits then increased their lead to two with Austin Novratil winning and Bakersfield local Brad Sauer in third, Russell Green being the sandwich in second place. Sebastian Palmese of the Pirates took heat 4 with Blake Borello second for the Bandits, a shared 3-3 heat. Round 1 concluded with veteran Eddie Castro taking a popular Pirates win from Derik Denzin. With no other finishers the score after 5 heats was Bandits 15, Pirates 14.

Bandits captain Max Ruml won heat 6 from Green, with a 4-2 result in favor of the Bandits. The lead was further stretched out to five points when Kerr and Brad Sauer got a 4-2 for the Bandits with Palmese between them in second. Novratil won his second of the night from Castro in a tied heat 8. Manzares won again in heat 9 from Borello, leading the Pirates to a 4-2 with Rees Todd in third. It was another Pirates 4-2 to wrap matters up for round 2 in heat 10, Janniro winning from Michael Wells. Bandits 30 – Pirates 29.

With just one point in it, it was a definite tense affair for the final 5 heats. Ruml won heat 11 and Kerr stayed on a maximum defeating Manzares in heat 12, both being tied 3-3 races. Janniro and Novratil had an epic scrap in heat 13, Janniro coming out on top for the Pirates, whilst his team mate, rookie Mark Fillebrown, passed Derik Denzin for a crucial third, swinging the lead now to the Pirates by 1. After not leading since heat 1 suddenly the Pirates came to life, Green winning heat 14 and another 4-2. This meant the Bandits needed a maximum 5-1 in the last heat to steal the match back but it was not to be. Palmese roared to his second win of the night and team mate Dan Faria joined him for a 5-1 to the Pirates after a spectacular charge from last place. Final score Bandits 41 – Pirates 48.

This left 8 riders into the semifinals and ironically, just like the previous event two weeks prior, all 8 riders who won heats transferred through. Kerr was the only unbeaten rider going in but this run ended in semifinal 1 with Janniro leading his Northern California rival home. Manzares in third and Green fourth were eliminated. Semi 2 saw a masterful gate by Ruml with showman Novratil following him home to transfer to the Main from Palmese and Castro.

The Main event once more served up its already expected entertainment at the new fast banked short oval. Both Janniro and Ruml got great starts but Janniro hit a bump in turn 1, giving advantage to Ruml. Kerr got through to second place but Janniro found his groove and charged by to regain the position. Ruml meantime was safely away for his second Bakersfield win in two events.

The Division 2 program featured 6 riders. Heat wins went to Dylan Wagner, Sean McDougall and Greg Moore. However, it was 16 year old rookie Alex Martin who saved his best till last with a fantastic Main Event win. Division Three had Jim Sanders taking heat 1 and Jake Myers heat 2. Myers took the Main event win. 250 Juniors saw Alex Martin take both heats but Slater Lightcap struck back and was the Main event victor. National champion Nick Hohlbein swept the 150cc Mini Speedway class, a feat repeated by Emily Jimenez in the 50cc Pee Wees. Kevin Kale and Anthony Hernandez won the first sidecar heat but it was the team of Robert and Laurie Curry who won heat 2 and the Main event.

The event also featured Round 2 of the Spring Triple Crown series, with points accumulating heading into the final on May 8th. Four Division 1 riders will race off in a single heat with $1,000 to the winner after the on the night Main Event to determine the Triple Crown Champion. The race will feature the top 3 in series points, plus the highest additional scorer on the final night from riders who have contested the entire series.

Results:

Main Event
5 Max Ruml
1 Billy Janniro
27k Chris Kerr
7 Austin Novratil ret

Triple Crown Points (after 2 of 3 rounds)
1. Max Ruml 28
2. Billy Janniro 23
3. Austin Novratil 21
4. Chris Kerr 21
5. Gino Manzares 18
6. Russell Green 16,
7. Broc Nicol 15,
8. Blake Borello 12
9. Eddie Castro 11
10. Sebastian Palmese 10
11. Dillon Ruml 7
12. Rheten Todd 7
13. Michael Wells 6
14. Dan Faria 6
15. Anthony Dion 4
16. Brad Sauer 4
17. Wilbur Hancock 4
18. Rees Todd 4
19. Chance Grove 3
20. Robbie Sauer 3
21. Mark Fillebrown 3
22. Aaron Fox 2
23. Mike Miller 2
24. Derik Denzin 2
25. Louie Mersaroli
26. Greg Moore 1
27. Timmy Dion 0

Division 2 Main
30 Alex Martin
114 Dylan Wagner
251 Greg Moore
243 Sean McDougall
231 Bronson Pearce

Triple Crown Points
Martin 14, McDougall 13, Wagner 8, Moore 6, David Perry 3, Pearce 1, Ron Davis 1

Division 3 Main
175 Jake Myers
365 Dean Newnham
177 Mark Hitchcock
108 Bobby Richards
138 Jim Sanders ret

Triple Crown Points
Myers 20, Newnham 13, Sanders 12, Jason Lundberg 10, Hitchcock 4, Don Nemarnik 3, Richards 2, Tim Dion 0, Tom Settlemire 0

250 Junior Main
28 Slater Lightcap
30 Alex Martin
48 Jose Navarrete
123 Catherine Moore
226 Levi Leutz non starter

Triple Crown Points
Martin 20, Lightcap 10, Navarette 10, Moore 5, Leutz 3

Pee Wee Main
51e Emily Jimenez
25 Ryder Manzares
125 Ryder Faria

Triple Crown Points
Jimenez 21, Asa Gonzalez 15, Manzares 13, Jackson Joiner 8, Faria 3, Vance Gonzalez 3, Josie Gonzalez 0.

Sidecar Main
31 Robert Curry / Laurie Curry
07 Kevin Kale / Anthony Hernandez
74 James Kinne / Jack Straw
47 Jason Fritze / Brian Taggart

Triple Crown Points
Curry / Curry 8, Kale / Hernandez 6, Kinne / Straw 4, Fritze / Taggart 0

Gary Roberts Photos
	Gino Manzares leading Max Ruml
	Chris Kerr leading Rheten Todd and Billy Janniro
	Blake Borello and Louie Mersaroli
	Eddie Castro and Michael Wells