Industry Hills Speedway

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

Junior Kurtz Memorial
August 17, 2022 - Industry Hills Speedway
Results and Photo By Ryan Evans

Three times at the tapes for the Junior Kurtz Memorial Final (inside - outside):
Austin Novratil, Max Ruml, Slater Lightcap, Aaron Fox.
The finishing order was Fox, Lightcap, Novratil (fell, excluded), Ruml (tape exclusion)

2022 Junior Kurtz Memorial Cup - Industry Hills Speedway, CA, USA - August 17

Aaron Fox persevered through a slow start to his evening and a wild main event to win his first Junior Kurtz Memorial Cup at Industry Hills Speedway.

The inside to outside lineup for the Final was Austin “All Throttle” Novratil in gate one, “Mad” Max Ruml in gate two, Slater Lightcap in gate three, and Fox on the outside. Ruml, who entered the Final undefeated, blew through the tapes and was excluded. Novratil, who was also unbeaten, led from the tapes but Lightcap stormed up the inside for the lead on the back straight. The Under 21 National Champion led through lap one but Novratil hit one of the starting-line ruts which caused him lift, which threw him off the back of the bike and his machine went tumbling into turn one. The red light came on and stopped the race. This left just Fox and 16-year-old Lightcap to contend for the trophy. Fox, given a second bite at the cherry, made it count as he trapped from the outside and lead his teenaged competitor through the first bend. Lightcap looked everywhere for a way past Fox but it wasn’t to be. Fox led the finish line and Lightcap had to settle for what must’ve been a frustrating second.

Gino Manzares started the evening with a win over “Fast’ Eddie Castro. Lightcap won event two ahead of Tim Gomez and Fox. Ruml ended round one with a victory while 16-year-old Justin Almon scored an impressive second.

Fox led the opening heat of round two by leading two laps before Manzares passed him for the lead and the win. Novratil won the next heat with Almon getting another second. Ruml finished the second round with a win over Dukie Ermolenko.

Novratil began the third round with a win ahead of Lightcap. Fox fought his way past Gomez to score his first win of the night in the next heat. Ruml remained perfect by defeating Manzares. The 13-rider format created an additional heat and Novratil matched Ruml’s perfect score by beating Lightcap and Almon.

Ruml made it four for four by winning the first semi while Lightcap joined him in the Final by finishing second. In the second semi, Novratil, Fox, and Manzares were three-wide going into turn three and it looked like disaster was looming. Manzares, who was on the outside without a clear lead, thought better of it and rolled off the throttle. This left Novratil and Fox to race away with the two transfer spots.

Manzares went around the outside of Castro and scored a comfortable win in the Scratch Consolation. Gomez got past Castro for second and Almon finished fourth.

Barry Weiss decided to go with a veteran group for his eponymous Last Man Out Challenge. The competitors were Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz, “Battling” Buck Blair, Castro, and Ermolenko. Blair was squeezed out in the first race and was the first to be eliminated. Schwartz was eliminated in the second race which left Castro and Ermolenko. Castro was first to turn one and was never seriously threatened and he took home the victory and the cash.

Archie Perez, making his first appearance of the season, didn’t show any rust as he won both of his heats and captured the Second Division Main Event. Kevin Fiore finished second, Rudy Laurer was third, and Harold Hartke finished fourth.

“Lightning” Luke Whitcomb made an auspicious debut on a 500cc machine. After having not raced since he was in the Junior 250 Division prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 16-year-old won his heat, his semi, and topped his evening by claiming victory in the Third Division Main Event. Jake Myers was second, Greg Willis finished third, and Steve “Beach Ball” Brown was fourth.

Levi “Cowboy” Leutz put together four smooth laps and defeated Jose “Nitro” Navarrete in the Junior 250 Main Event.

Morgan Myers completed her perfect evening by winning the Mini 150 Main Event. Brandon Soto was second, Kayd Fiore finished third, and Maddux Myers was fourth.

Jenson Horn overcame a 90-yard handicap, passed Jett Ferre at the end of the second lap, and was victorious in the Pee Wee Main Event.

Industry Hills Speedway will be dark on Wednesday, August 24. Their next event will be the sixth annual Connor Penhall Memorial Cup on Wednesday, August 31. The event honors of Connor Penhall, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 2012 while he was working construction on a local freeway. Connor, the son of speedway icon Bruce Penhall, briefly raced junior speedway nearly 20 years ago. The much-desired trophy is topped by a custom-painted Troy Lee Designs helmet. The event quickly become one of the biggest on the American Speedway calendar. Billy Janniro won the first four titles before Austin Novratil was victorious when it was last held in 2019. Broc Nicol, who competes in Europe, will be making a quick trip across the Atlantic to compete in this event.

RESULTS

Junior Kurtz Memorial Final (restarted)
46 - Aaron Fox
28 - Slater Lightcap
7 - Austin Novratil (fell, excluded)
1 - Max Ruml (tape exclusion)

Scratch Consolation
24 - Gino Manzares
30 - Tim Gomez
14 - Eddie Castro
137 - Justin Almon

Semi 1: Ruml, Lightcap, Gomez, Almon
Semi 2: Novratil, Fox, Castro, Manzares

Barry Weiss Last Man Out Challenge
14 – Eddie Castro
15 – Dukie Ermolenko
11 – Bobby Schwartz
39 – Buck Blair

Second Division Main Event
34 - Archie Perez
159 - Kevin Fiore
182 - Rudy Laurer
290 - Harold Hartke

Third Division Main Event (restarted)
227 - Luke Whitcomb
175 - Jake Myers
211 - Steve Brown
215 - Greg Willis
69e - Alan Bernklau (non starter)
138 - Jim Sanders (non starter)

Junior 250 Main Event
226 - Levi Leutz
48 - Jose Navarrete

Mini 150 Main Event
175 - Morgan Myers
5 - Brandon Soto
169 - Kayd Fiore
175x - Maddux Myers

Pee Wee Main Event
23 - Jenson Horn
25 – Jett Ferr‌é

First Division Heat Scoring 1 2 3 T
1 – Max Ruml 3 3 3 9
7 – Austin Novratil 3 3 3 9
11 – Bobby Schwartz 0 0 0 0
14 – Eddie Castro 2 1 1 4
15 – Dukie Ermolenko 1 2 1 4
24 – Gino Manzares 3 3 2 8
28 – Slater Lightcap 3 2 2 7
30 – Tim Gomez 2 1 2 5
39 – Buck Blair 1 0 0 1
46 – Aaron Fox 1 2 3 6
137 – Justin Almon 2 2 1 5
168 – Mark Fillebrown 0 0 1 1
309 – Johnny Oakden 0 1 X 1

Heat Results
1: Manzares, Castro, Ermolenko, Fillebrown
2: Lightcap, Gomez, Fox, Oakden
3: Ruml, Almon, Blair, Schwartz
10: Manzares, Fox, Oakden, Schwartz
11: Novratil, Almon, Castro, Blair
12: Ruml, Ermolenko, Gomez, Fillebrown
19: Novratil, Lightcap, Ermolenko, Schwartz
20: Fox, Gomez, Castro, Blair (fell, remounted)
21: Ruml, Manzares, Fillebrown, Oakden (excluded)
28: Novratil, Lightcap, Almon


Past Junior Kurtz Memorial Winners
2016 – Billy Janniro
2017 – Max Ruml
2018 – Austin Novratil
2019 – Max Ruml
2022 – Aaron Fox