VENEGAS PASSES FARIA, WINS SPEEDWAY CYCLE MAIN @ INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY --By Tim Kennedy
Release Date: 7/10/2010
Industry, CA., Jul. 7 – Charlie "the Edge" Venegas won for the fourth time in six weeks of Wednesday night speedway cycle racing at Industry Speedway on a "Salute to Classic American & Muscle Car Night". The 43-year old San Bernardino resident became the second consecutive 500cc Division 1 feature winner who earned the final feature starting spot by winning the last chance race. He started the main event on the outside in lane five and chased inside lane starter Mike Faria for two laps. Then Venegas shot to the inside in the second turn and raced his JAWA cycle past Faria to lead the final two laps. He won by ten yards over Faria, a three-time national champion.
Tyson Burmeister, who won one of two semi-final races along with Faria, finished third. Buck Blair, the June 30 Industry D-1 feature winner, took fourth spot away from Shawn McConnell on the final lap in front of 615 spectators on KLOS, 95.5 fm night. DJ Joe Benson was in the house as well. After missing the Industry race last week, Faria, 53, installed a new motor overnight because his prior motor failed June 23. He won all three of his heat races and was the only rider with a perfect score of nine points.
Incredible Aaron Fox, a 22-year old from Menifee, did it again on his 500cc JAWA. In only his sixth night of speedway cycle racing, he won all three of his heat races and then led all four laps of the Division 2 main event for intermediate level riders. Fox has not been defeated in any heat or main during the three weeks he has raced at Industry Speedway. He has a D-3 and two D-2 feature triumphs. His only main event defeat came at Costa Mesa Speedway where he finished second to D-2 veteran Rudy Lauer. Fox said officials told him he will be racing in D-1 next week.
Kevin Wybenga, a 22-year old Whittier resident, led all four laps for his third 500cc Division 3 (rookies) victory in the six weeks of racing at Industry. He will be moved up to D-2 for July 14 action. A four-team 1,000cc motorcycle/sidecar race, run in a clockwise direction as usual, went to first-time winners Dylan Beard and his sidecar "swinger" Crystal Laurie, 28. They led all four laps and defeated last week’s initial sidecar winners Sean and Casey Driggers, a father and son team. The other two teams collided on the final lap in turn two while battling for third place. Both teams pulled to the infield.
Max Ruml, 13, of Huntington Beach, won the over 200cc youth main on his 250cc JAWA. Eleven-year old Kurtis Hamill, of Carlsbad, won the four-rider under 200cc main. He wore the same No. 104 leathers used by his father, retired speedway cycle racing champion Billy Hamill, when he raced at the same age as a resident of Monrovia. It was his initial Industry Speedway first place trophy and came in his third week at the track.
Blond rookie Alyssa Smith, 8, of Lakewood, wore her familiar pink helmet and led the first three laps of the pee-wee main on her 50cc mini cycle. Heading for the waving checkered flag as she exited turn four on the final lap she bobbled briefly. Domenic Laney, 7, of Fountain Valley, passed her on the outside and barely won by half a length over the disappointed former leader. It was his third week racing his 50cc mini cycle and his first P. 1 medal. His aunt Carla Laney, the sister of sprint car champion and dirt late model racer Mike Kirby, has raced dirt track stock cars at Perris for years and at Ascot Park in Gardena before that.
Next Wednesday, July 14 will have the annual exhibition of USAC Ford Focus-powered Midgets on the Industry Speedway dirt track inside The Grand Arena. Drivers will be USAC 2000 Western Series Midget Champion Wally Pankratz and retired speedway cycle champion Bruce Penhall, who also was an actor on the 1970s TV show CHiPs" starring Eric Estrada.
Upcoming Speedway Oval Events:
September 11
Auto Club Night and Back to School Night
STUDENTS & TEACHERS Get In FREE!!
Skid Plate Racing
