Industry, CA., Jun. 15 – Broc Nicol, 18, scored a dramatic, thrilling last lap pass of reigning AMA speedway champion Billy Janniro on Wednesday night at Industry Speedway in The Grand Arena. The annual “Legends & Heroes” of speedway racing was a welcome addition to week three of the 14 week season. About 1,200 spectators were in the grandstand and pits for their weekly dose of exciting two-wheel competition without brakes.
Nicol, a second generation rider from Lomita, broke from gate three on his Hagon in the four-rider D-1 500cc feature. Janniro, the Industry Racing feature winner on June 1 and 8, launched his Jawa from gate one when the green light appeared and starting gate tapes rose at 9:57 pm. He led the first three laps narrowly with second place Nicol challenging at his back wheel, seeking a way past the master.
The opening came on the final lap when Janniro bobbled briefly exiting turn two. Nicol quickly shot past the leader on the outside leaving turn two and cleared him on the backstretch. Janniro charged back, but Nicol won by several lengths. He looked back for Janniro leaving turn four and pumped his fist in the air near the finish line.
It was Nicol's second ever Industry D-1 feature victory and his first D-1 first place trophy at Industry since July 29, 2015. The impressive teen has 11 D-1 feature victories at five tracks since he left the Junior Division ranks after 2014. His scratch and handicap main triumphs have come at San Bernardino, Ventura, Auburn, Costa Mesa and Industry.
Janniro, who won at Fast Friday's in Auburn June 10, settled for second, several lengths back. Nor Cal rider Luke Becker, 17, who rode south on I-5 with Janniro, started his Jawa from gate two next to his mentor. He ran third all four laps. Max Ruml started from gate four next to the crash-wall. He tried to get the lead on the opening lap, but drifted high in turn two. He quickly dropped to fourth,where he finished.
With 16 D-1 riders competing, the top eight in points after three rounds of heat races advanced to the two semi-finals. The top two finishers in each semi transferred to the feature, which was event 41 of the evening.
The first semi lineup had Nicol on pole with Austin Novratil, Shawn McConnell and Max Ruml alongside at gates two through four respectively. Ruml made an excellent start and angled to the inside groove. He led all four laps and edged Nicol with McConnell third. Novratil was excluded before the start by referee Steve Lucero after his front wheel touched the starting gate tapes. After his DQ from the event, Novratil returned to the pits and did not appear for the money-only consolation race (event 40).
Semi two from inside to outside gate had Janniro, his protege Becker, Charlie Venegas and June ll Costa Mesa feature winner Aaron Fox near the wall. Janniro led all the way. Fox was in a secure second place on the final lap. Exiting turn two, Fox slowed and coasted across the finish line in P. 4. Becker inherited second and a place in the feature. Venegas was third. Fox said, “I lost forward drive when the belt broke.” Some riders use metal chains, but Fox prefers a belt drive and this week it cost him a sure berth in the lucrative main event.
During the 12 D-1 heat races Ruml and Fox tied for top point total of nine by winning all three of their heats. Janniro's eight points ranked third. He won his first two heats but finished second to M. Ruml in his third heat. Nicol scored seven points by finishing third in his first race and winning his second and third rides.
Three riders tied at four points and had an added run-off race to determine who would get the eighth and final semi-final berth. Venegas led all four laps by a length over Gage Geist. Mike Faria ran third. Venegas won the D-1 consolation race over fellow 1980s veteran McConnell after Novratil and Fox did not appear.
D-2: Thirteen 500cc D-2 riders raced in two rounds of heats. Rudy Laurer gave a preview of the upcoming D-1 last lap pass to win by doing the same thing. He took the lead from race-long leader Davey Shaw on the final lap. Laurer made an inside move on the backstretch to take command. Shaw, Joe Donaldson and returning former D-1 rider Robbie Sauer, from Bakersfield, followed.
Sauer has been absent from speedway racing at Industry since July 2012. because of a medical ailment. He missed all of 2013-14 and returned to speedway in November 2015. He suffered “valley fever”symptoms found in the San Joaquin Valley. Sauer won his first Industry Racing ride in heat one and placed second in his second heat. He started the D-2 main from gate one and was second on the first lap when he fell in turn three. He lost half a lap, remounted, and continued in P. 4 to the finish.
D-3: The 500cc D-3 field had eight riders present. They ran two rounds of heats won by rookie Chet Kohler and veteran Kevin Fife. The D-3 main went to Kohler for the second consecutive week with Fife second. Steve Brown and rookie Chad Williams earned P. 3-4. Williams fell hard on the first lap approaching start/finish. He rose and promptly pushed his bike to the infield.
JUNIORS: The four rider 250cc junior field was dominated by Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese, 12. He won both heats and the 250 main event in flag-to-flag runs. Sara Cords, 16, finished second by passing Jake Isaac, 13, on the third lap when he drifted high in turn four. Skyler Schnakenberg, 17, followed Isaac across the finish line.
The 150cc D-1 for more experienced riders had a field of four. Slater Lightcap, 10, led every lap in his two heats and for the second straight week in the main event. Dakota Shockley, 10, and Keelan Venegas, 12, followed. Luke Whitcomb, 10, finished a close second in both heats; he was second in the main when he fell near the crash-wall with the checkers waving. He rose quickly, but did not finish.
The 150cc D-2 race for newer 150cc riders was a runaway victory for the second consecutive week for past 50cc pee-wee division champion Travis Horn, 8. He led every lap in a five-rider field. Glenn Geist, Jose Navarette, Rachel Schnakenberg, 10, and Cole Ayers followed.
PEE-WEES: The 50cc pee-wee class had three rookies and one experienced rider--Levi Leutz, 7. Moorpark resident Kristian Daniel, 7, led every lap aboard his Honda CRF50 in his two heats and in the feature for his second victory in two weeks. Honda CRF50 rider Owen Williams, 9, from Costa Mesa, Leutz, and South Pasadena's Ken Matsudaira, 5, on a Suzuki Junior 50, finished all four laps in that order.
FOOTNOTES: There were 22 speedway legends seated at tables behind the main grandstand signing autographs and talking to fans from 7:00 to 7:30 pm. Racing started at 7:40. Legends signing were: Pam Bennett, Randy Blevins, Tommy Burba, Terry Clanton, “Wild” Bill Cody, Stu Egli, Bryce Eikelberwer, Dub Ferrill, Dean Foreman, Dave Galvin, Robbi Hunter, Steve Lucero, Billy Meister, Rob Morrison, Doug Nicol, Sonny Nutter, Bruce Penhall, Bobby Schwartz, Sammy Tanner, Bob Tocco, “Tumbleweed” Walton, and Dean York. ... The 16-page free race program given to each spectator had photos of all the legends, four to a page. Many of the photos were from then speedway photographer Scott Daloisio. ... “Grandmother” Bennett and “Boogaloo” Schwartz raced later. Other legends in the pits who raced were: “Mad-dog” McConnell, Charlie “the Edge” Venegas, and “Flying” Mike Faria. Robbi raced her No. 280 from 1978 for a decade or so and even raced in England.
Collector Buzz Shoemaker, of LaVerne, displayed three of his vintage upright 500cc speedway bikes. One was a Godden bike and engine from England. Another was a silver Cole from England and one of only 70 ever built. The orange bike was a Jawa that raced in the mid-to late 1970s. Buzz said he has sold off all of his 18 classic sprint cars over the years to racing museums in California. The Justice Brothers museum, Duncan Inman, and Dick Woodland sites have them now.
Industry Hills Expo Center General Manager Carol Perez said Wednesday night Industry Racing is available for Internet viewers worldwide to view at no charge. Last week there were 2,758 home views (with more individuals than that at each home) in the USA, Australia and Europe. If you cannot attend in person just go to www.livestream.com/expocenter. TV camerawork and replays are excellent. The live Internet feed is shown at The Grand Arena on a large screen above the third turn.
The Industry Racing purse each week is $2,500 paid by IHEC. The professional divisions top three in D-1, 2 and 3 + sidecar mains share in the purse. Junior riders race only for trophies. The 500cc Division 1 main event winners receive about $500. Four riders in the D-1 main divide the riders share of drawings. At times fans donate money to the purse. Prior to the June 15 D-1 feature announcer Bruce Flanders told the crowd a person gave $260 to the 500cc feature winner. Another fan added $40 cash to make it an even $300 for the winner. So Broc Nicol went home with about $800 June 15.
Chet Kohler, is a 500cc D-3 rookie to speedway racing from the motocross ranks. The 28-year old Long Beach resident is 6' 7” tall and wears bright orange so you cannot miss him. He uses No. 202 because that was his motocross bike number. He bought his GM bike from D-1 rider Tyson Talkington (No. 48). Chet won all of his races at Industry June 8 and 15. He said he races as a D-2 rider elsewhere; Industry should move him up to that level soon.
Casey Donholt, 28, visited California for two weeks to race his No. 97. He was the 2013 New York State Speedway Champion and 2015 U.S. Open Champion. He moved recently from Port Crane, N.Y to Binghampton, N.Y., near Pennsylvania. His sponsor is Binghampton Honda. Casey said his home track (Owego, N.Y.) races once a month and is a little larger eighth-mile than the Industry eighth-mile. He said his home track has 16 to 20 D-1 riders. He added that he liked the Industry and Auburn tracks where he raced on June 8 and 10. Casey scored one point for a third at Industry June 8 and no points June 15, but he was a close fourth in all of his tough heat fields. Casey was the subject of a full page color action shot in the June 15 program. It was taken at Industry June 8 by Robert Hargraves.
D-1 rookie Kurtis Hamil (No. 41) was missing June 15 at Industry because of an injury. Saturday, June 11 at Costa Mesa, according to Industry Racing Director Kelly Inman, Kurtis was in mid-wheelie form when he made contact with the wall. He received a dislocated and broken toe, broken foot and broken ankle. He is on the cover of the current “Turn One Magazine”, available online. Hope the personable son of world champion Billy Hamil makes a speedy recovery and returns to action soon. ... Next Wednesday is Industry Racing week four and it features all divisions and the return of those wild sidecar riders for their second of seven appearances at The Grand in 2016.