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Industry, CA., June 11 - Charlie Venegas, of San Bernardino, returned to the victory stand at Industry Speedway in Industry Hills Expo Center Wednesday night in front of about 800 spectators. It was his fifth victory in six main events this season at the five year old dirt track, proving that his nickname "the Edge" is accurate. His winning No. 43 JAWA 500--cc motorcycle, which has won all five of its Industry Division 1 (expert) features this year, was disabled last week. Venegas borrowed a cycle from Division 1 rookie Russell Green and won the last chance race to qualify for the feature, where he finished third.
This week Venegas, 41, started from the three-hole in a five rider field. When the starting gate lifted he went to the outside and was in third position through the first two turns. He stayed on the outside and shot past the two leading riders on the backstretch and was first entering the third turn. Venegas led all four laps and won by ten yards over Shawn McConnell, a movie stuntman. Jimmy Fishback, June 4 winner Buck Blair and Bobby Schwartz followed closely. Fishback won the last chance race.
Bryan Buffington made his first start this season and led all four laps of the five-rider Division 2 main for intermediate-level riders. Rookie Tim McGrath paced all four laps to captured his first Division 3 feature trophy for new riders. Joey Holt led all the way in the Youth (under age 16) race on 250-cc cycles. Cameron Dalbey beat Nicky Reimer in their two-rider pee-wee division contest on 50-cc mini cycles.
NOTES: Russell Green,16, raced in the Youth division last year and moved directly to D-1 this year. He won the second of his three heat races Wednesday, and had a pair of third place finishes for five points. Green, in the top eight point-scoring riders, secured a berth in one of two semi-mains that advanced the top two finishers in each to the feature. Green contacted the wall and fell after receiving the checkered flag in his semi and was momentarily unconscious after contact with the ground. He also received a shoulder injury and watched the last chance race from the pits. Brian Motis, the paraplegic sidecar driver injured in a fall last week in a sidecar heat race, received a broken hip and broken ankle in three places.
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