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INDUSTRY, CA., Aug. 13 - Ricky Wells, 17, won his fourth USA Speedway Cycle feature in the last five Division 1 main events run during Wednesday action at Industry Speedway. The fast-rising star and US Under 21 National Champion started his 500-cc JAWA from the fourth lane in a five-rider field. He pulled even with first lap leader Bobby Schwartz, who turned 52 Sunday, made an outside pass and then led the final laps. The race ran one extra lap before the checkered flag flew, but the official finish reverted to lap 4. Wells won by five lengths over Schwartz, who earlier won two heat races and had happy birthday sung to him by fellow riders and the crowd of about 600. Jimmy Fishback finished third with Shawn McConnell and Eddie Castro trailing the top three riders.
With 12 D-1 riders present, track champion Charlie Venegas did not race in the second round of heats because of he was changing his camshaft settings. He fell while running second in his third round heat race and missed a semifinal slot. It was his third consecutive week to miss the feature after he dominated the early season by winning eight of the first nine main events. Venegas has been the most successful rider in five years of racing at Industry. He said bad valve springs caused his "flat engine" last week.
Other riders suffered mishaps during the evening. Neil Facchini fell twice in the fourth turn on the initial and restarted first lap. The second fall caused Facchini a strained back and his motorcycle had a bent frame after it flipped to the wall. In the final D-1 heat of the third round second place Castro went down in the low groove at the fourth turn. Jason Ramirez, 16, clipped Castro's cycle and went down hard as well. Both riders remained on the ground a few minutes before walking to the pits. They raced later. Buck Blair, a winner at Industry this year, was unable to compete because he broke his collarbone in the Saturday, August 9 race at Victorville. He loaned his JAWA cycle Wednesday to D-1 rookie Russell Green.
Wells and Castro led all four laps in their semifinal races that advanced the top two finishers in each race to the feature. Fishback passed Brad Sauer at the start of lap 2 and won the last chance race for the final berth in the D-1 feature. Rudy Lauer, from Gardena, led all four laps in a six-rider Division 2 (intermediate level) 500-cc main. After winning two of his three heat races, Ron Mongenel, of Covina, won the four-rider D-3 (novice) main in a green to checkered flag run. It was his third D-3 main event trophy in two years. He came out of the grandstand to try speedway cycle racing. in addition to racing his super truck at Irwindale. Gino Manzares, 12 of Corona, won the first youth main for riders under age 16. he rode a 250-cc cycle in a field of three. Nicky Reimer, 9, traded the lead twice with Samuel Ramirez, who was celebrating his ninth birthday. Ramirez led laps 1 and 3 and Reimer, on his 200-cc Honda, led laps 2 and 4. Reimer, from Seal Beach, also won the pee-wee 4-lap main on his KTM 50-cc mini cycle in a four rider field.
MEDICAL UPDATE: Sidecar rider Sean Driggers, 38, was present Wednesday and spoke to spectators about the serious motorcycle/sidecar crash at Industry a week earlier. He confirmed the throttle stuck wide open about three-quarters down the backstretch. They didn't have time to bail off completely before hitting the third turn crash-wall at almost 70 mph. He said he received a broken nose, dislocated hip and eye socket damage but he was released from the hospital. His uncle/sidecar driver Scott Driggers, 48, is still hospitalized at LA County-USC Medical Center. His injuries included a broken pelvis, broken femur and internal bleeding. He had four surgeries to stop the internal bleeding and address his other injuries while in the Intensive Care Unit most of the week. He was on life support systems initially, but doctors removed them as his condition improved. Family members hope to move the elder Driggers to a hospital closer to their home in Lake Forest as soon as possible. Riders passed through the grandstand Wednesday with their helmets and accepted donations. from fans to help defray medical costs for the Driggers family.
The 20-week speedway cycle racing season at The Grand arena of the Industry Hills Expo Center has five Wednesday nights remaining until the September 17 season finale. That night will be the annual California State Championship race that is expected to attract numerous riders who do not compete every week.
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