Janniro Wins AMA US National Round 3 at Industry Speedway
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Industry, CA., Aug. 8 – Reigning US Speedway National Champion Billy Janniro, 35, was perfection personified at Industry Speedway Saturday during round three of four in the chase for the 2015 AMA US National Speedway Championship. He won all five of his heat races, his semi-final and the main event and led every lap in each of his seven races.
The major 2015 Industry Speedway event, presented by Alarmco Integrated Solutions of Redlands, attracted almost 1,200 persons on the Industry Hills Expo Center premises inside the covered Grand Arena. As usual all races were shown live on the Internet at IndustrySpeedway.com. Final tabulations revealed by Carol Perez, IHEC manager, showed 1,831 views on the Internet of the August 8 races at Industry Speedway.
Janniro, the 2014-13-11-10 and 08 AMA US National Speedway Champion, won both the handicapped and scratch main events Friday, August 7 at Fast Fridays Speedway in Auburn. The four-time California State Speedway Champion (2010, 11, 12 and 14) and his family drove south right after his double victory at his home track. He even had time to coach his 5-year old daughter Gracie Lee in her first 50cc pee-wee racing weekend at Auburn and Industry.
Janniro won both prior rounds in the national series at Costa Mesa Speedway on May 30 and at Ventura Raceway on June 27. He entered round three at Industry with a four point lead (36-32) over Max Ruml, 18, and six points over Broc Nicol, 17. Janniro's seven victories in seven races at three points per victory gave him 21 points during round three. He now leads M. Ruml by nine points (57-48) with Nichol third at 40 points. The fourth and final round will be run on Friday, September 18 at Auburns's Fast Fridays Speedway.
The four race AMA US National Championship Series uses the “championship format”. The 14 highest riders after two rounds were guaranteed to race in the 20 heats races. Each rider raced in five rounds and started from each of the four lanes at least once. Eight riders raced in the two wild card races that began the evening. First and second place finishers in the first two wild card races advanced to the third wild card heat. P.3-4 riders in the first two wild card heats had to load up their bikes.
Auburn residents Bob Hicks and Tyler Warren, 20, won the first two wild card heats. Austin Novratil led all the way in the third wild card heat and edged Hicks. They earned wild card 1 and wild card 2 berths respectively in the 16 rider championship format. P. 3-4 riders Warren and Mike Dalbey became reserves 1 and 2 respectively. Both were able to run as subs after riders had exclusions for touching the starting gate prior to a race start.
PEE-WEES: Six pee-wee riders raced 50cc bikes in two heat races and a four-lap main event in addition to the 23 races run by 500cc D-1 racing program. Five pee-wees started from the starting gate, but frequent winner Travis Horn, 7, started 40-yards from the gate. Horn won the first heat with a final lap pass in the second turn. Jose Navarette, 6, led all four laps in both heat two and the main event, in which Horn placed second. Levi Lentz, Richard Stephens, Conner Salazar and Gracie Lee Janniro followed.
The 500cc riders raced 20 heats and eight of 16 riders won at least one heat. Janniro won all five of his rides. M. Ruml, Charlie Venegas and Aaron Fox won three of their five races. Nicol and Bart Bast each won twice. Buck Blair and Russell Green each won one heat.
The top eight riders in heat race points (scored 3-2-1-0) after five rounds raced in a pair of semi-final races. The first two finishers in each semi-final advanced to the four-rider, 4-lap feature. The semi-finals and feature also awarded points (3-2-1-0) towards the four race 2015 US National Championship title. Janniro beat Venegas in the first semi. Bast and Dillon Ruml finished third and fourth.
Fox led every lap in the second semi-final and won over M. Ruml. The race for second between teenage stars and friends Ruml and Nicol was sizzling for three laps. As they concluded lap 3 side-by-side, Ruml and outside-running Nicol bumped. Nicol's back tire lost traction and started coming around. As he headed at speed towards the first turn wall, Nicol laid down his bike and slid with it to the wall. He remained on the ground for a few minutes before rising and walking to the pits.
Referee Steve Lucero ruled the race concluded because more than 50% of the laps had been completed when the red flag appeared on lap 4. The final order was Fox, Ruml and Luke Becker, 16.
Main event lane choice was determined by accrued points. Janniro tested traction with his heel and selected lane two. Ruml took lane one and Fox lane four, leaving Venegas lane three. At the start, Janniro shot into the lead and maintained a one length advantage over pressing Fox to the final lap. Fox trailed by two lengths at the end, with Ruml three lengths in back of Fox, and P. 4 Venegas five lengths back.
PIT NOTES: Shawn McConnell, 56, was at home recuperating from his bad crash at Perris Raceway on Saturday, August 1 during the Eddie Castro Testimonial racing program. He tweeted into IHEC and said he was watching the August 8 racing event on the Internet. Austin Novratil got into the back of Shawn's bike and it crashed into the third turn wall. Shawn received a broken clavicle, seven broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He needed a breathing tube to assist his breathing and spent five days in a hospital before continuing his recovery at home. Shawn's tweet said he has not retired and will be back ASAP.
McConnell was in P. 11 with 10 points after two rounds in the four race US National Championship series. Other recuperating or absent riders who were in the vital top 14 in points were: P. 5 Billy Hamill (18 points), P. 14 Bryce Starks (8), Rocco Scopellite (7), and Gage Geist (6). Geist received torn ligaments/broken bone in one of his feet in a third turn crash at Industry a few weeks ago. Venegas (7), Tyson Talkington (5) and Dan Faria moved into the top 14 ranked riders for round three at Industry.
The August 1 “Fast” Eddie Castro Testimonial racing event (44 races) at Perris Raceway had a large turnout, proving the esteem in which Eddie is held in the speedway racing community. Eddie, 55, has been fighting cancer after a large tumor was discovered on March 9. Lymph nodes, rectum and liver are affected organs. Eddie has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. A colostomy is planned. Radiation is five days a week (M-F) with concurrent 5FU chemotherapy infusions. Romie (Mrs. Fast Eddie) said they and doctors are hopeful that Eddie will beat the invading cancer. His oncologist is taking Eddie's case to the tumor board. Eddie was present to watch his testimonial evening. Eddie publicly announced his retirement from his 35-year speedway racing career for health reasons.
Handicap (18 riders) and scratch racing at Perris Raceway on Burton Rd. for D-1 riders was featured. D-2 and D-3, 250cc juniors, 150cc youth and pee-wee races and sidecar competition also entertained all. Feature winners were: Handicap main: Dillon Ruml (from the 30) over 50-yard line starters Nicol, M. Ruml, Fox, and 10-yard line starters Dryden Gayle and Dalton Leedy. Scratch main winner was Nicol, over M. Ruml, Fox and Kurtis Hamill. Mike Faria won the Mohicans Last Man Out race over Buck Blair, Chas. Ermolenko and Shaun Harmatiuk.
Other feature results: D-2—Rick Richards, Rudy Laurer, Rohn Zellner and Harold Hartke. D-3—Mike Reed, Steve Brown, Tom Bryant, Tom Rishton, Dave Smith, Bobby Richards. 250 Juniors—Sebastian Palmese, Jake Isaac, Michael Wells. 150 Mini D-1—Slater Lightcap, Luke Whitcomb, Sam Hagon, Dakota Shockley, Andrew Russell. 150 Mini D-2—Skylar Schnakenberg, Glenn Geist, Rachel Schnakenberg, Nick Dunn. Pee-Wees—Travis Horn, Aden Omelina, Levi Leutz, Jose Navarette, Dylan Hogerhuis, Bobby Schwartz, Jr., Gavin Dryfka. Sidecars—Joe Jones/Tom Summers, Bryan Motis/Josh Bennett, Robert Curry/David Dent, Jeff Rowe/Ashley Gibbons.
Only three Wednesday nights remain on the Industry Speedway 2015 schedule. August 12 will have all divisions, plus sidecars. August 19 will have all divisions racing and is the annual “Legends Night” with past speedway stars present signing autographs in the IHEC front courtyard. August 26 will be the 40th annual California State Speedway Championship.