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42nd U.S. National Speedway Championship
Sept 25, 2010
Orange County Fairgrounds,
Costa Mesa, CA.
Story by Richard Parks, Photographs by Roger Rohrdanz

 

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Richard Parks & Roger Rohrdanz

   Wow! Yes, wow, they were that good. There’s no use waiting until the end of the article to tell you that the U.S. National Speedway Championship was just that good. If you like non-stop action that reminds one more of a medieval joust among champions, then Speedway motorcycle racing is just your cup of tea. Sassy, brassy, in your face adrenalin rush from the first moment to the last. If you go down and hug the rail you can get a face full of track dirt as well; just be sure to cover your eyes or you might just go blind. If the Tea Party is for older people, then Speedway racing is for all ages as it has a huge portion of their gate devoted to families. The racers also have their ‘fans.’ Maybe groupie would be a better term; and why not? It is rough, tough and no holds barred and very addictive. There are rules and standards that they adhere to just as in many other sports, but you pick them up quick as the action is simply non-stop. I’ve reported on Speedway bike racing before at the Grand in the City of Industry, California. That was an indoor oval and the noise reverberated off the roof and made it impossible to talk or even think. That event was like a rock concert on two wheels.

   The U.S. National Speedway Championship was held at the Orange County Fairgrounds, in Costa Mesa, California on September 25, 2010. Called the Bullring because of it size and the fact that it plays host to rodeo sports during the Orange County Fair during midsummer, this venue site is open air and seems so much larger and imposing, and the noise level is much more tolerable. Roger and I scheduled this race because of the constant hectoring of a man we all respect and appreciate, Howie Zechner. Howie is passionate about Speedway racing and he just wouldn’t leave us alone. He told us that he had a product that needs to expand and grow because it is an exciting sport. Speedway has been around for at least 80 years and maybe longer since motorcycle racing is as old as auto racing. Most of the fans and people that we interviewed told me that Speedway racers have been racing the short oval tracks since the early 1930’s. The U.S. National Speedway Championship goes back to 1969, when Mike Bast won the first race. Speedway motorcycle racing is more well-known and popular in Europe than in America. Our best racers usually go overseas to make the big money and name. 

   Even the racers themselves gave me conflicting reports on just how many Speedway race tracks there are in the United States. I’ve been told that there are five tracks in Southern California; Costa Mesa, City of Industry, San Bernardino, Perris and Victorville. There are two in Northern California; Auburn and Vallejo. Speedway motorcycle racing is also run in New York, Ohio and Florida. Even if I missed a few race tracks that isn’t a lot of venue sites to run on and so the impact of Speedway bike racing is very limited. This is a shame because it is dollar for dollar a better entertainment racing sport than just about any that I have seen. I didn’t check the gate to see what the admission price was, but I don’t believe that it was more than ten bucks and parking is relatively cheap at the Fairgrounds. I saw a lot of families and they brought their children and babies too.  It was a lively crowd and the young ladies followed their favorite riders as they left the pit area and entered the track. I’ve heard that the fans sometimes root a little too boisterously for their heroes of the oval and fisticuffs break out, but on this night they were all well behaved. There are plenty of food and beverage stands and a very nice restaurant that serves the some 4000 plus spectators on hand for the race. The seats on the south side of the rink are covered and it is a professionally looking stadium. The seats on the north, east and west sides are open grandstands and the seating is not reserved. There is box seating on the south side of the Arena that are reserved for sponsors and VIP’s. It really doesn’t matter where you sit or stand for the track is only about 175 yards around the inner race course and no spectator is ever more than 80 yards from one end of the course to the other. A number of people walked up to the double rail and watched the bikes from about 5 yards from the action. There is an inner rail that is solid and protects the spectators from the riders and bikes, but not from the spattering of track dirt that is hurled at them. That might be why these hardy souls do that, but for me I have to cover the action from all over the field and that means constant walking around the track. I learned and relearned a very valuable lesson; when the bikes come your way cover your eyes. I got pelted pretty good and a few hit me in the left eye, for most people tend to turn to their right to avoid the clods of dirt. Those in the stands didn’t have this trouble and the view was probably even more spectacular.

   We entered the Fairgrounds around 6 pm and walked around the grounds, then found our way to the credential booth where we got our wristbands and entered the pits. A word of warning here; I’ve been in the pits at the drags and it is spectator beware. But in the Speedway bike pits you not only have to look in all directions, but you stay as close to the edge of the road as possible. Riders are testing out their brakeless bikes in the small pit area and even though they have no brakes, if they run over you it is your fault. They seemed very adept at avoiding me even though I made a great target and was extremely slow. I felt like one of those runners who challenge the bulls at Pamplona. Did they realize who they were sending in to the pits? But the pits are the place to be at Speedway bike races. That’s where the real action is. The bikes may be smaller and perhaps easier to work on, but it takes a full crew to keep the bikes and the spares running at optimum speed. They work like demons and there is no 90 minute rule like there is in drag racing. At best you have 7 to 10 minutes, often less after the rider exits the track to work on the bike and get the rider back for the next heat. These men fly back and forth from the pits to the track, watch the race and then fly as fast as their fit will take them back into the pits, avoiding the bikes and riders speeding back as well. It is worth watching this activity and nothing else. They do have injuries which are part of the sport and I talked to the paramedics from the ambulance company. They gave me names of Douglas and Andrew, but I don’t know if that was really their names. The EMTs find it better to work in anonymity and do not like to be too distracted from their jobs. In this case they watched every second of the race to determine if they need to be out on the track or if the fallen riders shake off their spills and resume racing. The EMTs did tell me that sprains, broken bones and concussions are common. The bikes went down at least every other race and in some of the heats I saw three riders down. If a red flag is waved by the officials and the riders are okay, the race is rerun. In some cases the very capable track stewards and officials get the rider and the bike off the track before the racers come back to where the accident occurred. Remember, they are flying around the track at more than 60 mph and it’s only 175 yards. I didn’t see anyone run over a fallen rider, but the track is only about 20 feet wide, not much room for four bikes and a fallen rider. 

   Often the riders, including Juniors as young as five years old, will fall and though like all the riders, they have on protective gear from head to foot and good helmets, it can be a bone jarring bump. Most of the riders shook off the fall and got back on their bikes or pushed their bikes to the infield where they waited for the race to end. But one young man fell and the EMTs had to rush out and help him back to the ambulance where they tended to his injury and put his arm into a sling, then his mother rushed him to a hospital. It might have been only a sprain and not a break, but this young racer’s day was over. The training for speedway racing starts at a very early age, as young as five years old, but riders may have been on a bike on a dry lake or dunes from the time that they could walk. They work their way up through many levels from the Peewee division (50cc) to at least three divisions of Juniors (up to 250cc). A rider has to be at least 16 years old or have special permission if he is younger than that to participate in any of the three 500cc Divisions. The riders come out of the gate and onto the field where they pick a number out of the can held by the pit steward and that determines where they start on the line; pole, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Because the track is so short and the riders only have four laps to the finish line, pure power is only part of the equation. A rider has to be agile, quick, steady reflexes, nerves of steel or no nerves at all and a great mind for strategy. Unlike other sports where the young prevail and as reflexes fade, so do their careers; in Speedway racing the older racers have an advantage in strategy, planning, and experience.

   Before we entered the pit area I spoke to a fan, John Walker, who raced stock cars back east and started his two sons in Speedway racing in the 1970’s. John is proof that once the short track bike racing gets into your blood, it becomes a lifetime affair. Once in the pits the activity began to increase. Three Juniors were pitted together. Gino Scopellite is now 8 years old and has been racing since he was five. Brian Pintar is 9 and has been racing for two years in the 150cc bike category; a Juniors class. Dave Pintar, Brian’s father, is the crew chief, and told me that he likes Costa Mesa as it is closer and more convenient to get into. He also told me that the Fairgrounds races on Saturdays and that is more convenient for working families. Nicky Reimer is 11 and has been riding Speedway bikes for three years and before that he rode in the Supermotos for six years. He is in the 250cc Junior division. Rocco ‘Rocky’ Scopellite is 14 and has raced for six years. He is now in the top Juniors class with a 250cc engine. His father, Ronnie Scopellite is his crew chief. 1st Division rider Frank McConnell has been racing for 45 years in the sport and has the white hair to prove it. His team consisted of his Son Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnel, Barney Zetterland, and Robert LaChance. Tyson Burmeister is 26 years old and has raced for 2 years in Speedway after racing in motocross and supercross since turning pro at 18. He has raced competitively since he was 5 years old. “I race at the Grand in the City of Industry on Wednesday’s, at Inland Motorcycle Speedway in San Bernardino on Friday’s and at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds on Saturday. I prefer the harder, faster track at San Bernardino,” Tyson said. He is leaving for England soon after the National race. “England, Sweden and Poland have the most clubs and are the most competitive,” they also pay the most he added. Like several of the other Speedway competitors his crew chief is his father, Tom Burmeister. On this night Tyson finished in second place. The rider that everyone is chasing is two-time National Champion Billy Janniro from Northern California who has just added the California State Championship to his list of victories and honors. He has been racing since 1992 and is thirty years old this year. His capable crewmembers are Devin Defreece and Steve Wells, who is the father of the defending 2010 US National champion who is campaigning in Europe this year. 1st Division Northern California rider, Tommy Hedden, is also on the program.  The 37 year old Hedden is a fierce competitor with Janniro.  The friendship among the racers usually stops at the gate and starts up again after the checkered flag is waved.

   Janniro is quiet and calculating, waiting for just the right moment to whip out stinging witticisms. To some he has this cocky air of a champion, but don’t be fooled by his attitude. He simply is the best and proved it this night, with skill, determination, drive, cageyness and the heart of a mercenary. I got the feeling that he would rise to the top in just about any competitive sport he competed in. The way he went from the difficult 4th spot to take the lead in one of the heats was simply masterful. So Janniro, having shown one move is sent back to that dreaded 4th position and at the start pulls out more tricks from his bag and again takes the lead and wins. Janniro doesn’t simply win races, he dominates them and he knows it. He also senses that Roger and I are novices at Speedway and so he makes his presence known to us. My time with him is cut short because there is a $10,000.00 purse to be won and every second counts.  The next person that we saw was Gabriel Price and he has only raced in Juniors for one year, having come over from motocross when he was 14. He races the 250cc bikes. Jimmy Fishback has been racing the 500 cc bikes in the 1ST Division category for 12 years. He races in all the big races and wins a lot of them. His father and crew chief is the famous Speedway and Baja California rider, Jim “The Animal” Fishback. Assisting Jimmy Fishback is Dean York. I talked to Elaine Jones, who runs the pit score board and posts the scores for the racers. She writes and photographs for Cycle News and has done so for 43 years. “The magazine just went out of business two weeks ago. It couldn’t make it in this economic climate, but one of the magazine’s staff created a website, www.TodaysCycleNews.com and we are keeping it going,” she told me. She patiently explained Speedway racing to me and the various heats and rounds. “There are 5 rounds of 4 riders each in the 1st Division, plus two reserve riders in case of injury or failure to start. There were 6 Peewee riders on 50cc engined bikes and two divisions of Junior racers in the program. This is the last race of the season and each heat is sponsored by a different company and $100 in prize money for the heat winners,” Elaine said. The meeting for the riders was called and the pits became quiet. When the riders returned the action heated up considerably.

   I left the pit area and wandered around the track, then over to the covered concrete stadium seating and noticed how fast the stands were filling up. Speedway racing is like a circular drag race with the riders covering about 175 yards four times or about 700 yard in all. A drag race covers 1320 feet in about 3.7 seconds for the big boys. It takes the Speedway racers a bit longer, but it’s all over in about a minute. It doesn’t take the officials or the racers long to stage and they’re off. The races begin about 7:30 and end at 10 pm and I can tell you that it’s two and a half hours of fast, furious fun. Before the racing began I talked to Tom Fox who has been a flagman for 5 years. He graciously pointed out what he does and what the other officials do during the race. Before the racing began parents took their young children and placed them on the inner fence and I wondered at this strange custom. It became very apparent as the racers left their bikes behind and began the procession, walking around the entire race course and speaking to and shaking hands with their young fans. Then the fans climbed down from the barrier and went back to their seats in the stands. I spoke briefly to Bruce Flanders, a famous announcer who was there as a guest of honor. The Star Spangled Banner was sung to a great enthusiasm by the crowd. Then the starter turned on the Christmas tree lights and the strands of tape descended from the starting line poles. The rules state that a racer must not come into contact with the tapes until the starter releases the spring and the tapes springs up into the air. Doing so causes a miss start and can incur a penalty. Fox told me that no one has ever won a race with a twenty yard penalty in a National competition. As the racers line up in the staging lanes for their heat to begin, the girls crowd the rail close by and yell encouragement to their favorite riders. These are the heroes of their sport and they do have fans and very loyal ones at that.

   There is one exception to the rule and her name is Hayley Perralt, who is the only girl currently competing in Speedway bike racing, at least at this race. She raced for 3 years in the PeeWee division and then moved up to the Juniors where she has been racing for the last two years. I asked her why more young ladies haven’t taken up bike racing. “There are no brakes on the bikes and that takes some getting used to. It is a scary ride and most girls don’t want to get out there and mix it up,” she told me. I could see the adrenaline pouring from the racers and fans. Speedway bike racing is intense, fast and dangerous. The surface is hard packed decomposed granite and the tires pick up clods of dirt and fling it around. The racers and spectators are constantly being pelted and I got hit several times. The racers have good protection, padding and helmets but the spills and accidents are a constant part of the action and hitting the hard surface with a bike on top of you can be unnerving. There is also the chance that you will hit the wall, another bike or have a competitor run over you. A Speedway bike is not for the faint hearted. Yet there are women who participate in drag racing all the time. In fact, about 40% of the Junior Dragsters are young girls and many of them go on to race in the more competitive fields of Alcohol and Nitro racing. It might seem safer to be surrounded by a roll cage and safety harnesses, but drag racing is still a dangerous sport. In land speed racing there are many women who participate, especially in the motorcycle classes and they have recorded times in the high 200 mph range. There are also 4 or 5 women who compete in the NHRA Drag racing series motorcycle class and their speeds approach 180 mph. But they don’t go in circles and that may be the difference. Speedway bike racing is slower by far, but it is tricky, unpredictable, and probably more exciting than all the other forms of racing. Hayley races at Costa Mesa, Victorville, Perris, the City of Industry but likes Costa Mesa the best of all the tracks. “I want to keep advancing from division to division and race till I get to be in the 500 cc First Division,” she added. She already has the charming personality and fan club. Wherever she went there were young girls and boys who talked to her from the stands.

   I was introduced to Jason Bonsignore who owns and manages tracks in New York. He told me that New York has two Speedway tracks; Champion Speedway in Owego and Action Park in Greene, New York and then he excused himself to run off to help a race team get ready for their heat and that was the last time I saw him. That wasn’t unusual, for once the races begin it is a madhouse in the pits and the crews have precious few seconds to check the bikes over and get them back for another heat. Still, there are people you can talk to during a lull in the race. I spoke to one of the gateman whose job it is to open the gates from the staging lanes into the race track and though it seemed simple, it wasn’t. The various jobs that are required call for cool headed thinking at all times. Brad and Jaleen Oxley, the current promoters and operators of the track, International Speedway, took over when his father, Harry Oxley retired. Harry is known as the Godfather of Speedway racing. Brad is a two time US Speedway National Champion. There was a break in the racing so I walked back to the pits, not a very difficult thing to do since it was only about 60 yards away and ran into Bruce Flanders again. “I announced the races at the first races on Friday the 13th, 1969, and continued on until I left to work at the PAS in Perris, California in 1996,” Flanders exclaimed. He forgot to give me the month, but Speedway racing really got him going. “It really hasn’t changed at all since the sport was organized. Oh, they fussed with the tire size, but what you see today is what they did 74 years ago,” exclaimed Bruce. I ran into Kelly Inman from Specialized Coatings in Huntington Beach. “We only have 6 to 8 minutes between heats and we have to hurry to check the bikes out and get back to the track,” he said as he rushed by. Kelly is one of those enthusiastic volunteers and a sponsor of Speedway racing. The finals were dominated by Billy Janniro as everyone had expected. He is hot right now and riding a winning streak. On this night Janniro finished first and was crowned the New US National Champion.  He also won this title in 2004 and 2008. The list of past champions include; Steve and Mike Bast, Rick Woods, Bruce Penhall, Shawn and Kelly Moran, Alan Christian, Bobby Schwartz, Brad Oxley, Steve Lucero, Mike Faria, Chris Manchester, Sam Ermolenko, Greg Hancock, Bart Bast, Charlie Venegas, Billy Hamill, Scott Brant and Ricky Wells. Mike Bast won the race 7 times. Charlie Venegas, Mike Faria, and Bobby Schwartz are past winners who were attempting to repeat as champion. 

   Some of the other First Division racers and alternates in the field included: Josh Larsen from Costa Mesa, age 38; Gary Hicks from Yucaipa, age 41; Eddie Castro from Ojai, age 51; Robbie Sauer from Bakersfield, age 44; Bryan Yarrow from Citrus Heights, age 26; Mike Faria from Bloomington, age 53; Bobby Schwartz from Costa Mesa, age 54; Brad Sauer from Bakersfield, age 41; Steve Russell from Murrieta, age 40; Gino Manzares from Corona, age 17; Jimmy Fishback from Rancho Cucamonga, age 29; Tyson Burmeister from Norco, age 26; Adam Mittl from Endicott, New York, age 27; Jason Ramirez from Orange, age 18; Doug Nicol from Lomita, age 51; Buck Blair from Huntington Beach, age 32; Tommy Hedden from Auburn, age 37; Charlie Venegas from San Bernardino, age 43; John Marquez from Menifee, age 24; Michael Raines from Cypress, age 23; Shawn McConnell from Brea, age 51, and finally Billy Janniro from Benicia, age 30. Howie Zechner pointed out a few other facts. The original founders of the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds were Jack Milne, Harry and Marilynn Oxley. Jack Milne was the first ever US World Speedway Champion. They turned over the promotion to Brad and Jaleen Oxley. It’s a family business as Brad and Jaleen’s daughter, Miranda and sister Lorie Oxley also work for the company International Speedway. Miranda in the business office and Lorie in the ticket booth. The announcer is Terry Ike Clanton, a colorful character who is a descendant of the famous Clanton’s from Tombstone, Arizona.  The man everyone loves to hate is Bryan Galvin, the referee. All 2010 Costa Mesa main events are on the Speedwayzar YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/speedwayzar. The International Speedway website is costamesaspeedway.net. Sign up on their email mailing list and they will notify you of the 2011 racing schedule. It’s free and easy to sign up. RAZ Video was at the Nationals producing a seven camera production of this exciting championship for broadcasting. Howie Zechner will notify my website when the DVD’s are available, or you can contact Howie directly at [email protected]. It is surprising just how fun and interesting Speedway bike racing can be. Look it up in your area and attend one of these exciting races. 

Gone Racin’ is at [email protected]


Click on Photos to Enlarge

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Specialized Coatings in Huntington Beach is a big sponsor of Speedway racing. Kelly Inman, from Specialized, is one of those enthusiastic volunteers.

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In the Speedway bike pits you not only have to look in all directions, but you stay as close to the edge of the road as possible.

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Gino Scopellite is now 8 years old and has been racing since he was five.

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Brian Pintar is 9 and has been racing for two years in the 150cc bike category; a Juniors class. Dave Pintar, Brian’s father, is the crew chief, and told me that he likes Costa Mesa, CA. as it is closer and more convenient to get into.

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Nicky Reimer is 11 and has been riding Speedway bikes for three years and before that he rode in the Supermotos for six years. He is in the 250cc Junior division.

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Frank McConnell works on Son, Shawn ‘Mad Dog’ McConnell “GM” bike. Frank has been racing for 45 years in the sport and has the white hair to prove it. His team consisted of Barney Zetterland and Robert LaChance.

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Tyson Burmeister is 26 years old and has raced for 2 years in Speedway after racing in motocross and supercross since turning pro at 18. He has raced competitively since he was 5 years old.

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Specialized Coatings in Huntington Beach is a big sponsor of Speedway racing. Here is Kelly Inman, from Specialized, helping prepare a competition bike.

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The rider that everyone is chasing is two-time National Champion Billy Janniro from Northern California who has just added the California State Championship to his list of victories and honors. He has been racing since 1992 and is thirty years old this year. His capable crewmembers are Devin Defreece and Steve Wells.

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Jimmy Fishback has been racing the 500 cc bikes in the 1ST Division category for 12 years. He races in all the big races and wins a lot of them. His father and crew chief is the famous Speedway and Baja California rider, Jim “The Animal” Fishback. Assisting Jimmy is Dean York.

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There is one exception to the rule and her name is Hayley Perralt (l), who is the only girl currently competing in Speedway bike racing, at least at this race. She is joined by Gino Scopeletti.

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I talked to Elaine Jones, who runs the pit score board and posts the scores for the racers. She writes and photographs for Cycle News and has done so for 43 years. “The magazine just went out of business two weeks ago.”

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Brad Oxley addresses the riders in the riders meeting.

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This Mattson’s Radiator sponsored Jawa is ridden by Mike Farias.

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Ready for the next heat are from l-r Charlie Venegas, Jimmy Fishback, Gary Hicks and Michael Raines.

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The racing action is non-stop, all night!

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