Hamill Wins 2015 CA State Speedway Championship
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Industry, CA., Aug. 26 – Billy Hamill, five-time AMA US National Champion (1999-2012) and four-time US National Champion (2002-13), earned his first California State Speedway Championship in the 40th running of the event Wednesday at Industry Speedway. The 1996 World Speedway Champion rode to a sensational victory. The 45-year old champion had an eight week injury-caused absence from racing following his June 24 crash at Industry. He returned to racing August 19 at Industry and was undefeated that evening. He won the Costa Mesa Speedway August 22 feature prior to his third consecutive dominating performance Wednesday.
The Carlsbad resident rode his 500cc Hagon Shocks GM bike from lane three and made a sensational pass of four-time (2010-14) California State Speedway Champion Billy Janniro, 35, on lap 2 to win the “battle of Billies” in thrilling fashion. It left almost 1,100 spectators in grandstands and pits standing and cheering the brilliant racing they had witnessed. Hamill trailed Janniro closely on lap 1. He started lap 2 next to the crash-wall, then cut sharply to the inside. Hamill beat Janniro to the inside entering the first turn and led the final three laps.
Industry Speedway 2015 D1 point champion Max Ruml, 18, surprised Janniro with an inside pass exiting the fourth turn on lap 3 to take second position. He held it to the checkered flag from starter Tom Fox. Impressive 500cc D-1 rookie Luke Becker, 16, finished fourth in his first year of 500cc eligibility. Hamill beat runner-up Ruml by one length. Janniro trailed third year D-1 rider Ruml by half a length. Becker ran fourth all four laps and finished five-lengths in back of his mentor Janniro. The two riders drove south together from Nor Cal and drove home after the conclusion of trophy presentations on the podium erected at the finish line.
With 16 first division riders racing in five rounds of heats, Hamill was the high-point rider with a perfect 15 points. Janniro was second with 14. Charlie Venegas scored 13 and Aaron Fox 12. The top eight riders in points met in a pair of of semi-final races after the third and final track preparation period of the evening. The eighth highest rider in points scored seven.
The two champion Billies met earlier during round four of heat racing. That battle in event 23 of 40 races run from 7:30 to shortly after 10 pm was a preview of their main event duel in the Grand Arena of the Industry Hills Expo Center. In that race Janniro started from lane two and Hamill from the outside lane four. Janniro led lap 1, but Hamill previewed his main event tactic by darting from next to the crash-wall at start/finish to the inside entering the first turn. He led Janniro from lap 2-4 for an impressive victory over runner-up Janniro that had spectators cheering with excitement.
SEMI-FINALS: The first semi-final lineup from pole to lane four had Hamill, Fox, 59-year old Bobby Schwartz and Becker. In a major upset, Becker shot from the gate to the lead in the first turn and led Hamill all four laps. They transferred to the feature. Fox and Schwartz were finished for the evening.
The second semi had Janniro, Venegas, M. Ruml and Tyson Talkington from inside to outside lanes. On the first start Talkington and Ruml tangled and fell in turn one. A complete restart ensued. On lap 1, P. 4 Talkington fell and slid into the crash-wall near the front straight. He was excluded from the second restart for his single bike crash. The third start had Janniro again shoot into the lead; this time Ruml beat Venegas into turn one and ran second to the finish. Janniro and Ruml advanced to the feature. Venegas and Talkington were finished for the night.
Ten D-2 500cc riders took part in the Industry Invitational event. Two heat races had five riders in each race with points scored 4-3-2-1-0. The top four in points after both heats transferred to the feature. Kurtis Hamill, 16, and Rick Richards won both of their heat races and scored the maximum eight points. Rick Valdez (six points from a pair of P. 2 finishes) and Mike Wiley (five points) joined them in the Invitational main event.
HAMILL DOUBLE: Kurtis Hamill, 16-year old son of 2015 champion Billy, previewed his dad's subsequent performance in the D-1 feature. Richards led lap 1 and got a bit high on lap 2 in the second turn. Kurtis darted into the lead on his GM and ran away with his most impressive victory to date. He won easily over Richards and Valdez. Wiley was running third on lap 3 when he fell in the second corner near the infield. He rose quickly and pushed his bike to the infield so the race would remain green.
Two junior divisions competed. Rancho Santa Margarita resident Sebastian Palmese, 11, dominated the 250cc event with four riders present. The 2013-14 AMA 150 Youth National Speedway Champion, 2013-14 mini 150cc first division California State Champion, and 2013 150cc Silver Cup champion, won both heats. He led all four laps of the main, earning the top step on the podium. Jake Isaac, 13, and Michael Wells, 14, followed. Fourth place Skylar Schnakenberg, 16, fell on lap 2 and pushed her bike to the infield.
The mini 150cc main event was a battle among three riders with perfect scores of nine. All three riders won all three of their heats in an 11-rider field of youngster from age 9-16. Ten-year old twins Sterling (No 31) and Alex (No. 30) Martin, from Salinas, were joined by Huntington Beach resident Slater Lightcap, 9, with perfect scores in three rounds of heat races. Dakota Shockley (six points) joined them in the feature.
MARTIN 1-2: Sterling Martin had to go to his family team backup bike after his third heat race because of an engine problem. Additionally, Sterling had a nagging headache all day and courageously raced despite feeling ill and taking medication. The Martin twins attended school for two hours Wednesday morning before traveling south to Industry and were headed home for school Thursday following trophy presentations. Sterling led all four laps over brother Alex who placed a close second. Lightcap finished third and Shockley fourth.
Actor Barry Weiss, star of the TV show “Storage Wars” and a devoted fan of speedway bike racing, donated $1,000 cash to be shared by the podium riders in both junior divisions. A reported $300 went to the two junior division winners. The Martin twins took home one-two money along with their large trophies. Palmese, nicknamed “Big Daddy”, earned top dollars for his 250cc victory.
PIT NOTES: Industry Speedway referee Steve Lucero, a retired winning D-1 rider, was absent for the first time all season at the last scheduled race of 2015 at Industry. The reason was the birth of his first grandchild. Dave Hull, who worked in the past as referee at tracks in Long Beach and Victorville, filled in for Steve. ... Recuperating D-1 rider Shawn McConnell, of Brea, became a first-time grandfather at 6:54 pm according to a text read by announcer Bruce Flanders. Roxon McConnell entered the world at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange with these vital stats—8 lbs, 11 oz and 20 “ long. All were able to watch Industry racing via the Internet on the track website.
There is a rumor that Industry Speedway will have the first race of 2016 on the first Saturday in January. The tentative 2016 schedule has the preseason Gumball Rally event on February 20-21. The 15-week Industry Speedway will start June 1 and go through August 31. The 41st AMA California State Speedway Championship will be August 31. The AMA National round at Industry will be run August 13 with the 4th annual AMA/FIM Youth Silver Cup Championship for juniors again on the following afternoon.
Industry Speedway2015 final season points by 500cc divisions are as follows:
D-1 – 1- Max Ruml – 348.5; 2 - Dillon Ruml – 343.0; 3 – Aaron Fox – 290.0; 4 – Broc Nicol – 250.0; 5 – Billy Janniro – 220.0. The top three riders in D-2 are: Nathan Siegel, Rudy Laurer and Ron Davis. The top three in D-3 are: Steve “Beach-ball” Brown, Rev. Wade Whitcomb and George Yates.
The free to all spectators and contestants color, 18-page program was another collectors' item. It contained 29 action and still color photos of riders and the full printed race lineups for all preliminary races through the heat races. ... Carol Perez, head of IHEC marketing and promotions and a major backer of speedway racing, missed her first speedway race in memory. She was in Washington, D.C with one of her sons for his enrollment in college.
Industry Speedway racers and spectators sent out get-well wishes to World Speedway Championship rider Darcy Ward, of England, who was critically injuring last Sunday racing in Poland. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries according to reports. Darcy raced at Industry Speedway as part of the European rider contingent several years ago during the December Monster Energy Invitational event.
Danny Thompson, son of the late racing promoter/innovator Mickey Thompson, was present with his Bonnevivlle Salt Flats land speed record car on an open trailer in the IHEC area behind the grandstand.. Danny, a CRA sprint car driver at Ascot during the 1980s, answered fans questions. The aerodynamic No. 492 AA/FS dark blue and silver lettered car had “Challenger 2” on the side and Mickey Thompson as well. Bonneville salt is to mushy for runs currently. Danny hopes to drive it to a new LSR during October.
Carl Wuersch, of Highway 39 Special Events, and Kelly Inman, Industry Speedway Racing Director, will be co-promoting the first flat track motorcycle race at Perris Auto Speedway Tuesday, October 6 at 7:30 pm during the annual Southern California Fair. The “Root'n Tootin Fun” fair dates are October 3-11. If successful, they hope to improve the new event annually.
Billy Janniro said he departed from his home Wednesday at 6:30 am and drove to Brentwood in the San Francisco Bay Area to pick up his protege Luke Becker. Luke was an outstanding 2014 250cc Junior rider and current 16-year old D-1 rookie star. They drove south on I-5 together and arrived at Industry Speedway about 4:00 pm. Following the D-1 feature, in which both raced, they drove back home. Luke is a high school student.