Junior Speedway Riders Gumball Rally at Industry
By noderel:
Industry, CA., Feb. 26 – Junior Speedway riders participated in the annual “Kids Gumball Rally” Sunday afternoon at the eighth-mile dirt track in the Grand Arena at Industry Hills Expo Center. The non-points season opener at Industry Speedway had 47 speedway bike competitors in the five classes. About half of the riders were from Northern California. Some riders had two bikes for the pee-wee stock and modified classes. Free grandstand admission lured 204 persons, family and friends, and about 200 more persons in the pits on a partly sunny, 55-degree day with a few light sprinkles.
There were 19 riders in the Junior 250cc class, four mini 150cc first division riders, nine mini 150cc second division (less experienced) riders, seven pee-wees on modified 50cc bikes with adjusted bore and stroke engines, and 12 pee-wees on stock 50cc Honda and Yamaha bikes.
Rider ages ranged from 5 to 16. They raced for pride, Nor Cal vs. So Cal bragging rights, prizes, and coveted gumball-filled trophies for class winners. The 51 races (heats through main events) ran from 12:40 to 3:37 pm. Races were televised live on the Industry Speedway website and at the speedway on the color video screen above the third turn.
Main event winners were:
> Junior 250cc: Colton Hicks, 14, from Auburn on a Jawa
> Mini 150cc D-1: Enzo Sorani, 11, from Grass Valley
> Mini 150cc D-2: Colton Nelson, 9, from Auburn
> Pee-Wee Modified: Owen Williams, 9, from Costa Mesa (based on overall points)
> Pee-wee Stock: Kristian Daniel, Jr., 8, from Chatsworth.
The Junior 250cc division ran a pair of run-off races with three riders in each. The first race field had three riders with six points each after four rounds of heat races. Only the race winner advanced to the last chance race. Alex Martin, 12, from Salinas, led all four laps and beat Dylan Wagner, 12, from Napa. Sara Cords, 16, from Yucaipa, was in P. 2 on lap 3 when she fell in the fourth turn. She rose quickly and pushed her bike to the infield.
The Junior 250cc class had three riders tied at 11-points after four rounds of heats compete for positions in the four rider field with high-point rider Anthony Dion, 14, from Grass valley. National 250cc 2016 champion Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese, 13, led all four laps. The Mission Viejo resident edged pressing Colton Hicks, 14, from Auburn. Cameron Krezman, 13, from Newcastle, placed third. They joined A. Dion in the final race of the day and raced for the impressive gumball trophy.
MAINS: The 250cc four-lap feature grid had Dion on the pole. Palmese at the wall in lane four, Hicks in lane two, and Krezman in lane three. Hicks, son of 500cc D-1 expert Bob Hicks, led all four laps over pressing Palmese. Krezman and Dion followed in P. 3-4.
Event 50 was the mini 150cc D-1 final. Slater Lightcap, 11, from Huntington Beach, led the first two laps. Enzo Sorani, 11, from Grass Valley, made a determined and impressive inside pass entering the third turn and led the final two laps. Second place Lightcap fell on lap 3 at turn two and did not finish. P. 3 “Lightning” Luke Whitcomb, 11, from Anaheim, went down to avoid Lightcap. He restarted and finished second. Glenn Geist, 10, finished third. Lightcap was fourth.
The mini 150cc D-2 final went to Colton Nelson, 9, from Auburn, in a green to checkers run. Wilbur Hancock, 11-year old son of reigning Speedway World Champion Greg Hancock, finished second. Harley Fisher, 8, from England where his dad Ryan Fisher races speedway in the British League, and Jose Navarette, 7, from Industry, were third and fourth. Leader Navarette fell on the first lap in turn four in a one bike incident and by rule was excluded from the restart.
The pee-wee modified race had seven starters on 50cc bikes. Kristian Daniel, Jr., 8, won the race by a wheel over fast-closing friend Owen Williams, 9, of Costa Mesa. However, Williams (No. 04) earned the title by three points based on overall points. He had three heat victories to second place rides by Daniel.
The pee-wee stock victory went to Daniel on his No. 46 bike after he led every lap over fellow So Cal riders Levi Lentz, 7, and Gavin Geist. Newcomer Drake Conner was fourth. Harli Facchini, 6-year old daughter of 500cc D-1 veteran Neil Facchini, of Riverside, made her first Industry appearance and finished fifth, a lap down. Gracie Janniro, 6-year old of D-1 champion Billy Janniro, made her second pee-wee start at Industry and finished fourth on the lead lap in her last race.
Neil Facchini, 32, also had two stepsons via his girl friend make their first starts at Industry. Asher Hollis, 9, rode the No. 72 in the pee-wee stock class. His brother Hudson Hollis, 8, raced the No. 77 in the mini 150cc D-2 division. Both scored points and helped step-sister Harli get acclimated to two-wheel racing. Other rookies were Czane Dunbar, 9, from Orange, in the 150 D-2 plus Deegan Walker in the pee-wee modified class.
HEAT WINS:
250cc class: (20 races)
4- Anthony Dion
3- Sebastian Palmese, Colton Hicks, Cameron Krezman
1 – Sara Cords, Jake Isaac, Alex Martin, Sterling Martin, Kyle Cunningham, Sammy Tetrault, Michael Wells.
150cc D-1 class: (4 races)
2 – Slater Lightcap, Enzo Sorani.
150cc D-2 class: (9 races)
4 – Colton Nelson
2 – Harley Fisher
1 – Jose Navarette, Andrew Russell, Wilbur Hancock.
Pee-Wee 50cc Modified and Stock class: (7 races)
Kristian Daniel, Jr. and Owen Williams split the victories in both classes.
POINT STANDINGS:
250cc division:
12 points – Anthony Dion
11 - Sebastian Palmese, Colton Hicks, Cameron Krezman
9 - Jake Isaac
7 - Alex Martin
6 - Sara Cords, Dylan Wagner, Sterling Martin,
5 - Aidan McNutt, Sammy Tetrault, Landon Collins, Michael Wells
4 - Landon Norton
3 - Kyle Cunningham, Greg Moore
2 - Timmy Dion, Keelan Venegas
1 - Logan Hedden.
150cc D-1:
9 - Slater Lightcap
8 - Enzo Sorani
5 - Luke Whitcomb
2 - Glenn Geist.
150cc D-2:
12 - Colton Nelson
9 - Jose Navarette
8 - Harley Fisher
7 - Andrew Russell, Wilbur Hancock
5 - Hudson Hollis
4 - Cole Ayers
1 - Czane Dunbar
0 - Nick Dunn.
Pee Wee Modified:
Champion Owen Williams over Kristian Daniel, Jr. - others Levi Leutz, Gavin Geist, Ken Matsudaira, Hudson Hollis, Deegan Walker.
Pee Wee Stock:
Champion Kristian Daniel, Jr. over Owen Williams – others Levi Leutz, Connor Salazar, Gavin Geist, Jake Salazar, Jameson Hutchinson, Gracie Janniro, Harli Facchini, Asher Hollis, Ken Matsudaira, Drake Conner.