Junior speedway riders in 150cc and 250cc divisions and 50cc pee-wee riders took over Industry Speedway in the Grand Arena Sunday afternoon from 12 noon to 3:30 pm. They raced for gumball machines, trophies and cash that will fund their 2018 racing seasons. With free grandstand admission, about 200 persons attended on a partially sunny afternoon. Youngsters from age 4 to 15 raced in 43 events of the now annual “Kids Gumball Rally”.

Twelve of the 35 riders present came from Northern California and 23 live in Southern California. They competed for almost $7,000 in paychecks awarded during the post-racing awards ceremony in the pits. Each participant received an envelope with paychecks for their Gumball Rally results. No check was lower than $80, according to Industry Racing Director Kelly Inman. The entire purse from the adult Gumball Rally Saturday went into the “Kids” Gumball purse.

Fourteen Junior 250cc riders (nine from Nor Cal and five from So Cal) raced five rounds of heat races with the usual point scoring—3, 2, 1 and 0. Ten Junior mini 150cc riders (one from Nor Cal and nine from So Cal) raced four rounds of heats with the same scoring system. Eleven 50cc pee-wee riders (two from Nor Cal and nine from So Cal) raced four rounds of heats with points scored six to one based on the number of riders in each heat.

After points were tallied, the top four point scorers in all three divisions competed in four-lap main events. Their rewards were the big money, trophies and the prized gumball machines filled with gumballs. So Cal riders won all three features.

PEE-WEE MAIN: Drake Connor, 7, from Lancaster, started from pole position and led all four laps in the pee-wee feature. He had scored two wins and two seconds in his four heat races. Los Angeles resident Ken Matsudaira, 7, won all four of his heats, but he ran second all the way after launching from lane two. Connor also received a $25 check from 150cc feature winner Horn.

Outside starter Nick Holbein, 9, was a close third. The Auburn resident had scored four second place finishes in his heats. City of Industry hometown rider Connor Salazar, 10, led the first two laps and fell entering the third turn. He finished fourth after a complete restart. Salazar scored a pair of wins and second place finishes during heat racing.

MINI 150cc MAIN: Travis Horn, 7, from La Verne, started on the pole and led every lap in winning easily. He won two of his four heats and placed second twice. Costa Mesa resident Owen Williams, 10, started from lane three and chased Horn all four laps. He had two wins , a second an a third in heat races.

Fontana's Jose Navarette, 8, who won two of his four heats and ran second twice, started from lane two and placed third. Colton Nelson, a 10-year old from Auburn, started on the outside and ran fourth all the way. He won two of his four heats and added a second and third. Single heat race winners were Gordon Teufel III, Harley Fisher and Wilbur Hancock, 12-year old son of World Champion Greg Hancock.

250cc FEATURE: The final feature of the day at 3:10 pm was the Junior 250cc. Sebastian Palmese, 14, won after starting from lane three. The perennial California and US 250cc champion from Mission Viejo led all the way. Runner-up Landon Norton, 14, from Citrus Heights, started from lane two and trailed by six lengths. Whittier's Jake Isaac, 15, came from the pole to finish third. From the outside lane, Anthony Dion, 15, from Grass Valley, was fourth after an easy fall in the second turn. He pushed his bike to the infield quickly and avoided a caution flag.

Palmese and Isaac won four of their five heat races. Dion won three heats and Norton captured two of his five heats. Landon Collins, from Citrus Heights, also won two heats, but he fell twice and was excluded from restarting those heats. Solo heat winners were Slater Lightcap, Dylan Wagner, Enzo Sorani, Alex Martin and Greg Moore.

HEAT RACE POINT SCORING::

Pee-Wee Division:

Ken Matsudaira 24 points, Drake Connor (22), Connor Salazar (21), Nick Holbein (20), Cole Brown (16), Dakota Black (15), Jameson Hutchinson (14), Dayton Anderson (10), Zach Dunbar (8), Noah Luke (8), and Karl Hancock (5).

Mini 150 cc Division:

Travis Horn & Jose Navarette 10 points, Owen Williams & Colton Nelson (9 each), Wilbur Hancock (7), Gordon Teuber III & Harley Fisher (6 each), Justin Almon & Levi Leutz (5 each), and Czane Dunbar (1).

250cc Division:

Jake Isaac 14 points, Anthony Dion & Landon Norton (13 each), Sebastian Palmese (11), Dylan Wagner, Alex Martin & Greg Moore (8 each), Aidan McNutt (7), Slater Lightcap, Timmy Dion & Landon Collins (6 each), Enzo Sorani & Andrew Russell (5 each), and Keelan Venegas (4).