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| CHARLIE VENEGAS WINS FOR SIXTH TIME IN SEVEN RACES -- By Tim Kennedy, Correspondent |
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INDUSTRY, CA., Jun. 18 - Track champion and 2008 point leader Charlie "the Edge" Venegas worked his magic again Wednesday night in front of 794 spectators at Industry Speedway on The Grand Arena dirt track of the Industry Hills Expo Center. He won his sixth USA Speedway Cycles four-lap Division 1 500-cc feature in seven races at the track this year. The 41-year old San Bernardino resident was the subject of a San Bernardino Sun daily newspaper sports page one feature story, including two photos, Wednesday, The all-time winner of main events in five years of racing at Industry Speedway started in the ;middle slot of a five rider front row. When the starting gate lifted, Venegas shot into the lead in the first two turns and was never challenged seriously. He held a five-yard advantage over Shawn McConnell at the checkered flag. Ricky Wells,a 16-year old Yorba Linda resident just back from racing in the Under 21 rider championship in England, finished third. Buck Blair, the only rider to defeat Venegas at Industry this year, placed fourth, with past speedway cycle racing legend Bobby Schwartz, 51, fifth. The five team sidecar race had a red flag on the third lap when one team contacted the front straight wall, dumping the sidecar rider onto the track. Another team hit the cycle with the driver onlly on board, flipping the second sidecar team across the starting line. Chris Jones and Sean Driggers, the fallen sidecar riders who provide cornering stability by leaning from their sidecar, remained on the ground several minutes. They received medical help on the track and both lriders were able to walk to the pits. Jones, one of three brothers competing in the sidecar field, was treated for a possible rib injury. Dave Alexander/Steve Bumpus led the first two laps, but the race was a complete restart for the three reamining teams. Joe Jones and his sidecar rider Jimmy Olsen led all four laps and defeated Alexander/Bumpus by 15-yards. Gerald Jackson/Dave German placed third. Rudy Laurer led all four laps of the Division 2, five-rider race. Mark Sincavage, making his first start this year, captured the Division 3 (rookies) main on his 500-cc cycle. Gino Manzarea took the four-rider, four-lap youth main on his 250-cc cycle. A five-rider pee-wee main went to newcomer Ricky Reimer in only his second race. Dean Cameron, the 5-year old son of Speed Truck racer Todd Cameron, made his first appearance since winning the season opening pee-wee main. He placed second this week after past pee-wee race winner Cameron Dalbey fell on the final lap, remounted his 50-cc cycle and dropped from second to third. It was Harley-Davidson Night at Industry Speedway and 14 Harley riders brought their street bikes onto the track for parade laps. Four of the street Harleys raced a five-lap heat race and later a five-lap main event. D-1 Speedway Cycle racer Jimmy Fishback, 27, won both Harley races, despite being moved 30-yards from the starting gate for the main event as a handicap for winning the Harley heat so easily. With the other three Harleys at the starting gate for the start, it took Fishback to lap four before he took the lead for good. Next Wednesday the usual Speedway Cycle racing program will be augmented by Freestyle Moto-X Night. Motorcycle trick riders will get airborne from a ramp and perform aerial tricks similar to those seen in the X-Games on ESPN. When a similar exhibition by Freestyle Moto-X riders visited Industry Speedway several years ago the track had its largest attendance, more than 1,700 spectators. |
