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| WELLS EARNS 2nd SPEEDWAY CYCLE VICTORY AT
INDUSTRY - By Tim Kennedy |
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INDUSTRY, CA., Jul. 23 -- Ricky Wells gave himself an early
'birthday present Wednesday night in front of 672 spectators at
Industry Speedway during the weekly USA Speedway motorcycle main
event. The New Zealand-born teen, who came to the United States to
live at age 6, will turn 17 Sunday. He started the five-rider, 4-lap
feature from the third lane and shot into the lead immediately when
the starting gate lifted. The Yorba Linda resident led every lap
over a pressing Buck Blair, the June 4 feature winner. Runner-up
Blair dropped ten yards back at the finish. It was the second triumph for Wells in the last three weeks and came in week 12 of the 2008 season which will continue through September. Wells won two of his three heat races and finished second in the other heat to score 8 out of a possible 9 points. He also won his semi-final race with a last lap pass in the final turn on the dirt oval. Eddie Castro, Neil Facchini and Bakersfield's Brad Sauer finished third through fifth respectively. Wells, who has Justice Brothers Car Care Products sponsorship, attended El Dorado High in Orange County and graduated early to work and pursue speedway cycle racing. He won the 2007 AMA United States Under 21 Championship and was a semi-finalist earlier this year in the World Under 21 Championship at tracks in England. He is a two-time Junior National Champion, two-time California State Junior Champion and three-time Gumball Rally Champion, plus the 2007 High Desert Pairs Champion. Joe Jones and his sidecar passenger Jimmy Olsen won the five-team, 4-lap sidecar main event following two earlier heat races for the fan-pleasing competitors. Allen Doss, of Riverside, won another 500-cc 4-lap Division 2 feature for mid-level riders. Chris Thomas, from San Bernardino, led only the fourth lap in capturing the 500-cc Division 3 main for rookie speedway riders. All four D-3 riders led the entertaining race in which the lead changed four times. In a six rider Pee-Wee main event, past multi-winner Nicholas Varner, 8, from Corona, came from 50-yards in back of the starting gate and led the final two laps of the 4-lap race. Youngsters ages ranged from 5 to 10 and the pee-wee riders rode 50cc mini-cycles. With seven under age 16 riders competing on 250-cc cycles, the Youth Division ran two main events. Gino Manzares, a 14-year old Corona resident, won the first main that had four riders. Rocco Scopellite, 12, from Huntington Beach, led all 4-laps of the three rider main. A team of six southern California Youth Division riders returned victorious after defeating a team of ;northern California youth riders last Friday. The annual team competition took place at Fast Fridays Speedway in Auburn, CA. Youth riders wore their colorful "bibs" with their team numbers from Auburn again Wednesday over their usual numbers on their leathers. Division 1 riders absent this week included eight-time winner Charlie Venegas, who was in northern California preparing his new track at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo. His first race as speedway cycle racing promoter at the new track will be Friday, July 25. Shawn McConnell and July 16 Industry feature winner Shaun Harmatiuk were racing speedway cycles in upstate New York.John Marques, 21 year old D-1 rider injured at Industry Speedway several weeks ago, was in the pits on crutches with his broken right foot pinned and in a cast. In a show of mutual cooperation between management at Industry Speedway and Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, three trucks that race in TS@I events were on display inside the main entrance to The Grand indoor arena dirt track. King Taco Speed Truck racer and two-time D-3 cycle main winner Ron Mongenel had his No. 58 truck on display.He raced his speedway cycle and won two of his 4-lap heat races before settling for fourth in the D-3 main. Speed Truck driver Todd Cameron brought his No. 99 truck for the display and also helped his son Dean, 5, and daughter Christie, 7, race their pee-wee cycles. Gus Nanos brougjht his No. 55 West Coast Pro Truck for the display. TS@I stock car drivers in attendance were 2007 Auto Club Late Model champion Tim Huddleston and his two sons, ACLM drivers Mike Johnson and Brandon Loverock, plus Vista Paint Super Stock point leader Bryan Harrell. Wednesday night USA Speedway Motor;cycle racing begins each week at 7:00 pm at the scenic track overlooking the East San Gabriel Valley at 16200 Temple Ave. in the City of Industry. |
