Arrowhead Motor Speedway
San Bernardino, California
2001 Arrowhead
Arrowhead Speedway
August 22, 2001
From Ryan Evans
1996 World Champion Billy Hamill was the main attraction, but it was Ryan Fisher who stole the show as he swept the program at Arrowhead Motor Speedway in San Bernardino Wednesday Night.
18 year old Shaun Harmatiuk led the Handicap Main from the 10 yard line, but had Charlie Cooley on his tail from the beginning. Fisher was in the process of going around everybody on the outside and was in second place on the third lap. He overtook Harmatiuk at the end of lap three and pulled away for a victory that was made to look much easier than it really was. Polish rider Bartlomiej "Bartek" Bardecki, making his first appearance at the track, finished second, Harmatiuk was third, Dukie Ermolenko was fourth, Bobby Schwartz finished fifth, and Cooley was sixth.
Ermolenko drew the pole for the Scratch Main, Hamill drew gate two, Fisher was in three, and Schwartz was on the outside. Schwartz was first to turn one, but Hamill went inside of him as they exited turn two and they were wheel to wheel on the back straight. When they entered turn three, they both went for the outside line and made contact which forced Schwartz to the ground and slowed Hamill's momentum and also pushed him further up the track. By the time Hamill recovered, Fisher had crossed to the inside and taken the lead. Hamill couldn't get close enough to make a serious challenge and Fisher took his sixth Arrowhead Scratch Main of the season. Hamill finished second, Ermolenko was third, and Schwartz finished fourth.
Rick Valdez was alone at the tapes for the Second Division Main Event and took the lead at the start. Valdez was looking smooth at the front as he opened up his lead on the field. Meanwhile, Rudy Laurer was making his charge to the front. Laurer caught Valdez on the third lap and passed him as they entered turn three. Laurer went on to take the victory, Valdez was second, Northern California's Matt Browne was third, Jonathan Curry, also from Northern California, finished fourth, Philip Williams was fifth, and Billy Braden was sixth.
Steve Dziadus took the lead at the beginning of the Second Division B Main Event and held the lead until veteran Mike Boyle passed him entering turn three on the second lap. Boyle's lead only lasted a lap as the lady from New Zealand, Kim Stevens, took the lead as they headed toward the white flag. Stevens held on for her second main event win of the year, Boyle was second, Dziadus was third, and Steve Nelson was credited with fourth despite not starting due to an ignition problem.
Hamill was making his first appearance at the new facility and was very happy with the track and being able to race in Southern California again. He also commented about how it brought back old memories of the original San Bernardino track which operated at the same location from 1975 to 1987. Hamill had raced on the original track as a junior and in his first two years as a professional.
Hamill's evening didn't go smoothly, however, as he was plagued with bike problems throughout the evening which forced him to constantly switch bikes. Charlie Venegas provided Hamill with a bike, but it had problems and Hamill borrowed a bike from Scott Brant, then eventually borrowed Tomasz Hampel's bike for the Scratch Main. Hamill also had a special match race with junior rider Justin Boyle, in which Justin's dad, Mike, provided Hamill with a bike.
Polish rider Bartek Bardecki made a good account for himself by finishing second in the Handicap Main and finishing third in the Scratch Consolation. Bardecki rides for Czestochowa in the Polish Extra League and he is in the final week of a four week stint in the United States. He has raced at Auburn the past three weeks and he raced at Costa Mesa last Saturday. He is returning to Northern California to race at Auburn this Friday before flying back to Poland next week. Bardecki said that he enjoyed his time in the United States and hopes to return next year.
Scott Brant returned to action for the first time in two years and looked pretty good considering that he hadn't practiced at all. Brant didn't transfer from his Handicap Heat but was able to move up the program on the scratch side and eventually finished second in the Scratch Consolation. Brant will race the rest of this season and race all next season.
RESULTS
Second Division B Consolation (scratch)
137 - Jeremiah LeBlanc
350 - Kodiak Calkin
222 - Tim Marsh (fell)
Second Division B Main Event (scratch)
197 - Kim Stevens
198 - Mike Boyle
212 - Steve Dziadus
202 - Steve Nelson (non starter)
Second Division Consolation
228 - >Shane Kump 0
174 - Tomasz Hampel 0
165 - Randy Kreps 10
178 - Eloy Medellin 10
118 - Scott Tidwell 0
103 - Brent Smith 0 (fell)
Second Division Main Event
182 - Rudy Laurer 30
293 - Rick Valdez 0
211n - Matt Browne 30
31n - Jonathan Curry 30
239 - Philip Williams 10
117 - Billy Braden 10
Handicap Main Event
36 - Ryan Fisher 50
69 - Bartek Bardecki 30
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 10
15 - Dukie Ermolenko 50
11 - Bobby Schwartz 40
16 - Charlie Cooley 20
Scratch Consolation
14 - Eddie Castro
10 - Scott Brant
69 - Bartek Bardecki
56 - Jim Estes
Scratch Main Event
36 - Ryan Fisher
104 - Billy Hamill
15 - Dukie Ermolenko
11 - Bobby Schwartz (fell, remounted)
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