Costa Mesa Speedway
Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, CA

2002 Mother's Day Skirt Night
Costa Mesa Speedway
May 11, 2002
From Ryan Evans

Former National Champion Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz thrilled the Costa Mesa Speedway crowd with a victory in the Scratch Main Event Saturday Night.

45 year old Schwartz lined up on the pole alongside fellow 45 year old "Flyin" Mike Faria. The two veterans were first to turn one with Faria holding a slight advantage exiting turn two. Schwartz blasted under Faria on the back straight and assumed the lead entering turn three. Faria went wide which allowed Scott Brant and Josh Larsen to get by him as well. Brant set his sights on Schwartz, but the former World Pairs Champion's hold on the lead was never seriously threatened as he went on to the victory. Brant held on to second, Larsen was third, Faria was fourth, and "Fast" Eddie Castro was fifth.

For the second week in a row 18 year old Shaun Harmatiuk found himself starting at the front of the Handicap Main Event field. The eight lap event started with Harmatiuk leading Andy "The Enforcer" Northrup, returning after nearly a year away from speedway, into turn one. Northrup, an active Los Angeles County Police Officer, chased Harmatiuk while simultaneously holding back the challenges of the field behind him. Harmatiuk looked solid in front, but Northrup's grip on second began to slip. On the sixth lap, Shawn McConnell got past Northrup. McConnell quickly closed on Harmatiuk and pressured him as they took the white flag. Harmatiuk held on until he drifted off the inside line in the last corner and McConnell slipped by to steal the win at the last instant. Harmatiuk had to settle for second, Larsen passed Northrup for third, and Dukie Ermolenko was fifth.

The first attempt of the Support Main came to an abrupt end on lap two when Chad Newlee lifted coming out of turn two and collided with race-leader Rick Valdez on the back straight. Both riders came tumbling to a stop and were down for several minutes. Fortunately, both were able to get up. Valdez would restart, but Newlee was excluded.

Valdez showed his toughness as he jumped on a borrowed bike and took the lead again. Valdez opened up a large lead but last week's winner, John Stunkard, started to close in on him on the last lap. Valdez managed to hold Stunkard off and recorded the victory. Ed Martinez was third, Rod Lenz finished fourth, and Newlee was credited with fifth.

Japanese rider Hideaki Ota returned to Costa Mesa Speedway and was victorious in the Support B Main Event. Ota, who raced at Costa Mesa briefly in 2000, scored impressive victories in his heat and the main event. Brian Hunt was second, Craig Collier crossed the line third, Rohn Zellner was fourth, Carl Gazafy finished fifth, and Mike Boyle was sixth.

RESULTS

Support B Consolation
105 - Mike Hernandez          10
102 - Jim Lavender            10
108 - Michael Hernandez       10
144 - Tom Hamilton            20
155 - Kevin Templeton         10  (fell, remounted)

Support B Consolation
178 - Eloy Medellin           20
126 - Doug Lupo               10
180 - Malcolm Roe             20
103 - Brent Smith             20
112 - Bryan Baichtal          20
169 - Dan Wensloff            10  (fell)

Support B Main Event
240 - Hideaki Ota             10
332 - Brian Hunt              10
133 - Craig Collier           10
163 - Rohn Zellner            20
176 - Carl Gazafy             10
198 - Mike Boyle              20

Support Consolation
131 - David Lynch             10
338 - Dave Delbridge          10
106 - Robert Fiesler          20
181 - Michael Novratil        10
296 - Tom Rossano             20
239 - Philip Williams         20
100 - Phil Harmatiuk          10
114 - Paul Hitchcock          20  (engine failure)

Support Last Chance
123 - Chad Newlee
118 - Scott Tidwell    (penalty line)
125 - Johnny Lupo
117 - Billy Braden     (fell)

Support Main Event (restarted)
293 - Rick Valdez
249 - John Stunkard
269 - Ed Martinez
196 - Rod Lenz 	       (fell)
123 - Chad Newlee      (fell, excluded)

Junior Main Event
 99 - Miles Calvin
 27 - Krystal Cramer
  2 - Skyler Greyson

Handicap Main Event
  6 - Shawn McConnell         40
139 - Shaun Harmatiuk         20
  2 - Josh Larsen             50
166 - Andy Northrup           30
 15 - Dukie Ermolenko         40
  9 - Mike Faria              50
 12 - Randy DiFrancesco       40
  1 - Chris Manchester        50  (engine failure)

Last Chance
 11 - Bobby Schwartz
  6 - Shawn McConnell
 15 - Dukie Ermolenko
  1 - Chris Manchester

Scratch Main Event
 11 - Bobby Schwartz
 10 - Scott Brant
  2 - Josh Larsen
  9 - Mike Faria
 14 - Eddie Castro