|
Wells dominates in Homecoming - Victorville Masters 10 November 2012 Ricky Wells returned to the track where his 500cc career started 6 years earlier and gave a dominant display to win the 2012 Victorville Track Championship. The Wolves, Sheffield and USA World Cup star laid down a marker with a heat 1 win. Austin Novratil, another Victorville developed talent, charged from last to take 2nd. Gino Manzares was the winner of heat 2, whilst points champion Eddie Castro got 2nd from the penalty line including a pass on Aaron Fox who's bike was ailing from the get go. Fox did not reappear for the rest of the event. John Marquez rode a stunning race to beat legend Mike Faria and a fast chasing Max Ruml in heat 3. Round 2 started with Wells leading home young guns Austin Novratil and Ruml. Castro once more hit the tapes and once more rallied to 2nd place, though Marquez was long gone. Manzares made it three unbeaten riders by leading home Faria in heat 6 - Talkington was excluded after a high speed crash in turn 4. John Marquez in one of the best performances of his career went three for three leading home Michael Novratil who scored his third 2nd place in heat 7. Castro inflicted Manzares first defeat in heat 8 whilst Wells led Faria and Ruml home in heat 9. The final round of heats started with Novratil securing a B Main spot by beating Faria from Steve Russell. Next time out Wells was leading a fast chasing Marquez who got out of shape exiting turn 4, hitting the wall hard. The start from the penalty line in the restart meant that Marquez could only muster third place behind Castro in 2nd as Wells completed his maximum. Manzares led home a fast chasing Max Ruml in heat 12. This set up the Mains with the top riders from each staying on the program and moving into the next Main. Faria scored his first win of the night in the C Main, though the fast chasing Max Ruml almost made the pass on the line to cause a huge upset. Only Faria would transfer to the B Main and he led Castro all the way to the chequered when 'Fast Eddie' made a trademark pass. Both riders made the Main with the very sore Marquez and Novratil being eliminated. This set up an A Main featuring a perfect range of riders to celebrate the 27 year history of speedway at the track - The modern day winningest rider in Castro, a legend from the days of Speedway USA in Faria, the star the track gave his first senior rides to in Wells and one of the next generation of stars in Manzares. Faria ended up with much work to do having hit the tapes and this essentially wrote off any podium chance. Wells once more made a perfect start whilst Castro settled into 2nd and Manzares was third. That is the way its stayed and Wells celebrated a very popular victory. The Support Class was up in numbers to 9 riders. Davey Shaw & Steve Bowen each won both of their heats but it was Shaw who went perfect and won the Main, this time it was veteran Rudy Laurer who followed closely for 2nd with Bowen in third. The 250cc Junior class produced some very close and thrilling racing - once more NorCal's Luke Becker went unbeaten, leading home Dillon Ruml and National Champ Broc Nicol in all races. In the 200s Courtney Crone was leading the Main but a fall for Stirling Martin brought out the red flag. National Champ Michael Wells also added the Track Championship in the restart, leading home Crone and points Champion Sebastian Palmese. Dakota Shockley conceded both heats to Sara Cords but he won where it mattered, taking the Track Championship. Joe Jones and Johnny Glover won three out of four Sidecar Heats and the Main, leading home Jeff Rowe and John Bach, who won the other heat. Jones also competed in the Support Class and won the Main Event for Restrictor Speedway Sprints. The meeting rounded out the 2012 Victorville season and was followed by an awards presentation at Mazda Pizza in Hesperia to a packed house of riders, sponsors and fans. No 2013 plans have been announced for the track though there is some possibility that speedway will continue. Speedway Sprint Cars will continue to run at the venue. Results: C Main |
| www.speedwaybikes.com - All rights reserved. |
