Costa Mesa Speedway

Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, California

Knobby Night
June 10, 2017 - Costa Mesa
Report by Ryan Evans
Photos Dorcey Wingo

Costa Mesa, CA, USA - June 10, 2017

Gino Manzares won the Scratch Main Event for the second time this season on Knobby Night at the world famous Costa Mesa Speedway.

Manzares started the Scratch Main in gate one and took command of the race entering turn one. Max Ruml, who started in gate two followed the leader on the back straight with defending National Champion Aaron Fox and Austin Novratil right behind him. Manzares controlled the lead through lap one but Ruml was right behind him. Ruml tried to force a mistake from the leader but no such error would happen. Manzares crossed the finish line first, Ruml had to settle for second, Fox finished third, and Novratil was fourth.

The evening commenced with Ruml defeating Gage Geist. Fox won event two ahead of former two-time World Pairs Champion Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz. Manzares defeated Novratil in the next event. Round one ended with Shawn “Mad Dog” McConnell getting the victory.

Round two opened with Geist beating Brad Sauer. Fox defeated Manzares for his second straight win. Novratil beat Ruml in the next heat. Tyson Talkington beat Schwartz to end the second round.

Max Ruml started the third round with his second win. Fox remained perfect with a win over McConnell in the next heat. Novratil made it two wins in a row by defeating Sauer. Manzares beat Talkington to bring the heats to a close.

Schwartz beat Sauer in a closely contested runoff to fill the eighth and final spot in the semis.

Novratil and Ruml finished one-two in the first semi and transferred to the main event. Manzares ruined Fox’s unbeaten run by winning the second semi, but Fox still finished second and main the main.

Rohn Zellner put together four smooth laps and claimed the victory in the Support Main Event. Bruce Marteney was second, Mike Miller finished third, and Tom Bryant was fourth.

Jose “Nitro” Navarrete led from start to finish and was victorious in the Mini 150 Second Division Main Event. Andrew Russell finished second and Justin Almon was third.

Slater Lightcap cruised to victory in the Mini 150 First Division Main Event. “Lightning” Luke Whitcomb was second and Colton Nelson finished third.

Sebastian “Big Daddy” Palmese defeated Michael “Scooter” Wells to win the Junior 250 Main Event.

RESULTS

Scratch Main Event
24 - Gino Manzares
5 - Max Ruml
1 - Aaron Fox
7 - Austin Novratil

Scratch Consolation
10 - Gage Geist
6 - Shawn McConnell
11 - Bobby Schwartz
48 - Tyson Talkington

Support Main Event
118 - Rohn Zellner
242 - Bruce Marteney
323 - Mike Miller
220 - Tom Bryant

Junior 250 Main Event
1 - Sebastian Palmese
214 - Michael Wells

Mini 150 First Division Main Event
2 - Slater Lightcap
27 - Luke Whitcomb
45n - Colton Nelson

Mini 150 Second Division Main Event
48 - Jose Navarrete
96 - Andrew Russell
7 - Justin Almon

First Division Heat Scoring 1 2 3 T
1 – Aaron Fox 3 3 3 9
5 – Max Ruml 3 2 3 8
6 – Shawn McConnell 3 1 2 6
7 – Austin Novratil 2 3 3 8
10 – Gage Geist 2 3 F 5
11 – Bobby Schwartz 2 2 1 5
21 – Brad Sauer 1 2 2 5
22 – Mike Bloom 0 1 0 1
24 – Gino Manzares 3 2 3 8
37 – Joey Donaldson 0 0 1 1
48 – Tyson Talkington 0 3 2 5
170 – Hayley Perrault 2 1 0 3
178 – Eloy Medellin 0 0 2 2
182 – Rudy Laurer 1 0 1 2
293 – Rick Valdez 1 0 F 1
345 – Ricky Richards 1 1 1 3

Heat Results
1: Ruml, Geist,Richards, Bloom
2: Fox, Schwartz, Valdez, Donaldson
3: Manzares, Novratil, Sauer, Medellin
4: McConnell, Perrault, Laurer, Talkington (fell, remounted)
9: Geist, Sauer, McConnell (fell, remounted), Valdez
10: Fox, Manzares (tape penalty), Richards, Laurer
11: Novratil, Ruml, Perrault, Donaldson
12: Talkington, Schwartz, Bloom, Medellin
13: (awarded) Ruml, Medellin, Laurer, Geist (fell)
14: Fox, McConnell, Schwartz, Perrault
15: Novratil, Sauer, Richards, Bloom
16: Manzares, Talkington, Donaldson, Valdez (fell)
Runoff: Schwartz, Sauer
Semi #1: Novratil, Ruml, Geist, Talkington
Semi #2: Manzares, Fox, McConnell, Schwartz

Ryan Evans

	Dorcey Wingo Photos
1st Division 2nd place finisher Max Ruml	1st Division Event 1 - Max Ruml and Gage Geist	1st Division McConnell and Geist
1st Division Main Event action, Gino leads Max to the finish line.	1st Division Main Event winner Gino Manzares	1st Division Main Event
1st Division Gino Manzares	1st Division Hayley Perrault and Rudy Lauer	1st Division Ricky Richards
1st Division Brad Sauer	1st Division Bobby Schwartz	150cc 2nd Division Main Event
150cc Slater Lightcap and Luke Whitcomb.	150cc Andrew Russell	150cc Luke Whitcomb
150cc 1st Division Main Event	150cc Slater Lightcap	250cc Main Event action, Michael Wells placed 2nd.
250cc Sebastian Palmese	250cc Palmese and Wells	250cc Main Event
Support Division Rohn Zellner	Support rider Kevin Fife	Support rider Mike Miller #323
Support rider Brad Moreau	Support riders Brad Moreau (in blue) and Mike Miller	Support riders Bryant and Marteney
Support action, Marteney, Zellner and Hartke	Support Division Rohn Zellner	Support Event 5 - Brent Smith and Kevin Fife
Rohn Zellner and Roxanne Faria	Slater Lightcap and Roxanne Faria	Jose Navarrete and Roxanne Faria
Sebastian Palmese and Roxanne Faria	Knobby night	Brad's crew