Industry Hills Speedway

The Grand Arena
Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California

AMA Speedway National Championship Round 2
August 13, 2022 - Industry Hills Speedway
Report and Photo By Howie Zechner

The AMA Speedway National Championship Round 2

Well this is crazy cause Speedway returns to Wednesday night tomorrow and I haven’t even gone through the pictures from last Saturdays blowout or written a word about it. Well it is what it is so I’ll post what I took and give a real short on what could arguably be called the best racing we had at Industry to date.

Named after a former Industry promoter the Hugh Randolph, AMA Speedway National Championship, Round 2 was outstanding. A beautiful warm evening, lots of spectators, a good race track, Americas top 16 Speedway pilots, it had all the ingredients that make racing at the Thunderdome so spectacular.

Three rounds rather than a one night, winner take all format mean riders travel and battle to stay in contention for the #1 plate. Wonderful, wonderful, the best attend cause missing just one of the rounds that make this series means no matter how fast you are, you’re done and being called the National Champion will have to wait for another year.

Round one happened on June 25 at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield earlier this year. The results yielded the current AMA National Champion Max Ruml with 16 points and 10-time AMA National Champion Billy Janniro with 19. From there the closest with 14 points was Aaron Fox. Three points to win, two for second and one for third. From there the points spread get small and smaller. But don’t get the wrong idea cause every one of these guys on the program can win and has.

There’s also another twist to this racing program. Finishing first in every heat does not make you the winner. No the top 8 with the most points go to one of two Semi races. The top two from each Semi them face each other in a four man main. What’s all that gobbledygook means is the racing is stunning. Speedway is not a contact sport but they are racing on a short dirt track with motorcycles that have no brakes so contact is unavoidable.

Resembling a battlefield more than a racetrack the main came down to Billy Janniro on the pole (starting position next to the inside of the track) Gino Manzares in #2, Austin Novratil in #3 and Max Ruml on the outside next to the crash wall in the #4 spot.

Well wham, bang, thank you ma’am, Janniro got the gate. Now normally the rider who gates and controls the top racing line will win but Max Ruml didn’t get that memo and was having no part of it. A hard fought battle Max drove around the outside of everyone to take the last victory of the night, and the points that go with it. No stranger to this move Max had played this game with Billy J before with a drive on the outside line. Max has also perfected this trick of letting his rear tire rub the crash wall and getting a drive off it. Well you get my drift, skill, luck or magic Ruml did the impossible and passed Janniro for the win with Gino Manzares taking third and Austin Novratil crashing. Did the crown go crazy, yes everyone did. It was racing at its absolute best. Here’s a Facebook link if any of you would like to see the video from tonight’s Main Event:

Can’t forget to mention the Mini 150cc kids class and 250cc Juniors. They are the future of our sport and from the looks of things they will do us proud when their time comes to race the big 500cc machines.

Have to relay one other cause it happened to me. Before the main event announcer Terry Clanton and promoter Kelly Inman were on the infield talking to the crowd. Busy doing pictures and video I wasn’t paying much attention to what they were saying till they called me over and presented me with a brand new helmet that had been autographed by every single rider that competed that night. Truly an honor I was thrilled and shocked. Thank you riders, Greg Giles, Jacob and all for this honor. It is a treasure and will go on display at my Speedway Museum in Pasadena California.

So what’s next. Well the final round of the AMA Speedway National Championship will be run at Fast Fridays in Auburn California on September 17. With only one point separating Ruml (36) and Janniro (37) It will without a doubt be Speedway at its best. It would however be a mistake to think of this as a two man show cause every rider on the program is more than capable of winning. One DNF, fall or mishap could easily change who laughs and who cries.

Speaking of Speedway at its best we only have a few more Wednesday night meets here at Industry before we close out our season on September 7th. For those that have not been here this is your last chance to participate in a night of racing that will make entertain and exhilarate. Bring your kids, neighbor or someone you work with. They will enjoy and you’ll be a hero cause they will tell everyone they know about this exciting sport called Speedway.

Below are the nights results for you pencil pushers with the need to know.

Thanks for Listening, Howie Zechner, Press Officer

Main Event: #1 Max Ruml, #14N Billy Janniro, #24 Gino Manzares, #7 Austin Novratil.

Mini 150 Main Event: # 175 Morgan Myers. #175X Maddux Myers, #5 Brandon Soto, #169 Kayd Fiore

Junior 250 Main Event: #66 Charlie Trana, #46 Jose Navarrete, #226 Levi Leutz, #76 Nick Dunn

Points standings after 2 Rounds: Billy Janniro (37), Max Ruml (36), Gino Manzares (29), Aaron Fox (26), Louie Mersaroli (19), Austin Novratil (17), Rheten Todd (15), Blake Borello (14), Slater Lightcap (12), Alex Martin (12), Chris Kerr (12), Bart Bast (11), Russell Green (10), Tyler Warren (7)