Post by mdnhavasu on Jul 5, 2011 10:55:30 GMT
Report from Steve Evans (American Touring Team Manager)
The Firecracker Derby became the Thundercracker Derby as 16 year old American Touring Team rider Joey Holt scored the biggest win of his career with an audacious outside pass on a mentor for the 2nd race in a row - but he had no idea at the time this would earn him a deserved victory in the 4th of July race at Victorville!
The race, run as a special event in conjunction with a day long festival at the Fairgrounds was curtailed with one qualifying heat to go, meaning heat points in all Divisions determined the winners.
Both local rider Joey Holt and Fast Eddie Castro were tied on 8 points, but Holt got the tie breaker after a stunning pass in Event 14. Castro got the start but Holt stormed around Castro in turns 3 and 4 of lap one, repeating a move he pulled on Shawn McConnell just 9 days earlier. Castro tried everything to regain the lead but he could not get close enough to mount a challenge. Dylan Black was awarded third on the night - he was tied on 6 points with Steve Russell but beat Russell in two of the three heats in which they met. The rain started to fall during the final round of heats but got so heavy it was quite clear that racing could not safely continue as track and pits flooded.
Seventeen year old local rider Joey St Louis was awarded the Support Class Trophy with second and a win in his two heats. Another local Dakota Shockley won both Pee Wee races whilst Sebastian Palmese took the Juniors, doing a 'Firecracker Double', having also won at IMS the friday before.
A big crowd was treated to a fun race event but the decision to call the races early was correct as rider safety comes first.
Skyler Greyson was a well received guest of honor in a race now annually named after him. Greyson was seriously injured in the 2006 running of the race and
this marked his first trip back to the raceway.
The next Victorville event is on Saturday July 23rd and it will be the Annual Harley Night. Races will also feature the following three Saturdays while Costa Mesa is closed for the Orange County Fair.
Division One Points
Joey Holt 8, Eddie Castro 8, Dylan Black 6, Steve Russell 6, Marvin Sonnier 2
Support Points
Joey St Louis 5, Tony DeAlmeida 4, Brad Russell 4
Junior- Sebastian Palmese 6
Pee Wee - Dakota Shockley 6, Hailey Hill 4, Hunter Hill 2
Division 1 (Top 10 Seeded into year ending Speedway Masters Race Nov 12)
1. Eddie Castro 108
2. Jimmy Fishbcak 86
3. Billy Hamill 72
4. Buck Blair 72
5. Michael Raines 68
6. Joey Holt 56
7.Jason Ramirez 42
8. Dylan Black 42
9. Shawn McConnell 37
10. Josh Larsen 36
11. Gino Manzares 35
12. Austin Novratil 34
13. Aaron Fox 32
14. Marvin Sonnier 32
15. Rick Fehrman 26
16. Drew Coats 24
17. Rocco Scopellite 21
18. Tyson Talkington 20
19. Robbie Sauer 18
20. Doug Nicol 17
21. Josh Abbott 16
22. John Marquez 14
23. Steve Russell 12
24. Robert Mellor 10
25. Jon Stasiefski 6
Division Two
1. Rick Fehrman 59
2. Marvin Sonnier 34
3. Max Ruml 30
4. Rocco Scopellite 22
5. Tony DeAlmeida 18
6. Harold Hartke 15
7. Bander Alexander 14
8. Tim McGrath 13
9. Vince Bertloucci 7
10. Bobby Richards 5
Division Three
1. Tony DeAlmeida 93
2. Joey St. Louis 53
3 .Brad Russell 42
4. Wade Whitcomb 39
5. Steve Brown 30
6. Carl Shockley 24
7. Rick Huspek 23
8. Kip McLain 16
9. Alfonso Marroquin 15
10. Kevin Fife 14
= Michelle Fehrman 14
12. Corey McDonald 13
13. Paul Thornton 11
14. Dan Eddy 6
15. Mitch Pierson 4
16. Kevin Johnson 2
Junior 250cc
1. Dillon Ruml 68
2. Nicholas Varner 64
3. Max Ruml 44
4. Kurtis Hamill 24
5. Dominic Manzares 8
6. Jake Hanson 4
Junior 200cc
1. Nick Varner 87
2. Sebastian Palmese 76
3. Dillon Ruml 70
4. Gino Scopellite 34
5. Dalton Leedy 33
6. Kurtis Hamill 28
7. Broc Nicol 16
8. Michael Wells 14
9. Hayley Perrault 4
= Dylan Blum 4
Pee Wee / Powder Puff
1. Summer Fehrman 82
2. Dakota Shockley 72
3. Luke Whitcomb 44
4. Brandon Rhea 24
5. Jaycee Jones 22
6. Hailey Hill 8
7. Hunter Hill 4
8. Mikey Ortega 4
Sidecar Points
1. Joe Jones / Jimmy Olsen 76
2. Shawn & Missy Driggers 54
3. Dylan Beard / Steve Emas 45
4. Brian Motis / Brandi McElroy 40
5. Dave Alexander / Trevor DeSherlia 35
6. Dan Jones / Brandy McElroy 30
7. Scott & Casey Driggers27
8. Rod Requejo / Gene Stone 9
9. Jeff Medberry / Matt Davis 5
10. Kevin Brown / Matt Davis 3
The Firecracker Derby became the Thundercracker Derby as 16 year old American Touring Team rider Joey Holt scored the biggest win of his career with an audacious outside pass on a mentor for the 2nd race in a row - but he had no idea at the time this would earn him a deserved victory in the 4th of July race at Victorville!
The race, run as a special event in conjunction with a day long festival at the Fairgrounds was curtailed with one qualifying heat to go, meaning heat points in all Divisions determined the winners.
Both local rider Joey Holt and Fast Eddie Castro were tied on 8 points, but Holt got the tie breaker after a stunning pass in Event 14. Castro got the start but Holt stormed around Castro in turns 3 and 4 of lap one, repeating a move he pulled on Shawn McConnell just 9 days earlier. Castro tried everything to regain the lead but he could not get close enough to mount a challenge. Dylan Black was awarded third on the night - he was tied on 6 points with Steve Russell but beat Russell in two of the three heats in which they met. The rain started to fall during the final round of heats but got so heavy it was quite clear that racing could not safely continue as track and pits flooded.
Seventeen year old local rider Joey St Louis was awarded the Support Class Trophy with second and a win in his two heats. Another local Dakota Shockley won both Pee Wee races whilst Sebastian Palmese took the Juniors, doing a 'Firecracker Double', having also won at IMS the friday before.
A big crowd was treated to a fun race event but the decision to call the races early was correct as rider safety comes first.
Skyler Greyson was a well received guest of honor in a race now annually named after him. Greyson was seriously injured in the 2006 running of the race and
this marked his first trip back to the raceway.
The next Victorville event is on Saturday July 23rd and it will be the Annual Harley Night. Races will also feature the following three Saturdays while Costa Mesa is closed for the Orange County Fair.
Division One Points
Joey Holt 8, Eddie Castro 8, Dylan Black 6, Steve Russell 6, Marvin Sonnier 2
Support Points
Joey St Louis 5, Tony DeAlmeida 4, Brad Russell 4
Junior- Sebastian Palmese 6
Pee Wee - Dakota Shockley 6, Hailey Hill 4, Hunter Hill 2
Division 1 (Top 10 Seeded into year ending Speedway Masters Race Nov 12)
1. Eddie Castro 108
2. Jimmy Fishbcak 86
3. Billy Hamill 72
4. Buck Blair 72
5. Michael Raines 68
6. Joey Holt 56
7.Jason Ramirez 42
8. Dylan Black 42
9. Shawn McConnell 37
10. Josh Larsen 36
11. Gino Manzares 35
12. Austin Novratil 34
13. Aaron Fox 32
14. Marvin Sonnier 32
15. Rick Fehrman 26
16. Drew Coats 24
17. Rocco Scopellite 21
18. Tyson Talkington 20
19. Robbie Sauer 18
20. Doug Nicol 17
21. Josh Abbott 16
22. John Marquez 14
23. Steve Russell 12
24. Robert Mellor 10
25. Jon Stasiefski 6
Division Two
1. Rick Fehrman 59
2. Marvin Sonnier 34
3. Max Ruml 30
4. Rocco Scopellite 22
5. Tony DeAlmeida 18
6. Harold Hartke 15
7. Bander Alexander 14
8. Tim McGrath 13
9. Vince Bertloucci 7
10. Bobby Richards 5
Division Three
1. Tony DeAlmeida 93
2. Joey St. Louis 53
3 .Brad Russell 42
4. Wade Whitcomb 39
5. Steve Brown 30
6. Carl Shockley 24
7. Rick Huspek 23
8. Kip McLain 16
9. Alfonso Marroquin 15
10. Kevin Fife 14
= Michelle Fehrman 14
12. Corey McDonald 13
13. Paul Thornton 11
14. Dan Eddy 6
15. Mitch Pierson 4
16. Kevin Johnson 2
Junior 250cc
1. Dillon Ruml 68
2. Nicholas Varner 64
3. Max Ruml 44
4. Kurtis Hamill 24
5. Dominic Manzares 8
6. Jake Hanson 4
Junior 200cc
1. Nick Varner 87
2. Sebastian Palmese 76
3. Dillon Ruml 70
4. Gino Scopellite 34
5. Dalton Leedy 33
6. Kurtis Hamill 28
7. Broc Nicol 16
8. Michael Wells 14
9. Hayley Perrault 4
= Dylan Blum 4
Pee Wee / Powder Puff
1. Summer Fehrman 82
2. Dakota Shockley 72
3. Luke Whitcomb 44
4. Brandon Rhea 24
5. Jaycee Jones 22
6. Hailey Hill 8
7. Hunter Hill 4
8. Mikey Ortega 4
Sidecar Points
1. Joe Jones / Jimmy Olsen 76
2. Shawn & Missy Driggers 54
3. Dylan Beard / Steve Emas 45
4. Brian Motis / Brandi McElroy 40
5. Dave Alexander / Trevor DeSherlia 35
6. Dan Jones / Brandy McElroy 30
7. Scott & Casey Driggers27
8. Rod Requejo / Gene Stone 9
9. Jeff Medberry / Matt Davis 5
10. Kevin Brown / Matt Davis 3