INDUSTRY, California — Charlie “the Edge” Venegas, 42, became a two-time speedway cycle main event winner this season Wednesday at Industry Speedway in The Grand. He started his No. 43 JAWA 500cc cycle second in the five-wide Division 1 feature and led all four laps. It was his second victory in the last three weeks and his 35th victory in the six years of speedway cycle racing at the Industry Hills Expo Center. Shawn McConnell, the 2008 Industry Speedway track champion, won a coin toss with Venegas and selected the inside starting position (lane one). He challenged Venegas for the lead from the starting gate to the first turn where Venegas edged past him for the lead. McConnell settled into second spot where he remained all four laps. Venegas won by 20-yards. Jimmy Fishback took third position from D-1 rookie Jason Ramirez on lap 2 with an inside pass. Ramirez finished fourth. Mike Faria started and finished fifth.
Dave Alexander and his sidecar rider Matt Davis took the lead at the start and won the 4-lap sidecar feature over Gerard Jackson and his rider Dave German. Division 2 rookie Joey Holt, a 14-year old 2008 Junior Division rider from Oak Hill, led all four laps. He won his second D-2 feature in six weeks. Rookie Butch Vazzana, of Whittier, won his first 500cc Division 3 main event trophy. McConnell and Faria won the D-1 semi-mains. Ramirez, 17, chased long-time speedway cycle star Bobby Schwartz, 52, for one lap and then passed him on the outside entering the first turn on lap 2 to win the D-1 last chance race and the final main event starting position. With 12 D-1 riders competing, Schwartz and Venegas tied at eight points in three rounds of heat races. The only losses for Venegas were to McConnell in the second heat race and again to McConnell in the first of two semi-mains.
Nicky Reimer, a 10-year old Seal Beach resident, pulled off rare double main event triumphs. He won a four-rider Pee-Wee division main after starting 50-yards in back of his three rivals. He took command on lap 4 high in the second turn and defeated 8-year old Matthew Duffy on their 50cc mini cycles. Then Reimer hopped on his 200cc cycle and beat four other junior class riders after taking control from lap 1 leader and eventual runner-up Max Ruml, 12. Brad Wilson, a 14-year visitor from New Zealand who won the junior main last week, finished third.
In recent speedway cycle races, 2008 Junior Division rider Jason Ramirez won his first D-1 scratch feature Friday at the new speedway cycle dirt track at the Orange Show Fairgrounds in San Bernardino. Tim Gomez earned the D-1 handicap main trophy at the second of 17 speedway cycle events this year at the track. Mike Faria took the D-1 feature last Saturday at Costa Mesa Speedway, which will take the month of July off for the annual Orange County Fair at the site.
