INDUSTRY, California — Tommy Hedden became the sixth different winner in 14 main events this season and the fourth winner in the last four weeks in the 500cc Division 1 speedway cycle feature late Wednesday at Industry Speedway. The 36-year old Auburn resident and star at Fast Fridays Speedway in his hometown started his lay-down JAWA cycle in lane two. He led all four laps at The Grand in the Industry Hills Expo Center complex in front of an estimated 1,100 spectators. The “Night of Legends” attracted many retired speedway cycle racing stars from the past 50 years. They signed autographs for fans from 6:30-7:30 at tables near the front entrance. Some of the great riders from past decades even raced in two rider match races during the evening. Bruce Penhall, a two-time World Speedway Cycle racing champion in the 1970s, raced three two-lap match races with Gino Manzares, a 15-year old rising star. Penhall, wearing his No. 1 leathers, won two of three matches in close contests.
Hedden led the first lap over Eddie Castro, a 29-year veteran who still races each week, August 19 feature winner Shawn McConnell and Mike Faria. McConnell fell while running third on lap 3 in the second turn. He pushed his cycle to the infield and did not rejoin the race. Faria finished third, but he trailed the two leaders by almost a straight-away after he slowed in the final corner. Castro crossed the finish line ten yards behind Hedden. Buck Blair won the last chance race for third and fourth place finishers in the two semi-final races. He did not make the call for the five rider feature. Hedden and McConnell won the two 4-lap semi-final races.
With six sidecar teams present, they ran two heat races of three sidecars per event to set the main event field. Joe Jones and his sidecar rider Jimmy Olsen won the four-team sidecar main event. Kyle Hicks, 17, won the six-rider, 500cc Division 2 main event for intermediate level riders. He edged fellow teen Joey Holt, 14, by one length for his second D-2 feature victory this season.. Justin Weeks, 24, from Corona, started in lane three and led all four laps of the 500cc Division 3 (rookies) main. It was his second consecutive feature trophy in just two weeks of competition at Industry. Junior and pee-wee divisions ran heat races only. Features for both classes were canceled in the interests of time because speedway legends ceremonies and match races took extra time. Legends also took slow group parade laps around the track on speedway cycles and did not wear helmets so fans could see them clearly and recognize the retired stars.
Other retired speedway cycle stars present were brothers Rick and Gene Woods, Bill Cody, Ron Preston, 71-year old Billy Gray (a 1970s TV actor as well), Mike Bast, Brad Oxley, Danny Burke, Scott Sivadge, Dennis Sigalos, Billy Meister, Kelly Moran, Andy Northrop, Doug Nicol, George Fox, Bobby Schwartz, Dub Ferrell, Steve Murray, and others who arrived after the formal one-hour autograph session. Nicol edged Meister in the first and second legends match races. Nathan then beat Ferrell in another two rider match race. Promoter Jeff Immediato was pleased by the turnout of legends and fans and plans to run another such evening in the future.
