By: Ryan Evans
Former National Champion Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz thrilled the Costa Mesa crowd with a victory in the Scratch Main Event Saturday Night.
45 year old Schwartz lined up on the pole alongside fellow 45 year old "Flyin" Mike Faria. The two veterans were first to turn one with Faria holding a slight advantage exiting turn two. Schwartz blasted under Faria on the back straight and assumed the lead entering turn three. Faria went wide which allowed Scott Brant and Josh Larsen to get by him as well. Brant set his sights on Schwartz, but the former World Pairs Champion's hold on the lead was never seriously threatened as he went on to the victory. Brant held on to second, Larsen was third, Faria was fourth, and "Fast" Eddie Castro was fifth.
For the second week in a row 18 year old Shaun Harmatiuk found himself starting at the front of the Handicap Main Event field. The eight lap event started with Harmatiuk leading Andy "The Enforcer" Northrup, returning after nearly a year away from speedway, into turn one. Northrup, an active Los Angeles County Police Officer, chased Harmatiuk while simultaneously holding back the challenges of the field behind him. Harmatiuk looked solid in front, but Northrup's grip on second began to slip. On the sixth lap, Shawn McConnell got past Northrup. McConnell quickly closed on Harmatiuk and pressured him as they took the white flag. Harmatiuk held on until he drifted off the inside line in the last corner and McConnell slipped by to steal the win at the last instant. Harmatiuk had to settle for second, Larsen passed Northrup for third, and Dukie Ermolenko was fifth.
The first attempt of the Support Main came to an abrupt end on lap two when Chad Newlee lifted coming out of turn two and collided with race-leader Rick Valdez on the back straight. Both riders came tumbling to a stop and were down for several minutes. Fortunately, both were able to get up. Valdez would restart, but Newlee was excluded.
Valdez showed his toughness as he jumped on a borrowed bike and took the lead again. Valdez opened up a large lead but last week's winner, John Stunkard, started to close in on him on the last lap. Valdez managed to hold Stunkard off and recorded the victory. Ed Martinez was third, Rod Lenz finished fourth, and Newlee was credited with fifth.
Japanese rider Hideaki Ota returned to Costa Mesa and was victorious in the Support B Main Event. Ota, who raced at Costa Mesa briefly in 2000, scored impressive victories in his heat and the main event. Brian Hunt was second, Craig Collier crossed the line third, Rohn Zellner was fourth, Carl Gazafy finished fifth, and Mike Boyle was sixth.
RESULTS Support B Consolation 105 - Mike Hernandez 10 102 - Jim Lavender 10 108 - Michael Hernandez 10 144 - Tom Hamilton 20 155 - Kevin Templeton 10 (fell, remounted) Support B Consolation 178 - Eloy Medellin 20 126 - Doug Lupo 10 180 - Malcolm Roe 20 103 - Brent Smith 20 112 - Bryan Baichtal 20 169 - Dan Wensloff 10 (fell) Support B Main Event 240 - Hideaki Ota 10 332 - Brian Hunt 10 133 - Craig Collier 10 163 - Rohn Zellner 20 176 - Carl Gazafy 10 198 - Mike Boyle 20 Support Consolation 131 - David Lynch 10 338 - Dave Delbridge 10 106 - Robert Fiesler 20 181 - Michael Novratil 10 296 - Tom Rossano 20 239 - Philip Williams 20 100 - Phil Harmatiuk 10 114 - Paul Hitchcock 20 (engine failure) Support Last Chance 123 - Chad Newlee 118 - Scott Tidwell (penalty line) 125 - Johnny Lupo 117 - Billy Braden (fell) Support Main Event (restarted) 293 - Rick Valdez 249 - John Stunkard 269 - Ed Martinez 196 - Rod Lenz (fell) 123 - Chad Newlee (fell, excluded) Junior Main Event 99 - Miles Calvin 27 - Krystal Cramer 2 - Skyler Greyson Handicap Main Event 6 - Shawn McConnell 40 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 20 2 - Josh Larsen 50 166 - Andy Northrup 30 15 - Dukie Ermolenko 40 9 - Mike Faria 50 12 - Randy DiFrancesco 40 1 - Chris Manchester 50 (engine failure) Last Chance 11 - Bobby Schwartz 6 - Shawn McConnell 15 - Dukie Ermolenko 1 - Chris Manchester Scratch Main Event 11 - Bobby Schwartz 10 - Scott Brant 2 - Josh Larsen 9 - Mike Faria 14 - Eddie Castro
