By: Ryan Evans
Gary Hicks earned a speedway hat trick by winning both main events and the Total Image Challenge at Arrowhead Motor Speedway.
Hicks began his trio of victories by impressively holding off Billy Janniro, who was competing on a rider return from England. Hicks gated Janniro and withstood all of his attempts to win the Total Image Challenge.
Northern California's Matt Browne took the lead to start the Handicap Main Event and held the lead for the first two laps. Hicks took the lead at the start of lap three with Janniro behind him. Hicks steadily pulled away from Janniro and on the fifth lap Scott Brant passed Janniro for second on the back straight. Brant couldn't catch Hicks, however, and had to settle for second while Hicks took the checkered flag first. Janniro was third, John DeFries finished fourth, Browne was fifth, and Danny Perkins finished sixth.
Janniro used the pole to jump into the lead in the Scratch Main, but Hicks didn't allow him any breathing room. At the end of the first lap Hicks was right on Janniro's back tire. Hicks got a wheel under Janniro entering turn one and took the lead exiting turn two. Hicks continuously pulled away from Janniro, who was then passed by Brant again. Hicks went on to the victory, Brant was second, Janniro was third, and Eddie Castro was fourth.
The first attempt of the Second Division Main Event ended abruptly in turn three when a crash brought out the red flag. On the restart, Tom Rossano took the lead, but Neil Facchini rode the outside impressively to take the lead. Facchini, who was competing in Second Division for the first time, held the lead for a lap until Chad Newlee took control. Newlee then ran away from the field to earn his second main event victory of the season. Rick Valdez finished second, Rossano was third, Facchini finished fourth, Steve Murray was credited with fifth, and Billy Braden was credited with sixth.
Mark Baldwin took the initial lead and never looked back as he easily captured the Second Division B Main Event in his first evening of racing in 2002. Rusty Hall was second, DeWayne Stark was third, Mitch Melott finished fourth, Kevin Templeton was fifth, and Steve Nelson was sixth.
RESULTS Second Division B Consolation 108 - Mike Hernandez 0 105 - Michael Hernandez 0 208 - Geoff Herkner 10 227 - Mark Robertson 10 222 - Tim Marsh 0 119 - Jeffrey Badders 0 Second Division B Main Event 115 - Mark Baldwin 0 164 - Rusty Hall 0 244 - DeWayne Stark 0 124 - Mitch Melott 0 (fell, remounted) 155 - Kevin Templeton 10 (fell) 202 - Steve Nelson 10 (fell) Second Division Consolation 212n - Greg Hooten Jr. 30 182 - Rudy Laurer 30 126 - Doug Lupo 0 132 - David Moore 0 161 - Hector Quevedo 0 147 - Winston Williams 10 (fell) Second Division Consolation 196 - Rod Lenz 0 338 - Dave Delbridge 20 165 - Randy Kreps 10 336 - Bill Green 10 103 - Brent Smith 0 178 - Eloy Medellin 10 (non starter) Second Division Main Event (restarted) 123 - Chad Newlee 20 293 - Rick Valdez 20 296 - Tom Rossano 0 201 - Neil Facchini 0 214 - Steve Murray 10 (fell, excluded) 117 - Billy Braden 20 (fell - non starter) Total Image Challenge Race 3 - Gary Hicks 14n - Billy Janniro 14 - Eddie Castro 24 - Bobby Krips Handicap Main Event 3 - Gary Hicks 40 10 - Scott Brant 50 14n - Billy Janniro 50 316 - John DeFries 10 211n - Matt Browne 0 89 - Danny Perkins 10 Scratch Consolation 11 - Bobby Schwartz 8n - Bryan Yarrow 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 24 - Bobby Krips Scratch Main Event 3 - Gary Hicks 10 - Scott Brant 14n - Billy Janniro 14 - Eddie Castro
