By: Ryan Evans
"Fast" Eddie Castro became the second rider in as many weeks to capture the hat trick by winning the Total Image Challenge and both main events at Arrowhead Motor Speedway in San Bernardino on Wednesday.
After Shaun Harmatiuk and Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz were eliminated, respectively, Castro and 2000 Junior National Champion Bryan Yarrow were the remaining riders for the final two laps. Castro was first out of the gate but Yarrow mounted a challenge on the outside. Yarrow remained on the outside through three and four, but Castro was hooked up on the bottom line and held the lead all the way to the checkered flag.
Matt Browne held the initial lead in the Handicap Main Event. Browne held the lead until the third lap when John DeFries went under him exiting turn two. DeFries held the lead for a lap before Harmatiuk went by on the back straight. Castro and Brant both chased Harmatiuk for a lap and each chose distinctively different battle plans to pursue the lead. Entering turn four, Brant went under Harmatiuk while Castro went extremely wide and found traction near the boards to go around both Harmatiuk and Brant as they took the white flag. Castro then planted his bike on the pole entering turn one and held off Brant throughout the last lap to take the win and bring the crowd to its feet with a raucous ovation. Harmatiuk held on to third, DeFries finished fourth, Yarrow was fifth, and Browne finished sixth.
The first attempt to run the Scratch Main ended in turn one when Castro and Yarrow fell. On the restart, Brant was first into turn one, but Castro used the outside line to go around Brant on the back straight. Brant tried everything he could the rest of the way, but there was no denying Castro as he completed his hat trick of victories. Brant settled for second, Schwartz was third, and Yarrow was fourth.
Rod Lenz rode five perfect laps as led the Second Division Main Event from start to finish to earn his first main event victory of the season. Neil Facchini was second, Rick Valdez finished third, Bill Green was fourth, Billy Braden finished fifth, and Rohn Zellner was sixth.
Jeffrey Badders took the lead at the start of the Second Division B Main Event and opened a comfortable lead. Mark Baldwin, aboard a two-valve Jawa, closed in on Badders on the third lap and took the lead as they took the white flag. Baldwin then pulled away to win the main event for the second consecutive week. Steve Nelson finished second, Rusty Hall was third, Badders finished fourth, Steve Dziadus was fifth, and Kevin Templeton was credited with sixth.
RESULTS Second Division B Consolation 105 - Michael Hernandez 0 108 - Mike Hernandez 0 244 - DeWayne Stark 0 227 - Mark Robertson 10 Second Division B Main Event (restarted) 115 - Mark Baldwin 10 202 - Steve Nelson 10 164 - Rusty Hall 0 119 - Jeffrey Badders 0 212 - Steve Dziadus 0 155 - Kevin Templeton 10 (fell) Second Division Consolation 126 - Doug Lupo 0 125 - Johnny Lupo 10 338 - Dave Delbridge 20 178 - Eloy Medellin 10 123 - Chad Newlee 30 (fell) Second Division Main Event 196 - Rod Lenz 0 201 - Neil Facchini 0 293 - Rick Valdez 20 336 - Bill Green 10 117 - Billy Braden 20 163 - Rohn Zellner 0 Junior Main Event 10 - Tim Gomez 5 - Dario Galvin 27 - Krystal Cramer Total Image Challenge 14 - Eddie Castro 8n - Bryan Yarrow 11 - Bobby Schwartz 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk Handicap Main Event 14 - Eddie Castro 50 10 - Scott Brant 50 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 20 316 - John DeFries 10 8n - Bryan Yarrow 20 211n - Matt Browne 0 Scratch Consolation (restarted) 139 - Shaun Harmatiuk 316 - John DeFries 211n - Matt Browne 19 - Richard Jones Scratch Main Event 14 - Eddie Castro 10 - Scott Brant 11 - Bobby Schwartz 8n - Bryan Yarrow
