From the Paris race program:
So why does a rider travel all the way to Paris?
What else, the love of the sport.
"Bouncin'" Bobby Richards from Colorado met some of our boys on the ICE circuit and decided to travel all the way here to ride yet another track.
Bob has ridden in the warm sunny air of California and as far north as Fairbanks Alaska.
This is not the first time for him to race in Canada, as he has ridden on ICE in Manitoba.
Bob is 34, and has been riding speedway since 1983 (17 years).
His accomplishments are many:
Colorado Division 3 Champion in his first year.
16 times Division 2 Main Event winner in California
2nd overall in the 1996 Colorado State Championships
3rd overall in the 1996 Louisiana State Championships
and many top three placings on ICE.
This has not come without the old saying "No Pain no Gain". A broken femor in 1984, collar bone 1992, and a badly damaged ankle in 1997 requiring pins.
One of his greatest thrills was to have a try out with the Exeter "Falcons" in England, following in his racing idol Scott Autry. Just to make this trip complete, he is going home via Texas to catch up with his wife Rhonda, and the future speedway star son "Bouncin'" Billy Wade Richards who will be one year old. So give a warm Canadian welcome to a great American Speedway Ambasador "Bouncin'" Bobby Richards!"
By: Kim Gregory
The handicap was the best race of the night with Casey Franic taking the early lead,
with Gary Hesmer hot on his back tire after punching through from the 50
yard handicap line.
Gary says "I like coming from a big yard handicap!
It gives us a much higher speed into turn one than the front line,
and we can 'read' the pack as they go into the turn, and take advantage
of any hole opening up!"
Jeff Orosz followed his lead, passing Heye and Bobby Richards (20 yard handicaps), Freddy Legault (30 yard)
before the end of turn two! Jeff got by Gary before the checkered flag, and Fred moved
up into third.
If you liked crashes, then Division Two, heat 12 was your favorite race of the night. It was restarted four times! First, Heye and Casey went into turn three REALLY hot, Heye on the inside, Casey on the outside with only inches between them, scrubbing off speed sideways! Casey found a little more traction, and by the end of turn three, there was no space between them. Heye high sided over Casey.
Russel Hartke laid it down the next restart in turn two when Casey and Heye started trading paint in front of him. Casey and Heye untangled and raced on, but was red flagged once more.
The third try, Aaaron Hesmer went down at the back of the pack in turn three, then seconds later, Heye and Russel went down together in turn one. This prompted an inspection of turn one, and the track was graded before the next attempt, giving all the riders time to recover. Aaron's brother Chris Hesmer ( current Canadian Champion) gave Aaron some advice during the lull, and on the final restart, Aaron rocketed out of gate four and took a commanding lead, winning the heat.
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS July 9, 1999 PARISBy Duncan Luke. luke99@idirect.com See the 1999 CSRA Cumulative Pointscorers and the CSRA 1999 Season Point Standings Paris Tee Shirts $12, Hats $10 for sale at the track. | |||||||||||||||||
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| DIVISION 1 | RESULTS | ||||||||||||||||
| Heat | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total |
| 1 | 37 | 31 | 80c | . | . | 68 DNS e/t | . | 31 | Jeff Orosz | . | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 14 | |
| 5 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 80c | . | . | . | 37 | Gary Hesmer | . | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| 13 | 31 | 68 | 37 | 80c | . | . | 68 | Fred Legault | . | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 31 | 68 | 37 | 80c | . | . | * | . | 80c | Bobby Richards | . | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 80c | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
| * 37 fell 10yds on restart. | |||||||||||||||||
| DIVISION 2 | RESULTS | ||||||||||||||||
| Heat | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total |
| 2 | 46 | 80 | - | - | . | . | * | . | 46 | Joe Heye | . | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 6 | 46 | 80 | - | . | . | ** 9 DNS | . | 80 | Casey Franic | . | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| 12 | 12 | 80 | 9 | 46 | . | . | *** | . | 12 | Aaron Hesmer | . | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 16 | 46 | 80 | 12 | - | . | . | **** | . | 9 | Russel Hartke | . | 0 | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 19 | 46 | 80 | 9 | 12 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
|
* 9 fell DNF 12 disq.(crossed inside line) ** 80 fell 10yards on restart 12 fell rem'd disq (crossed inside line) *** 4 restarts. 46 fell 10 yards on restart. 9 fell 10 yards on restart. 12 fell rem'd 46 & 9 down. 9 fell. No more yardage on third & fourth restarts. **** 9 fell rem'd DNF. | |||||||||||||||||
| DIVISION 3 | RESULTS | ||||||||||||||||
| Heat | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total |
| 3 | 41 | 6 | 86 | . | . | . | 10 | Frank Dittmer | . | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | . | 12 | ||
| 4 | 10 | 29 | 6x | . | . | * | . | 6 | Ken Pridmore | . | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | . | 10 | |
| 7 | 10 | 6x | 41 | . | . | . | 41 | Jeremy Musson | . | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | 7 | ||
| 8 | 6 | 86 | 29 | . | . | . | 6x | Brad Pridmore | . | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | . | 7 | ||
| 10 | 6 | 29 | 41 | . | . | . | 86 | Paul Martin | . | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | . | 6 | ||
| 11 | 10 | 86 | 6x | . | . | . | . | 29 | Larry De Veau | . | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | . | 6 | |
| 14 | 10 | 6 | 29 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 15 | 6x | 41 | 86 | . | . | . | ** | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 18 FINAL | 10 | 41 | 86 | 6x | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
|
* 6x looped at gate 10yds on restart. ** 6 withdrew, | |||||||||||||||||
| HANDICAP | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 |
1st Jeff Orosz (50yds) 2nd Gary Hesmer (40) 3rd Fred Legault (30) 4th Joe Heye (20) 5th Casey Franic (10) 6th Bobby Richards (20) | ||||||||||||||||
