Indoor ICE Speedway Racing

1999 WSRA ICE Speedway World Championship

Greenville, South Carolina

Round Two of the Sixteen Round Series

Brought to you by
The Greatest Spectacle On Ice Saturday 3:00 PM, December 27, 1998 Promoted by: Gary Densford - President / I.C.E. Announcer: Chris Lee	BI-LO Center 650 N. Academy Street Greenville, South Carolina Info:864.467-0008

- By Kim Gregory - Due to the long autograph session after the event, and the rush to get the show packed up, I was unable to get the official results after the races. They will be posted here later this week.

Some race highlights were :
Over TWELVE THOUSAND race fans filled the coliseum! This was the largest crowd that we have had! After the races, we signed autographs until the arena management started turning off the lights, and sending security personnel out on the ice to move the riders away from the loyal fans!

Three new bike riders joined the series!
Stuart Robson - (Northumberland, England - rides for Coventry Bees), Anthony Barlow (Merseyside, England - rides for Arena Essex), and David Meldrum(Edinburgh, Scotland - rides for the Edinburgh Ziebart Monarchs), all riding GM laydowns in Antig frames, prepared by Glen Taylor.

Three new QUAD riders joined the series!
Steve Daughery (Shelbyville, Tennessee - Honda), Jim Brown (Portland Tennessee - Honda), and Wesley Reed (Gulfport, Mississippi - Honda). Legend Cars drivers Brian Stipe (Lawrenceburg Georgia), and Mark Manning put on a good demonstration, with one hard hit on the wall, that had all of us in the pits jumping out of our shoes! I didn't see it, but it sure sounded hard!

The first event usually has a crash in the first lap, as the ice surface is perfectly smooth, and always takes the riders by surprise. This night was the exception. James Birkinshaw (age 18 Sheffield, England), who had won the Biloxi event, had trouble starting his Weslake, and as the two minute deadline neared its end, borrowed another rider's bike. On the second lap, he bent the borrowed bike into a pretzel, with a hard hit into the wall. He was shook up by the crash, and had to provide parts off his Weslake to repair the borrowed bike, so was unable to continue.

I led the second race for two laps, twice! Gary Hesmer and Anthony Barlow tangled and caused a restart. Barlow took me out after the restart, as he tried to follow Gary Hesmer past me. My second heat I was taken out again, same corner, making my entry into the 'Last Chance Race' possible only with a second place finish in my last heat, and a coin toss with tied rider Shawn Hurley (Colorado). An outside start from the second row only got me a fourth place finish, placing me as the reserve for the six man final.

Bike Final:
1st #10 Adrian Newman (Australia)
2nd #3 Gary Hesmer (Canada)
3rd #6 Brendan Fennessy (Idaho)
4th #11 Nick Fafard (Canada)

In the Bike Final, Adrian Newman (Australia) lead the charge, with the California veteran Ronny Kemp close behind. Ronny was riding VERY hot in the early laps, and while in first place, in turn two, his front wheel lifted, and the extra traction, drove Ronny onto the infield, disqualifying himself. He did manage to place himself as the point leader in this world series. Gary Hesmer, Brendan Fennessy, and Nick Fafard, all placed higher on the podium than in previous events, showing their improvement on the ice.

The battle of the QUADs was hotter than ever, with some early crashes with the 1200cc Harley Quad of Michael Goodrich (Tucson AZ). These minor crashes proved to be his undoing, as his charge down the back straight ended as a critical front suspension member broke. The front wheels folded under the quad, sending him out of control into the end wall, throwing him almost over the wall. He was taken to hospital, but later released after the races.

Mandy "Wild Child" Brodil (Los Banos CA), had the crowd on their feet as she won a close battle in a late heat.

Chuck Moores (Greenville TN), won the Quad Final to repeat his success in Biloxi.

Details, and point standing will be posted soon!

And we do it all again next week in El Paso Texas!