Pirate Speedway
National Orange Show
San Bernardino, California

2014 Season Opener
April 18, 2014 - Pirate Speedway - San Bernardino
Report By: Ryan Evans
Photos by Paul Flanders and Dorcey Wingo

Paul Flanders Photos
Billy Hamill (center) won the main, followed by Max Ruml (left) and Broc Nicol (right). It was Broc's first night of regular season racing on a 500cc machine.	Dalton Leedy, with pit help from dad Kevin, won all of his heats and the support class main in his first night of regular season racing with a 500 cc machine.	Winner of the Youth 250 cc main was Dillon Ruml.
Sebastian Palmese (left) won the Mini Speedway 150 cc class main after some hard fought racing with Sara Cords. Travis Hamilton is on the right.	Jason Ramirez won the Last Chance race to get into the main where he finished fifth. Meanwhile, "Not so little" brother Sammy Ramirez took second in the Youth 250 cc main.	Fast Eddie Castro took fourth place in the main.
The main event podium finishers: 1. Billy Hamill, 2. Max Ruml and 3. Broc Nicol.	Sara Cords battled hard with Sebastian Palmese in the Mini speedway 150 cc class main only to finish second. Results were awarded when Travis Hamilton fell and brought out the red flag after 3 laps of racing.	Photographer Dorcey Wingo seen here with Robynn McConnell.

Dorcey Wingo Photos
Cameron Titterness and friend stay loose before the big opener.	Multiple National Speedway and Ice Champion Charlie Venegas and son Keelan on his 150cc Kawasaki.	Pee Wee action: Titterness and #16 Cole Ayers go at it.
Pee Wee Main Event.	Travis Horn, on his way to the checkered flag.	250cc Main Event.
Sara Cords (left) and Sebastian Palmese in turn three.	Hey Sebastian, where can I get one of those #1 plates??
Dillon Ruml (outside) battles Kurtis Hamill.	Ruml, laying rubber.	Support Division action: Ricky Richards (left) and Davey Shaw.
Shaw shakes Richards.	Leedy battles to the front.	Dalton, too fast for the Support Division!
1st Division, Last Chance.	Jason Ramirez advances to the Main.	1st Division Main Event.
"Fast" Eddie Castro battles Jason Ramirez for 4th place.	"Mad" Max Ruml and Broc Nicol battle for 2nd.	Billy "The Bullet" Hamill - aptly named - takes the checkered flag!

National Champion Billy "The Bullet" Hamill began the 2014 Southern California season by holding back the challenges of some of his protégés with a perfect night at the Pirate Speedway Season Opener that was filled with excellent racing on a well-prepared race track.

Hamill was lined up in the middle of the Scratch Main Event field and he shot into the lead when the tapes went up. Right behind the former World Champion were teenagers "Mad" Max Ruml and Broc Nicol. Hamill put space between himself and his younger competitors on the back straight. Max Ruml and Nicol rekindled their battles in the juniors with a fight for second. Max Ruml hugged the pole in turns three and four while Nicol went to the outside. They were handlebar-to-handlebar through the end of lap one and remained the same going into turn one. Max Ruml surged ahead exiting turn two and Nicol had to settle in behind and hope for a mistake. As second was being settled Hamill was long gone and cruised to the checkered flag. Max Ruml finished second, Nicol was third, "Fast" Eddie Castro finished fourth, and former Youth National Champion Jason Ramirez was fifth.

Hamill kicked off the evening by roaring to victory in the first heat. Nicol, in his first professional heat, showed uncanny poise and raced to victory in the second event. Max Ruml finished round one with his first win.

Ruml opened round two by defeating Castro. Russell Green held off Tyson Talkington for his first win. Hamill ended the second round with a win over Ramirez.

Talkingon started the final round with a victory ahead of Ramirez. Green blasted around the outside of Castro to take the lead and win event 18. Hamill finished the heats by defeating Max Ruml and Nicol.

Max Ruml and Nicol finished one-two in the first semi and transferred to the main. Hamill won the second semi with Castro following him into the main.

It took two attempts but Ramirez was victorious in the Last Chance and booked the final spot in the main event field.

Ricky Richards led the Support Main Event into turn one with Chris Wiggins right behind him. Dalton Leedy got past Wiggins and set after Richards. Richards kept him at bay temporarily but the sixteen year old slipped past him for the lead. Leedy, who also won his heat and semi, completed his unbeaten evening by leading the rest of the main. Davey Shaw finished second, Richards was third, Wiggins finished fourth, Mike Wiley was fifth, and Ron Davis finished sixth.

Junior National Champion Dillon Ruml began his title defense with a victory in the Junior Main Event. Samuel Ramirez was second, Gage Geist came in third, Kurtis Hamill was fourth, Michael Wells finished fifth, and Travis Hamilton was sixth.

Sam Hagon led the Mini Main Event for two laps before Mini National Champion Sebastian Palmese swept around the outside for the lead. Sebastian Palmese led for another lap before Luke Whitcomb fell down and brought out the red flag. The race was declared complete and Sebastian Palmese was awarded the victory. Sara Cords finished second, Hagon was third, Dakota Shockley was fourth, Keelan Venegas was credited with fifth, and Whitcomb was sixth.

Travis Horn was victorious in the Pee Wee First Division Main Event. Jacob Loverock was second, Nick Dunn finished third, Jake Troutt was fourth, Jason Palmese Jr. finished fifth, and Tanner Richey was sixth.

Cameron Titterness won the Pee Wee Second Division Main Event with Levi Leutz getting second and Cole Ayers finished third.

The event marked the beginning of the sixth consecutive season of racing at the facility. The racers were very pleased with how smooth the track was and provided the crowd with some great racing to open the season. It was the first of 22 events of the 2014 Pirate Speedway season that will run into October.

RESULTS

Pee Wee Second Division Main Event
281 - Cameron Titterness
3 - Levi Leutz
16 - Cole Ayers

Pee Wee First Division Main Event
25t - Travis Horn
25j - Jacob Loverock
76 - Nick Dunn
326 - Jake Troutt
795 - Jason Palmese Jr.
13 - Tanner Richey (fell)
5 - Kenneth DePhillipes(non starter)

Mini 150 Main Event (awarded)
1 - Sebastian Palmese 50
14 - Sara Cords 0
350 - Sam Hagon 10
419 - Dakota Shockley 0
43 - Keelan Venegas 0
27 - Luke Whitcomb 0(fell)

Junior 250 Main Event
1 - Dillon Ruml
22 - Samuel Ramirez
10 - Gage Geist
104 – Kurtis Hamill
214 - Michael Wells
144 - Travis Hamilton (fell)

Support Main Event
222 - Dalton Leedy 20
145 - Davey Shaw 30
345 - Ricky Richards 0
239 - Chris Wiggins 0
101 - Mike Wiley 20
163 - Ron Davis 20

First Division Heat Scoring123T
5 – Max Ruml 44311
14 – Eddie Castro 3339
37 – Joey Donaldson 0101
48 – Tyson Talkington 33410
66 – Jason Ramirez 2338
100 – Broc Nicol 4228
104 – Billy Hamill 44412
114 – Troy McConnell E- - 0
126 – Rocco Scopellite 2125
164 – Dillon Osborne 1012
182 – Rudy Laurer F112
245 – Mike Fuson 2013
293 – Rick Valdez 1225
321 – Russell Green 34411
357n – Shawn Eldredge 1203

Race Results
1: Hamill, Green, Scopellite, Valdez, Donaldson
2: Nicol, Castro, Ramirez, Eldredge, Laurer (fell)
3: Ruml, Talkington, Fuson, Osborne, McConnell (engine failure)
9: Ruml, Castro, Valdez, Scopellite, Osborne
10: Green, Talkington, Nicol, Fuson, Laurer
11: Hamill, Ramirez, Eldredge, Donaldson
17: Talkington, Ramirez, Scopellite, Osborne, Donaldson
18: Green, Castro, Valdez, Laurer
19: Hamill, Ruml, Nicol, Fuson, Eldredge

Runoff: Scopellite, Valdez
Semi #1: Ruml, Nicol, Ramirez, Green
Semi #2: Hamill, Castro, Scopellite, Talkingto (fell, remounted)

First Division Last Chance (restarted)
66 - Jason Ramirez
48 - Tyson Talkington
321 - Russell Green
126 - Rocco Scopellite

Scratch Main Event
104 - Billy Hamill
5 - Max Ruml
100 - Broc Nicol
14 - Eddie Castro
66 - Jason Ramirez

Ryan Evans