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Industry RacingThe Grand Industry Hills Expo Center "BSA Owners Club" British Bike Night Results from Industry Racing and are Continued Below...
NOVRATIL - 4th INDUSTRY SPEEDWAY WINNER – By Tim Kennedy Industry, CA., Jun. 20 – Austin Novratil, 23, realized his long-time goal of winning a 500cc Division 1 main event at Industry Speedway in the Grand Arena. The Huntington Beach resident told listeners at pit gate sign-in that he had never won a 500cc Division 1 feature at Industry despite seven years in the division. He finally checked that accomplishment off his bucket list Wednesday night in front of more than 500 spectators. He said he has won many 250cc Industry main events as a Junior Division rider from 2002-10 and he likes Industry Speedway. He likes it even more now that he has captured that elusive first place hardware. He has won 500cc Division 1 features at other tracks including Costa Mesa Speedway, where he won the Jack Milne Cup May 12 event. He also won 500cc Division 1 mains at tracks in Auburn, Santa Maria, Ventura, Perris Raceway, and Pirate Speedway in San Bernardino. Novratil became the fourth different 500cc Division 1 feature winner in four weeks of the 2018 Industry Speedway season. It is the 15th continuous season of racing at the beautiful Industry Hills Expo Center Grand Arena eighth-mile indoor dirt track. It hosts speedway bike racing on Wednesday nights from late May through late August. Division 1 MAIN: Novratil started from the outside gate next to the crash-wall and shot into the lead on the first lap after racing into the first turn evenly with pole starter Dillon Ruml. Novratil emerged from the second turn on the outside with the lead. However, he had to duplicate that impressive start a second time after lane two starter, third-running Jimmy Fishback III fell in turn four on the opening lap. Fishback slipped to the ground off the back and rose quickly. He was excluded by referee Steve Lucero from the complete restart because it was a one rider crash. Novratil, on his Jawa frame, GM engine No. 7, duplicated his original start and again led the first lap over Aaron Fox, the gate three starter. Fox passed Ruml on the restarted first lap and pressed Novratil all four laps before settling for second place, one length back. Ruml was third, four lengths behind Fox. Fishback, the winner a week earlier, was fourth. Division 1 Consolation: Ten Division 1 riders raced three heats for points (3-2-1-0). No riders scored a perfect nine points this week. Four riders—Ruml, Novratil, Fishback and Fox—scored eight points and all four transferred into the two semi-finals races. Ruml beat Fox in the first Consolation and Fishback edged Novratil in the second Consolation SIDECARS: SUPPORT DIVISIONS: JUNIORS: The mini 150cc main for five laps used a handicapped start with four riders staged 10, 20 or 30 yards from the starting gate based upon prior experience. Gate starter Levi Leutz led every lap in the main as he did in both heat races. Maybe next week no riders will start from the gate. There were no 50cc pee-wees riders present this week. PIT NOTES: > The BSA motorcycle owners Club of So Cal celebrated 40 years of existence with a display of BSA and Triumph motorcycles in the Grand Arena front courtyard. > A report this week had So Cal 500cc Division 1 winner Broc Nicol being signed to join the Sheffield team in the British Speedway League. > Two open-wheel car racers were in the grandstand at The Grand this week. USAC midget owner/driver Jerome Rodela, of El Monte, was present without his 7-year old daughter. Jerome said he won a recent BCRA Midget Series (Nor Cal) main event at the third-mile, paved Madera Speedway. He said he will have two of his No. 25 dirt track midgets for two hired guns at the November 21-22 USAC Turkey Night GP in Ventura. ... Former SCRA 410 sprint car publicity director Robert Mayson, of Orange County, was joined by his son Derek, 8, for their annual visit to speedway bike racing in The Grand. > Blake Cronkrite is a 23-year old (born 10/6/94) from Chino Hills who works as a HVAC foreman. He bought his 500cc 2006 Jawa from motocross racer Buddy Taylor and made his 500cc Division 3 debut at Industry Hills during the March 10, 2018 Gumball Rally. On June 6 at Industry Blake won his two heats and the Division 3 main by a straightaway. Officials moved him up to Division 2 for June 13 and he placed third in the Division 2 feature. > Cronkrite started racing in speedway events during 2017 as a sidecar swinger for Kevin Holman (No. 11) and Dillon Osborne (No. 64). His best 2017 sidecar results were seconds and fourths at tracks in Costa Mesa, Industry and Ventura. His role as the Bryan Motis No. 2 substitute swing-man for injured Johnny Bach was his first experience with Motis. They won a heat race and the main event in impressive rides. Success on a 500cc bike and as a sidecar swinger seem to be imminent for this personable young man. ####################### Quick Results from Industry Racing. Scratch Main Event (restarted) Scratch Consolation Second Division Main Event Third Division Main Event Junior 250 Main Event Mini 150 Main Event Sidecar Main Event |
