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JANNIRO WINS WORLD SPEEDWAY INVITATIONAL AT INDUSTRY – By Tim Kennedy
INDUSTRY, Calif., Dec. 29 – The first Monster Energy World Speedway Cycle Invitational at Industry Speedway Saturday attracted a track record 5,500 spectators to the indoor dirt track in the covered Grand Arena at the Industry Hills Expo Center. The old attendance record of 3,000 was set August 29. After a rainy morning, a chilly mid-40s evening awaited newcomers to two-wheel racing and existing fans from speedway venues in Costa Mesa, San Bernardino, Victorville and Auburn. They converged on the Industry track and filled the parking lots shortly before rider introductions at 7:30 and the first of 23 races for pro riders at 8:00 pm. Six races for junior riders also entertained fans and all races were telecast live on the Internet.
Billy Janniro used the international format event to showcase his impressive racing skills. The 32-year old from Rancho Cordova won the last Industry main event—the annual California State Championship—on August 29. He is a three-time AMA US National Champion (2008-10-11), four-time SRA US National Champion (2004-08-10-11), and two-time British League Elite Champion (2005 and 07). The top eight riders in points Saturday divided the $18,000 purse posted by event promoter Monster Energy. The drink firm's hostesses presented trophies to the top three feature riders.
The USA versus European riders invitational field featured nine USA riders against seven European 500cc speedway riders for individual honors. Teenagers Austin Novratil and Rocco Scopellite from the USA were reserves (alternates) to fill the 16 rider field if necessary for five rounds of four-lap heat races. Both reserves saw frequent action after hard crashes sidelined several riders. At an eighth-mile, Industry Speedway is smaller than the usual quarter mile tracks in Europe. USA riders were: Tyson Burmeister, Jimmy Fishback, Billy Hamill, Greg Hancock, Billy Janniro, Gino Manzares, Charlie Venegas, Ricky Wells and Bryan Yarrow.
European riders came from four countries as follows:
> Denmark – Hans Andersen, 31.
> England – Edward Kennett, 26, and Scott Nicholls, 34.
> Poland – Tomasz Gollob, 41, and Maciej Janowski, 21.
> Sweden – Antonio Lindback, 27 and Fredrik Lindgren, 27.
The European riders included three FIM Speedway Champions in their home country and four of the seven riders are FIM Speedway Grand Prix race winners. The field included three past FIM World Champions—Gollob (2010), Hamill (1996) and Hancock (1997 and 2011). All seven European riders at Industry finished in the top 24 in 2012 World Championship final points. Five of the top ten 2012 riders raced at Industry. Hancock finished third in 2012, Gollob fourth, Lindback seventh, Lindgren eighth and and Andersen tenth.
All riders started in each of the four lanes and faced different riders in their five heat races. The 20 heat race winners scored three points, with two, one and zero points for second through fourth finishers. Six heat race winners started in lanes two and four and four winners came from lanes one and three. Nine different riders won heat races. Wells won four, Venegas and Janniro had three each, Hamill, Hancock, Kennett and Nicholls won two each, and Yarrow won once. Reserve Novratil made a last lap, final turn inside pass for his lone heat victory.
Two hard crashes in the first two heat race rounds sidelined Manzares. Other hard falls befell Lindgren, Nicholls and Fishback. Each rider reclined on the track briefly before walking to the pits. After winning his first four races and finishing second to Janniro in his fifth heat, Wells scored 14 points out of a possible 15 to earn high point honors. Three wins, a second, and third gave Janniro 12 points. Other riders in the top eight point positions after five rounds of heat racing sent 10-point riders Hamill, Hancock, Kennett and Nicholls to the two semi-final races (events 21-22). Venegas (nine points) and Lindback (eight points) were seventh and eighth highest in points and also earned outside lane starting spots in the twin semi-finals. Only the first two finishers in each semi-final advanced to the Monster Energy four-lap feature race (event 23). Hamill led all the way in the first semi to defeat Wells, Venegas and Kennett. Janniro led all four laps in the second semi and defeated Hancock, Nicholls and Lindback.
The final race had an all-USA field. Hamill was on the pole with Janniro, Wells and Hancock in lanes two through four respectively. Janniro shot into the lead when the starting gate lifted. Hancock raced from lane four to second place on the outside before leaving turn two. Wells took third position from Hamill on the final lap with an inside pass leaving the fourth turn. Later, the top three riders stood on the front straight podium and poured champagne on well-wishers.
Ten invited Junior Division riders were divided into five 150cc and five 250cc riders. Michael Wells won both 150cc heat races and Max Ruml won both 250cc heats. A pair of off-the-back flips onto his back at the starting gate sidelined Braydan Galvin. Another crash sidelined Kurtis Hamill in a multi-cycle crash. Courtney Crone, 11, won her first Industry 150cc feature in a five rider field. A crash on the first lap in turn four sidelined Wells and Maverick Molloy, resulting in three finishers. Max Ruml, 15, won the three-rider 250cc main after leading every lap over Broc Nicol and younger brother Dillon Ruml.
The initial Monster Energy World Speedway Invitational attracted many open-wheel auto racing fans. Sprint car drivers Wally Pankratz and Cal Smith were in the stands Saturday. The escalating growth of speedway motorcycle racing popularity in California and the rousing success of the first Monster Energy event at Industry are sure to make it an annual event on the speedway cycle racing calendar.
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