S.C.F.T.A. Round #7
Perris Raceway – Perris Ca.
July 10th, 2011
Article by Jamey Blunt
Photos by Janice Blunt


With temperatures expected upwards of the one hundred degree mark some racers opted not to attend Sundays round seven of the S.C.F.T.A. But for the eighty-five that did they were treated to great racing on a well prepared track. Sixteen heats and fifteen main events made up the day's program from Youth 50cc to Premier Senior +70 classes. Lucas Oil presented a wide verity of their products with a display in the pits of some of the awards the class winners have come to expect. Hats off to Lucas Oil! After the mandatory riders meeting and practice it was time to go racing.



Sticking with the tradition of having the Youth classes start the program, the Youth 65cc field was staged first. Alyssa Flores, Frank Flores, Noah Bush, and Braydon Jolly all have to be asking themselves what it will take to beat Clayton Williams. Williams is the force to be reckoned with and went wire to wire for the win. In the Youth 50cc class Mishaps were the order of the day, but when the dust settled (the track was watered every two to three races) Toby D'Avignon picked up his first main event victory in memory. Drake Bondino was right there in second for his best finish to date as well.



Allison Stacey was away first in the Youth 85cc class Sean Heeney left the line third but quickly shot into second and went after Stacey. At the stripe for the completion of the first lap Heeney took the lead. Lap two Heeney posted the fastest lap of the race at 15.96 seconds while Stacey's pace was slowing with Clayton Williams closing in, just after the white flag going through turn two Stacey threw it all away giving Williams second and advancing Monica Gil to third.






Jeff Lessley had the fastest reaction time off the line in the Vintage 2-Stroke 250-360 Expert class. However just before turn one John Kocinski shot to the lead, made himself real wide and stretched his throttle cable. Kocinski having attained his goal of setting the overall track record on the Perris ¼ mile oval on the second lap of his heat race at 14.28 seconds wanted more and was looking to break the fourteen second barrier. But on this day the track wasn't as good in the main as it was in the heat race and Kocinski had to settle for the main event victory and the track record. Still a major accomplishment on a 250cc thirty-five year old motorcycle, Lessley, Nick Armstrong, Ryan Gifford and Jim Wood would follow Kocinski home in that order. It has been rumored that Kocinski is an alien but as yet there has been no DNA test to prove it.



The Classic Vintage class (also known as the "Brakeless Class") had a small field on this Sunday due in a large part to the fact the older air cooled machines don't fare too well in extreme heat. But when it was all said and done Jeff Apple's 16.52 second lap time was the fastest of the field and he notched another victory in his trophy case over Lenny Rodriguez, James Kohls, and Joe Pape.



Keith Bradford led the Bomber main event into turn one off the line but was on the outside which allowed pole sitter Danny Perkins to take over at the front on the exit from turn two. Bradford has been absent from the racing scene for a few years and in the past was a force to be dealt with and seems to be re-gaining his old form with each passing round. Jim Lundgren ran in third with David McNeeley fourth, Larry Earhart fifth, and John Lundgren sixth. Two laps down had Perking pulling away with a nine bike length gap and turning the fastest lap of the race at 15.07 seconds. On the exit from turn four on the fourth lap Lundgren put a wheel under Bradford and moved him out wide to take away second place. A lap later McNeeley was up to third as Bradford appeared to be getting tired and was slowing. McNeeley at this point had picked his pace up and was closing on Lundgren but it was too late as Perkins took the checkered flag with a two second gap over Jim Lundgren with McNeeley a bike length back in third , Bradford glad to see the race over in fourth and Earhart in fifth.



Bill Kolkman (yes Kayl's dad) made a rare appearance and raced the Senior Novice +50 class, which he won. Kolkman's fastest lap of 16.17 seconds was good enough to top Corey Bauman, Mark Prentice, Dennis Ackland, Larkin Wight, and Shane Van Sickle.



In the Senior Vet +50 main event Vince Graves from the middle of the front row was the first rider to reach turn one. On the exit from turn two Graves went wide and left the door open for Jim Wood to take over the lead. Next entering turn three Graves again went in high and wide and Ryan Gifford went past for second position. Back to turn one for the second time and Jeff Lessley ran it up underneath Graves for the third spot while Wood at the front put in a 15.62 second lap. Larry Earhart and Jim Ottele ran in fifth and sixth after a less than ideal start from each of them. On the next go round Lessley who was working the inside line put a wheel under Gifford and took over second place through turns three and four. Ottele was by this point up into fifth and making a run at Graves. Two laps remaining saw Ottele show Graves a wheel entering turn one and make the pass into fourth. On the last lap Ottele made a run down the back straight and squared up turns three and four to get a drive and beat Gifford to the stripe for third position behind Wood and Lessley.




Rick Bell pushed his new Bultaco off the track before the race ever started in the Vintage 2-stroke 250-360 Novice class while Gary Lane form Lucas Oil led the field into turn one. Steele Friedrich slotted in at second with Michael Fritz running third. Exiting turn two for the second time Shane Van Sickle made the pass on Fritz dropping him a spot. At the front Gary Lane turned a 17.04 second lap as he was the overall leader and first 360cc machine in the field. Rick Logan who ran fourth on the track but second 360cc completed the order as it was cemented this way to the finish.


Christian Hickman nailed the start in the Open Amateur final to lead through turns one and two over first time moto-crosser turned dirt tracker (at least for this weekend) Bobby Hesse. David McNeeley was away in third with Nick Gil fourth and Kyle Lessley fifth. Two laps complete had Gil drop McNeeley to fourth and put in the fastest single lap of the race at 15.39 seconds. At the front Hickman's fastest lap of 15.52 seconds along with consistency was keeping him clear of attacks from Hesse. Four laps in and Hesse showed Hickman a wheel but made a mistake that cost him four bike lengths. At this point Jimmy Lundgren made a pass on Lessley to take over at fifth dropping Lessley to sixth. Just after the white flag Gil was showing Hesse a wheel and trying to find a clean way around for second. This gave Hickman a small amount of breathing room as he came home with the victory with Hesse holding tough for second, Gil third, McNeeley alone in fourth and Lundgren fifth.




The twenty lap Pro main event was the Kayl Kolkman show. Kolkman on his well prepared Simi Valley Kawasaki DTX 450 shot to the front and put his head down and never looked back. Sporting some very colorful Troy Lee Designs attire Kolkman also was the visual standout in the field. The running order on the first lap was Kolkman, Mark Cernicky, David Bush, Robert Bush and Brandon Rothell. The battle for second went on lap after lap between Cernicky and David Bush who would swap the position several times only to see Cernicky maintain it each and every lap across the stripe for the first ten laps. To their credit Cernicky and David Bush displayed a lot of respect for each other as no cheap shots were fired and the passing was clean racing. Then starting lap eleven David Bush who had been testing the waters so to speak set Cernicky up with an inside move entering turn one and made his pass stick. With the heat and lack of moisture due to a twenty lap final Kolkman's fastest lap time of 14.87 seconds was the best he could attain. At the back of the field Robert Bush and Rothell seemed to be fading. Back up front Kolkman had a nine second gap over David Bush who now was clear of Cernicky, who appeared to be having trouble with the drying track surface as Robert Bush with a second wind was now gaining ground. Entering turn one on the next lap Robert Bush went up the inside of Cernicky to claim the third position only to have Cernicky fight back entering turn three and take his position back. Cernicky now in protection mode dropped wisely to the pole to cover the inside line. With a lap remaining Rothell joined the battle for third as all three riders went down the back straight in a group. Kolkman at the front had already taken the checkered flag with a ten second cushion over David Bush as Cernicky, Robert Bush, and Rothell drag raced to the stripe. Cernicky won the drag race, with Robert Bush fourth and Rothell fifth.

#88b David Bush hounded #50e Mark Cernicky for ten laps, then just after crossed flags (half way) he shot up the inside
to make this pass for second position in the pro main event. (#44s is Robert Bush)




#45e John Lundgren riding for Simi Valley Kawasaki topped the Vet 35+ final with a fastest lap time of 15.46 seconds.




#88 Corey Bauman fought his way to the front in the Open Novice main and went on to take the victory. Here in turn one #38 Emmy Bush, #736 Bobby Hesse, and #92w Andy Williams give chase.


Round eight of the S.C.F.T.A. is scheduled for Saturday night August 20th with each new round gaining in rider count and spectators alike.




SCFTA Round Seven, July 10, 2011 Results

YOUTH 65CC

1.         Clayton Williams

2.         Alyssa Flores

3.         Frank Flores

4.         Noah Bush

5.         Braydon Jolly

 

YOUTH 50CC

1.         Toby D’avignon

2.         Brake Bondino

3.         Courtney D’avignon

4.         Ava Bush

5.         Ana Busb

6.         Luke Shaffer

 

YOUTH 85CC

1.         Sean Heeney

2.         Clayton Williams

3.         Moncia Gil

4.         Alyssa Flores

5.         Jaycee “Dirtball” Jones

6.         Frank Flores

 

MEN’S 4 STROKE

1.         Billy Katkov

2.         Mark Cernicky

 

PREMIER SENIOR + 70

1.         Allan Girdler

 

VINTAGE 2 STK EXPERT

250

1.         John Kocinski

2.         Jeff Lessley

3.         Nick Armstrong

4.         Jim Wood

360

1.         Ryan Gifford

 

VINTAGE 750

1.         Robert Bush

2.         Jim Ottele

3.         Dennis Boyle dns

 

 

CLASSIC VINTAGE

1.         Jeff Apple

2.         Lenny Rodriguez

3.         James Kohls

4.         Joe Pape dns

 

BOMBER

1.         Danny Perkins

2.         Jim Lundgren

3.         David Mc Neely

4.         Keith Bradford

5.         Larry Earhart

6.         John Lundgren

7.         Jim Steet Dns

 

SENIOR NOVICE +50

1.         Bill Kolkman

2.         Corey Bauman

3.         Mark Prentice

4.         Dennis Ackland

5.         Larkin Wight

6.         Shane Van Sickle

 

SENIOR VETS + 50

1.         Jim Wood

2.         Jeff Lessley

3.         Jim Ottele

4.         Ryan Gifford

5.         Larry Earhart

 

SUPER SENIOR +60

1.         Vince Graves

 

VET’S 35

1.         John Lundgren

2.         Jeff Apple

3.         Gary Williams

 

OPEN NOVICE

1.         Corey Bauman

2.         Nick Ottele

3.         Andy Williams

4.         Allison Stacey

5.         Sean Heeney

6.         Emmy Bush

7.         Pat Madore

 

VINTAGE 2STK 250CC 360CC NOVICE

250

1.         Steele Friedrich

2.         Shane Van Sickle

3.         Michael Fritz

4.         Rick Bell Dns

360

1.         Gary Lane

2.         Rick Logan

 

OPEN AMATEUR

1.         Christian Hickman

2.         Bobby Hesse

3.         Nick Gil

4.         David Mcneely

5.         Jim Lundgren

6.         Kyle Lessley

7.         #53?

8.         Jess Flores

9.         Austin Williams

10.       Harly Legowski

11.       Mark Prentice

 

OPEN PRO

1.         Kayl Kolkman

2.         David Bush

3.         Mark Cernicky

4.         Robert Bush

5.         Brandon Rothell