S.C.F.T.A. Round #4

Perris Raceway

May 13th, 2012

Photos by Janice Blunt

Tags and Article by Jamey Blunt

Dave Aldana Interview

#73 David McNeeley has the speed, he just needs to keep it on two wheels. McNeeley who rides a Dick Mann framed Yamaha TT-500 of Jim McMurren's put it on the ground six times in his two classes of racing...His fastest lap of the day was a strong 15.56 seconds!!!

#12 Brad Baker looked to have some competion early in the day from #49 Chad Cose and #44r Nick Armstrong. But Cose proved to be the only one capable of even staying with Baker, but a second row start in the main proved to be too much to overcome. Cose did fight his way through the field to finish a strong second.

#12 Brad Baker used Perris as a tune up for his swing back east for the grand nationals. Baker led all twenty laps of the Pro Main event and had a four second cushion, time to wheelie across the line for the checkered flag. Baker's fastest lap time was 14.89 seconds. 

 #3 John Kocinski the track record holder at Perris missed the first three rounds but showed up for round four. Kocinski the two time world champion hadn't lost a beat as he put on a school for everyone in the house. Oh, his track record? It remains unbroken at 14.06 seconds...

The start of the Super Senior +60 main event had (L-R) #88 Tony Hoover, #3j DeWayne Jones, #22 (in White) Bobby Hardison, #22 David Molitor (who has yet to be beat to turn one), #4 Vince Graves, and #86d Allan Girdler all launching for a piece of real estate in turn one.

#4 Vince Graves is piling up victories in the Super Senior +60 class. He did work a little harder for it at round for though, with a fastest lap time of 15.70 seconds.

 #68 Paul Herman made the trip from his home in Paso Robles worthwhile as he earned a hard fought victory in the Vintage 750cc final on a barrowed motorcycle. Herman's fastest lap time was a 15.65 seconds for the 1/4 mile oval..

The Open Novice class is also growing at Perris. Corey Bauman once again was a double class winner on the day. Shown here at the start of the Open Novice Main Event are: #07 Allison Stacy, #117 Sean Heeney, #4 Matt Stoutenburg, #37 Pat Neilson, #88 Corey Bauman, #16e Parker Earhart, and #17c Curtis Pimentell.

#12 Paul Ott really put his head down to win the Open Am. main event. Ott topped a field of eleven with a best lap time of 15.58 seconds on his way to the victory.

The start of the Open Am. main showed just how big the class has gotten. (L-R) #16e Larry Earhart, #54 David Reinhard, #28y Nick Ottele, #14 Eric Ryke, #27 Rich Hanson, #12 Paul Ott, #26 Dylan Morin, #73 David McNeeley, and #19r Brad Rudy.

#89 Danny Perkins is the defending Bomber class champion. He also has the largest fan base at Perris, which puts pressure on him to win. At round four he didn't dissopoint as he put down 15.96 sec. laps to win the main with a full straight away gap over the field.

Tom Ferguson ran #95 on Jim McMurren's National #11 H.D. Sprint. Ferguson showed his back side to the Classic Vintage 500-750 field with his fastest lap being 16.40 seconds.

#12 James Ott rides the wheels off his little Honda! It is amazing to watch what this young man can do on such a small bike. His fastest lap of the day was 17.58 seconds.

#82 Travis Petton had a great day at Perris, Petton topped both the 85cc 2stk and 65cc 2stk classes. In the 65cc main he's shown just edging out the #12 of James Ott at the stripe. In the 85cc class he caught fire with less than two laps remaining and went from fourth to first for the victory.His fastest lap of the day was 17.25 seconds.

Perris Raceway S.C.F.T.A. Round #4

5-13-2012

Photos by Janice Blunt

Article by Jamey Blunt

Mothers Day evokes many memories, mom, apple pie, long lost youth, time with family, but for the one hundred seven entries that filled the twenty three heat races and eighteen main events at round four of the S.C.F.T.A. at Perris; the 2012 Mothers Day could hold some just as endearing memories. The smell of burned gas fumes lingering in the air, Lucas Oil, the finely groomed track surface thrown in your face from rear wheels fighting to find traction, but most of all, it was still time spent with family, the flat track family which is a tight knit community!

Nine different classes now make of the tally for the entire youth field. Ranging from 50cc through 85cc displaced machines in both two stroke and four stroke categories. In the 85cc 2stk/4stk beginner class (scored separately) Jimmy Gillen led off the start with class regulars Travis Petton the 4th, and James Ott buried back in fourth and fifth. With two laps complete Petton was up to third with Ott fourth while Gillen turned his fastest lap time of 17.52 seconds. Three laps down saw Petton up to second and Ott into third while Evan Harich, Jaycee Jones, and Noah Bush all fought over the fourth place position. At the white flag Petton had put his head down, turned his fastest lap of 17.25 seconds and caught and passed Gillen for the lead. When the checkered flag fell Petton won by four bike lengths over Gillen with Ott third overall but first 4stk. Harich was second 4stk. over Bush and Jones. Travis Petton the 4th was a double main event winner as he also won a close one over James Ott (who rides the wheels off his little Honda) in the 65cc Novice final.

In the Super Senior +60 class it's hard to remember a time when David Molitor has ever been beaten to turn one. Today was no exception as Molitor launched from the line to lead into turn one, class champion Vince Graves always seems to find his way to the front though and that was also the way this race ended. Graves with the victory with the fastest lap of the race at 15.70 seconds with Molitor finishing in second and newcomer to the new ¼ mile but an old time Perris regular Bobby Hardison (16.77 sec.) third, DeWayne Jones (17.44 sec.) fourth and former national #13 David Aldana on a borrowed motorcycle having the second fastest lap time of the race at 16.14 seconds finishing in fifth.

Tom Ferguson threw a leg over Jim McMurren's H.D. Sprint for the Classic Vintage 500cc-750cc-250cc race. The sprint displaces 350cc, so falls somewhere in-between in this field. It didn't matter as Ferguson shot to the front, checked out, never looked back, and took home the victory. Good thing too as McMurren was there watching, just to make sure things went according to plan. Ferguson also posted the fastest lap of the class at 16.40 seconds over second place James Kohls 17.03 second lap time.

Jim Rosa had his father visiting from out of state and wanted to impress, which he did in the Vet +35 class. Rosa not only had the fastest lap for the class at 15.16 seconds but the fourth fastest lap time of the day overall. Paul Ott, Paul Herman, and Eric Cleveland gave chase but just couldn't match the intensity and speed of Rosa on this day.

Corey Bauman picked up where he left off in the Super Senior +50 Novice main event, at the front. Bauman led off the start over Mike Wayne, Curtis Pimentel, and Fred Berger. Two laps complete had Bauman at a 16.12 second lap time and saw Pimentel run it up the inside of Wayne entering turn three to take second place position away. With four laps down Pimentel had found his rhythm and was four bike lengths behind Bauman as they both left Wayne behind. With a lap and a half to go Bauman maintained the lead but only by one bike length, Wayne was solid in third with Berger fourth, Shane Van Sickle up to fifth past Greg Powell who now sat in sixth. Down the back straight for the last time Danny Manthis went a lap down to the leaders but was never a factor in the outcome as Bauman held on for the victory over Pimentel.

A newcomer to the Bomber class is Scott Sivadge, but he too is a Perris regular from the old days when Perris was a weekly scrambles track legend. Sivadge nailed the start from starter Rudy Gil and led the Bomber field into turn one. Danny Perkins who usually likes a very high line on the racetrack mixed it up and dropped to the inside and exited turn two with the lead as David McNeeley slid out in turn two making this the fourth time today he had tasted tera firma. Keith Bradford avoided McNeeley to emerge in third place with Dylan Morin (another new name in the Bomber class) fourth. McNeeley was up and going quickly and was in the fifth place spot. At the front Perkins had moved his line to mid track and turned the fastest lap of the race at 15.96 seconds to pull out a one and a half second gap over Sivadge. Then for the fifth time on this day McNeeley threw it away in turn four, but once again was up quickly to rejoin the race. The next lap had Morin push his way past Bradford for third as Perkins took the white flag only to have McNeeley on the ground again between turns one and two making it six times in one day!

Perking went on for the victory over Sivadge to loud cheers from what has to be the biggest fan base for a racer at the track.

John Perez got a taste of the winners circle at round three and must have liked what he tasted. Perez shot to the lead in the Senior Vet +50 Amateur final with Bill Wright, Mike Cordero, and Larkin Wight close behind. Exiting turn two for the second time Cordero made the pass on Wright to take over at second. At the front Perez had a half a straight away lead not wanting the paint swapping, bar banging race he had to win the heat race happen again. Perez was smart as he easily cruised home with the victory making his first laps count for the cushion he had acquired.

The war that is the Vintage 750cc class had Kenny Thiebaud from the outside of the front row and Paul Herman from the inside of the front row meet side by side in turn one. Thiebaud squeaked out the slightest lead exiting turn two to lead down the back straight. Jim Ottele ran in third with Dennis Kanegae fourth on a browed motorcycle. Then between turns three and four on the first lap Kanegae was suddenly on the ground, a victim of forgetting to turn the gas on, and just missing sliding clear to the crash wall by the time he slid to a stop. At the front with two laps complete Herman was applying pressure on Thiebaud as they both left Ottele in another zip code alone in third. Thiebaud attempting to get away put in a 15.90 second lap time which only he and Herman were capable of as no other rider in the class could come within a full second of their lap times. On lap four between turns one and two Herman set Thiebaud up and got the drive exiting turn two to take over the lead. Once up front Herman put his head down not wanting Thiebaud to retaliate and posted the fastest lap of the race at 15.65 seconds. At this point back in the field Keith Bryant was into fourth and closing slightly on Ottele with Shannon Adams running in fifth. When the checkered flag flew Herman was victorious by four bike lengths over Thiebaud, with Ottele three seconds back in third and Bryant fourth.

Corey Bauman led the Open Novice main pack into turn one over Matt Stoutenburg and Stacy Allison. Curtis Pimentel was away in fourth with Sean Heeney fifth. Through turn two for the second time Stoutenburg showed Bauman a wheel but being on a smaller displaced machine lacked the horse power to make it work. Three laps in Bauman had opened up a five bike length gap at the front and Heeney had moved up to fourth. Bauman tends to run a high line and leaves the door wide open in turn four every time, but no one ever seems to be able to take advantage of it. A Lap later Heeney was along side Allison for third but couldn't make it stick as the two of them closed in on Stoutenburg. We now had a three way fight for second with Bauman checked out at the front. With two laps remaining Allison made her move and took over second on the exit from turn two. The next trip through turn one Stoutenburg went way wide leaving room for Heeney and a balance bar if he wanted it to move past into third. Bauman unaware of all this picked up his second victory for the day with Allison second, Heeney third, Stoutenburg fourth and Parker Earhart working his way up to fifth.

Eleven combatants made up the Open amateur final. Eric Ryke just squeezed out David McNeeley to lead the field through turns one and two and down the back straight. McNeeley looking down at his bike quickly dropped back to sixth place position with Larry Earhart moving up to third with Paul Ott fourth and Paul Herman fifth. McNeeley recovered quickly and was going again quickly passing Herman. At this point the red flag was out around the track stopping the race. Backing up a lap this meant two laps were complete and this would be a six lap final with Nick Ottele starting from the back due to the fact he was the reason for the red flag. On the restart McNeeley nailed the start to lead with Ott running in second with Earhart third and Ryke fourth. On the next trip through turn one Ott ran it up the inside of McNeeley and took over the lead while Ryke worked past Earhart for third which started a race long war over the final podium position. David Reinhard ran in fifth with Brad Rudy in sixth as Ott turned his best lap time of 15.58 seconds at the front. McNeeley was all over Ott and showing him a wheel at every opportunity until McNeeley almost threw it away giving Ott breathing room and securing him the victory. With a lap remaining Earhart and Ryke settled the third place position with Earhart taking it.

The twenty lap Pro Main was all Brad Bakers as he shot from pole into the lead with David Bush second, Chris Cannon third, Nick Armstrong fourth, and Chad Cose starting from the second row quickly up to fifth from a seventh place start. Two laps complete saw Cose up to third with Cannon fourth, Armstrong fifth and Ronnie Jones up to sixth. Four laps down had Baker with the fastest lap of the race at 14.89 seconds and a three second gap at the front. Cose also at this point caught and passed David Bush for second

Place. By lap six the track was drying out and getting slower as Baker's lap times rose up into the fifteen second range. Jones also had moved up into fifth while Cannon started a backward slide that would see him finish in eighth. Nick Gil who started in eighth started a run forward and was up to sixth behind Jones. At the half way point Baker maintained his lead over Cose as they matched each others pace. Bush was solid in third and actually had started to pick up his pace a bit. Jones by this point had moved up to fourth dropping Armstrong to fifth who now had Gil closing in as well. Lap fourteen Baker was into lappers as he put Cannon a lap down, but never missed a beat not allowing Cose to make up any ground. On lap sixteen entering turn one a stronger Gil went under a tiring Armstrong for the fifth place position, by this point the finishing order was set as Baker went on for the win over Cose with Bush third, Jones fourth (15.17 sec.), Gil fifth, and Armstrong sixth.

The awards were handed out a half hour after the last race which put a perfect end to a racing Mothers Day. Round five is scheduled for a Saturday night on June 23rd. which will prove to have a faster racing surface, but the same amount of fun.

SCFTA Results May 13th, 2012

Dave Aldana Interview