SCFTA Perris May 10, 2008

Southern California Flat Track Association
Perris Raceway - May 10, 2008
Story and Photos by Fred Windum

Youth

Youth Start: Tristan Wilson (68) leads Nick Gil (981) off the line in the Youth class.

Race 1: Youth: 1.Nick Gil 2.Tristan Wilson

250 Amateur and Open Novice

Race 2 Start: Drake Rainier (39) takes over race 2 ahead of Doug Reyes (17r), Shannon Adams (77) and Terry Danield (23).

Race 2: 250 Amateur: 1 Drake Rainier
Open Novice: 1. Doug Reyes 2. Shannon Adams 3. Terry Daniels

Catch all Race

Race 3: Dennis Kanegae (5), Tristan Wilson (68x), Dan Iha (55i) and Harly Legowski (83) leave the line in Race 3.

Race 3: Four Stroke Men: 1. Dan Iha
    Knobby: 1. Dennis Kanegae 2. Michael Wilson
    Open Beginner: Harly Legowski
    Sportsman: Jim Steet

Vet +35

Race 4 Start: Joe Winston (14), Joel Kath (19v), Joe Steffen (6) and Wes Powell (33) lead the Vet pack into turn one.

Race 4: Vet +35: 1. Joe Winston. 2. Chris Cannon 3. Joel Kath 4. Wes Powell
5. Frank Aragaki 6. Loren Burkman 7. Joe Steffen 8. Jim Steet 9. Craig Johnson

Classic Vintage

Race 5: Lenny Rodrigues (4r) and Joe Papa (75z) were never much farther apart than this in the brakeless Classic race.

Race 5: Classic Vintage: 1. Lenny Rodriguez 2. Joe Pape

Senior +50

Race 6: Al Steele (3p) leads Bill Wright (146), Jim Steet (12) and Jim Moore (37r) in the +50 Senior race.

Race 6: Senior +50: 1. Al Steele 2. Jim Steet 3. Ron Moore 4. Bill Wright dnf. Gabe Slatten, Mark Ledbetter

Super Senior +60

Race 7: Ed Steffen (16) leads Dave Molitor (22) before "dropping" to third.

Race 7: Super Senior +60: 1. Dave Molitor 2. Allan Girdler 3. "Mr." Ed Steffen

Open Amateur

Drake Roost: Drake Rainier (39) with a big lead in the Open Amateur race.

Race 8: Ray Hensley (20z), Tom Sahli (45f) and Vince Graves (4) race for second in the Open Amateur class.

Open Amateur: 1. Drake Rainier 2. Ray Hensley 3. Vince Graves 4 .Tom Sahli 5. Lew Gleason 6. Bill Wright 7. Gabe Slatten

Pro Race

First Pro start 1: Chris Cannon launches to the front of the Pro race from the second row.

Pro Start 2: Jim Wood (37) heads up the pro start ahead of Alex Wood (67e),
Joe Winston (14), Jeff Johnson (37r), Wes Powell (33) Frank Aragaki (19), Kayl Kolkman (45f) and the rest.

Race 8: Open Pro: 1. Jim Wood. 2. Alex Wood 3. Mike Avila 4. Chris Cannon
5. Kayl Kolkman. 6. Joel Kath 7. Joe Winston 8. Brandon Bates 9. Frank Aragaki 10. Jim Rosa

Pro Dash: Jim Wood (37) starts off with a win in the Pro Dash
ahead of Kayl Kolkman (45f) Jeff Johnson (37r) and Joe Winston (14)

Pro Dash: 1. Jim Wood 2. Joe Winston 3. Mike Avila 4. Kayl Kolkman 5. Jeff Johnson

Pro Time Trials:
1.Jim Wood     13.37
    2. Mike Avila     13.46
    3. Joe Winston     13.58
        Jeff Johnson    13.58
    5. Kayl Kolkman    13.59
    6. Alex Wood    13.80
    7. Chris Cannon    13.89
    8. Joel Kath    13.93
    9. Jim Rosa    13.95
    10. Wes Powell    14.08
    11. Brandon Bates     14.15
    12. Frank Aragaki     14.52

Perris Raceway, Southern California Flat Track Association
Results May 10, 2008
Story and Photos by Fred Windum

    The Southern California Flat Track association and Perris Raceway started off another round of racing with bright sunshine and balmy temperatures as Jimmy Wood came home to take top honors in both the Pro Dash and the Pro Main while Joe Winston bested the Vets in a night of fast and exciting racing.
    Every now and then the club finds someone with both a stopwatch and the ability to use it, in this case veteran racer Terry Statum was drafted to time the Pros as they earned their starting positions for the heat races. Some of the younger racers were scratching their heads at the idea of time trials, but the more experienced racers looked forward to the tension brought on by one fast lap. Wes Powell led off, falling in tenth when the dust settled. Originally, the top four qualifiers were going to a trophy dash, but a tie for third spot let Kayl Kolkman slip in.
    Off the line in the dash, Jimmy Wood grabbed the lead with an uncharacteristic start hounded by Kayl Kolkman, Joe Winston, Jeff Johnson, and Mike Avila. Kolkman took a high line through one and two that cost him, dropping to the back of the pack as Wood pulled away. Joe Winston to held off young Mike Avila, running with the pros to hone his skills. Johnson fell in fourth with Kolkman a close fifth. While Kolkman made a pass on Johnson with a lap remaining, it didn't matter much. Only the winner took the cash prize, and Jimmy Wood had a solid lead. Joe Winston held off Mike Avila for second ahead of Kayl Kolkman and Jeff Johnson.
    Tristan Wilson took off ahead of Nick Gil to lead the Youth race. Track time has been paying off as Wilson has picked up the pace since the season started back in February. Rookie Nick Gil took over on the third lap to lead to the finish, Wilson's little Honda no match for the two stroke KTM.
    Race two combined 250 Amateur and Open Novice. Perris regular Drake Rainier launched off the line ahead of Doug Reyes, Shannon Adams and Terry Daniels and never looked back. Reyes, riding Chris Cannon's Pro bike, had a good run in second. Shannon Adams ran smooth for third, besting Daniels in fifth.
    Two classes have all but disappeared from the track; Bomber (or '70s Singles) and Adult Mini. Dan Iha has been the loyal rider in the Adult Mini class, while Mike Wilson and Dennis Kanegae chose to enter the knobby class on their minis. They were tossed in with Open Beginner Harly Legowski, her first race on her new 400 Yamaha, and Jim Steet filled the field with his framer Honda. Kanegae took off to an easy lead, leaving Iha to dice with Wilson for second, Legowski running a solid fourth. Steet's vintage XL Honda stopped with a rattle and clatter. Wilson held a low line, closing in on leader Kanegae. Iha tried to get back around the outside, leaving an opening for Legowski to slip through. Iha tightened up his line to block. Who wants to get beat by a girl? Wait a few more races…
    Vet race. Why do they call it the Vet race? Only four of the Vets in the main didn't enter the Pro race! Still, if it was motocross, 35 years old is, what, super senior? And nowhere near as fast! A determined Joe Winston launched off the line ahead of Wes Powell, Joel Kath and Joe Steffen. Chris Cannon made quick work of Joe Steffen and Joel Kath, pulling in behind Powell. Roadracer Frank Aragaki made his way past Joe Steffen for fifth as Loren Burkman began to pick up the pace behind Steffen. Powell was dropped yet another spot when Kath pushed past inside turn three. Aragaki then began to press "Doc" Powell for fourth. Winston ran fast out front while Cannon tried in vain to catch up. At the checkered flag, Winston took a decisive win over Cannon, Kath, Powell and Aragaki. Burkman nabbed sixth ahead of Steffen, Jim Steet and Craig Johnson.
    The usual suspects showed up, sans brakes, for the Classic race. Joe Pape and Lenny Rodriguez have had a friendly Harley/Triumph rivalry going on for quite a while now. Regardless of who shows up to race, they are each always striving to best the other. This was Lenny's night on the Triumph with a holeshot and a lead that Pape's Harley couldn't make up with horsepower, reminiscent of the bygone years when the big V-twins fought with the lightweight British-built bikes. Legend is that Trackmaster based their race frame geometry on a stock Triumph frame.
    In the Senior class, the riders must be 50 or older. Luckily, the bikes have no such restriction. The oldest bike on the track was a TT500, ridden by Jim Steet. Al Steele led the race to turn one on his Buell (yes, Buell) Blast ahead of '07 Senior champ Bill Wright, Steet and Jim Moore. Steet pushed up the inside at the halfway mark to take second in turn one, pulling the same stunt on the leader a lap later. As we see all too often, the speed carried him wide and Steele cam right back up the inside to take the lead back in turn three. Moore, normally a Super Senior, passed Wright for third. Steele held on to the lead, Steet a close second, with Moore closing in third and Wright fourth.
    Super Senior had a light turnout, but the racing was as fierce as ever. Dave Molitor jumped out front ahead of Ed Steffen and Allan Girdler. Molitor pulled a slight lead, but Steffen closed in and took the lead away coming out of turn four on lap five when Molitor slid wide off the pole, only to toss it away in turn three on the last lap. Molitor missed Steffen and went on to win, with Girdler nabbing second. Steffen was up quickly and credited with third.
    Drake Rainier took off out front of the Open Amateurs to lead Bill Wright, Lew Gleason, Ray Hensley, Tom Sahli and Vince Graves falling in behind. Hensley muscled past Gleason for third while Graves railed the pole to move up to fourth as they came around at the end of lap one. Tom Sahli followed Graves past Gleason for fifth. Sahli then motored past Graves to take fourth as Hensley got a drive onto the front straight, passing Wright, and tried to close the gap on the leader. Hensley's no slouch, old enough for the Vet class, but not quite ready for that leap. Wright slid off the groove in turn four, letting Sahli and Graves through. Graves began to close on Sahli, knowing the inside line was the only way by on his little 150 Honda. Gleason picked up the throttle and passed Wright for fifth. Rainier cruised to the win ahead of Hensley, while Graves picked off Sahli with a lap to go, leaving Gleason fifth and Wright sixth.
    Chris Cannon got the jump on the pros from the second row, leaving just a bit before the light. Three riders went down in the first turn, so even without the eager leaver the race would have to restart. With Cannon now sitting on the penalty line, the race got under way cleanly, with Jim Wood, Alex Wood, Joe Winston and Jeff Johnson leading the pack heading into turn one. Jim Wood took command of the race, putting a gap between himself and cousin Alex Wood, taking second ahead of Mike Avila. Johnson held fourth, trailed by Joel Kath, Kayl Kolkman, Joe Winston, Jim Rosa, Brandon Bates and Frank Aragaki. Even from the penalty line, Cannon was charging, jetting past the back of the field to force his way up to fourth ahead of Johnson and Kolkman. With the top four now settled in, the rest of the field shuffled; Rosa and Johnson dropping back, Kolkman moving up to fall in behind Cannon. Jim Wood left the rest of the pros behind, Alex Wood fending off Avila's run. Cannon kept a solid fourth ahead of Kolkman, trying different lines around the track in a vain attempt to move up. The final lap had Jim Wood out front with the win, Alex Wood second ahead of Mike Avila, while Cannon held onto fourth ahead of Kolkman. Joel Kath put in another consistent ride for fifth, followed by Winston, Bated, Aragaki and Rosa.
    Next race will be Friday, June 13th, the night before Gene Romero's West Coast Flat Track Series hits the banking at Perris Auto Speedway. Friday's program will feature a full range of bikes and talent, from the Youth classes through the Pro race, which should be even more interesting with the addition of new blood from Romero's series. SCFTA will also be running in conjunction with the Ventura Vintage Outlaw Motorcycle races at Ventura Fairgrounds Saturday June 28, 2008 & Saturday September 27, 2008. While only a few classes are listed for the event, all entries will be accepted and scored according to current SCFTA class points in their respective races. For more information, go to http://www.southerncaliforniaflattrack.com/ .

Remaining events for 2008:
JUNE
Saturday    7     Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday    8     Speedway Race
FRIDAY    13     SCFTA RACE #5
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing @ 5pm
Saturday    21    Practice 3pm-9pm

JULY
Saturday     12    Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday    13    Speedway Race
Saturday     19    Practice 3pm-9pm
Saturday     26    SCFTA RACE #6
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing @ 5pm

AUGUST
Saturday    9    Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday    10    Speedway Race
Saturday    16     SCFTA RACE #7
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing @ 5 pm
Saturday     30     Practice 3pm-9pm

SEPTEMBER
Saturday     6     SCFTA RACE #8
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing @ 5pm
Saturday     13    Practice 3pm-9pm
Saturday     27     Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday     28     Speedway Race

OCTOBER
Saturday    4     Practice 3pm-9pm
Saturday    11     Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday    12     Speedway Race
Friday         24     SCFTA RACE # 9
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing @ 5pm

NOVEMBER
Saturday    8     Practice 3pm-9pm
Saturday    15     Practice 3pm-9pm
Sunday     16    Speedway Race
Saturday    22    SCFTA RACE #10
Gates Open @ 2pm Practice @ 4pm Racing@ 5pm

DECEMBER
Saturday     6    Practice 9am-3pm
Saturday     20    Practice 9am-3pm AWARDS For 2008 SCFTA Racing Season 4pm-8pm

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