| 2011
Opening Race Perris Raceway – Perris Ca. April 2rd,2011 Round # 1 Article by Jamey Blunt Photos by Janice Blunt The skies finally parted and the faithful made the pilgrimage to Perris raceway for round one of the 2011 season on the quarter mile oval. Having been rescheduled from two weeks prior the one hundred twenty two racers in attendance were all fired up with leathers polished and helmets aglow, itching to enter the track, so dirt they could throw. After earning their starting positions through the heat races, sixteen main events were posted for the evening's final show, of course that was after Freddie Edwards finished with the grooming, bladeing, watering and packing of the racing surface. This night also marked the opening of Perris's permanent snack bar which was a huge success due to their large and varied menu; and with the increasing spectator base for Saturday night entertainment from the town of Perris this will only add to their enjoyment.  Young Travis Petton from Romona Ca. topped the Youth 50cc main event posting a 20.64/100 second lap time aboard his KTM. The Youth classes kicked off the main events with young Travis Petton (yes I know the names familiar, he's third generation) smoking the 50cc class. For the 65cc and 85cc classes Clayton Williams is the man to beat as he bested Alyssa Flores and Monica Gil respectively.  #37r Ron Moore won both the Super Senior +60 and the Premier Senior +70 Classes with a fastest lap time of 15.26/100 seconds! This photo at the start of the Super Senior race see #51 Dennis Kanegae, #26 Donnie Walters #96 Jack Alexander #3j De Wayne Jones and #4 Vince Graves as close as they ever got to Moore. The war that develops in the Super Senior +60 class has to be seen. With five riders all putting in sub sixteen second lap times one thinks these guys forget their age, and why not! Vince Graves led the field into turn one with Dennis Kanegae in tow. On the first trip down the back straight Ron Moore went from fourth to third and locked sights on Kanegae. Back in fourth was Donnie Walters with Jack Alexander, De Wayne Jones and Freddie Edwards all giving chase. Entering turn three for the second time Kanegae went under Graves to take the lead away. All the while Graves was having a fogged visor problem and losing positions fast. By this time Edwards recovered from his poor start and by lap three had fought his way into fourth and was closing on Walters in third. As Graves put a hand up so as to drop to the back Moore got a drive and shot past Kanegae for the lead. With two laps remaining Edwards working a low line at the pole went under Walters for the third place and final spot on the podium. Moore posted the fastest lap of the race at 15.26/100 seconds and Edwards made a final push to get Kanegae but came up a half bike length short at the stripe making the finishing order Moore, Kanegae, Edwards, Walters, Alexander, Jones and Graves.  Many racers over the years have ridden the Dodge Brothers Indian, but it's hard to recall anyone that has done it any better than Kayl Kolkman! Kolkman almost broke the fifteen second berrier with a lap time of 15.06 seconds en-route to his large margin of victory over the other nine racers. Nine bikes made up the Classic Vintage 500-750 class. Entering turn one in fourth and exiting turn two in first was Kayl Kolkman on the Dodge Brothers Indian. (A bike that arrived late to the track so he missed practice) Jeff Apple ran in second on his smoking Triumph (which he says he just did valve guides in) with Bruce Reynolds on his pristine Bultaco third and Ron Lessley fourth. At the front with just a lap completed Kolkman went to another time zone turning a 15.06 second lap. Two laps complete had Kolkman into lappers while Apple and Reynolds gave chase and Lessley, James Kohls and Lenny Rodriguez were working their way forward. By the white flag Kolkman had put five riders a lap down and would go on to the victory with over a six second cushion. Apple stayed in second with Reynolds third on the track but first 250cc, and Lessley fourth.  #77v Jason Craven won the rough and tumble Vet 35+ class but not by a large margin. He faught the whole way to the flag turning a 15.22/100 second lap in the process. The Vet 35+ class saw two riders very evenly matched. Jason Craven and Jim Rosa both had close lap times with Craven getting the edge with 15.22/100 seconds to Rosa's 15.29/100 seconds. Off the line Rosa led through turns one and two with Craven in second. Robert Bush ran third with Paul Herman fourth and Woody Carlson fifth. Two laps in saw Rosa and Craven getting away from the rest of the field with Craven biding his time to pounce. As the laps wound down Lloyd McGregor from a third row start had worked his way up to and past Carlson for fifth, where he would finish. Back at the front after the white flag going down the back straight Craven pulled alongside Rosa and they entered turn three side by side. Craven took a slight lead while Rosa squared up the corner for a drive to the finish which he lost by just a few feet. Bush came home third, with Herman fourth, McGregor fifth and Carlson sixth.  Open Novice winner Nick Ottele turned a respectfull 15.96/100 second lap on dad's bike! Larkin Wight shot to the front in the Open Novice class with Eric Ryke second and a group containing John Rudder, Nick Ottele, Corey Bauman and Chris Johns sometimes three wide all fighting over third. With two laps complete the order had settled in at Wight, Rudder, Ottele, Bauman, Ryke, Monte Roberts, and Roy Stafford. The biggest mover of the group was Nick Ottele who from a terrible start was in third and wasn't finished yet as he twisted the throttle beyond the stop. Just after the white flag Ottele secured second through turns one and two and pulled alongside Wight entering turn three making it a drag race to the checkered flag where he came up short by inches. But since Wight was a Senior Novice he received that victory while Ottele an Open Novice, was awarded the victory for his class. (Two classes on the track at the same time scored separately)  #47 Jim Wood of Southland Racing launched off the line and never looked back in the Senior +50 race. His fastest lap time of 15.13/100 seconds on this night was worthy of a spot in the pro final. (#58 Jim Ottele, #52 Elliott Iverson, #29y Gary Evans) The highly contested Senior +50 class had a field of twelve which Jim Wood led into turn one. In close pursuit were Craig Johnson, Joe Steffen, Jim Ottele, and Elliott Iverson. Down the back straight Ottele got by Steffen for third with Ryan Gifford dropping Iverson to sixth as he claimed the fifth place position. Three laps in the books and Wood clocked a 15.13/100 second lap time that the field just couldn't quite match. With two laps remaining Ottele had closed some of the gap to Johnson but still had five bike lengths left to make up as Wood began to put some of the field a lap down. In the end the running order remained unchanged at Wood, Johnson, Ottele, Steffen, Gifford, and Iverson all on the same lap.  #47 Jim Wood on the Mr. Edd's Yamaha spanked the Vintage 250cc Expert field. His fastest lap was a 15.84/100 second time. The fastest lap time of the night for Vintage 250cc Two-Stroke class was set in the heat race by former World Champion John Kocinski riding his custom Knight framed CR-Honda at 15.42/100 seconds. At the start of the main event it was Jim Wood who led the field into turn one followed by Kocinski, Jeff Lessley, Joe Steffen, and Ryan Gifford. A lap and a half down had Kocinski looking down at his newly finished project suspecting a problem. This in turn allowed Lessley by for second while Steffen faded to fifth with Gifford moving up to fourth. A lap later Kocinski thinking things might be ok launched an attack on Lessley only to realize there was indeed a problem after all and pulls out. Back up front Wood had gotten a six bike length cushion over Lessley and turned a 15.84/100 second lap as time was running out for the rest of the field. Wood would go on to an uncontested victory his second of the night with Lessley second.  #89 Danny Perkins lap time of 15.83/100 seconds was faster than any of the twelve other Bomber racers could run. Perkins who has raced at Perris since he was in his pre teens is still always a threat when he gets on a motorcycle. Class C or Speedway! (#14 Eric Ryke and #57 Keith Speir give chase) The Bomber or basically the Yamaha TT-500 class had Danny Perkins (who has raced at Perris since his pre-teen years) lead into turn one followed by Keith Speir and Simi Valley Kawasaki's Jimmy Lundgren. One lap down saw Jeff Gonzales up to fourth and joining the fight with Travis Petton running fifth waiting and watching. Three laps complete and Perkins had pulled away with a two second gap posting a 15.83/100 second lap time the fastest of the twelve riders on the track. Entering turn three on the next go round Lundgren dove up the inside of Speir to take second place away while out of nowhere David Mc Nelly in sixth caught fire and he and Petton started their run towards the front. With two laps remaining Gonzales was back to sixth as second through fifth all bunched together with only Perkins position secure at the front. Then out of turn four to the white flag Petton who was at this point in third ran into Lundgren on the front straight knocking him literally back to fourth which made the finishing order at the checkered flag Perkins, Petton, Mc Nelly, Lundgren, Speir, and Gonzales.  #17r Nick Gil had a field of ten to contend with in the Open Amatuer final. Nick was up to the task and put in a 15.77/100 second lap as well. Jason Craven led the Open Amateur class into turn one. Nick Gil dropped in behind Craven with Paul Herman, David Reinhard, and Bill Wright sorted out behind. On the second trip through turn two Gil got a tremendous drive out to pull alongside Craven down the back straight and take over the lead entering turn three. Once in the lead Gil still continued to run a high line leaving the door open for Craven which he never could quite take advantage of. The front two would go on to distance themselves from the field by over four seconds with the running order staying the same all the way to the finish at Gil, Craven, Herman, Reinhard, and Wright.  Just like days gone by from an era when Dirt Track ruled the motorcycle racing world the eleven riders for the twenty lap pro main event were introduced to the spectators with helmets off, dead engine, facing the bleachers, reminiscent of Ascot Park in Gardena California, a must for Friday night entertainment if you loved motorcycle racing. Michael Avila fresh off a victory in Daytona Beach Florida shot to the front from the flash of the green light from starter Rudy's hand. Kayl Kolkman on the Simi Valley Kawasaki ran second with Jimmy Wood on the A&J Racing Honda in third. Jeff Evans ran in fourth with Kenny Malaguarmeno fifth. It took Kolkman two laps of setting up Avila before he could make a pass stick to take over the lead, which he did up the front straight. Now with a clear track Kolkman put his head down and turned a 14.56/100 second lap time trying to get away as he knew Wood would be coming. But Wood was not finding it so easy to get past Avila as this youngster has acquired some new talents and a lot of speed over the winter break. As the front three separated themselves Evans was coming under attack from Malaguarmeno for his fourth place position. On lap six going into turn three Wood couldn't wait any longer and pushed his way into second past Avila but Kolkman by this point had a two and a half gap at the front. On lap nine Mark Cernicky who appeared to be fighting with his mount went down between turns three and four, thankfully he was uninjured but his night was finished. At crossed flags (half way) the running order was Kolkman, Wood, Avila, Evans, Malaguarmeno, Michael Brichfield, David Bush, Curtis Peebles, Robert Bush, Brandon Rothell, and Cernicky out. By lap thirteen Kolkman was into lappers and Wood was making up ground, but there was a lot of it to make up. So unless Kolkman made mistakes it didn't look as though Wood had a chance. Traffic could be a deciding factor if there was to be one. Kolkman and Wood were the best through traffic as Avila dropped off their pace and Kolkman was defiantly being held up with Wood now within four bike lengths of catching him. With a lap remaining Wood had closed to within a bike length but Kolkman was flawless and went on to a well deserved victory over Wood. Avila was alone in third with Evans the first rider ever to win a pro main event on this track fourth and Malaguarmeno still on the same lap fifth.  After winning his first pro main at Perris Kayl Kolkman had this to say, "I'll take this and go on to De Quoin Ill. The track was good, a little rough I had a hard time holding on there at the end. I could hear Jimmy catching me, but I held him off. I tried to break the track record and was close but maybe next time." Thus ended a great night of Class C racing, the facility at Perris continues to evolve with new improvements seeming to be added monthly. Vince Graves, Freddie & Donna Edwards are to be applauded for their hard work and resources they pour into this historic venue.  #4 Matt Stoutenburg won the Men's 4 Stroke main event but #151 Billy Katkov had the single fastest lap of the race at 16.04/100 seconds! SCFTA Perris Raceway April 2, 2011 Youth 50cc 1. Travis Petton Ramona 2. Grant Holmes Porterville 3. Ava Bush Valencia Youth 65cc 1. Clayton Williams Bakersfield 2. Alyssa Flores Sylmar 3. Travis Petton Ramona 4. Frank Flores Sylmar 5. Noah Bush Valencia 6. Grant Homes Porterville Youth 85cc 1. Clayton Williams 2. Moncia Gil 3. Jaycee Jones Super Senior +60 1. Ron Moore Yuciapa 2. Dennis Kanegae Riverside 3. Freddie Edwards Riverside 4. Donnie Walters Riverside 5. Jack Alexander Bakersfield 6. De Wayne Jones Pomona 7. Vince Graves Palm Springs Men’s 4 Stroke 1. Matt Stoutenburg Tustin 2. Billy Katkov Fountain Valley 3. Mark Cernicky Costa Mesa\ 4. Ian Folds Classic Vintage 500-750 1. Kalyl Kolkman Ventura 2. Jeff Apple Imperial beach 3. Ron Lessley Bakersfield 4. James Kohls Santa Paula 5. Lenny Rodriguez Palmdale 6. Fred Berger Bakersfield 7. Joe Pape Culver City Classic Vintage 250 1. Bruce Reynolds 2. Isaiah Canales Bakerfield Vets +35 1. Jason Craven Madera 2. Jim Rosa Apple Valley 3. Robert Bush Acton 4. Paul Herman Grand Terrace 5. Lloyd Mc Gregor Lakeside 6. Woody Carlson Spring Valley 7. Joel Kath Glendora Open Novice 1. Nick Ottele Redlands 2. John Rudder Auga Dulce 3. Corey Bauman Los Angles 4. Dan Shaw 5. Monte Roberts El Cajon 6. Roy Stafford Pinon Hills 7. Chris Johns Murrieta 8. Emmy Bush Acton 9. #45 ? 10. Brian Uchida Senior Novice 1. Larkin #Wight Lucerne Valley 2. Fred Berger Bakersfield Senior +50 1. James Wood Redland 2. Capt Craig Johnson Encintas 3. Jim Ottele Redlands 4. Joe Steffen San Jacinto 5. Ryan Gifford Bakersfield 6. Elliott Iverson Riverside 7. Steve Craft Bakersfield 8. Larry Earhart Panorama City 9. Bill Wright Northridge 10. Jim Steet Corona 11. Jimmy Rust Lahabra 12. Gary Evans Vintage 250 2 Stk Novice 1. Michael Fritz Garden Grove 2. Steele Fredrick Corona 3. Joe Pape Culver City Vintage 360 2 Stk Novice 1. Rick Logan 2. Monte Roberts El Cajon Vintage 360 2 Stk Amateur 1. Danny Stinson Vintage 250 2 Stk Expert 1. James Wood Redlands 2. Jeff Lessley Delano 3. Joe Steffen SanJacinto 4. Jon Kocinski Vintage 360 2 Stk Expert Ryan Gifford Bakersfield Bomber 1. Danny Perkins Rancho Santa Marg. 2. Travis Petton Ramona 3. David Mc Nelly Chula Vista 4. Jim Lundgren Santa Clarita 5. Keith Speir Fillmore 6. Jeff Gonzales Tulare 7. Danny Stinson Yorba Linda 8. Dan Kane Rancho Santa Marg. Premier Senior + 70 1. Ron Moore Yucipia 2. peter Torjion San Juan Capistrano 3. Allan Gridler Rainbow Vintage 750 1. Jeff Apple 2. Stevre Craft Bakersfield 3. Keith Bryant Open Amatuer 1. Nick Gil Riverside 2. Jason Craven Madera 3. Paul Herman Grand Terrace 4. David Reinhard Mentone 5. Bill Wright Northridge 6. Jim Lundgren Santa Clarita 7. Eric Ryke Long Beach 8. Austin Williams Bakersfield 9. Harley Legowski Orange Pro Main Event 1. Kayl Kolkman Ventura 2. Jimmy Wood Redlands 3. Michael Avila Madera 4. Jeff Evans Agoura 5. Kenny Malaguarmeno Lakeside 6. David Bush Valencia 7. Curtis Peebles Bakersfield 8. Brandon Rothell Madera 9. Robert Bush Acton 10. Michael Birchfield Bakersfield 11. Mark Cernicky Costa Mesa  |