
S.C.F.T.A. Round #5
Perris Raceway
June 23rd, 2012
Photos by Janice Blunt
Tags and Article by Jamey Blunt
85cc 4 Stk Beginner
1. Noah
Bush
2. Frank
Flores
3. James
Ott
4. Reece
Watowa
50cc 2 Stk Beginner
1. Danny
Iha
50 cc 4 Stk Beginner
1. Karsyn Kesler
2. Colin Petton
65cc + 2 Stk Novice
1.
Travis Petton IV
2. Grant
Holmes
65cc+ 4 Stk Novice
1. James
Ott
65cc+ 4 Stk Beginner
1. Ava
Bush
2. Brady
Chikato
85cc 2 Stk Beginner
1.
Travis Petton
2. Frank
Flores
3. Jimmy
Gillen
4.
Alyssa Flores
5. Grant
Holmes
85cc 4 Stk Novice
1. Sean
Heeney
2.
Justin Hanson
3.
Moncia Gil
85cc 2 Stk Novice
1.
Allison Stacey
Youth 16 years 4 Stk
1.
Kody Kesler
Men’s 4 Stroke

#151 Billy Katkov is on fire this season! No matter
where he starts, this is where he finishes. His fastest lap time of
16.22 seconds was a full second faster than the rest of the field. #55
Daniel Iha finished second in this the Men's 4-stk main.
Men’s 4 Stroke
1. Billy
Katkov
2.
Daniel Iha
3. Ian
Foulds
4. Sason
Pibovzgar
5. Sean
Stevenson
6.
Brinton Brown
Vintage 250 2 Stk Novice
1. Shell
Borden
Vintage 360 2Stk Novice
1. Rick
Logan
2. Kirk
Lessley
Vintage 250 2Stk Amateur
1. Jim
Steet
Super Senior + 60

#75 Ryan Gifford on a forty year old Bultaco topped the
Super Senior class over 2011 class champion #4 Vince Graves. Gifford
had to work hard for this victory though as Graves led the first four
laps and lap times dipped down to the 15.4 second range.....
Super Senior + 60
1. Ryan
Giffordc
2. Vince
Graves
3. David
Molitor
4.
DeWayne Jones
Premier Senion + 70
1. Mel
Stoner
2.
Allan Girdler
Vintage 750cc
1. Jim
Ottele
2.
Robert Bush
3.
Shannon Adams
Senior + 50
Amateur

If #369 John Perez would get better starts he wouldn't
have to work so hard fighting his way through the Senior +50 field. His
15.90 second lap times allowed him to though as he took both the heat
and Main event victories...
Senior + 50 Amateur
1. John
Perez
2. Jim
Kesler
3.
Larkin Wight
4. Bill
Wright
5.
Daniel Stinson
Senior + 50 Novice
1. Fred
Berger
2. Paul
Claybaugh
3. Greg
Powell
4. Danny
Mathis
Vintage 360 2 Stk Expert

#12 Jeff Lessley switched from his usual Hodaka mount
to a Bultaco to take the victory in the 360cc Expert 2-stk final.
Lessley's fastest lap of the night was 15.56 seconds.
Vintage 360 2 Stk Expert
1. Jeff
Lessley
2. Ryan
Gifford
3. Kyle
Lessley
Bomber

The start of the Bomber Main event saw Jimmy Lundgern
(#70L) get the jump on the field to lead #89 Danny Perkins,
Bomber
1. Danny
Perkins
2.
Travis Petton
3. Jim
Lundgren
4. Keith
Bradford
5. Jim
Steet
Classic Vintage 500cc-750cc
1. Jim
Ottele
2.
Tom Ferguson
3. James
Kohls
4. Lenny
Rodriguez
5.
Clay Van Deren
6. Joe
Pape
7. Sason
Pibovzgar
8. Ron
Lessley
Classic Vintage 250
1. Fred
Berger
Vets + 35 Years

The start of the Vet +35 class had #19v Joel Kath, #70L
Jimmy Lundgren, Craven going at it. Ott with a 15.62 second lap time
(which Craven happened to match)took the hard fought victory.
Vets + 35 Years
1. Paul
Ott
2. Jason
Craven
3. Jim
Lundgren
4. Paul
Herman
5. Joel
Kath
6. Steve
Zoumaras
7. Eric
Cleveland
Open Novice

The start of the Open Novice final staged #51 Roy
Stafford, #89 Eric Cleveland, #07 Allison Stacey (winner), #97 Hadley
Melton, #00 Monica Gil, #117 Sean Heeney, #77 Paul Pitzon and #14x
Jaycee Jones.

#07 Allison Stacey took two victories at round five. The Open Novice
main and the 85cc 2-stk final. Here she takes the checkered flag from
starter Rudy Gil. Her fastest lap of the evening was 15.77 seconds!
Open Novice
1.
Allison Stacey
2. Paul
Pitzonka
3. Sean
Heeney
4.
Hadley Melton
5. Roy
Stafford
6. Monty
Watawa
7. Paul
Claybaugh
8.
Monica Gil
9. Eric
Cleveland
10.Jaycee
Jones
Senior Vets + 50 Experts

#47 Jim Wood had a tough field in the Senior Vet +50
Expert class. But Wood who has won awards just for showing up put his
head down and lapped at 15.26 seconds to take a well deserved victory
over the eight other combatants...
Senior Vets + 50 Experts
1. Jim
Wood
2. Jeff
Johnson
3.
Travis Petton
4. Jim
Ottele
5. Dan
Kane
6. Steve
Zoumaras
7. Jeff
Lessley
Open Un Classified
1. Nick
Armstrong
2. Sean
Heeney
Open Amateur

The Open Amatuer final had thirteen riders shown here
at the start the front row consisted of #19v Joel Kath, #54 David
Reinhard, #14x Bill Britt, #19r Brad Rudy, #37r Nick Armstrong, and #27
Rich Hanson...
Open Amateur
1. David
Reinhard
2. Paul
Herman
3. Brad
Rudy
4. Joel
Kath
5. Eric
Ryke
6. Rich
Hanson
7. Bill
Britt
8.
Harley Legowski
9. Greg
Pitts out
10.
Richard Fox out
11.
Brian Bell out
Pro Expert

The start of the Pro Main only had six riders but the
racing was still great. Off the start linewas #43 A Jay Hateley, #17r
Nick Gil, #44r Nick Armstrong, #44s Robert Bush, #88Jim Rosa, and #88E
David Bush....

#44s Robert Bush picked up his first Pro Main Event
victoryat round
five. Bush held off his brother David for the win and had the
overallfastest single lap of the night at 15.20 seconds...
Pro Expert
1.
Robert Bush
2. David
Bush
3. Jim
Rosa
4. Nick
Armstrong
5. Ajay
Hateley
6. Nick
Gil
Extra Photos

#9 Bobby Hill, a name from the past made a short
comeback at round five. Hill a pro class "C" and class "A" (Speedway)
racer hit the ground in both practice and his heat race, so called it a
night. Hill also received notetarity for a photo he was in with Kenny
Roberts when Roberts was a novice at Ascot.

#57r Johnny McClure put his showpiece mount on the
ground in the Classic Vintage 500-750-250 class. McClure had his
problems just after the start finish line hitting Tera Firma along the
crash wall out of spectator sight from the bleachers. Hopefully he is
doing fine as he left the track under his own power.

#44r Nick Armstrong has to get the award for effort at
round five. Armstrong tried to save it through turns three and four,
and almost did. This was in practice though, so he did regroup and take
a victory later on.

The starter for S.C.F.T.A. is Rudy Gil. Rudy showed up
with a new sponsor in the form of K&N filters for his daughter
Monica and son Nick... Good to have K&N on board at Perris where
they sponsored so many riders over the last fifty years, including
Freddie Edwards! In upcomming rounds many K&N filter systems will
be awarded to racers at Perris... Thank You K&N!
6-23-2012 Perris S.C.F.T.A. Round #5
Article by Jamey Blunt
Photos by Janice Blunt
In honor of Paul McCartney's 70th birthday and a
tribute to the Beatles changing the world, it was Beatles night at
Perris. The music from the "Fab Four" was piped through the PA system
to greet the riders as they rolled through the front gate from 2:00
p.m. through the remainder of S.C.F.T.A. round five. For a late June
race date and the ninety degree temperature, it never really seemed
that hot as a gentle breeze kept things pleasant. The entry list for
S.C.F.T.A. at Perris has topped the one hundred mark every race this
year with one hundred sixteen on this night. The program showcased
twenty two heat races and nineteen main events on the pool table level
¼ oval (around the outside). A moment of silence at the riders meeting
marked the importance that Bob Foulds meant to the dirt track
community. Bob sadly was taken from his son Ian and family far too
soon. Bob and Ian have been competing at flat track races across
California and the country from local associations to nationals for
some twelve years. Bob always had a smile, a kind word of
encouragement, was a gentle soul always ready and eager to help anyway
he could and will be missed within this tight knit community. Bob "lit
a candle in a very dark place that shown a very long way."
Youth classes always start of the night's program, in
the 85cc beginner Noah Bush led through turns one and two with Frank
Flores taking that lead away down the back straight to lead into turn
three. James Ott slotted in at third with Reece Watowa fourth. The
running order stayed this way all the way to the white flag which
Flores took first, but Bush had just been biding his time and made his
move in turn three squaring up the corner to get a drive out of turn
four and beat Flores to the stripe by a wheel for the victory.
Can anyone stop the win streak of Travis Petton the
fourth? That's the question riders in both the 65cc 2-stk Nov. and 85cc
2-stk beginners have to be asking themselves. In the 65cc class Petton
made things easy for himself and launched from pole to lead through
turns one and two by two bike lengths, making the need for him to come
through the field unnecessary. James Ott attempting to stay with Petton
from the start gave his Honda just a little too much gas off the line
and sent his front wheel skyward. Ott managed to bring the wheel back
down to earth but it cost him time, it was a GREAT save though. By the
end of the first lap with Petton out front and Grant Holmes in second,
Ott was up to third. Lap two had Petton turn one of the best lap times
he's ever posted on a 65cc mount at 17.96 seconds (the only rider in
the class to go under 18seconds) and already have a four second lead
over Holmes. By the white flag Ott was all over Holmes for second, but
the Kawasaki of Holmes had horsepower over Ott's Honda as the two took
the checkered flag in the same order.
Frank Flores led the field in the 85cc 2-stk beginner
main where Petton attempting to drive underneath Flores the first time
through turn three caught his left foot on the inside piping and
settled back in at second to regroup. Jimmy Gillen who almost staled
his bike at the start was quickly up to third with Grant Holmes in
fourth and Alyssa Flores fifth. Two laps down, Flores was still leading
Petton and dropped his lap time to 17.93 seconds. On the third trip
through turn three Petton went up high to square up Flores but Gillen
was right there and took Petton's line away, this was becoming a war.
The next time entering turn one Petton dropped to the inside and put a
wheel under Flores and the two exited turn two side by side. Petton
held a slight advantage at the end of the back straight and entered
turn three with the lead. One up front Petton wasted no time put his
head down and put in a 17.15 second lap that Flores or Gillen just
couldn't match. The battle now was for second as Gillen (who's best lap
was 18.04 seconds) was at Flores's back door. But a mistake in turn two
cost Gillen three bike lengths which made the finishing order Petton,
Flores, Gillen and Alyssa Flores who took fourth from Holmes.
Allison Stacey is fast, very fast and is one of only
two riders in the 85cc ranks to enter the fifteen second lap time
barrier at 15.77 seconds. In the 85cc 4-Stk Nov. & 2-Stk Nov. class
she squared off against the only other rider to accomplish this task
Sean Heeney who's best lap was 15.79 seconds. Stacey lead from the line
flowed by Justin Hanson and Heeney. Exiting turn four on the first lap
Heeney took second away from Hanson while Monica Gil sat back in
fourth. Stacey at the front was getting away with an eight bike length
gap over Heeney who in turn himself had gaped Hanson by a full
straight. This order would remain the same all the way to the
finish. On a side note Stacey also bested a field of ten in the Open
Novice main event earning her two victories for the night!
Daniel Iha led the men's 4-Stk field into turn one with
Ian Foulds giving chase, with Billy Katkov buried in the pack but
fighting his way into third by the entrance to turn three. Katkov
running a high line on the track left the throttle pinned to get up to
Foulds by turn one and then pulled along side down the back straight to
move into second. Katkov appeared to be a little more fired up on this
night and was gaining ground on Iha quickly although Iha was still our
leader at the end of lap two. Then starting lap three Katkov never shut
off through turns one and two, left the throttle wide open and passed
Iha around the outside to take over as leader exiting turn two. Once up
front Katkov left the Perris zip code with a 16.22 second lap time as
Foulds regrouped and had caught back up to a stunned Iha. With a lap
and a half remaining Katkov was into lappers who also came into play
for the battle waging for second. In the end Foulds couldn't make the
run at Iha he had planned and came up just short at the stripe
finishing in third to Iha. Sasan Pibovzgar, Sean Stevenson and Brinton
Brown rounded out the field.
Allan Girdler and Mel Stoner played a part in the Super
Senior +60 and Premier Senior outcome. Vince Graves who lead from the
start with Ryan Gifford (on a forty year old Bultaco) glued to his back
wheel. DeWayne Jones on a 500cc 2-Stk ran in third and David Molitor
(with his worst start in recent memory) fourth. Graves never led by
more than two bike lengths and turned a 15.42 second lap time
attempting to shake Gifford. On lap four entering turn one Gifford went
up the inside of Graves as the door was left open and led out of turn
two while Jones had company now in the form of Molitor for his third
place position. With two laps remaining the leaders caught Girdler in
turn one to put him a lap down with Gifford squeezing underneath
Girdler to get by. But Graves not wanting to startle Girdler opted for
an outside route costing him three bike lengths. Graves then got a
drive down the back straight and was close to Gifford entering turn
three and carrying more speed but Stoner was in front of them both.
Gifford shot under Stoner who stood his bike up causing Graves to
change his line giving Gifford a six bike length advantage. With a
clear track ahead and a lap to go, Graves made up ground but not enough
as Gifford went on to victory over Graves while Molitor got around
Jones for third.
Larkin Wight led the start of the Senior +50 Amateur
class with Daniel Stinson second and Bill Wright third. By the end of
the first lap John Perez was up to third after starting from the
penalty line. The next lap saw Jim Kesler up to fourth after a bad
start as Perez ran up the inside of Stinson in turn three to move into
second. Perez settled in at a high line on the race track running
around Wight through turns one and two for the lead on the next run
down the back straight. The next lap Perez put in a 15.90 lap time as
two riders went down between turns one and two bringing out the red
flag. Hitting the ground were Stinson and Kesler with both riders
getting to their feet unhurt. The single file re-start would not have
Stinson able to make it as the handle bars on his mount were totaled.
Perez took the field into turn one off of his cue with Wight second,
Wright third and Kesler all fired up now on the wild side in fourth. A
lap later Kesler was into third past Wright and then made contact with
Wight up the front straight as he made the pass for second, then lifted
his right hand briefly off the throttle to point at Perez. But Perez
was long gone and cruised home for the victory by a half a straight
lead over Kesler, Wight and Wright.
Jim Lundgren read starter Rudy Gil perfectly in the
Bomber class to lead the pack into turn one while Travis Petton the
second almost fell off the back of his Yamaha which cost him dearly in
the form of real estate. Danny Perkins got a light-speed hyper drive
exiting turn two and was a mere blur as he went past Lundgren for the
lead. At the end of one lap Petton had collected himself and was up to
third behind Lundgren with Keith Bradford and Jim Steet giving chase.
The next go round Perkins with a twelve bike length lead turned a 15.42
second lap time, the fastest of the race. Petton was desperate to find
a way around Lundgren and caught his left toe in turn two which lifted
him up off the seat of his bike and cost him some ground. On lap five
Steet was against the crash wall between turns three and four out of
the race as Perkins now was not cacheable at the front. As they
came to the white flag Perkins had a four second cushion while Petton
pulled alongside Lundgren on the inside to take over second entering
turn one making the final order Perkins, Petton, Lundgren, and
Bradford.
Former national #37 Jeff (the jester) Johnson returned
to Perris in the Senior +50 expert class. Southland racing's Jim Wood
led off the line with Jeff Lessley in tow just ahead of Johnson. On the
second trip through turns one and two Johnson went under Lessley, took
him wide and parked him up high to take over at second which allowed
Travis Petton the 2nd into third with Jim Ottele fourth and Dan Kane
fifth. Lessley got going again but in sixth and way off from the
leaders, his race basically over. At the front Wood turned a 15.26
second lap pulling away from Johnson who in turn had an eight bike
length gap over Petton. The remainder of the race remained unchanged as
Wood held his margin for the victory over Johnson, Petton, Ottele, and
Kane.
A field of twelve made up the Open Amateur main event,
Brad Rudy launched from the middle of the front row to lead through
turns one and two followed by Nick Armstrong only to have his perfect
start all be for nothing as Rich Hanson crashed on this first lap
stopping the race. On the full re-start Armstrong nailed the start with
Rudy buried mid pack into turn one. David Reinhard now ran in second
with Paul Herman third and Rudy fighting his way forward to fourth by
the end of the first lap. Joel Kath sat in fifth with Hanson, and Eric
Ryke giving chase. By the white flag Kath had caught Rudy and was
scrapping for fourth while Armstrong, the only rider to enter the
fifteen second bracket at 15.93 seconds held a large lead. At the
checkered, with Armstrong being scored for the Open Unclassified class
the Open Amateur win went to Reinhard moving Herman up to second, Rudy
to third, and Kath fourth.
Six combatants made up the Pro Expert main with Robert
Bush the one leading the field into turn one. Only to have Nick
Armstrong and Ajay Hateley go down in between turns three and four
bringing out the red flag. With Armstrong and Hateley starting from the
third row (the cause of the incident), Robert Bush once again repeated
his perfect start to lead into turn one. Class champion David Bush
(Brother) settled in at second with Jim Rosa third, Armstrong fourth,
Hateley fifth, and Nick Gil sixth. Lap three Robert Bush turned what
could be his best lap time ever at Perris at 15.20 seconds while David
Bush and Rosa were swapping paint and riding gear material fighting
over second. Hateley meanwhile was showing Armstrong a wheel at every
opportunity making him work hard to stay in fourth. By the half way
point of the race David Bush had dropped Rosa who looked tired of the
fight and was willing to settle for third and locked cross hairs on
brother Robert Bush at the front. Inching forward slowly working an
inside line David Bush closed in on Robert Bush as the laps wound down.
But Robert Bush did have the overall fastest lap of the race to David
Bush's 15.26 second lap time and appeared more than capable of holding
off the attach on his victory. With two laps remaining the Bushes
were two bike lengths apart and Robert went wide entering turn one
leaving an opening for David allowing him alongside his back wheel down
the back straight. But Robert rode smart, protected his line to hold on
for his first pro main event victory, well deserved over David with
Rosa lonely in third and Armstrong fourth holding Hateley off for the
entire race. Round six at Perris is scheduled for July 14th, another
Saturday night race and promises more of the same action not to forget
the large amount of products handed out from Lucas Oil to each and
every class winner.

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