S.C.F.T.A. Round #9

September 8th, 2012

Photos by Janice Blunt

Tags and Article by Jamey Blunt

Jim Wood gives Colleen Douglas a ride for the backward lap in honor of her father Doug Douglas who passed away on Aug. 24th. Over one hundred riders participated as a tribute to what Douglas meant to the motorcycle fraternity. The shop Douglas opened will celebrate it's 50th anniversary this January. Douglas was a lifetime AMA member whose solo record of twenty seven hours and fifteen minutes for racing from Tijuana to La Paz, Mexico stands to this day unbroken. Doug will be missed by so many.

#89 Danny Perkins start to round nine was rough from the start of practice as #420 Greg Powell slammed into the back of him taking himself out and leaving Perkins wondering what hit him.

September 8th, 2012 S.C.F.T.A. Round 9

Perris, Calif.

Article by Jamey Blunt

Round nine of the S.C.F.T.A. at the Perris ¼ mile oval greeted the riders when the gates open with one hundred three degree HEAT! Thankfully this was a Saturday night event. The program has yet to have less than one hundred entries in 2012, and this night was no exception with one hundred eighteen girded through twenty two heat races and twenty main events. Prior to the start of practice a moment of silence was observed in honor Of Doug Douglas who passed away on Aug. 24th at the age of seventy six. An Oklahoma native Douglas and his wife Glenda moved to Calif. where he opened and ran Doug Douglas Motorcycles for forty five years. His one man motorcycle record of twenty seven hours and fifteen minutes racing from Tijuana to La Paz Mexico stands unbroken to this day. Doug also helped and mentored countless riders through the years and was a fully decorated United States Marine. He will be greatly missed by the motorcycle fraternity as well as family alike, God speed Doug wherever you race you'll be at the front!

#117 Sean Heeney topped the 85cc Youth 4-stk Novice field with a fastest lap time of 15.82 seconds. A very respectable lap time no matter what size machine your on, let alone a small displaced one.

#54 Frank Flores Has been on fire of late and really stepped up his game.Flores won the 85cc Beginner main event with a fastest laptime of 17.24 seconds.

Following a backward lap in respect for Doug Douglas during the intermission, the first of the main events came to the starting line. The youth classes always start the night's mains with seven classes on this night compiling some twenty one riders. First up were the 50 & 65cc Beginners where three and a half, yes 3 ½ year old Colin Petton from a long line of racers in the Petton family took top honors on his little Honda 50cc mount. (No he didn't have training wheels) Ava Bush also from a large racing family twisted the grip off her 65cc ride for top spot in the 65cc Beg. Main. The 85cc 4-stk Beg. Class once again had Frank Flores step up his game to win over Noah Bush, Evan Harich, and Reese Watowa. Jace Callison nailed the start in the 85cc 2 & 4-stk Novice main only to have Allison Stacey take the lead away on the exit from turn two. A lap down saw Sean Heeney up to second with James Ott who left the line in fifth advance to third dropping Callison to fourth. Heeney who posted the fastest lap of this class in the heat race at 15.82 seconds was having trouble getting around Stacey. He had the speed and could match her pace but getting by was a whole other matter. In the end Stacey rode mistake free and never left Heeney an opening as she scored the overall victory over Heeney, with Ott third, Callison fourth and Justin Hanson fifth. The 65-70cc Novice class is the Travis Petton the 4th show, however new kid in town Grant Holmes is stepping up his game at every round and led the field into turn one off the start. James Ott ran in second with Petton in third and Evan Harich fourth. On the first lap Petton made a huge mistake and almost threw it all away but made a spectacular save that cost him about eight bike lengths. At the white flag Holmes led with Ott second and Petton closing from third. Entering turn four for the last time with the checkered flag and victory in sight Holmes made his first real mistake and had to go wide to recover, this left an opening for Ott to make a run at Holmes which came up short at the stripe with Holmes and his potent Kawasaki picking up the victory over Ott, Petton, and Harich. In the 85cc 2-stk Beg. Class Travis Petton the 4th had his work cut out for himself as he hit turn one in the fifth position with Frank Flores at the front. By the end of the first lap Petton had advanced into second with Alyssa Flores third, Grant Holmes fourth and Noah Bush fifth. Exiting turn two on the third lap Petton took over the lead from Frank Flores and never looked back putting in a 16.42 second lap time. Entering turn one just after the white flag Holmes hit the dirt, thankfully unhurt which made the finishing order Petton Frank Flores, Alyssa Flores, Bush and Holmes.

#4 Vince Graves once again was the class of the field in the Super Senior +60 final.
Graves had the fastest lap time of the race at 15.33 seconds..

Ryan Gifford made the trip from central California to take another shot at knocking Vince Graves off the Super Senior +60 throne. Gifford who competes on a Jeff Lessley tuned Bultaco Astro is pitted against Grave's Honda 450cc framer. This is a race what you want class as long as your sixty years of age or older. Graves got the hole shot off the start to lead the field into turn one with Gifford right behind in second, DeWayne Jones on a Honda CR-500 slotted in third with David Molitor getting a poor start by his standards in fourth. On the second go round Gifford made a mistake between turns one and two which gave Graves a cushion at the front. This was all Graves needed as he put his head down, turned a 15.33 second lap time and sailed to victory. Gifford was a clear second over Jones and Molitor.

Corey Bauman launched to the front in the Senior +50 Novice main event with Roy Stafford in second, Fred Berger third, Greg Powell fourth and Pat Neilson in fifth. Out front Bauman went to cruise control as he had this one all wrapped up and put in his fastest lap time of 16.33 seconds on the third lap. The finishing order would remain the same al the way to the checkered flag.

#47 Nick Armstrong has left the 250cc 2-stk class behind and now competes in the Bomber and Pro classes. Here Armstrong makes the pass on #89 Danny Perkins to take victory in the Bomber main event.

Danny Perkins started from pole in the Bomber final to lead into turn one. Nick Armstrong who has taken his racing game to a higher level (not that he was slow before, he's just gotten faster) jumped in right behind Perkins in second with Steele Friedrich running in third. On the first run down the back straight Jim Kesler displaced Friedrich to take over third, but the real battle was up front between Perkins the class champion and Armstrong whose snow globe gets twenty four inches of fresh powder annually. The two crossed the stripe in a dead heat with Armstrong taking over the lead on the exit from turn two. Perkins then made the mistake of going very wide between turns three and four which gave Armstrong a lot of breathing room. A lap later Perkins was fifteen bike lengths back and fading (perhaps a bike problem) as Armstrong still pushing at the front made a big bobble in turn four which allowed Perkins to close to within five bike lengths with two laps remaining. On the next lap Perkins seemed to find the same hole Armstrong had in turn four and the race was over. Armstrong's fastest lap time was a 15.45 during the main to Perkins 15.24 which he turned in the heat race and Kesler who finished third turned his best lap at 16.26 seconds.

Paul Herman and Paul Ott were side by side off the line, through turns one and two and down the back straight in the Vet +35 main event. Entering turn three Herman took the lead and held it to the stripe. On the second trip through turn two Ott had squared up Herman and gave him a love tap to push Herman out of the way in an attempt to take over the lead. But Herman held his ground and the lead while Sean Lambert ran in third with Joel Kath fourth and Eric Cleveland fifth. At the front Herman and Ott separated themselves from the field with Ott posting the fastest lap of the race at 15.74 seconds to Herman's 16.06. On lap three Ott made his move to take over at the front and put his head down to get away from Herman, not wanting him to have a shot at regaining the lead. When the checkered flag flew Ott had a three second gap over Herman in second with Lambert holding tough in third over Kath and Cleveland.

"Too Fast" Tom Ferguson who looks to have the Classic Vintage championship all sewed up led the field from the start with Lenny Rodriguez, Joe Pape, Fred Berger and James Kohls all giving chase. Within two laps Ferguson had put a full straight gap over the field and his lap time of 16.03 seconds on the Jim McMurren H.D. Sprint no one seemed able to match. Pape however seemed to be on fire this night and waged war with Rodriguez lap after lap only to come up short at the finish. In the end Ferguson who was faster than the rest of the field even while fast asleep notched another victory with Rodriguez second, Pape third, Kohls fourth, but Berger first 250cc.

#88 Corey Bauman was the fastest of the fifteen Open Novices and took a well deserved victory in the "A" main event. (front Row) #84 Sean Lambert, Bauman, #39 Tom Brown, #117 Sean Heeney, #22 Jimmy Ray, #97 Jace Callison.
(Back Row) #151 Billy Katkov and #84 Brian Kukla..

The Open Novice class was split into two main events, the "A" and "B". In the "A" main Corey Bauman already with one victory on this night shot to the front with Jimmy Ray glued to his backside. Sean Lambert ran in third with Brian Kukla fourth and Sean Heeney fifth. On lap two Billy Katkov went down in mid pack between turns three and four, his race over for the night. Up front Ray was all over Bauman who kept exiting turn four high leaving an open door for Ray to pass if he could just get close enough. A lap later Ray crossed the stripe beside Bauman which made Bauman aware of his moves, so Bauman started protecting his inside line wisely. By the white flag the finishing order was set at Bauman (giving him two wins for the night) Ray, Lambert, and Heeney moving up to fourth.

#12 Paul Ott was a double winner at Perris, he took victories in the Vet 35+ Final and the Open Am main event. Ott's fastest lap was a 15.74 second time in the Vet 35+ race. #19R is Brad Rudy and #19v is Joel Kath in the Open Am. race.

David Reinhard led the Open Amateur field into turn one, Paul Ott not wanting Reinhard to get away quickly moved into second with Rich Hanson third, Paul Herman fourth, Joel Kath fifth, and Brad Rudy sixth. Two laps complete the running order was the same until the third run through turn two when Hanson ran into the back of Ott and took himself out of the race. Hanson was up and thankfully ok and made his way off the track before the field came around his race over. Four laps in Reinhard was still leading with Ott pressuring, looking for a way around. Entering turn three with a lap and a half remaining Ott shot past Reinhard to take the lead, which he would hold to the finish. Reinhard came home a close second with Herman third, Kath fourth and Rudy fifth. This made Ott the other double winner at round nine.

#3 John Kocinski was sixth into turn one off the start but was in the lead by the time he exited turn four. #69 Jeremy Toye, #44 Robert Bush, #17 Nick Gil, #43 A Jay Hateley, National #37 Jimmy Wood. (Front Row)

Just prior to the twenty lap Pro main event the racing surface was graded, watered, packed, and drug to give the eleven racers the best possible racing surface. Two things of note were happening on this nights feature event, National #37 Jimmy Wood was making a return to Perris after some severe injuries and two times World Champion John Kocinski had decided to make his first Pro flat track appearance on this night. Over the past two seasons of racing the question has been asked by riders, fans, pit crews, and just about anyone who has seen Kocinski race, why doesn't he enter the pro class? Well; be careful what you wish for, Kocinski aboard a Knight framed Honda 350cc 4-stk single did enter the pro class. (The only vintage bike in the field) After the heat races, with Wood easily winning his and Kocinski starting from the penalty line in his but coming through to victory on the last lap it looked to be a Kocinski / Wood battle for the victory. As starter Rudy Gil turned the field lose Wood got the jump with Kocinski leaving the starting line in sixth. Knowing he was giving away horse power Kocinski knew he couldn't let Wood or anyone else get away from him and quickly put his world class racing experience to use to go under everyone in turns one and two and emerged in second place behind Wood as they went down the back straight. Fighting for traction shifting his one hundred thirty pound frame all over the bike Kocinski (who can pull wheelies in neutral) pulled along side Wood entering turn three. Behind them the running order was A Jay Hateley, Jim Rosa, Robert Bush, David Bush, and Nick Gil. At the apex of turns three and four Wood appeared to lose his front end and went down, Kocinski seized this opportunity and twisted the throttle as far as it could go and shot out of turn four in the lead. Within two laps Kocinski had opened up a fourteen bike length gap over Hateley and Rosa as he turned the second fastest lap time of the night at 14.82 seconds (Wood had the overall fastest lap of the night at 14.74 seconds in his heat race). A lap later David Bush was up to fourth with Gil climbing to fifth and Robert Bush dropping to sixth. With five laps in the record book Kocinski settled in at the fifteen second lap time mark with a full straight lead over the rest of the field. By this point Gil had found a rhythm that saw him move up another spot into fourth while Nick Armstrong had settled in at seventh in front of Dylan Morin and Jeremy Toye as Aaron Colton went down between turns one and two. At the half way point (crossed flags) Kocinski had changed time zones and it was his race to win or lose. The fight would be over second place as Gil was putting in the best ride of his young career and moved past Rosa into third and was going after Hateley. Meanwhile Wood jumped back into the race laps down perhaps to see what kind of pace Kocinski was running and would ultimately get in the way of this battle over second place. Lap fourteen had Kocinski with a 7.42 second gap over second place Hateley. On the next lap Hateley bobbled which allowed Gil to close the small gap and now the real battle for second was on. Then with four laps remaining on the exit from turn two Gil went past Hateley to take over at second as Robert Bush got around David Bush for fifth only to have David come back at him and regain the position. Coming to the white flag Wood split the Gil Hateley war causing Gil to exit wide from turn four allowing Hateley to pull alongside at the stripe. But Gil wasn't through and came back on Hateley on the final lap as Kocinski took the checkered flag 9.4 seconds in front of their war. Gil would be awarded second with Hateley third, Rosa still looking strong in fourth and David Bush fifth in front of Robert Bush. After the race before he had even taken his helmet off an emotional Kocinski had this to say; " I'm very happy and at the same time very sad because I just want to dedicate this win to my son (John Kocinski Jr.) I miss him so much, I wish he were here to see it because he loves the bikes and I'm sad he's not here. Honestly I have to thank Andy Bondio, Axtel, Lectron Carbs, my dad (Jerry), all the people behind me, it's them who make me look good. I just can't thank them enough and before I came here tonight I thought I want to win this for my son, he'd be so happy".

"Be careful what you wish for!"

Result September 9, 20123

Youth 50cc

1.    Colin Petton

Youth 65cc

1.    Ava Bush

Youth  85cc

1.    Frank Flores

2.    Noah Bush

3.    Evan Harich

4.    Reese Watowa

Youth 85cc 4 Stk. Novice

1.    Sean Heeney

2.    Justin Hanson

3.    Moncia Gil

Youth 85cc 2 Stk Novice

1.    Allison Stacey

2.    James Ott

3.    Jace Callison

Youth 65cc-70cc

4 Stk Novice

1.    James Ott

2.    Evan Harich

2 Stk Novice

1.    Travis Petton

2.     Grant Holmes

Youth 85cc 2 Stk Beginner

1.    Travis Petton iv

2.    Frank Flores

3.    Alyssa Flores

4.    Noah Bush

5.    Grant Holmes

750 Vintage

1.    Jim Ottele

2.    Shannon Adams

Premier Senior 70 yrs +

1.    Allan Girdler

Men’s 4 Stroke

1.    Cristian Olguin

Super Senior +60

1.    Vince Graves

2.    Ryan Gifford

3.    Dewayne Jones

4.    David Molitor

Senior + 50 Novice

1.    Corey Bauman

2.    Roy Stafford

3.    Fred Berger

4.    Greg Powell

5.    Pat Neilson

6.    Danny Manthis

Bomber

1.    Nick Armstrong

2.    Danny Perkins

3.    Jim Kesler

4.    Steele Fredrich

5.    Jim Steet

Senior Vet’s +50  Experts

1.    Jeff Johnson

2.    Travis Petton

3.    Jim Ottele

4.    Jeff Lessley

Vintage 2 Stk  250 Novice

1.    Bryan Erdeman

2.    Fred Berger

Vintage 2 stk. 360 Novice

1.    Rick Logan

2.    Rick Lessley

Vet’s + 35

1.    Paul Ott

2.    Paul Herman

3.    Sean Lambert

4.    Joel Kath

5.    Eric Cleveland

Open Un Classified

1.    Dylan Morein

2.    Aaron Colton

3.    Sean Heeney

4.    Brian Kukla

5.    Jim Steet

Vintage 2 stk 250 Experts

1.    Will Ott

Vintage 2 stk 360 Experts

1.    Jeff Lessley

2.    Ryan Gifford

3.    Kyle Lessley

Classic Vintage 500-750

1.    Tom Ferguson

2.    Lenny Rodriguez

3.    Joe Pape

4.    James Kohls

Classic Vintage 250

1.    Fred Berger

Senior + 50 Amateur

1.    John Perez

2.    John Garica

3.    Bill Wright

4.    Larkin Wright

Open Novice

A Main

1.    Corey Bauman

2.    Jimmy Ray

3.    Sean Lambert

4.    Sean Heeney

5.    Tom Brown

6.    Jace Callison

7.    Eric Cleveland

B Main

1.    Allison Stacey

2.    Andrew Harling

3.    Moncia Gil

4.    Jaycee Jones

5.    Monty Watowa

Open Amatuer

1.    Paul Ott

2.    David Reinhard

3.    Paul Herman

4.    Joel Kath

5.    Brad Rudy

6.    Rich Hanson DNF

Pro

1.    John Kocinski

2.    Nick Gil

3.    A J Hately

4.    Jim Rosa

5.    David Bush

6.    Robert Bush

7.    Nick Armstrong

8.    Dylan Morin

9.    Jeremy Toye

10.    Jim Wood  DNF