A special four-lap match race, following the fourth round of heats, had Hancock on a No. 45 motocross bike and Ward on his AMA Flat Track No. 336 KTM. Each rider led two laps. The friendly race ended in a virtual tie at the checkered flag. Another special event was a Ford Bronco, driven by Mike Cox, speeding from the back of the pit road, launching high in the air from a metal ramp at the turn four pit entrance, and landing in mid-turn four. All three jumps were successful.
FORMAT: Sixteen 500cc first division riders competed in five rounds of four-lap heat races for points awarded on a 3-2-1-0 basis. Eight riders scoring the most points advanced to a pair of semi-final races from which the top two in each semi-final transferred to the four-lap feature.
Janniro and Max Ruml, 22, won the two semi-final races from the inside lane at the starting gate. Novratil, from lane three, trailed Janniro. Dillon Ruml, 20, from the second lane, trailed his brother to also make the feature. Russell Green and Tim Gomez trailed in the first semi; Colton Hicks and Tommy Hedden trailed the Ruml brothers in the second semi.
FEATURE: The much anticipated post-10 p.m. feature lived up to expectations. Janniro shot into the lead on the inside entering turn one and was still in front at turn two in a three rider pack, Novratil raced from third to first on the outside entering the backstretch.
D. Ruml slid to the dirt entering turn three, remounted and continued half a lap back. M. Ruml also passed Janniro on the first lap. Janniro recaptured second on lap 2 and finished two lengths in back of Novratil. M. Ruml trailed Janniro by two lengths. D. Ruml placed fourth.
JUNIOR MAINS: Six 150cc and seven 250cc riders competed. Both divisions raced two rounds of heats, a consolation race, and four rider main events. Nick Dunn (150cc) and Wilbur Hancock (250cc) won the consys. Owen Williams, 12, won the 150cc main over Jose Navarette, Levi Leutz and Ken Matsuidaira. Slater Lightcap, 13, led all the way and defeated Nor Cal riders Greg Moore and Dylan Wagner, (Janniro’s nephew). Justin Almon was fourth.
PIT NOTES:
– Four Corona Police motorcycle officers, with red & blue lights flashing, led a pickup truck parade around the track at 7:30 with speedway riders waving to spectators from the back of trucks. The Corona PD escort was present to honor the Penhall family and Connor. One officer noted the drunk driver who struck and killed Connor is still serving his prison sentence.
– Industry Speedway PA announcer Bruce Flanders, who was PA announcer at the 2019 Indy Car Long Beach GP in April as usual, is battling COPD and was absent. He watched the Industry opening night live on the internet. His friend Terry “Ike” Clanton, speedway announcer at Costa Mesa Speedway, served as Industry opening night announcer.
– Sebastian Palmese, 15, made his D-1 500cc debut Wednesday at Industry. He used No. 259 on his 500cc GM ride. The many-time Junior 250cc National and California Champion earned an AMA age waiver in May to race 500cc bikes three months before he turns the miniumum age of 16 on August 3. He made his 500cc debut in Division 2 on May 11 in Costa Mesa. He finished third in the D-2 main event that night. At Industry Sebastian scored seven points with three second place rides, one third, and one fourth in his five heat races. He just missed transfering to a semi-final event in his first D-1 500cc competition against established D-1 500cc riders.
– The unique GTR engine used by Novratil is one of only two GTR engines in the USA. Greg Hancock owns the other GTR that is popular in European speedway racing. It was designed by Marcel Gerhard in collaboration with Suter Racing Technology, of Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
Their innovative engine is the first new speedway engine in 30 years. It joins Jawa and GM engines. Gerhard won the 1992 Long Track World Championship as a speedway rider. The Swiss citizen, now 63, became a famous engine tuner upon retirement as a rider. He wanted to build an engine with more power and reliability and accomplished his goal.