Motorcycles are a hit at Petaluma Speedway
PETALUMA, CA, June 16—A perfectly groomed hard and smooth race track, made to order for the second annual visit by Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series, proved to be the formula for success as 91 entries from California, Nevada and Utah fiercely competed in a five-division program to the delight of a grandstand packed with enthusiastic motorcycle racing fans on an unusually warm Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway.
Twelve Sonoma County riders were on hand to compete, with the most successful of the locals being 15-year-old Damon Coca, of Windsor, who won the 250 Sportsmen class for the second straight year, and Chris Baker, of Petaluma, who finished second in the Classic Open class.
Promoter Jim (Dr. Dirt) Soares’ superbly crafted race track, polished just before main event time by an industrial grade street sweeper, was the best track many of the competitors had ever seen, prompting Gene Romero to proclaim, “There were so many lines the riders could choose from it gave them confidence to increase their speeds.”
But even as the praise of the great racing surface was echoing through the pits and grandstands there was at least one competitor that wouldn’t have cared if the track was strewn with pot holes and boulders.
“The squirrelier the better,” said a very confident 17-year-old Cole Crowley, of Fremont, after winning the A main event in the K&N Open class, the premier division of the WCFTS. Not to be misunderstood, the teenager acknowledged the track was a smooth as a skating rink during his triumph over 15 riders, many of them much older and more experienced, he just likes to race on any surface. The victory was particularly gratifying for Crowley, who finished last in the same race one year ago.
“My bike blew up last year. We went from horrible luck to great luck,” said Crowley, who was riding a Honda. Second place went to Dominic Colindres of Brisbane, third place to Shawn Raggio of Lodi, fourth place to 2011 race winner Scott Corsetti, of Pittsburg, and fifth place to Tony Meiring, of Tracy.
Riding a wave of success, Crowley also prevailed in the 15-rider Top Gun 450 class A-main. Finishing second was Jimmy Monaco, of Modesto, followed by Andrew Luker, of King City, John Vanderaan, of Rio Vista, and Curtis Peebles, of Bakersfield. Petaluma’s Chris Baker finished sixth and Windsor’s Coca was 15th.
Robert McDonnell, of Hayward, “cleaned house” in the Saddlemen Vintage class by setting fast time, winning his heat, the trophy dash, and the eight-lap, 15-bike, A-main event. Chasing McDonnell across the finish line was runner-up Rick Reed, of Santa Clara, Utah, Jeff Johnson, of Pinon Hills, Perry Smith, of Reno, Nevada, and Mike Fowler, of Vacaville. Finishing 12th was Petaluma racer Keith Russell.
Four Petaluma riders competed in the Classic Open class, which was won by Robert Bacosa, of Herald. Second place went to Petaluma’s Chris Baker, ahead of Joseph Pineda, of Thornton, and Thomas Knight, of Stockton. Petaluman’s Shaun Lewis (5th), Dennis Cameron (7th), and David Tishna (9th) also finished in the top 10.
Windsor’s Damon Coca captured the 250 Sportsmen class over Andrew Luker, of King City, Julia Rankin, of Marina, Jordan Kanady, of Los Gatos, Domonic Monaco, of Modesto.
Results for June 16
OPEN CLASS
Fast time—Todd Bridges.
Heat 1—Bridges; John Vanderlaan; Shawn Raggio; Jesse Sanchez; Brandon Inderbitzin; Vaughn McCafferty; Curtis Peebles Jr.; Kenneth Holland; Jon Curry.
Heat 2—Tony Meiring; Jimmy Monaco; Scott Corsetti; Dominic Colindres; Michael Inderbitzin; Joseph Pineda; Dean Coca; D.W. Sanchez; Nathan Amies.
Heat 3—Cole Crowley; Chris Corbari; Jeff Eklund; Robert Bacosa; Jermaine Bacosa; Stewart Barber; Ryan Foster; Casey Yarrow.
Trophy Dash—Corsetti; Crowley; Bridges Monaco; Carbari; B. Inderbitzin.
C Main 1—Colindres; Eklund; Vanderlaan; J. Sanchez; Foster; Monaco; McCafferty; D. Sanchez; Pineda; J. Bacosa; Holland; Amies.
C Main 2—Raggio; M. Inderbitzin; Corsetti; R. Bacosa; Peebles; Corbari; B. Inderbitzin; Barber; Yarrow; Coca; Curry.
B Main—B. Inderbitzin; Foster; Barber; Monaco; Peebles; McCafferty; Corbari; Yarrow; J. Bacosa; Pineda; D. Sanchez; Coca.
A Main—Crowley; Colindres; Raggio; Corsetti; Meiring; Bridges; Vanderlaan; Foster; M. Inderbitzin; R. Bacosa; Barber; Monaco; J. Sanchez; Eklund; B. Inderbitzin.
SADDLEMEN VINTAGE CLASS
Fast time—Robert McDonnell.
Heat 1—McDonnell; Rick Reed; Jeff Taylor; Mike Fowler; Michael Dobbs; Keith Russell.
Heat 2—Jeff Johnson; Dennis King; Donnie Darrah; Dom DeMario; Ron Kilby; James Bruno.
Heat 3—Perry Smith; Gary Durbin; Robert Lanoy; Jeff Sphor; Robert Hansen; Bud Riddle.
Trophy Dash—McDonnell; Reed; Johnson; Sphor.
B Main—Sphor; Fowler; Lanoy; Darrah; Taylor; Riddle; Dobbs; Russell; DeMario; Kilby; Hansen.
A Main—McDonnell; Reed; Johnson; Smith; Fowler; King; Durbin; Sphor; Riddle; Taylor; Dobbs; Russell; Lanoy; Darrah; DeMario.
TOP GUN 450 CLASS
Heat 1—Jimmy Monaco; Andrew Luker; Vaughn McCafferty; Jermaine Bacosa; Alfred Florez; Michael Inderbitzin; Shaun Lewis; Kenny Jones; Damon Coca; Austin Williams; Beau Thompson; Robert Bacosa Jr.
Heat 2—Cole Crowley; Chris Baker; John Vanderlaan; Jordan Kanady; Caleigh Ryan; Geoff Ensign; Curtis Peebles Jr.; Nathan Amies; Keith Easebio Jr.; Cody Van Dyke.
B Main—M. Inderbitzin; Peebles; Jones; Easebio; Coca; Williams; Lewis; Ensign; Van Dyke; Thompson; Amies; R. Bacosa.
A Main—Crowley; Monaco; Luker; Vanderlaan; Peebles; Baker; M. Inderbitzin; Ryan; J. Bacosa; McCafferty; Kanady; Easebio; Florez; Jones; Coca.
CLASSIC OPEN CLASS
Heat 1—Robert Bacosa; Gene Fitzsimmons; Thomas Knight; Shaun Lewis; Al Machado; Tommy Knight; Ray Turner; Dennis Cameron.
Heat 2—Joseph Pineda; Chris Baker; Jeff Johnson; Robert Curry; John Deatherage; David Tisshma; James Bruno; Robert Hansen.
B Main—Baker; Lewis Thomas Knight; Fitzsimmons; Deatherage; Machado; Tishma; Turner.
A Main—Bacosa; Baker; Pineda; Thomas Knight; Lewis; Johnson; Cameron; Deatherage; Tishma; Turner; Fitzsimmons.
250 SPORTSMEN CLASS
Heat 1—Andrew Luker; Damon Coca; Domonic Monaco; Jordan Kanady; Julia Rankin.
B Main—Coca; Monaco; Rankin; Kanady.
A Main—Coca; Luker; Rankin; Kanady; Monaco.
