Ridgecrest Speedway
Ridgecrest Motorsports Complex
Ridgecrest, California

High Desert Team Challenge
July 24, 2010 - Ridgecrest
By: Steve Evans

A solid effort throughout the riding order gave the Ridgecrest Aces a 57-46 win over the Victorville Vikings on the night, and a 100-92 aggregate win in the High Desert Team Challenge.

Each team featured five positions for Division One riders and two spots for Support Class riders. The riders had 4 programmed rides each with a nominated riders heat at the end. Each team used rider replacement to share races for missing top 5 racers.

There was a late rule change 2 days before meeting based on concerns of each team being able to field enough riders. It was deemed a rider would score double points in his heats if their team was shorthanded (1 versus 2). It was this rule that ultimately gave the Aces the advantage with Robert Fiesler winning all four of the Support Class riders and finishing with a 24 point maximum.

In the Division One races, Eddie Castro of the Vikings won all four of his programmed heats including a tactical double in heat 13, his only defeat being to Shawn McConnell in the nominated heat. McConnell had a slow start with a fall and a third before winning his last three races to secure victory for the Aces. Russell Green (10+1) and Brandon Leedy (8+2) provided the necessary support for the Ridgecrest Team.

The telling moment for the Vikings came in heat 9 when the undefeated Tim Gomez fell while under pressure from McConnell and injured his knee, taking no further part in the meeting. At that point the Aces were only four ahead.

It was a good night of racing at the High Desert Race track. A decent sized crowd was very appreciative of the efforts of the riders and probably took to team racing more than any other US crowd had.

Aside from the team speedway the fans were entertained by the locally based Speedway Midgets (Dennis Helsell winning his 11th Main in 12 attempts at the track). There were also flying lap contests for the bikes and Midgets, as well as a 'Freestyle Speedway' contest won by Shawn McConnell with some excellent wheelie's and doughnuts.

Super Pole (Top 5)
1. Russell Green 11.4
2. Shawn McConnell 11.6
= Tim Gomez 11.6
4. Eddie Castro 11.7
5. Dylan Black 11.9

Freestyle Speedway
1. Shawn McConnell
2. Eddie Castro
3. Joey Holt

Speedway Midgets
00 Dennis Helsell
55 Don Dunn
50H Dennis Helsell Jnr

Team Speedway:
Ridgecrest Aces 57 - Robert Fiesler 24 (4), Shawn McConnell 10+1 (5), Russell Green 10+1 (6), Brandon Leedy 8+2 (5), Joey Holt 5+1 (6)

Victorville Vikings 46 - Eddie Castro 17 (5), Tony DeAlmeida 9 (5), Tim Gomez 8+1 (5), Michael Hull 7+2 (6), Rick Howard 4+4 (4), Dylan Black 1 (5)

Heat 1: Castro, Hull, Leedy, McConnell fell 1-5
Heat 2: Fiesler, DeAlmeida, Howard 7-8
Heat 3: Gomez, Green, Black, Holt (retired) 9-12
Heat 4: Fiesler, DeAlmeida, Howard 15-15
Heat 5: Gomez, Holt, McConnell, Black 18-18
Heat 6: Leedy, Green, Hull fell excluded, Black (2 min's) 23-18
Heat 7: Castro, Gomez, Holt, Green 24-23
Heat 8: Fiesler, DeAlmeida, Howard 30-26
Heat 9: McConnell, Leedy, DeAlmeida, Gomez fell excluded 35-27
Heat 10: Castro, Green, Hull, Leedy 37-31
Heat 11: McConnell, Holt, Hull, Black fell 42-32
Heat 12: Fiesler, DeAlmeida, Howard 48-35
Heat 13: Castro (tactical), Hull, Green, Holt 49-43
Heat 14: Leedy, Green, Black fell excluded 54-43
Heat 15: McConnell, Castro, Hull, Holt 57-46

33 Joseph Petraglovic / Krystal Beard (non starter)