PERRIS, CA

The Southern California Flat Track Association held a nonseries contest on a nippy but comfortable Saturday evening to close out the 2009 racing season. The racer turnout was moderate, but the fan turnout was impressive, as friends turned out for their buddies in the 2009 epilog. The first Pro main-event start was red-flagged after a three-bike pileup at the apex between turns one and two, sending a helmet camera airborne and causing a break in the action. Fontana Radiators/Southland Racing/FSD Racing's Ian Foulds (45, above) displayed calculated prowess in the 20-lap Pro main, electing to lay back on the restart and let the dominoes fall after having a box seat from which to watch the mayhem of the first start.

Joe Winston opened fire on the start for the lead, with Jeff Evans in his slipstream and Foulds and Robert Bush close behind. Winston was standing guard on the pack, as Foulds set himself up for a battle in second, with James Wood third, Evans fourth and David Bush fifth. On lap five, Winston was looking good in the saddle, but the second-placed Foulds was busying himself with the geometry of the passing lines while pushing Evans, confident the lead would soon be his.

It was "carpe diem" for Foulds, as he struck near the halfway point, charging around the outside into the vanguard of the Pro pack. Winston was now second, Wood third and Evans fourth, and the heat was on for second on the box. Winston desperately attempted to hold on but was engulfed by the chasers, and it was power-sliding warfare for third between David Bush, his brother Robert Bush, and Wood. Foulds kept the hotshoe to the dirt for the win. After some seesawing of positions, Evans managed second. David Bush was third, Wood fourth, and Robert Bush fifth.

Mister Ed's Racing's Joe Steffen (6, above) is an artist of flat track, and the short track is his canvas: He was fluidly gliding through the turns seemingly effortlessly as he painted his name on top of the Senior Over 50 podium. Steffen prepped his brushes and began his masterpiece as he swooped into the lead at the onset of the Senior Over 50 contest, over second-in-command Jim Ottele (58Y), Elliott Iverson in third, Jim Street in fourth and S&S Off-Road's Steve Kukla in fifth. Steffen stayed true on his steed for the win, with Ottele second, Iverson third, Street fourth and Donnie Walter fifth at the checkers.

The Bush Brothers, Robert and David, were once again banging plastic in the Vet Over 35 class, racing out of the start first and second, respectively, in the 12-lap main. David passed for first on lap two, reducing Robert to second. Evans was running third. David went into the winning zone while Robert and Evans were in a short-track scrum for second. David finished uncontested in first, Evans slipped past Robert for second around lap five, and despite a courageous effort by Robert Bush, Evans held on to second to the finish. At the curtain, it is David Bush first, Evans second, Robert Bush third, Frank Aragan fourth and Paul Herman fifth.

Results

250 NOV: 1. Allan Girdler; 2. Nick Gil.

OPEN BEG: 1. Andy Kessinger.

OPEN NOV: 1. Daniel Iha; 2. Harly Legowski; 3. Rick Logan.

OPEN AM: 1. Jimmy Lundren.

4-STRK: 1. Belly Katvov.

PRO: 1. Ian Foulds; 2. Jeff Evans; 3. David Bush; 4. Jim Woods; 5. Robert Bush.

VET 35+: 1. David Bush; 2. Jeff Evans; 3. Robert Bush; 4. Frank Aragan; 5. Paul Herman.

SR 50+: 1. Joe Steffen; 2. Jim Ottele; 3. Elliott Iverson; 4. Jim Street; 5. Donnie Walter.

S/SR 60+: 1. David Molitor.

VINT 250 SPTSMN: 1. Joe Steffen; 2. Bruce Heiland; 3. Jim Street.

SPDWY: 1. Michael Raines; 2. Gene Stone; 3. Mike Wiley; 4. T. Rod.