SAN BERNARDINO, CA

Former National Champion "Flyin' Mike" Faria (above) turned in another brilliant performance to capture the Denny Pyeatt Memorial victory at Inland Motorsport Speedway in San Bernardino, California.

The five-rider grid for the main event was reduced to four when former Youth National Champion Jason Ramirez was excluded for touching the tapes. When the race finally started, Faria exploded off the start line and into the lead, with Jimmy "Little Animal" Fishback and Gary Hicks chasing him into turn one. Faria led down the back straight, while Fishback emerged from turn two in second. Fishback set his sights on the leader and followed him the rest of the way, but it was to no avail. Faria was first to the checkered flag, Fishback settled for second, Hicks finished third, Shaun Harmatiuk was fourth, and Ramirez was credited with fifth.

The event honored Denny Pyeatt, who tragically died from injuries suffered in a crash in Hackney, England, on July 16, 1982. Pyeatt's crash occurred just one night after he was the top scorer for Reading with 11 points, including a victory over future World Champion Hans Nielsen. Former World Under 21 Champion Ron Preston, who promoted the Denny Pyeatt Memorial in El Centro several times in the 1980s, supplied the original perpetual trophy so that it can continue to be presented to the event's winners.

The heats began with Harmatiuk getting a victory over Buck Blair. Faria beat Shawn McConnell in the second heat. Fishback held back Ramirez to win the third heat. Gary Hicks ended round one with a win over Josh Abbott.

Round two started with Faria using the outside to get the lead and a win over Fishback. Harmatiuk beat Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz for his second win. Ramirez beat Gary Hicks in the next heat. Blair beat Gino Manzares to end the second round.

The third round opened with Ramirez and McConnell engaging in an electrifying inside-outside battle, the veteran planted on the inside and the teenager blazing on the outside for all four laps, with Ramirez just edging ahead at the finish line for the win. Neil Facchini was leading the next race before being brought down by Hicks, who was penalized on the restart; Faria led the restart the entire distance for his third straight victory. Fishback beat Manzares in the next heat for his second win. Blair concluded round three with a win over Eddie Castro.

Schwartz, who was Pyeatt's teammate and close friend at the time of his tragic crash, opened the final round by beating Brad Pappalardo. Harmatiuk beat Ramirez for his third win. Castro handed Faria his only defeat of the evening in the penultimate heat. Fishback ended the heats with a win over Gary Hicks.

Ramirez won the last-chance qualifier, with Gary Hicks holding off Blair for second and the final transfer to the main event.

Kyle Hicks (above) got the best start in the Second Division main event and never looked back en route to victory.

Kris Harlow, who hails from Texas, led the Third Division main event until Chris Jones (above) went by exiting turn two the second time. Jones never looked back from there and took the win.

Results

P/W: 1. Jimmy Fishback IV (Yamaha); 2. William Ballasteros (Kawasaki); 3. Hanna Smith (Kawasaki).

YTH: 1. River McDougall (SDR); 2. Gabe Price (SDR); 3. William Ballasteros (Shu).

D-3: 1. Chris Jones (JAWA/CZ); 2. Kevin Johnson (Wes); 3. Kris Harlow (JAWA/CZ); 4. DeWayne Stark (JAWA/CZ).

D-2: 1. Kyle Hicks (JAWA/CZ); 2. Rick Valdez (GM); 3. Kim Stevens (JAWA/CZ); 4. Ed Lynch (JAWA/CZ).

D-1 LCQ: 1. Jason Ramirez (JAWA/CZ); 2. Gary Hicks (GM); 3. Buck Blair (JAWA/CZ); 4. Eddie Castro (JAWA/CZ); 5. Bobby Schwartz (JAWA/CZ).

D-1 MAIN: 1. Mike Faria (JAWA/CZ); 2. Jimmy Fishback (JRM); 3. Gary Hicks (GM); 4. Shaun Harmatiuk (JAWA/CZ); 5. Jason Ramirez (JAWA/CZ)