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Fair Derby Costa Mesa Speedway the exploits of the other back- By RYAN EVANS PHOTOS BY MIKE BASSO yardage riders as he stayed on the outside for three laps and then COSTA MESA, CA, JULY 11 dropped down in front of Andy Northrup entering turn one on the last "" Iyin' Mike" Faria capped off a spectacular evening of racing by defeating National Champion Billy "The Bullet" Hamill to win his sixth Fair Derby Championship at Costa Mesa Speedway. The Fair Derby is one of the most prestigious championships in the United States. It has been held in conjunction with the Orange County Fair since 1970, and the trophy is a hat (which once belonged to Sonny Nutter) that has been bronzed and mounted on a plaque. lap, with only inches separating the two. Hamill went on to collect his second victory of the night. In the first semi, Brant and Bobby Schwartz entered turn one together, with Brant on the inside and Schwartz on the outside. They remained side by side through lap one, but Schwartz bobbled slightly in turn two, which allowed Hicks to take second. Brant took the win, ahead of Hicks, and they both went to the main event. In the second semi, Hamill used the pole to shoot into the lead, just ahead of Faria. Though Faria remained close to Hamill, he couldn't force a mistake, and Hamill took the victory. Faria held on to second and also booked his place in the main. Castro won the LCQ to take the final position in the main. The first attempt to start the Support main event got no further than When the tapes went up in the turn one, as three riders main event, Hamill was first into turn went down. When the rid- one, with Faria in tow. As he got to ers lined up again, Rudy turn two, Hamill drifted a little wide, Laurer touched the tapes Faria brandishes the bronzed hat that Is the Fair Derby trophy. and Faria shot to the inside of the for- and was penalized 20 mer World Champion. They entered yards. When the tapes turn three side by side and completed Braden jumped into the lead and still Everyone who witnessed Hamill trying to make the outside work and Faria riding along the held it after lap one. Laurer went round two will be talking on the back straight on the third lap, second on lap two. Laurer put the long time. The round featured tinued throughout the second lap, but through the pack swiftly and was in about what they saw for a inside. Their inside-outside duel con- pressure on Braden the rest of the some incredible outside pass- made another effort around the out- way but couldn't force a mistake, and ing, and the fans spent more Faria finally surged ahead. Hamill Braden went on to take his first victo- time out of their seats than in Faria had the lead secured, and ry of 2003. Laurer had to settle for them. In the first race of the side, but as they took the white flag, second. Chris Metoyer was third, round, Castro used the National Champion. Faria was first to Shan~ Kump outside to go around Hicks Hamill slotted in behind the former fourth, and Doug Benjamin was cred- through turns one and two Brant was fourth, and Eddie Castro every rider he beat in the previous round; the top 10 points scorers transfer to the two five-man semis, was all Castro from there, as he which reverted back to the scratch format; the top two finishers in each cruised to the victory. In the third race of the round, Faria Olympique the previous month: three semi transfer to the Fair Derby main rounds of five-man preliminary heats, event, with third and fourth transfer- started on the 40-yard line and had the outside line as his target. Faria The format for the Fair Derby was the same as that used in the with the first round being scratch rac- ring to the last-chance qualifier; and ing; rounds two and three use an earned-handicap format, in which the the winner of the LCQ completes the field for the five-man Fair Derby main rider is handicapped 10 yards for event. The format provided some again and passed Justin Boyle and QUAL SCORES: I. BHly Hamill (I 1 points); 2. (TIE) Mike Faria (1 OJ/Scott Brant (1 OJ/Eddie Castro (10); 5. (TIE) Shawn McConnell (9)jAndy Northrup (9): 7. (TIE) Gary Hicks (8)jBobby Schwartz (8)/Randy DiFrancesco (8)/Shaun Harmatiuk (8); 'II. Bobby Krips (7); 12. Justin Boyle (6); 13. (TIE) Mark Adams (4)/George Fox (4)/Danny Perkins (4); 16. Paul Colston (3); 17. John Stunkard (1): 18. (TIE) Jonathan Curry (O)/Steve Murray (O)/Rick Valdez (0). FAIR DERBY: 1. Mike Faria (Jaw); 2. Billy Hamill (GM); 3. Gary Hicks (Jaw); 4. Scott Brant (GM): 5. Eddie Castro (GM). SUP: 1. Billy Braden (Jaw); 2. Rudy LaUfer (Jaw); 3. Chris Metoyer (Jaw); 4. Shane Kump (Jaw); 5. Doug Benjamin (Jaw). immediately went to the outside and began passing the front markers one at a time, and he took the lead on the second lap. Hamill was able to match cue I e eN Costa Mesa Speedway Costa Mesa, california Results: July 11, 2003 Jonathan Curry to take the lead. It finished fifth. was credited with ited with fifth. and then made a big sweep the checkered flag, Hamill was second, Gary Hicks finished third, Scott finally went up again, Billy awesome racing in rounds two and three. the first lap in the same fashion, with n e vv sa