Lodi’s Night Before the Mile
Lodi Cycle Bowl
Story and Photos by David N.
On Friday, May 29, the Lodi Motorcycle Club held its annual “Night Before The Mile” professional short-track race at the Lodi Cycle Bowl in Lodi, California. Thirty AMA Pro Flat Track racers signed up to compete for a portion of the $11,100 purse. In addition to the professional race, there would be a Veterans’ class competition and the 85cc Pacific Coast Championship race.
The club members worked all week to prepare the track for this event. They spent up to 12 hours a day grading, watering and wheel-packing the clay surface. The result of their efforts was a smooth, hard surface with no cracks or ruts. As the riders ran practice sessions throughout the afternoon, the “blue groove” for which the Lodi Cycle Bowl is famous developed. The groove was 6 to 8 feet wide in the corners. The track was in beautiful condition.
At the riders’ meeting, it was announced that the 85cc class and the Vet class would run six-lap heat races and 10-lap main events. The Pros would run eight-lap heat races, eight-lap semifinals, and a 20-lap main event. The first two riders from each of three heat races would go directly to the front row of the main event and to the Dash For Cash. Two riders from each of three semifinals would make up the back row of the main event. The Dash For Cash would pay $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place. The rider turning the fastest time in time trials would win $100.
The time trials were run the old-fashioned way: one rider on the clock at a time. Steve Bonsey set fast time at 15.000 seconds to win the $100 prize.
Jesse Sanchez led the first Pro heat race from the start, with Bonsey right on his rear wheel. Bonsey kept the pressure on Sanchez for five laps. He finally got an opportunity to slip under Sanchez, going into the first turn on the sixth lap.
In the end, it was Steve Bonsey and Jesse Sanchez crossing the finish line in first and second, respectively, and transferring directly to the front row of the main event and to the Dash For Cash.
In the second Pro heat race, Tony Meiring got the jump and led the pack going into the first turn. Meiring was followed by Mikey Martin, Jarod Vanderkooi and Sammy Halbert. Halbert quickly moved ahead of Vanderkooi and into third place.
When the checkered flag came out, it was Meiring in first place, followed by Martin and Halbert.
Briar Bauman led the third Pro heat race from the start. Behind Bauman were Chad Cose and Michael Inderbitzen.
On the second lap, Inderbitzen fell back to sixth place, leaving James Monaco in third place.
On the last lap, Monaco made a run out of the fourth turn but could not beat Cose to the finish line. Bauman and Cose won the final two front-row starting positions in the main event.
Upon completion of the third Pro heat race, it was time to line up for the Dash For Cash. Tony Meiring got a good start and led the first lap of the Dash, with Steve Bonsey and Mikey Martin close behind. Halfway through the second lap, the red flag came out. It was decided that Meiring had gotten away early and the race would have to be restarted, with Meiring on the third row.
When the race was restarted, it was Steve Bonsey in charge, ahead of Mikey Martin and Chad Cose. Bonsey set the pace and made no mistakes, crossing the finish line first.
The first two riders in each of three semifinals would transfer to the back row of the main event.
Kyle Kolkman led Sammy Halbert until nearly the end of the first Pro semifinal, but Halbert was able to get by Kolkman to take the win. Finishing one and two, respectively, Halbert and Kolkman would transfer to the main event.
Andrew Luker got a good start and led the second Pro semifinal until the final lap, when Jake Shoemaker passed Luker on the inside going into turn three and beat Luker to the finish line. The two advanced to the main event.
Mike Rush led the first lap of the third Pro semifinal, with Joseph Hernandez in tow, but the race was stopped. It was decided that Hernandez had started early. Hernandez was put back on the third row, and the race was restarted.
On the second attempt, Rush was the first one into turn one again, but this time it was Jarod Vanderkooi on his rear wheel. Vanderkooi tried to gain on Rush on the outside going into the turns but could not get around him. At the checkered flag, it was Mike Rush who would cross the line first. Rush and Vanderkooi would fill out the back row of the Pro main event.
Next up was the Veterans’ main event. Joseph Pineda was first off the starting line, and he led the pack into the first turn at the start. He was followed by Casey Yarrow, Robert Bacosa, Anthony Mitchell and Kevin Keeran.
Pineda was unchallenged until Casey Yarrow tried to get under him going into turn one. Yarrow got into the turn a little too hot and got his front wheel stuck under Pineda. Yarrow nearly highsided but was able to save it. While trying to regain control of his bike, Yarrow fell back to fourth place, behind Kevin Keeran.
At the checkered flag, it was Pineda in first place, followed by Bacosa, Keeran and Yarrow.
Next up was the 85cc Pacific Coast Championship. The 12 riders were lined up, and when the green light came on, Christian Spurgeon sprang off the line to take the lead. Behind Spurgeon, Nathan Agrifoglio fell going into the first turn, bringing out the red flag. The riders were lined up again, with Agrifoglio now on the third row.
This time Evan Souza grabbed the lead, followed by Spurgeon, but Spurgeon shot past Souza on the inside going into turn one on the second lap – and then lost control in turn two and went down. Again, the race had to be stopped. Spurgeon was slow getting up, but when he did, he appeared to be uninjured, and he would make the restart, joining Agrifoglio on the third row.
On this restart, Souza grabbed the lead again. Well behind Souza, Hunter Brooks was in second place and Jacob Cascio was running in third place. Behind Cascio was Zaden Florez. Though Florez made several attempts to take third place away from Cascio, he had no luck.
At the end of the race, it was Evan Souza winning the Pacific Coast Championship, with Hunter Brooks taking the second-place honors and Jacob Cascio finishing in third place.
The final race of the night would be the Pro main event. Pole position would be chosen by the winner of the fastest heat race. The race would be 20 laps around the quarter-mile track, and the winner would take home $3,000.
The first rider to roll his bike up to starting line was Briar Bauman. The next was fast qualifier Steve Bonsey. Then came Tony Meiring, Chad Cose and Mikey Martin, and filling out the front row was Jesse Sanchez. Fifteen riders lined up on three rows for the start of the Pro main event.
Martin got a good start and led the rest of the field going into turn one, with Bonsey right on his rear wheel. Meiring held the third-place position as Martin and Bonsey pulled away, extending their lead with each lap. As Martin and Bonsey battled for the lead, Chad Cose was beginning his drive from back in seventh place. First he slipped by Kyle Kolkman, then Briar Bauman. He eventually made his way up to the third-place position.
Meanwhile, out in front, Bonsey was glued to Martin’s rear tire, looking for an opening. With less than a handful of laps left in the race, Martin’s front tire began to push going into the turns. Bonsey jumped on the opportunity to drive under Martin and take the lead. At the checkered flag, it was Steve Bonsey with the win, followed by Mikey Martin and then Chad Cose.
Bonsey later said that their tires were heating up toward the end of the 20 laps and became a problem for both him and Martin.
The “Night Before the Mile” is an exciting race each year. It is scheduled the night before the AMA Grand National Championship Mile at the Sacramento State Fairgrounds at Cal Expo. If you haven’t seen this race yet, you are missing one of the best professional flat-track races on the West Coast. Mark your calendars and plan to be at the Lodi Cycle Bowl on the “Night Before the Mile” next year!
Lodi Cycle Bowl
Lodi, California
Results: May 29, 2015
85 PACIFIC COAST CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Evan Souza (Hon); 2. Hunter Brooks (Hon); 3. Jacob Cascio (Kaw); 4. Zaden Florez (KTM); 5. Justin Anselmi (Kaw); 6. Christian Spurgeon (Hon); 7. Tyler Raggio (Suz); 8. Olin Kissler (Hon); 9. Kameron Broyles (Kaw); 10. Nathan Agrifoglio (Yam); 11. Dominic Demario (Hon); 12. Dustin Shumate (Kaw).
OPEN PRO: 1. Steve Bonsey (Suz); 2. Michael Martin (Hon); 3. Chad Cose (Hon); 4. Briar Bauman (Hon); 5. Kyle Kolkman (Kaw); 6. James Monaco (Hon); 7. Mike L. Rush (Hon); 8. Jake Shoemaker (Hon); 9. Jared Vanderkooi (Hon); 10. Tony Meiring (Hon); 11. Jesse M. Sanchez (Yam); 12. Cole Crowley (Hon); 13. Andrew J. Luker (Hon); 14. Shawn Raggio (Hon); 15. Sammy Halbert (Yam).
VET: 1. Joseph Pineda (Hon); 2. Robert A. Bacosa (Hon); 3. Kevin S. Keeran (Kaw); 4. Casey A. Yarrow (Yam); 5. Anthony Mitchell (Hon); 6. Paul Ott (Kaw); 7. Donnie Darrah (Hon); 8. Robert Bush (Hon); 9. Tom G. Sheard (Rtx); 10. Ken Even (Hon); 11. Robert Bacosa Jr. (Hon); 12. Chuck Beuing (Yam).