Industry Hills Speedway

The Grand Arena
Industry Hills Expo Center
City of Industry, California

Bruce Flanders Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Night
June 29, 2024 - Industry Hills Speedway
Report by Howie Zechner

Howie Zechner with Scratch Main winner Broc Nicol.

With a title that includes ugly one might think it was named after me but no-way as Industry Racing, Ugly Hawaiian Shirt night celebrates the late, great race announcer Bruce Flanders. Rightfully so as “The Voice” regularly wore the bright colored garment most everywhere he went. Wouldn’t surprise that after Bruce passed in 2020 his closet contained enough of the flowered Hawaiian palaka aloha garments to be mistaken for a sixties Timothy Leary, love in.

Much like a nickname one has no control over, Ugly Hawaiian Shirt night became a happening as men, women, kids, staff, everyone wears the printed, collared, buttoned, short-sleeve dress shirts. Even riders put them over their race uniforms. Fun and silliness in abundance it supplies one more notch in the fun factor that Industry Racing is so well known for.

Now with the help of Bruce Flanders protégé Terry Ike Clanton every year the ugly and beautiful compete in a contest where the crowd picks the winners and losers. Needless to say being a braggart, swaggerer, boaster, or vaunter are all good traits in this merriment.

Of course there was more than just garment silliness cause racing is the name of the game as the Ugly Hawaiian Shirt night event is a prestigious title racers treasure. Division 1, 2, 3, Mini 150, Pee Wee even Sidecars battle hard to claim it.

The evening held a special additional surprise as Handicap racing had been added to the program. For the regulars that means hooray and for you newbies let me explain. Scratch racing is where all riders line up evenly at the starting line. In Handicap they are moved 10 yards apart depending on how good they are. That means a top notch rider like Max Ruml or Broc Nicol may be on the 50 yard line where a less experienced racer may start on the 0, 10, 20, 30 or 40. This makes for good racing but the danger factor goes way up as it requires squirting between slower traffic on alcohol powered machines that have no brakes.

A scary ballet of dance and danger Speedway is a extreme visional sport that defies explanation. In case you missed it you’re in luck cause our season is only half done cause on Saturday July 27 we return with the ever popular Legends and Heroes night. From there it’s the AMA National Series Round 2 on Saturday August 3, the Junior Kurtz Memorial Cup on Wednesday August 14 and the California State Championship on Saturday August 24th.

Keep up to date on all things Industry Racing. Pictures from the July 29, 2024 Ugly Hawaiian Shirt night are posted on Facebook. Video from the night and most every night of Industry and our sister track Costa Mesa are on Facebook.

For sure video and pictures do a good job on capturing the action but the best way to see Speedway is in person. It truly is great family entertainment that will have you bragging to all that will listen about your most excellent adventure.

Congratulations Ugly Hawaiian Shirt, Scratch Main winner Broc Nicol and Handicap winner Justin Almon. The events scoring below are complements of RC Jones, SpeedwayBikes.Com.

Thanks for listening, see you where the wheels go round.

Howie Zechner
Press officer

Scratch Main Event
98 - Broc Nicol
28 - Slater Lightcap
30n - Alex Martin
1 - Max Ruml

Scratch Consolation
30 - Tim Gomez
14 - Eddie Castro
321 - Russell Green
7 - Austin Novratil (non starter)

Handicap Main Event
137 - Justin Almon 20
30n - Alex Martin 30
28 - Slater Lightcap 40
1 - Max Ruml 40
30 - Tim Gomez 30
321 - Russell Green 30

Second Division Main Event
227 - Luke Whitcomb
290 - Harold Hartke
163 - Ron Davis
37 - Joe Donaldson

Third Division Main Event
101 - Jake Scarborough
125 - Jason Wood (fell, remounted)
158 - Niko Mongenel (fell)
400 - Avant LeGarde (fell)

Mini 150 Main Event
22 - Ryder Schultz
15 - Hudson Jones
175 - Morgan Myers
44 - Brandon Kemmerly (engine failure)
169 - Kayd Fiore (engine failure)

Pee Wee Main Event
25 - Jett Ferré
121 - Ozzy Duran
89 - Koa Noopheng
164 - Addie Summers
167 - Julian Anagnos
256 - Wayllon Gomez