Venegas Sweeps His Way to Milne Cup

Charlie Venegas has been the best rider this season at the Costa Mesa Speedway, and there was no disputing that on Saturday.

The season points leader turned in a perfect performance, winning three heat races, a semifinal and the championship final to capture the third Jack Milne Cup.

Venegas, who had four scratch main and two handicap main victories this season, added another in one of speedway’s most prestigious events, taking the trophy named for Milne, the 1937 world champion who was instrumental in speedway motorcycle beginning in Costa Mesa 32 years ago.

“I really want it just because of the affiliation,” said Venegas, 33, before the racing began. “I’d just like to touch it.”

Instead, he was kissing it after holding off Brea’s Shawn McConnell in the four-lap final.

“He had the best starting spot, and the way I ride, I had the next best,” said McConnell, who started in Gate 2. “Bobby [Schwartz, the 1998 winner] gambled and took [Gate] 5. If he had made a perfect start, we might have gone around Charlie.

“I guess Bobby didn’t make the big start.”

Costa Mesa’s Schwartz, 43, the oldest rider in the series, said he lost his clutch spring on the line. “I couldn’t believe it,” Schwartz said. “It meant a lot to get to the finals. I thought I was going to win it.”

Schwartz was the rider who most concerned Venegas. But Venegas, who is racing in Auburn on Fridays and Costa Mesa on Saturdays, is riding as well as he ever has.

“Charlie was on tonight,” McConnell said. “He’s just a tough guy to beat.”

Andy Northrup finished third, and Cypress’ Dukie Ermolenko, who crashed on the first lap, finished fifth.

“This means a lot to me,” Venegas said. “I’m trying to get my name in the books, too.”

The San Bernardino rider got the best start. McConnell had his chance early in the race, but bobbled exiting Turn 2 on the second lap. That was the opening Venegas needed to put the race away.

“I actually had to lean on him a little bit,” Venegas said, later adding that had the race gone one more lap, “I would have been dust.”

Instead, he was just champion.

The Cup itself was a gift from Milne to rider (and promoter) Brad Oxley in 1971 when Oxley was a child.

Gary Hicks, who won the Milne Cup last year, is still recovering from a broken collarbone and did not compete.

Las Flores’ Bill Matherson and Norwalk’s Dale Leeder won the Sidecar main event, Moreno Valley’s David Lynch won the Support main, and Claremont’s Brent Smith won the Support B main.

Brad Oxley of San Juan Capistrano, second in the points standings, failed to make it out of the Last Chance Qualifier. Northrup won, winning a restart after Eddie Castro was disqualified for instigating a three-bike accident that included Northrup and Oxley.