Press Release 03.09.2006
The Sonny Hutchins Memorial Criterium
by Tom Houff
With rubber on the asphalt, and dedicated racers leaving everything on the track, that’s the way Sonny Hutchins would have wanted it. Tony Hall of Team Seigler Imports honored his stock car racing legend grandfather by promoting bicycle racing at Southside Speedway.
Riders in the Combined Category Women's road race line up at the start of the Sonny Hutchins Memorial Criterium at Southside Speedway on March 5. (picture by: www.richmondciclismo.com)
Hutchins’ November 25, 2005 Richmond Times/Dispatch obituary quotes NASCAR greats Richard Petty, Darrel Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt about the fierce competitor who loved “showing up at someone else’s track and beating them,” according to the Times/Dispatch.
I didn’t know the race car driver, you know,” said Hall. “I knew the loving grandpa, who was really more like my father.”
The same man who would put Earnhardt into the wall would talk a young Tony into eating his greens so he could be like Popeye. Then he would let the Tony beat him in arm wrestling.
Must be something to that Popeye thing. Hall placed third in the category 3 and 4 road race event. He and the first and second place finishes broke away and lapped the field.
That’s the determination that had been passed down.
“I used to call him the bionic man, because of his pacemaker and all of his scars from surgery,” Hall said. “Nothing kept him down. Even until the end, he was trying so hard to stick around. He wasn’t going to let anything stop him from doing the things he wanted to do.”
This race had both track and road bicycle events.
Men's 1,2,3: 60 laps - 18 miles
1. Michael Stoop
2. Ben King
3. Keck Baker
4. Mason Haymes
5. Jon Wirsing
6. Keith Johnson
7. Dan King
8. Mark Saunders
9. John Schindler
Women's Race: 50 laps - 15 miles
1. Lisa Young
2. Julie Kuliecza
3. Alison Kinsler
4. Jennifer Rasmussen
5. Leslie Jennings
6. Alexandra Christopulos
7. Ann Hardy
8. Sally Snead
9. Kristin Andrs
Men's 3,4: 50 laps - 15 miles
1. Fredrik Andersson
2. Jim Fisher
3. Tony Hall
4. Mason Haymes
5. Wade Jennings
6. Frank Deal
7. Pete Whitlock
Men's 4,5: 40 laps - 12 miles
1. Kenneth Young
2. Ben Johnson
3. Jerry Gunn
4. Jeff Brandon
5. Jeff Craddock
6. Pete Whitlock
Novice Track AM
1. Cole Hardin
2. James Brannan
3. Latane' Coghill
4. Jason "Tink" Steed
5. Brett Waterworth
6. John Goryo
3,4,5 Track AM
1. Andrew Wolak
2. Cole Hardin
3. Rob Suydam
4. Stuart Louder
5. James Brannan
6. Jason "Tink" Steed
Novice Track PM
1. Cole Hardin
2. Ian Marcuse
3. Latane' Coghill
4. Luke Stevens
5. Jason "Tink" Steed
6. Joe Notarnicola
3,4,5 Track PM
1. Jon Wirsing
2. Matt Mega
3. Rob Suydam
4. Stuart Louder
5. Andrew Wolak
6. Joe Notarnicola
by www.richmondciclismo.com
