Gone in 48 seconds

Sure the grub, the beer and the great company of friends makes the Costa Mesa Speedway fun, but what lures Richie Ruggiero back each season?

“I like the smell of the fuel that they use, and actually the sound of the engines too,” said Costa Mesa resident Ruggiero, 26, who has been attending speedway events since he was 8 or 9 years old. “I like the excitement of finding out who’s going to win — the whole competition of it — and the speed of the vehicles. I just like all that stuff.”

The track was being groomed, the pit prepared and the grandstands cleaned Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Warren Russell Cup at the Costa Mesa Speedway.

Every week riders and fans gather in the arena at the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center for a speedway event, but this week’s race holds a special place in the hearts of organizers and riders.

“We started the event in 1989, and it’s prestigious to the competitors because of who Warren Russell is and all the wonderful things he did for the sport,” Costa Mesa Speedway promoter Brad Oxley said.

Russell became interested in the sport in the 1940s and continues to sponsor riders and events today.

“Warren Russell coached, supported over 10 riders at one time and has had a super long involvement in the sport,” Oxley said.

On Saturday, 60 riders will race around the track in 48-second bouts on single cylinder, methanol-burning 500cc speedway bikes that have no gears and no brakes. Over 38 events — including a juniors competition and races for little ones atop 50cc bikes — will happen over two hours, but only 20 pros will fight to claim the $5,000 purse and have their name etched on the Warren Russell trophy.

“It’s really fast-paced,” Oxley said. “Every four minutes an event starts and ends.”

International Speedway Inc., the Costa Mesa Speedway promoter, was started by Oxley’s mom and dad in 1969 and brought the sport to Costa Mesa the same year. Although speedway is part of the growing popularity of “action sports” in the country, speedway is wildly popular in Europe — even more so than soccer in some countries, Oxley said.

“Costa Mesa is kind of the cradle of the sport in America,” he said.

There’s never a lack of excitement at a Costa Mesa Speedway event, especially with a new wider and longer track, which makes for faster racing, Oxley said.

“You never know what you’re going to see at speedway,” Oxley said. “There’s sometimes a little bit of controversy, a little bit of rivalry and heated action and really excellent racing … and sometimes some chills and spills.”

To get up to speed with California law and produce a safer and more accessible venue in general, this year there are all new grandstands and bleachers, which are right on top of the action.

“There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Oxley said. “Fans don’t have to be giant, knowledgeable racing fans to really enjoy it.”

The event is family-friendly, Oxley said, especially Saturday’s race when kids from 7 to 15 years old will also make their way around the track. Racers tend to also be fan-friendly, hanging around the pits before and after their race to chat with fans and to sign autographs.

Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz of Costa Mesa is one such rider. This year, Schwartz won a championship on the heels of his 50th birthday. He’s been a mainstay of the sport for over 25 years. Of 10 events so far this year, the speedway has seen eight winners — Schwartz is the only one who has won two, and he’ll surely be looking for another, Oxley said.