Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125804
Costa Mesa Speedway ':"":"'"':"":"'" Cal·Expo Championship Speedway -:--~-~~-":""':'~:----....., _ by Jennie Johnson . COSTA MESA, CAL., Sept. 29,1972 After recuperating from a back injury, Jeff Sexton came to Costa Mesa and won the Handicap Main Event. Dan Be,cker, who came in second, just came with inches of taking it away from Sexton at the finish line. Behind them were Mike Bast, Ed Williams, Ken Cartee, and Jim Gresbam, in that order. In the Scratch Main Event, Rick Woods won from the outside position. He took it in the first lap and held on to it during the entire race.A couple times, Mike Bast attempted to move up, but Woods didn't make it possible. Bast pulled in second, Bill .cody got third, with Larry .Shaw trailing wi th fourth. With some ease, Rick Woods also won the Handicap Consolation. Steve Bast took second and Larry Moon in third, Mike Curoso for fourth and Bill Manley and Scott Autrey tangling in the third lap. fuding beautifully, Don Cullum won the scratch Consolation. Second for J im Gresham, who was looking great tonight, Steve Bast popped up third, and Scott Autrey in fourth. The highlight of the evening was the Feature Match Race. Larry Shaw won it but I also think Scott Autrey should be commended for his generosity. When the gate wen t up to begin the race, Au trey took the lead with Shaw way behind him with his bike not working. Knowing that he could have gone on without Shaw to finish the two laps and win the race, Autrey pulled over, on his own, and they had a restart, with Shaw winning. Autrey was pretty close behind him though!! Winning the Division II Main, for a clean ride, was Marc Walker. Behind Walker came Steve Bonham, Troy McKee, Jim Shaw, Phil Moon, and Mike Mesojednik, respectively. Irwindale Speedway.. , ~-~~~--~---- by Ralph Springer IRWINDALE, CAL., Oct. 5, 1972 Several spills punctuated action tonigh t at Irwindale Raceway's speedway program, the most serious involving rivals Rick Woods and Mike Bast. The event was the Handicap Main and, for a quarter of a lap, it looked to be an-outstanding race with Bast and Woods gating almost identically' and running side by side through the first comer, Bast on the pole_ However, the two tangled, Bast faltered and Woods spun down and slammed backwards into the crashwall exiting the first tum. The rest of the field - Ed Williams, Jim Gresham, Steve Bast and Mike Mesojednik - streamed by as Bast parked his bike in the infield and ran over to assist Woods. Damage was luckily confined to a bruised leg, a mangled shin guard and a slightly bend magnesium front wheel. Woods was running a set of the 12-spoke mags front and rear for the first time and was_enthusiastic about the wheel's characteristics on the track. Monotrack Engineering honcho Dan Hannebrink, who designed and built the mag speedway wheels, reported that although the wheel was bent slightly it could be straightened for further use. Woods' tuner, Ed Schaefer later said that the crash would have crushed a normal spoked wheel and was also enthusiastic about the mag wheel. With Bast and Woods out of it, Ed Williams went on to take the Main with a steady ride over Jim Gresham. Steve Bast, Mesojednik, Bast and Woods trailed in the results with Woods limping off the track without any apparent serious injuries. The Scratch Main appeared to be a Bill Cody-Mike -Bast duel with Cody taking the pole and swinging in to the lead immediately after .the tapes flew up. However, Cody swung a little too wide in a comer - a fatal mistake with Mike Bast behind - and the SRA Number One slipped through and was gone. Cody trailed in second followed by Scott Autrey and Steve Bast. Steve Gresham and Ron Taylor spEt the handicap and scratch consolation events respectively while Ken Cartee and Ralph Castor ran 1-2 in the Second Division Main after everyone else fell down! Jim Shaw recovered from his fall to finish third. In Match Race action, Jeff Sexton downed Robin Nicolaides. Sacramento Speedway by PatJones SACRAMENTO, CAL., Sept. 29, 1972 - Pat Rooney became the first rider this year to win a double at Expo by taking both main even ts. Rooney started his sweep by winning the handicap main from the 30-yard line · despite the fact he was the high · handicap man in the event. He got a break early' when veteran Gus Lauer, riding again after the shortest retirement on record, was forced outside in the early going opening up a lane' for Rooney on the inside. Pat took advan tage of the break to jump into the lead and then outdistanced everyone for the lead. Ron Smalley riding from the 20-yard line finished second. Rooney started the scratch main' from the pole position and left everyone behind from the start, jumping to a small lead in the first tum and then stretching his advantage to take a comfortable win. Smalley again finished second. Rooney's father, Steve, serves as the announcer at Expo and showed the NRA Corona TT by "The Shadow" CORONA, CAL., Oct. 4, 1972 Getting its feet wet in the TT Scrambles bit tonight at Corona Raceway, was the_ newly-formed National Racing Association. Under the gyidance. of President Jerry McNeal, who was ably assisted by Jack Barbacovi, the NRA hosted a moderate tumout of riders in 14 races, five for the mini classes, and nine for the big boys. The Wednesday night NRA event is to be a regular a t Corona Raceway. At every future event there will be 25 percent trophies to classes under · Expert, and a 200 percen t cashyayback J to Experts_ McNeal went on to point OUl all future events will be of short-track and half-mile nature, with the gates to open at 5 p.m. Signups in the mini classes will close at ~ p.m., with big bike sign ups to close at 7 :30 p.m. Kenny Conover (Kaw) won the Pee Wee (six and under) class; Adam Oil.! _ highest professionalism by calmly announcing his son '5 wins and then turning off the microphone each time before screaming his head off. . , John Cunningham won the scratch consolation race by about 50-yards over Stu Morley and Carl Cranke bu t managed to keep things interesting by hitting the wall on the last tum before winning. The handicap consolation even twas a typical Expo consy race. Once again, most of the high handicap men who' you expect to see in the main wound up battling for the consolation prize. Stu Morley, Butch -Corder, Carl Cranke and Barclay Trehal all started on the 30 and Joe Henry ram from the 40-yard line. Cranke, fresh from winning a Gold Medal in the ISDT, proved he doesn't need six days to win a race by taking first place. Norm Denn-, was second from the 10-yard line and Morley did five laps on one wheel to take third place. Stu spends so much time doing whee lies he probably gets 50,000 miles on his front tires. "":':":'"""":" depending on Rooney's finish. by Pat Jones The four riders piled into the first SACRAMENTO, CAL., Dct. 6, 1972 _ turn Iike they were all driving After two hours of the best racing of bulldozers. Henry left everyone by the year, the Northern California taking the inside line thereby grabbing a Speedway Championship came down to huge lead. four laps and two .riders. When it was Rooney and Trehal were left to over, Pat Rooney was the new battle it out for second-place wben champion of the northern Speedway Cunningham - the early favorite 'for tbe circuit. Championship - went way outside and The top 16 Northern circuit riders _ could never gain enough ground to chosen on. the basis of their mount a tbreat. performance at the Napa, Reno and Rooney, knowing he needed a Cal-Expo speedway tracks _ met in the second place finish to tie for the lead, ali-scratch program. . managed to hold-off Trehal and take the Each rider raced in five heats and at runner-up spot. the end of the regular program Pat . Henry drew the pole position, and Rooney and Joe Henry were tied for after beating Rooney in the earlier heat, first place. Each rider had piled up four he looked like the probable winner. wins and a second place finish in their When the flag went up,Joe jumped to a five earlier heats. quick and seemingly unsurpassable iead The final run-off was set up by the by again taking ti1.e inside line through last regular heat for the two riders. The the first tum. pair, together with John Cunningham But in the second lap, Henry's Jawa and Barclay Treha!, were matched in suddenly found too much traction Heat 18 and Rooney, Cunningham or coming off the finish-line tum and shot Henry could have won it all at that him straight into the wall in the worst time. crash of the nigh t. A win by Rooney would have Rooney, after slowing to see if Henry cinched the title, and a first by was OK, turned the last two laps into a Cunningham or Henry guaranteed al'" vIctory tour of the. track as he coasted least a tie for the Championship lIn for the vIctory and the ~ · Ii ..,- -' ~ ,; ./ t o Ul :;; W Z W ..J U >U C"="oo~~ .,.............. . ~ See your name in prinl! Buy a Cycle Ne""s ""ani Ad. T~SHIRTS Printed in 3 COLORS / Top quality cotton pull-over shirt, guaranteed washable with pocket on front. Available in 2 styles: long or / short sleeve. Short sleeve available in yellow, gold, light purple, light blue or beige. Long sleeve available in gold, yellow or light blue. $4.95 $5.95 Send cash, check or money order and state color, size (5, M, L or XL) and style to: ORBIT ORDER P.O. Box 31 Hermosa Beach, Ca. 90254 Calif.....esidents add 5% tax. Postage and Handling is included In this low price. -:--_~~""':"":'~~ (Han) was a winner in the Minibike (Beginners); Randy Bennett (Gem) captured the Minibikes (Advanced); Todd Peterson (Ind) was a winner at Mini-Cycle (Beginners); Jamie Oliver (Tor) took the Mini-Cycle (Advanced), Division I; Frank Tarantino (Yam) won at Mini-Cycle (Advanced), Division II, and Fred Conover (Kaw) won the Mini-Cycle (Open) class. Robbie Rice (Yam) won the 100 Novice, Division [ class; Don Tallman (Kaw) took the 100 Novice, Division [l event; Derek Katanic (Kaw) won at 100 Amateur; Dave Wesely (Kaw) took the 100 Expert; Russ Shulh (Bul) captured . the 175-200 Novice class; and Tom McHugh (Kaw) was a winner at 125 Novice. Big bike winners were Carl May (Yam) in the 250 Novice, Division I class; Brian Tolson (Mai) at 250 Novice, Division II; Larry Fum (Oss) at 250 Amateur; Dan White (Yam) at 250 Expert; Ron Christnes (Suz) in the Open Novice olass; and Walt Foster took the Open Expert even t. 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