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/125813
'" N ~ 0.. N .... '" ~ Cl ~ w 2 w ..J U >U Four year old Shannon Schroeder rode a pre-race exhibition on a speedway mini. by Dennis Greene VENTURA, CAL., Dec. 10, 1972 After a seven weeks postponement, the West Coast Championship was held this weekend, Dec. 1Q, 1972. The event had been scheduled for Halloween night but due to the passing of promoter Johnny Mantz, the event had been cancelied. After a few weeks, Mrs. Mantz (Peggy), realizing how much the sport of Speedway had mean t to her husband and the hours of preparation for the West Coast championship Class A race, decided to reschedule the even t and run it as a fitting memorial to her husband. This brings us up to Sunday, December 10, and the first running of the Johnny Mantz Memorial, West Coast Class A Speedway Championship. The Bast boys once again showed the way and let everyone know why their fans say "Basts are bestt'o Steve and Mike took turns with the point lead and no one got ahead of BASTS BEST AT Y TU A them at any time in the 20-event program. At the end of the day there was a tie: 14 points each and they went into the 21st event, a runoff for first with second place guaran teed to the loser. Mike, who was slightly injured in an earlier event, came to the starting line spitting blood due to a hole he had bitten in his tongue. This was a flag start because of a malfunction with the electric gate. Mike Bill Cody leads Larry Shaw, Jim Gresham, and Dubb Farrell as they parade into "ne of Ventura's Danny Becker and Dpn Cullum. who placed fourth, try different lines. 37 demanding turns. was on the pole, Steve on the outside and the title on the line. The flag went down and the boys were off for a four lap sprint race that saw the lead change several times. Mike got past Steve in the last lap in Turn Two and opened up the lead down the back straightaway. In Turns Three and Four, Steve closed up some, but not enough. The title went to brother Mike. Ties were the name of the game. There was a runoff for third between Mike Konle would give him d1ird _ the same place he finished at Bakersfield in the California Championship. Mike won this event and as he mounted the winner's platform it made the same trio that finished 1-2 -3 at the California State Championship; the only difference being that younger brother Mike took top honors and, at age 20, has won the first Johnny Mantz Memorial raGe. The awards were presen ted by Jackie Giroux, a young movie starlet and super. ~D;:;o:;:;n~C~u:;;I:.:;1 um;;;,:~a:;:n:::d:.;.M~i;;.k:.;;e~.Ko.::n:.:.le:;'.;A.;..W_in;..,f,.o_r,:,",~s!&;o_rts ......_ f~an~ '." -,Joe-<>n--l>i. Kawa.. k~ ~1Nt's,'!Ihat,it ""i/s} puts his foot under his buddy's wheel while Mike Bast drives around.