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/125859
The gate goes up and they're off in the most exciting rac e acti o n t his sid e of the At lan tic. Bill Co d y , Mike Bast and Da n Becker at Costa Mesa Friday night . Speedway - the week that just slid by - By Dennis Greene Bakersfield, Calif. Wednesday, May 1, 1974 Three victories In a row for Bast, as Bill Gray gets his first big win in '74. Mike Bast '- can anyone beat hirri? Bill Cody h as, but he was in the midwest runn ing a school for Speedway riders this week leaving Mike on his own. Mike won the Bakersfield show, but first there was the challenge of Jeff Sexton to be reckoned with. Sexton got into the main even t after a dispute with the referee 'ab o ut ge tting knocked out of the transfer spot b y Jim Gresha m in the semi. The ref said it was a foul and a dangero us move that Jim was doing at the time t hat he ran into J eff. who was clearly in the lead. Jeff was already in the turn when Jim came d own un de r him and was u nable to get it sideways, so he crashed straight in to Jeff. Sexton got second in the m ain with Larry Shaw just ahead of Sonny Nutter. T he Handicap Main has been th e hard est . even t for the back yardage ride rs to get into so far t his season at Bakersfield. Noone has won from the 50 or 60-yard line. It has been a d uel for the 10 , 20 an d 30-yard men. Bill Gray started on the 40 in the m ain and was the farthest hand icapped rider to win this even t. T his wi n puts Bill's nam e in th e record book and as he sai d, " 1 hope to make it a lo ng list t his year ." Randy Marsh, in o n ly his second year of Speedway. got the win in the Division Two Main. Irwind ale, Calif. Thursday, May 2, 1974 . '*'>2 tl T he Bast win m achi ne is b a ck a t it as both hrothers won th eir chance to ride the Scratch Main Even t. Older brother Steve has had a poor st art thi s year but looks at it very philosophically: "I always get in a slum p near the end o f the year arid the n come hack str ong" he said. "Maybe this time 1 w ill get the slump out of the way at the start of the year and be a good competitor all the rest of the year." Steve knows what he is talking abo u t. having been four-ti me California State Speedway Champ and one -time U.S . Champion . His lu ck did not improve all that m uch as he ran last in the Scratch Main Event that his brother Mike won over Dubb Ferrell and Mark Cherry. Steve did get into the Handicap Main. a feat that few back-ya rdage rid ers have man aged this year. Starti ng o n the 50-yard line, his motor went sour and he again had to settle fo r las t in the Handicap Main . Ken Cartee won the eve nt starting on the 10-yard line and became the thi rd in as m an y weeks to take home the bacon . T he same ho lds tr ue in the Division Two Main: three weeks and three different w inners. This week it was Rick Sm ith holding off Bobby Ross for the win in one of the closer events of the nig ht. This is Steve Nutter, who is often mistaken for his cousin Sonny by Cycle,News caption writers , Sonny Nutter is down, Mike Curoso, Mike Konle and Jeff Sexton go about their business at Bakersfield.