Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Dennis Sigalos (taking the dive) and Dean York (sideways with no place to go) were both hurt in crashes this _k. e- of trying too hard? wall, came back .to help his team this week, although he was still in much pain. He rode the team events, but pulled himself out of the second half of the program, the Handicap portion. • San Bernardino , Californ ia May 12, 1976 By Denn is Greene and Rex Reese Ventura, Califo rnia May 11, 1976 The League-leading San Bernardino Sizzlers cooked up some Shark steaks, as Team Captain Larry Shaw, along with Jim Fishback, were high point riders . The Sizzlers won the first match, but did not get back in to the win column until the ninth Rider's eye view - you'r e com mitted , duck ing flying d irt, and somebody goes dow n . Handicappers Spisak and Sidner pitch it sideways to slow down and gain. • 30 event. The Sharks took over the lead when Scott Sivadge won event five. In event nine, with the score again tied, Bill Meister and Jim Fishback of the Sizzlers had the first clean sweep of the night, for. five points. Again in event ten, the Sizzlers had a clean sweep, but the ref disqualified the winner for what appeared to be rough riding. This thoroughly confused everyone, including the two riders in question. Two races later there was an official change back to the original finish when neither rider felt he had been fouled by the other. Score after ten events, 34 to 26 in favor of the Sizzlers. The Sharks made a late challenge in event twelve, taking four points , moving ' them to within striking distance. The 13th and final event. where only the two top poin t men from each team meet, was won by Scott Sivadge for the Sharks for three points, but Shaw and Fishback took second and third for a total of three points, giving the overall victory to the Sizz lers, 42·36. It may have been his first win in Speedway, but the winner of the Second Division Main is very familiar with the winners circle. Steve Fortune. a star of the AMA Class C Junior riders. entered his first Speedway competition Tuesday night and walked off with the gold. He also won his heat race. Sonny Nutter, so badly bruised a week ago when he ran into the crash If last week's weather was enough to give you TB, tonight was enough to clear it all up as the usual gang of crazies gathered to watch the Sizzlers smash the Sprockets. Early on in the game, Mike Bast broke the starting tape and was eliminated which quickly brought on a heavy round of arguing. But just like baseball, you can't argue ,wi th the umpire, and Bast was out just the sam e. Gene Woods was sent in to replace Bast, which was the first of many shuffles the Sprockets had to do in their fight against Berdoo. Further disasters for Irwindale had Steve Columbo taken out by a crash with Dean Foreman and Larry Shaw, and then Nonn Denny broke the tape again, which eliminated him from a crucial team heat. Then the unprecedented happened in the ninth heat as Mark Cherry edged out Mike Bast before a screaming partisan home crowd. The Sizzlers were still ahead of the Sprockets after the .team final, though Bast and Bruce Penhall easily trounced Jim Fishback and Mark Cherry. The final score, 42-36. The Handicap heats had one of the more spectacular crashes of the season as Wayne Lewis plowed into Shawn McConnell in front of the press box, creating a mess that made it hard to tell the bikes from the riders. While Shawn was relatively unhurt, Wayne Lewis was taken away with a possibly broken wrist which is another blow against Irwindale. The Handicap Main was the t opper for this balmy night, and it was given some dimension and color as the PA system (which had been out for half the program) returned to the air. Jim .Gresh am took it over Bruce PenhalI. Irwindale, California May 13, 1976 The previous' night's bad lu ck had put the Sprockets at the top of the league with the most injuries; Wayne Lewis was out with a definitely broken wrist. But the Sprockets put in Rich MacMurray to fill in for Lewis as it looked like the Orange County Eagles might put the

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