Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

A lan Christian battles hi s bike at Co sta M esa in front of J i m Fishback. By David Dan ie l SAN BERNADINO. CA. MAY 25 J im Fishback thrilled the crowd with some new manuvers on a speedway bike , then proceeded to win the Handicap Main. The (A bov e) Mark Cherf gets his foot perilously close to the rear w heel. (Bel ow) Mike Bast staves off A lan Christian. second evening of racing at Inland Motorcycle Speedway was highlighted by Bruce Penhal l winning every race he was in except one, the Handicap Main that Fishback won . Penhall fin ished first in both the Scratch Main and the ' King of the Hill' match race. In the Handicap Main , Fishback and Penhall put on th e best race of th e night . They fought side by side th e whole five laps . Fishback pulled awa y from Penhall in the stre tch after th e final turn . crossing the fin ish line on his rear whee l. But that was nothi ng compared to what Fishback did in the Scratch Main. The "Flyer from Fontana" found himself going too fast and too crossed -up coming out of a corner. So his horsepower spun his bike around in two complete 360s. Fishback then went on to finish the race. Very few men on the Speedway circuit hav e the strength and coordination to handle their 185pound bike in such a way. Penhall easily handled Alan Christian in the Match race and Rich Jones won the trophy in the Second Division Main for the second straight week at the Inland oval. The two consolation events were won by the up and coming youngsters , Ron Preston and "Drastic" Dennis Sigalos. The top First Division riders that wer e on strike will be jo ining the circuit this week . Expected to return are Dubb Ferrell, J eff Sexton, and Scott Sivadge. And reportedly, Rick Woods is retired, not on stri ke. Results HANDICAP MAIN: 1. J im Fishback. 2. Bruce Penhall. 3. Dave Sims , 4. Tom Ferris. SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Bruce Penhall . 2. Rob Morrison. 3. Ron Preston. 4. J im Rshback. 2nd DMSION MAIN: 1. Rid< Jones. 2. Stan Flanders. 3. Kelly Moran. By Dennis Greene VENTURA. CA . M AY 24 Bruce Penhall , the Golden Boy of Balboa, turned in th e best win reco rd of th e new season. He ran in eve ry Main Event this past 20 week . He started by winning th e Scratch Main at Ventura and taking a third in th e Handicap. On Wednesday at San Bernardino , he again won the Scr atch Ma in and took second in th e Handicap. T h ur sd a y night at Irwindale, he pulled a th ird in th e Scr at ch and second in the Handicap. Then 10 round out his week , he won th e Handi cap Main on Friday night at Costa Mesa and got fou rth in th e Scrat ch . Could it be we have a new Champ in th e making? Although the crowds have be en sma lle r a t Ventura du e 10 ba d weat her , some of th e closes t racing on th e circ ui t ha s been ta king pla ce a t th e fa irg ro u nds . Mike Muntean narrowly held on to first place over Alan Christian in thi' very controversial Handi cap Main . The problem came up wh en , at th e start of th e ra ce, th e red flag was seen by the back yardage rid ers. The starter had been using the flag to m ark laps on the ground and it was in his hand and was seen by Jim Fishback . who .pulled into the infield for the restart that never came . Dave Sims took over as King of the Hill in th e Feature Mat ch race , defeating Alan Christian. • Results SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. Bruce Penhall. 2. Christian. 3. Jim Fishback. 4 . Mark Cherry. HANDICAP MAIN EVENT: 1. M ;ke Muntean. 2. Christian. 3. Bruce Penha ll. 4. Ron Preston. 5. Heldoorn. 6. J im Fishback. FEATURE MATCH RACE: Dave Sims eveChristian . DIV ISION 2: Donn ;s Briggs. Alan Alan Fred Alan KING OF THE Hill MATCH Alan Christian. RA~: Bruce Penhall d . By Tom Blattler IRWINDALE. CA. MAY 26 In one of th e most exciting Handicap Main events seen at Irwindale Raceway in quite sometime, Steve Columbo came from th e 3D-yard · line 10 hold off a starstudded group of back -line riders 10 capture his first main event of th e 1977 racing season last Thursday night. Col umbo , who started at the front of the six -rider lineup in th e five-lap feature, rode smooth ly and confident to hold back a late ra ce challenge from Bruce Penha ll and Alan Christian in th e specta cu la r main even t. Follow ing Christian to the checkered flag wer e Gen e Wood s. Ron Pr eston. a nd Mike Bast. A] th e start of th e big money event, it was Columbo by himself on the 3D· ya rd- line. with Wood s and Pr eston on the 40 ·yard marker , and Penhall , Christian. a nd Bast fro m th e 50. In th e first corner, Columbo took the lead d own in t he low groove with Wo ods. Pr est on , a nd Penhall all moving 10 the outside groove . whi ch a t Irwindale is right against th e crash wall. Woods and Pr eSIOn challenged Co lu m bo bri efl y, but Gen e and Ron were closely reel ed in by Penhall , Christian , a nd Bast. It was Co lum bo a ll th e way 10 t he chec kered . In th e fou r-lap scra tc h feature. Mike Bast . agai n rid ing his trusty Weslak e fou r-val ve . sco red his second co nsecu tive win at Irwin d ale des p ite fig hti ng a bad case of the flu . Bast, who sta rted on th e po le position . tool t he lead ea rly a nd never look ed bad d es p it e co nsta n t press u re fr an Christ ia n a nd Pen ha ll. J im "T le Ani ma l" Fishback ro u nded ou t tre scra tc h line up. The two Con solation events went 0 Dave Sims in th e scra tc h portion whib young Br ad O xley rode beaut ifull y 0 hold ba ck Fishba ck in t he handica p co nsola tion for th e victory. The secon divi sion main was taken by Bo] McL a in over flat track a nd TT a Dennis Briggs , wh ile Artie Na y hel off the gal , Bobbi Hunter. to talC hom e the top pri ze in th e third divisirh feature . • Results by Dennis Greene SCRATCH MAIN EV ENT: 1. M;k e Bast . 2. Ain Christian . 3. Bruce Penhatl. 4 , Jim Fishback. HANDICAP MAIN EVENT: 1. St eve Colu mbo . ~. Bruce Penhall. 3. A lan Christian. 4. Gene W oods. Ron Presto n . 6. M ike Bast. FEATUAE MATCH RACE: Bruce Penhall over Jm Fishback . DIVISION 2: Bob M clain. By Dennis Greene COSTA MESA. CA. MAY 27 Alan "Crazy" Christian made it tw o straight Scrat ch Main events in a row at Costa Mesa with a hard -won victory over Mike Bast , th e sa me rider he beat by two inch es las t week : J eff Sexton took third in h is firs t ride of th e season . Bru ce Pe nh all fi nis he d up th e sp eedwa y week b y winning the Handicap Ma in event. Penhall rode in every main event thi s past week. Alan Christian already h as one set of ba ck to :back wi,:,s at Irw i.nd al e and just missed beating Bruce In the Handicap Main. Christian lost the King of th e Hi ll Feature Match race to Ron Preston. Christian was already dethroned t his week at Ventura by Dave Sims, then by Preston at Costa Mesa . Division Two honors again went to Kelly Moran. Moran . along with Bob McLain , Rick Jones a ll but dominated the Second Division . • Results SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. AI.n Christian. 2. M;k e Bas t. 3 . Jeff Sexton. 4 . Bruce Penhall. HAN DICAP MAIN EVENT: 1. Bruce Penhall. 2. Alan Ch nsnan. 3. Ron Preston. 4. Dave Sims . 5. Mike Ben dy. 6. Brad Oxley. FEATU RE MATCH RACE: 1. Ron Preston over Alan Christian. :

• Cover