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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126275
Frank Bollinger wore a leather tux to v;,in division three at Costa Mesa. Bobbi Hunter won at Ventura, the year) ; Kelly Mora n (torn ligaments in knee and a broken lit tle finger): Gene Woods (hurt fingers). Mike Bast · a nd Bru ce Penhall wer e in Engla nd . All p revious Scratc h Ma in s a t Inland Motorcycle Speedway had been won by ei the r Bast or Pen hal l. Fishback began his run for the main by placing first in his qu alifying hea t. with surprising ease over Sigal os, Sims' and Schafer. In his semi-final event . Fishb ack could never quite get around Preston as Ron d id a n exce llent job of bloc king Big J im for the ent ire rac e. But in the main . thi ngs changed. Fishback got a great sta rt and was a length a head going into the first tu rn . But by the time t hey passed th e ga te for the first time. Preston was leading .Fishback made several attem p ts at passing Ron on t he ou tside, but aga in Preston was doing an excellent job of blocking the ou tside ch ute . But . with t he crowd roaring to its fe e t as Fishback made on e last attemp t . Preston was not abl e to ge t out wide enough to block , and Fishback flew by. • Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. J im Fishback. 2. Ron Preston . 3. Bobby Schwartz. HA NDICA P MAIN: 1. David Sims. 2. Ctaig ScI1aefe< . J . Alan Christian. 4. Mark Cherry. MATCH RACE: T- . . of J im R shbact< and W alt Fost er deated Ron Preston and Larry Roesel er. 1 laps 4 race with exchange of bikes after two lapsJ By Dennis Greene . . " . VENTURA. CA. AUG. g'" ';;' It was the start of the 15th week of speedway. with a long list of first-time winners. The first new name we found 10 in the winner's circle is John Sandona. John filled in for Mike Muntean in First Division and as so often is the case when a rider gets a break out of Division Two. he turned in the ride of his life. John had the short ya rd age mark in the Handicap Ma in Event and managed to hold off the rush of Tom Morley, Bob Schwartz and Alan Christian for his big payday. . With John out of Division Two. the field was left wide open and the second new winner of the night, Terry Bilton. emer ged . _Terry has been rid ing Speedway for quite some tim e and has a long list of second place fin ishes . bu t his wins ha ve been few and far between. His victory in the Second Division Handicap Main Event was well -ea rned and along with the mo ney he got to kiss the winner of the Division Three Main Event . Bu t it was OK because the winner was 17-yea r-old Bobbi Hunter, the only girl to win a Speedway race ever , a nd th is was her second this season. Rounding ou t a gr eat nigh t of racing. Dennis Sigalos won the Scratch Ma in Event over Ji m . Fishback. Ala n Ch ristian and Gen e Woods. Results SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. Dennis Sigalos. 2. Jim Fishbeck. 3. Alan Christ8l. 4. Gene Woods. HANDICAP MAIN EVENT: 1. John Sandona. 2. Tom Morley. 3. Bob Schwstz. 4. Alan Christ ian. 5. Don Faulkner . 6. Ran Pr.ton. . FEATURE MATCH RACE: Gene W oods over Ron PresIon. DIVIS~ 2: Terry Bilton. By David R. Daniel SAN BERNARDINO. CA. AUG, 10 Jim Fishback won his first Scratch Main of the year at San Bernar dino and his second "360" in as many weeks. Another capacity crowd inspi red their local favori te to go for it all on the last lap as Fishb ack came from the ou tside to pass form er Sizzler teammate Ron Preston . Many second di vision ri de rs got their first cha nce to ride first d ivision as many ride rs were out with injuries and other problems. Several riders hurt themselves the night before in Ventura : Mike Munteen; Jeff Sexton (d ue to ha re knee surgery and ou t for By Tom Blattler IRWIN,DALE. CA. AUG. 11 After several months of just missing a main event victory at Irwindale Raceway, Gene Woods, the 19-year-old "Kid .with No Re pect " scored his first-ever Scratch Main Event win. Woods, who has proven to be one of the most spectacular and popular young riders on the SoCal Speedway circu it in 1977 . gave h is fans something to yell about last Thursday with a sensationa l move at the beginning of the four -lap event . Woods started . on the pole in the feature, which isn't the best position Gene would have liked because of his outside riding style. However. Gene was able to mo ve to . the lead in the first corner and slid up to the outside cushion ahead of Dennis Sigalos , Alan Ch rist ian, and Dave Sims. Once Woods put his Neil Streetpowered machine to th e ou tside, there was no ca tch ing the high -fl ying , youngs ter. Sigalos, a nother young competitor who has been flying out of th e starting gates lately , held off the la te race challenges of Christian ' a nd Sims 'to place second. The scratch victory for Woods made him onl y th e fourth scratch winner at Irwindale this season , as Ch rist ian took the season opener wit h Mike Bast and Bruce Penhall dominating th e remainder of the main events. In the five-la p Handicap fea ture. Costa Mesa's Jan Ba lla rd ca me from the 20-yard -line and grab bed th e lead down the back straightaway on t he opening la p. From that point, Jan also rod e th e outs ide line . to his first main event checkered flag of the year at Irwindale. Da ve Gal vin , Tom Ferris , and Sims followed . For the second consecu tive week at Irwi ndale, Chuck Whea t scored the Second Division Ma in Event win on a beautiful move on the outside to pass Phil Gagnon and Wal t Foster in the final turn. Ron Ma rkegard captured his second th ird d ivision victory in as many nights. Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Gene Woods. 2.. 0enM Sigalos. 3. Alan Christian . 4. Dave Sims. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Jan Ballard. 2. Dow Galvin. 3. Tom ferr is. 4. Dave Sims. MATCH RACE: 1. Gene Woods ave< Dennis Sigaloo. SECOND DIVISION MAIN: 1. Chucl< Wh.... .....IRD DIVIS ION MAIN: 1. Ron Markogard. COSTA MESA. CA. AUG. 12 - The final night of the 15th week of Speedway produced yet more first -time winners. Believe it or not, Bobby Schwartz. one of the big money winners every yea r and always way up in the overall point race, had never won a Scratch Main Event ever on any track until Friday night. . At the start of th e Main Event it looked like Jim Fishback would push everyone out of his way . but he went in too hard int o turn three and drilled himself into the ground. Bobby then jumped out in front of Alan Christan and stormed by Dave Sims to go all the way to the winner's circle. The man in t he black leather tuxedo, Frank Bollinger, with white carnation and all , won his secondstraight Third Division Main Event. First Division Handicap Main Event honors went to Steve Columbo, who just beat out Wayne Lewis in the last lap. . We are just one week away from the first round of qualifying for the October running of the U .~ . Speedway ti tle round . The first round of qualifying will be held Tuesday. August 23. at Ventura. Results SCRATC H MAIN EVENT: 1. Bob ScI1wartz. 2. Dave Sims. 3. Alan Christian. 4. J im Foshbad<. HANDI CAP MAIN EVENT: 1. Steve Columbo. 2. Wayne Lewis . 3. Dave Sims . 4. Alan Christian . 5. Brad Oxley. 6. Tom Morley. • - FEAi1JRE MATCH RACE: Jim Foshbact< over M ark Cherry .