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/126310
J.C.AGAJANIAN PRESENTS ASCOT SPRING INAUGURAL NATIONAL HALF MILE MAY 13,8:00PM ~ •• .. , 1' .,;0.- - • -A. familiar name in speedway - Oxley - won at Costa Mesa. Promoter Harry's son Brad won the Handicap Main Event well out in front. Bast, Oxley top tough Costa Mesa By Dennis Greene THE BIG BIKES ARE COMING I COSTA MESA, CA , AP R . 28 With the push of a button , th e starting gate went up on the first sp eedway event of the 1978 season . A crowd of over 8,500 filled the Orange County Fa irgrounds sta nd s. T hey h ad co me fr om all over the cou nty to see a fu ll program of scra tc h and handicap ' raci ng in a ll three divisi ons. . Young Bra d Oxley, a fter co m ing in seco nd pla ce over a dozen tim es last year in the H andi cap Ma in Event, won th e open ing n igh t fea tu re well ou t in front of the vete ra n r iders Alan Ch ristian a nd Mike Bast. , Opening night saw th e return of a dozen riders who d id not com pete last yea r a t Costa Mesa . Sonny N utter, Dan ny Beck er and Steve N utter, just to mention a few , have co me back ·to the spo rt t ha t made the m fa mous . J They a ll fou nd the going a litt le rou gh , th ough . Sonny Nutter crashed comi ng on to th e front straig htaway . He tr ied to go a ro u nd Mike Bast on t he out sid e , ra n ou t of roo m and bounced off t he wall. Steve Nutter had just ea rned fou rt h p lace in th e Hand icap Ma in when he ca me ou t for th e Scrat ch Con sol ati on . At th e sta rt of tha t race , Becker was in a wheel sta nd go ing int o tu r n on e . Eve ryone ca me toge t he r at th e sa me pla ce on th e track . Steve sho t out of the pile head ing stra igh.t into th e cras h wa ll ga te . He was carried off th e track by th e a m bu lance crew , bu t was in th e pit s a fte r the races with only ·a, few Iiruised ri bs . Five -time U.S . Speedway Ch amp Mike Bast, o n the/ Geor ge Wenn Specia l, wo n- the Scra tc h Ma in Event. Mike does ha ve h is work cu t ou t for him th is seaso n . It was Bobb y Sch wart z, Alan C h rist ia n a nd Dave Sim s push ing Mike all th e way . You ca n look for t hose three a long wit h Brad Oxley re laxes in the winner's circle. M ike Bast started the season w ith a Scratch Main win. And along with the Ame rican Motorcycle Assoc iation 's high speed two wheelers- the circu it's top and toughest riders. The record breake rs. The big boys. See 'em eat up the track while they compete for cycli ng 's heavy prize money. Y ou'll want to catch all the action from the first flag on. So com e on out-early! TICKET INFORMATION: Tick ets availa ble at all Southern Californ ia Ticketron Outle ts and Ascot Par k, 18300 S. Vermont, Gardena, Californ ia 90247 . Phone: (213) 321- 1100 or 323- 1142. . \ Discover one of a IIInci. camel Filters and Motorcycle'Racing. Brad Ox ley, th e Nutte rs, Ron Pr eston , Gene W ood s a nd a list th at wou ld fi ll the newspa pe r of very ta le nt ed rid ers who will earn t he ir wa y in to t he win ne rs' ci rcle befo re the season is over. Eri c Grays on has sta rted his long climb to t he top by win ning t he Divisio n T hree H andicap Ma in Even t. Division Two hon ors went to Tom Burba . • Results FEATU RE M AT CH RACE: 1. Alan Christian over Bobby Schwa rts. SCRATC H MAI N: 1. M ike Bast. 2. Bobb y Schw artz . 3. Alan Christia n . 4. Dave Sim s. HA NDICAP MA IN: 1. Brad Oxley : 2. A lan Christian. 3. Ron Preston. 4. Stev e Nutt er. 5. M ike Bast. 6. Larry Ko sta . SECOND DIVISION: 1. Tom Bud' a . THIRD DIVI SION: 1. Eric Gravscn. I: 19 1 1 R J REY NO LDS 10B...ceoco I CAM E L ~ THE CAMEL PRO SERIES 1B mg. "tar",1.2 mg. nicotine av, per cigarette. FTC R eport A G '71. U Warning : T Surgeon General Has Determined he T C hat igarene Smoking Is Dangerous toYour Health. 29