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/126318
Six straight for Bast at Ascot / By Dennis Greene Each week for the pas t six T hursday nights, the crowds have been grow ing at Ascot. One big reason co uld be t hat they wa nt to see who will beat Mike Bast in the Scratch Ma in, if a nybody . We ll. t hat's still t he big question as Mike made it six straight Scratch Main Event wins. Local hero. Tom Ferris of Torrance, ra n second to Mike, but really was no threat in the four-lap dash . Larry Kosta , on the high school built Speedway bike, became the first rider this season at Ascot to have a repeat win in the Handicap Main Event. Larry, with a 50 -yard handicap to make up, was the first rider out of turn one in the first lap of the Main . Dave Sims made several rushes on Kosta, but he was up to the challenge for his second victory at Ascot. Schwartz tops Bast in Costa Mesa match.race By Dennis Greene COSTA MESA, CA ,JUNE 23 Way back on opening night , the Handicap Main Event went to young Brad Oxley. Although he has earned his way into several Mike Bast leads Mark Cherry and others at Cos ta Mesa. Danny Collins makes San Berdoo debut By Dennis Greene SAN BERNARDINO. CA . J UN E 21 J unior Speedway returned to San Bern a rd ino Wednesday n ight along with the 25 regular Division O ne, Two and T hree ri ders. 22 Da n ny Co llins just started to race one m ont h ago after turning 16. He is the so n of one of th e pioneers of today's top fuel drag racing scene , Danny Collins . Danny Jr. may never go 200 miles an hour like his dad, but then the elder Danny never had to pitch it sideways in the dirt to win. Young Collins won the Division Three Main Event by a very large margin. nearly lapping the last pla ce riders. Shawn Moran also has a family name to uphold . Sh awn 's o lder brother. Kell y. is now ra cing in Europe and was rooki e ' of the year when he broke into Spe edwa y. Shawn topped the Division Two Scratch Main. an event that was made up from four heat races. with only the winner of each going to the Main . The headliners of the show . the First Division riders. kept the fans on their toes . Jan Ba lla rd ha d h is bike get away from him and go over t he back stra igh taway crash wall as fans jumped hastily out of the way . Bob McLain picked up his first win of the 1978 season . It came in the Handicap Ma in Event over his teacher. Mike Bast. Bast came right back to win the Scratch Main Event to ho ld onto the overall points lead. Main Events since that night , it was not until this past Friday night that Brad repeated his victory. Brad is currently in 11th place in overall point standings. A special Feature Match Race between Mike Bast and Bob Schwartz was set up in answer to an overwhelming request by the fans. Promoter Harry Oxley put up $100 to the winner and after a couple of fans added to the pot. it was worth $200, not bad pay for 30 seconds' work! $100 a lap! At the last minute, Danny Becker was added to the race , but the whole racing army couldn't have kept Bobby Schwartz from that victory. He won the two - lap race by over 30 feet , the biggest margin that anyone has had over Mike Bast a ll year. I Bobby ma y have won the ba ttle but he lost the war! Mike Bast ra n away with the Scra tch Main Event just as he has done all week long . Roun d ing ou t t he week of NSL Speedway was the announcement that the Ventura Fai rgrounds again will be hosting Speedway on T uesday n ights starting July 25 for the next 10 Tuesday nights . Not to ove rlook the J u n io r Speedway. .they are , st iJl looking .for ... ................ .. . ..-. _ - .... " -~ IIWild Bill" Cody tops at Santa Ana GARDENA , CA. J UN E 22 lAbove) San Berdoo Handicap winner Bob McClain leads Sunny Nutter. Alan Ctvistian and Jan Ballard. rrop IeftJ Danny Collins won a Div. III Main rrop right) Bryan Buffington at Santa Ana. riders. This week's overall winner was Chris Hedge, winning both heat races. By Ken Kellogg SANT A ANA , CA ,JUN E 24 T he previously inj ury free Sa nta Ana Stadium (Eddie West Field) now has jo ined t he ra nks of th e ma ny. who have for one reaso n or another had a rider inj ured . This week Santa Ana lost three riders to injuries. One of these was Mike Lelia , possibly for the season. As Mike was bumped by another rider whi le both were going for the pole position in turn one , and with neither rider yielding, Mike suffered what appeared to be a broken leg . The Bill Cody fans who filled the stadium were not disappointed as the "W ild Man" continued his domination of the First Division Scratch Main , beating out top contenders Wayne Lewis and Ron Rose. In the Handicap Main , Ron Rose had his most impressive night of the season and finished first in front of "Wild Bill" Cody and Paul Bel isle . In the Second Division Scratch Main , Speedway's newest showman Bria n Buffingto n beat out Danny Fletcher and Tom "Crash" Collins. The Second Division Handicap main was a close race begin ni ng to end, with the riders continually changing positions. It was finally wo n by "Bro a dslidin' Bishop. " defeating both Bill Ramirez and Dave Brewer. The Third Division Handicap Main provided still another exciting race as O-yard line rider Biil Herbert shut the door on Keith Crisco. Next week looks to be an interesting program as all the riders are setting their sights on defeating Bill Cody in a Scratch Main . Returning Shawn McConnel ha s vowed to win both main events. Resu lts SAN BERNARDINO SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. M;ke Bast; 2. Alan Christian; 3. Bob Schwartz; 4. Dennis Sigalos. HANOICAP MAIN EVENT 1. Bob McLa;n: 2. M;ke : Bast ; 3. Dennis Siga los ; 4. Sonny Nutter; 5. Bob Schwartz; 6. Ron Preston. DIVISION TWO: 1. Shawn Moran. DIVISION THREE:1. Danny Comns ASCOT SCRATCH MAIN EVENT 1. M;ke Bast; 2. Tom : Ferris; 3 . Bob Schwartz; 4. Dennis Sigalos. HANDICAP MAIN EVENT 1. : larTv Kosta; 2. Dave Sims ; 3. Mark Ma"iott; 4. Gene Wood s; 5. Sonny Nutter; 6. Bob McClain. COSTA MESA SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. M;ke Bast; 2. Bob Schwartz; 3. Alan Christian; 4. Ron Presto n. HANOICAP MA IN EVENT: 1. Bred Oxley, 2. Alan Chr istian; 3. Dennis Sigalos; 4. M ike Bast; 5. Steve Nutter; 6. Larry Kosta . DIVISION TWO: 1. J;m Forehand. DIVISION THREE 1. Jeff Tornhn, : SANTA ANA SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Bm Cody: 2. Wayne Lewis: 3. Ron Rose. HANDICAP MAI N: 1. Ron Rose; 2. Bm Cody: 3. Peul Belisle. DIV TWO SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Brain Buff;ngton; 2. Danny Fletcher; 3. Tom Collins, DIV TWO HANDICAP MAIN: 1. " B,oadsI;d;n'" Bishop; 2. Bill Ramirez: 3. Dave Brewer. DIV THREE HANDICAP MA IN: 1. Bm Herbert: 2. Keith Cr4sco. ..