Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ClCl~ClClClocaDOOOOOOCClCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCClaOCOClOClOOOCOQClCM SPEEDWAY, WEEK at Costa Mesa, where the U.S. National will be held on Oct. 14, Alan Christian has a better win record than Mike Bast does this season. Results VENTURA, CA. SEPT. 26: 1. AllIn Christian 114~ 2 Bob McUin (131; 3. S _ Nutter 112l; 4. Bob Schwstz 11 I tS. Tom Morley 1101; 6. Ron PrOllOn 19 ; 7. Sonnr 1 Nutter 18); 8. Louis l.indw1III 9. Croig Scheoter 10. Bred Oxley 161; 11. 0.. MeN"m 16 ; 12. ~ 1 Moron (5); 13. Tom Ferris IS ; 14. John Cool< 13l: IS. } Mort< Merriott 121; 16. Tom Burbo 121. n m; ...... ...... SAN BERNARDINO. CAUFORNIA STAn: CHAMPIONSHIP. SEPT. 27: 1. M ike Bat 114 2 DonnilI SigoIoo }; 1131; 3. Bob ScI1wwu 11 31 4. GoneWoodo 11 11 5. Dow ; ; Simi 1 101; 6. Ron PrOllOn 1 10); 7. Tom Morley 1101; 8. AllIn Chriolian (6); 9. Mike Feria 161; 10. Bred Oxley l8t 11. SI.... Nutt... lSI 12 Bob Mclain IS}; 13. Sonny ; Nutter 13l 14. Tom F9rria 13l 15. Mork Cherry l2l ; 16. ; ; Mort< Merriott l2l ; 17. Jan B"nord Ill; 18. Den Bock... 1-0 CIJ ..c o --.. u o 101. Gene Woods puts It up into a beautiful wheelstend after breeklng , the tapas. (Above) Mike Bast sprays champagne on Dennis Sigalos and Bobby Schwartz. (Below) Alan Christian, Bobby Schwartz and Sonny Nutter in. cIoM. (Bottom) Alan Christian takes nota on Bob Mc18ln's style. Bast, Faas take be the first real look at Christian and Bast in a Championshlp -sryle program. . . The surprise of the night was .the 1s points earned by Bob McLam for second place. Bob didn't earn a ride in the U.S. National. Steve Nutter, with 12 points, earned third overall. Along with the First Division :r.r~ck Championship, the best of the Division Two riders got the chance to earn the title 'of Second Division Champ. Jim Forehand won, but not until a crash sent Pam Bennett to the hospital. Pam won her heat race and was making a run on the second spot in the main event when she got into the rear wheel of Troy Ingolia. She hit the ground hard and was having a hard time getting her breath. She was sore all over , but was on hand the next night for the State Championship . By Dennis Greene Bast takes Cal State title By Dennis Greene SAN BERNARDINO , CA, SEPT. 27 With the running of the California State Championship. the lights went out on the 1978 Speedway season at San Bernardino ... Christian cops Ventura championship By Dennis Greene VENTURA , CA , SEPT. 26 16 m ; Ten weeks ago , with the .Speedway season half over, Ventura opened its gates to the 1978 Speedway season. With the running of the Track Championship, the gates were locked for the year. The final event 'of the year saw Alan Christian run up a score of 14 points to lead the field and earn for him the title of Track Champ. Mike Bast was not on hand because of yet another injury. He was pushed into a crash wall over the weekend and took a half dozen stitches in his right knee. This was to . literally. About 8:20, the main power line to the track went up in smoke and the track went dark. It was a full hour before the Edison Company got the power back on , but the wait was well wonh it. The 10th run for the title looked like Mike Bast would be dethroned by Bob Schwanz or Dennis Sigalos. Bast had lost to Ron Preston in the first round but as it turned out, it would be the only high point Bast lost all night. In that same race, Sigalos ran third earning just one point. Dennis won his next four races for a total of 1~ points. Bob Schwanz also totaled 1~ points, with two second place finishes and three wins . He lost one point each to Bast and Sigalos. . Schwanz and Sigalos had a four lap run-off, Schwanz gave it his all, but just could not make up the few inches that gave the number two spot to Sigalos. . Founh overall was earned by Gene Woods, with a total of 11 points. A three-way tie for fifth ocurred between Dave Sims, Tom Morley and Ron Preston, each" coming, up with 10 points. A . disappointing eighth place . finish was ref'stered by the guy who most say wil put Bast away at the U.S . National, Alan Christian . But Christian has only had three main event wins in as many years at San Bernardino; two Scratch and one Handicap Main , and all three in the past two months. On the other hand , Costa Mesa wraP-up 'li aUl COSTA MESA, CA, SEPT. 29 It's been over a year since the speedway fans at" Costa Mesa have had the chance to see Rick Woods and Steve Bast on the same track, but this past Friday night, both the former U .S . National Champs came out of retirement to add to the final regular night of competition. In the best two out of three match races, Steve Bast won the first two -lap event, lost the second by a foot an~ran away with the third. . Pam Bennett, with a doctor's.release in hand after Tuesday night's crash, showed up to add one more victory, .tp her credit and become .the top gn') rider in U.S. speedway history. In the Division Three Main event, she actually came in second place to Frank Forsyth, but he was excluded for ' 1£ rough n'd mg. _ Fresh from his win in the Ventura Track Championship for Division T~ riders, Jim Forehand put th«: fros ting on the cake with the final wm l?f ' the season in Second Division. f'- d J Leni Faas got a piece of that calCe ~ winning the First Division Ha!ldi!=jtj> Main event. Faas has come a long way this season, working his way through Division Two and has seen the winner's circle several times this year. He aid not make it into the U.S. National Championship, but with. two evel)ts still to come on the halfmile at Ascot , he very well may add to his list of victories . ~ There are 20 Scratch races yet to be run at the U.S. National Oct. 14. but the last regular Scratch Main event went to Mike Bast. Mike and Bob Schwanz got their first look at the new .stan ing lights that were introduced last week while they were riding up nonh. Both had no trouble at all with the new staning system. It was Ron Preston turning in a strong second place that brought the fans to their feet, while Schwanz held off Alan Christian. The track will be dark the next two Friday nights, with the grand finale , the U.S . National Championship . rounding out the Speedway season on Saturday night . Oct . 14. A good hard look at the record book gives me the good sense not to try to pick a winner . but be assured that Preston, Christian, Sigalos, Schwartz, Nutter. Morley , Oxley and Woods all stand a good chance of taking Bast. • Results . SCRATCH MAIN EVENT: 1. Mike Boot; 2. Ron Prooton; 3. Bob ScI1wortz; 4. Alan Christian. HANDICAP MAIN EVENT: 1. Lani Foes; 2. Alen Christian; 3. Mork CherTy; 4. Gone Woods; 5. Dennis Sigoloo; 6. Bob MclJIin. DIVISION TWO: Jim Forohand. DIVISION THREE: Peon Bon'*! • FEATURE. MATCH RACE: St.... Bat e- Rick Woodo

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