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/126402
IAbovel Brian Bishop leads the pack and he did it enough to w in the First Division Handicap Main and the Second Division Scratch Main. (Below Ieftl"Wild Bill" Cody leads Mike Bast in first dlvlslon action. (Below right) Occasionally, there's something to be said for the inside line. Bast, "Bionic" Brian Bishop top Santa Ana speedway By Ken Kellogg SANTA ANA, CA , MA R. 9 U .S. National Speedway Champion Mike Bast didn't transfer in the first handicap event , and that was just the beginriing of an incredible evening, filled with so many close races and near m isses t hat eve n the riders weren't sure in so me eve n ts who ha d wo n. T he n ig ht's ra cing began dif- 22 · fernt ly, wit h new an nou ncer Jeff James , and ended d ifferently wit h the top a ll around win ner being Bria n Bishop . Brian, riding for Macom ber and sporting a fa irly new Maely bike , won every event he was in - the First Division Handicap Main and the Second Division Scratch Ma in , . .' In the First Division Handicap Main aII of t he riders were somew ha t of a surprise . Already ment io ned firs t p lace winner was Bishop . Seco nd place was last year's ho ttes t roo kie Keit h Chrisco , and finis hi ng third was last week's hottest rider Shawn McConnell. In th e First Division Scratc h Main there were no surprises as Mike Bast crossed the finish line first. "Wild" Bill Cody, riding in a nice looking set of ' lea thers , finished second. Bi}h rp?- f hard all evening and almost pulled off an upset by beating Bast, however Mike, with steady flawless riding captured first place. Finishing third was Dave Sims and fourth place went to Tom Morley. Second division competition, as always at Santa Ana, provided some. rea l old fashioned stand up finishes. -T he Second Division Scratch Main fell prey to " Bion ic" Brian Bishop . Bria n swept that event by about seven bike lengths. Bria n was wit ho ut a doubt the hottest rider at Santa Ana on Friday nigh t, and is hoping for a First Division Scratch ride soon. T he real ba ttle was for second place, with Mike Peddi cor d , John Staiefski a nd Mike Gross tire to tire for t he firs t two and a half la ps. T he n, in a break away burst, Peddicord too k second a nd stayed t here for the rem a inder of the race. Finis hi ng thi rd was Sta iefski while a disappointing fou rth went to Mike Gross . ... ' .' , f C I r , 1 ,; ~ • J I.. In only his second n ight of racing on the Sa n ta Ana track JeffCarrnei lo won his second main event. J eff was pursued by J oe Black who finished just inches a head of Mike Ba llanger. G reg Ayers impressed officia ls enough on his license test ride that he was allowed to race in th ird division, a nd race he did, Greg, riding from the zero-yard line , outraced t he rest of the ha ndicappers a nd won by at least one third of a la p . By the looks of th is ride he'll soo n be a back-yardage rider. Next week's race is Mar. 17, St. Pa tri ck's Da y, with all th e riders returning hopeful of captu ring a win and a trop hy gi rl on the luck iest d ay for those who sport green, • Results . FIRST DIV. SCRATCH MAI N: 1. M ike Bast; 2. Bill Cody; 3. Dave Sims ; 4. Tom M orley. HA NDICAP MAIN: t . Brian Bishop ; 2. Keith Chrisco; 3. Shaw n M cConnell. SECOND DIV SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Bria" Bishop; 2. M ike Peddicord; 3. J oh n Staiefski; 4. M ike Gross. HA NDICAP MAIN: 1. J eff Cannel la; 2. Joe Black; 3. M ike Ballanger. THIRD DIV: 1. Greg Ayers.