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/126415
ESPEEDWAY WEEK ~ E IAbove) Bob Mclain gets a super. start at Ascot.IBelow) Alan Christian earned the Scratch Main at Costa Mesa. his bike when he crossed the finish line. It was pointed out by several irate people that the crash took place after the finish line and that McConnell was on his' bike when he hit Sims; thus McConnell should have been awarded By Dennis Greene third place money. As tempers rose, the referee kept his cool and said, "I SAN BERNARDINO, CA, JUNE 6 called 'it as 1 saw it. If 1 am wrong, 1 Just one week ago, Gene Woods have to live with it and you came close to breaking a four· (McConnell) will live with sixth place." year·old record (a clean sweep). Right or wrong, there are channels But· after winning every race he that are open to file a protest and some have gone the other way. . was in all night, he lost the Scratch Dave Miller, a motocross rider, Main Event. This week that record picked up the win in Second Division. again came close to being rewritten, . He has already worked his way this time by Mike Bast. He won every through Third Division and is well on one of his events except for one semi, his way to becoming a First Division which he took second place in. Mike rider. also won both the Handicap and New to speedway this year, john Scratch Main Events which made him Silva made it into the record book, the second rider this year to win both taking the Third Division Handicap mains in one night; Alan Christian did Main Event. the same thing a little over a month Rounding out the night was the ago. return to American Speedway by The ending of that Handicap Main former British League team rider, was a mess.' Bast won by about 10 Mike Curoso. Mike was one of the top yards and Dave Sims went into a wheel five riders in the U.S. when he went to stand at the finish line and crashed England several years ago. He has hard a few feet past the poles. Shawn returned with a great deal of new McConnell was only inches behind knowledge and even more skill. You Sims and ran over him. They both will see him in the winners' circle just 'walked away' a little battered and as soon as he can re-adapt to bruised, and when the results were America's small tracks. confirmed, McConnell was given sixth More good news to the riders: Vera's place and Sims second. McConnell was Leathers will be adding to the nightly not scored last because he ran over payoff at San Berdoo if the winner is Sims, but because he did not, in the eyc;s. gf the. refere.e, ha."~ .cP!l_lact wi.th_ --... wearin~Vera's Leathers, of course. "'-_" • -- Bast's almost perfect night - 36 IAbove) Mclain's super starts equal super finishes.IBelowl Bob styles his way to the Handicap Main at Costa Mesa. McConnell on his way up By Dennis Greene GARDENA, CA,jUNE 7 From the Junior Speedway ranks, II h F' D'" d a t e way to ITSt IVlSlon an the win in the Handicap Main Event, Shawn McConnell has come a long way to get to the winners' circle. McConnell just got all his AMA paperwork straightened out a few weeks ago, giving him a late stan on the season, and he's now making up for lost time. Shawn has already put together several wins in Second Division and has been boosted to First Division whenever there was an opening. Such was the case this past Thursday night when Dave DeTemple was 100 sick to ride. McConnell, based on his win record, got the ride and the rest is his,tory. Bob McLain, who ran second to McConnell in that main event, was hot all night. No one has been able to beat McClain out of the starting gate since his comeback 'after a back injury. I'm sure one has nothing to do with the other, but when you can out-gate Mike Bast, Gene Woods and Alan Christian, you've got to take a serious look. His super starts have really paid off this week: ., • .. the Scratch Main He led ..a.- _ ~. Event from start to finish, just a few feet ahead of Milte Bast. This was Bob's first main event of the year. Picking up his first win of the year, Dan Huckins did it in the Second Division, making it an all·first·time win night in all three main events. One more new attraction at Ascot - at long last there are lights on the back straightaway. The turns are next. Mclain and Christian sizzleatCM By Dennis Greene COSTA MESA, JUNE 8 "When you're hot, you're hot" could be Bob McLain's theme song. Fresh off his win at Ascot the night before, Bob earned his way into both main events. McLain's starts have been good for the record books. About 90% of his starts have carried him to the lead into the first tum ..He has been overtaken in most events, but he's chalked up a lot of seconds, and thirds. That's the way it went in the Scratch Main Event - he got the jump but lost it early to . Alan Christian. Alan won, Bob got second. That was Alan's fifth Scratch Main Event win oftheseason. The Handicap Main went the other '1 ' ." ~".A \ so; ,r.,' lI"-l-