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/126420
ooooaaaoooooeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaDOCaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacoo~aaaaaaaaaaaDOOOOOOaaaDOOOOOOOOOOOOCaaCOaCcccccaooooooococacOOaaM ESPEEDWAY • WEEK ~ Alan again beat Bast in the Scratch Main event. In fact, Alan has finished in front of Mike !if:ven times in the 10 times they have met in the Scratch Main event, with Mike only beating Alan three times. Both have been in many more mains tban that this season, but both in the same main has only happened 10 times. Mike has won 13 Scratch Main to Alan's eight. Louis Lindwall got a late start on the race season. but i making up for lost time with his first Handicap Main ...vem win. He had a light advantage, starting on the 10-yard line and was bard pressed t<> stay ahead of Dan McNeill. Make it four in the record book for Keith Larsen. H... took the Division Two_ Handicap Main evem. Keith is looking for a full-time rid in Division One. He is now in a ti with Dave Miller at four wins. Shawn McConnell, Keith Chrisco and Jeff Carmello each have won three Main Ev~nts. This should pu, them at the top of the list whew it comes time to ·mov... new riders into Division One, but there are hidden factors that, up umil now, have never come out. Your riding skill, style, safety, overall looks and attitude 'Come into play. So what some of the riders are having laid down on them is that it's not good enough just to outride the other guys, you've got to be a nice guy and a well-dresSf:d sheep. You should by no means be an individualist, so I guess guys like A.J. Foyt, Leon Spinks. Mickey Thompson, Parnelli Jones. Bobby Orr. Reggie Jackson and hundr...ds of oth...r spons greats just could not have cut it in Speedway. It's funny that every other motor racing sport in the world has a long list of superstars who were nonconformists. not part of the cookie mold. People who were and are the very backbon... of their sport and by far tbe ones the paying public come out to see. Division Three wint to Kris Remsgar on aJAP. Moran the man at Ascot E last week told the riders and race f311S the good news that the lights are 00 their way. . In defense of the guys who prepare the track. I know for a fact that they have done everything that any rider has taken time to tell the promoter he thinks should be done to make thl." racing surface more like a speedw track. Ascot is made up mostly of clay, and that's what makes it lhe best place in the coumry to Sl."e a car rac... and that's where the big money comes from, the lif... blood of any race track. No one should ask anyon... fO rob Peter to pay Paul. I really do not think that any rider really thinks that Ascot would put in a surface of rock dust and granite for them to race on one night a week and let five nights of auto racing go down the tubes. After watching in amazement. the ride of Shawn Moran in the Handicap Main event, aboard the Collins Rock...t tuned by George Wenn, I now know why he was nicknamed "The Miracleworker" by Bruce Flanders. Starting dead last. Moran picked off riders one by one, high on the outside just brushing the crash wall and then down low with his front wheel right on the chalk line. He won the Handicap Main event with new and upcoming John Cook pushing hard into second place. Jim Lawson. like so many others is making a name for himself in speedway at Ascot. Lawson won the Division Two Main. Unlike some o{ the so-called superstars of the spon. Lawson and a very large number of upcoming riders are not afraid to go fast, and they wonder why some of th...First Division riders. so-called professionals. stay hom... in from of the boob tube on Thursday nights al)d ndt support the sport and Ascot. By Dennis Greene By Dennis Greene GARDENA. CA,JULY 12 Bast is back after a short layOff at Ascot, but he didn't forget his way to the winners' circle. He ran away with the Scratch Main Christian's scratch at San Berdoo By Dennis Greene SAN BERNARDINO. CA,JULY 11 As ofJuly 5. Mike Bast was high- 22 point man in both Handiqp and Scratch racing. with Gene Woods, Alan Christian and Jim Fishback run~ing !if:cond, third and fourth in both events. In Scratch racing, Woods and Christian were tied at 7g ~ points to Mike's 89 ~ points. Alan Christian moved into a strong s«ond place after taking the Scratch Main n-ent Wednesday night at San Bernardino. Woods did not make it into that Main n'ent. n-ent, with Frank Adamo 10It in the dust and dark behind hirR. The dust and dark was the crux of a special riders' meeting held at halftime. It was pointed out by the National Champ that nothing has really changed at Ascot for the speedway show. He asked wily the AMA does not have anyone there to hear the riders' grin-encn. He pointed out that' the race track is still too dark. too dusty. too wet. too rough and on and on. He asked for a riders' walkout and that's where he lost their attention. Not all the riders think that the track is all that bad or that it should be set up just the way Mike wants it so he can win. Ascot has been making changes for the better. They did put in some special safety lights way back last season in turn three and four and told the riders new lights were on their way. The safety lights are still there and one new light pole 'With some great lighu has been added to the back straightaway, but the light has n~ helped in the turDl. Bruce Flanders, the Voice of Speedway -at Ascot. just Fair time at Costa Mesa COSTA MESA, CA. JULY Ig Each year in July, the Orange County Fair takes over in Costa Mesa, and the speedway show becomes part of the overall en-tertainment. Usually. the first of ~ral titles goes on the line in July. The annual Firecracker Derby, which originated in Bakersfield. then moved to San -8enlardino last year, was overlooked this season and it's sad that none of the promolers had time to play host to mat part of the speedway tradition. Each year since 1970, Costa Mesa has hosted lhe Fair Derby, with a ~ special trophy, a bronzed straw hat mounted on a plaque with a list of previous winners. The fint was Wild Bill Cody. Last year's winner Bobbf Schwam and the guy he took it away from. Bruce Penhall. are both ridi.,. this season in Europe. This yea.. winner and lhe rider I lhinlr. will wia U.S. National title. was Alall Christian. Christian beat Gene Woods in t~ final eliminatiol'l event for the troph,. In the overall points. Mike Bast sti:l has a slUn lead, even without riding at . Costa Mesa. Gene Woods is in secorul . place. riding all four tracks. Alall Christian is in lhird place. Alan doa not race at Ascot and still maintains his high-poiitt status. There ia no doubt in my mind that Mike Bast ia lIiII the ~ best rider in the Uniled states. but because of dw