Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ E _._._._._._._._._... _ . : . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . - • Western hotltne ~ E . _ . _ ~ . ~ _ . _ . _ . _ . _ ~ ~ . . Gary Scott took all the honors at Ascot's Gardena Gold Cup half mile. Scott sets Ascot record By Maureen Lee Photo by Dan Mahony GARDENA, CA. JULY 20 The annual Gardena Gold Cup was, once again, a good night for flat track fans. Randy Goss and Gary Scott set new track • ~ 30 records. Texas Junior Don Sbo~rt ~at the local talent, and top Novice Jim Filice suffered yet another attack of the Ascot blues. Rookie John Wincewicz and Bobby Sanders hit tum one first in the fm;t expert heat but it was Eddie LawsOn leading everyone out of tum two. A hauling Randy Goss took over from Lawson the next time around, and Gary Scott had moved on, by Sanders into third. Goss was flying and Lawson settled comfortably into second while in the closing lap Scott was having an exhuberant young SCott Parker all over his rear wheel trying for the third, but no go. The flag fell on a new five lap track' record. 1:54.12; the second one for Randy who had held the old one. Steve Morehead blew down the back chute first in. the second heat with Mike Minnig on his tail followed by a gaggle consisting of Tom Berry. Mike Inderbitzen, Mike Kidd and Alex Jorgensen, the defending champion back for the first time at Ascot since his knee surgery. Morehead never let go of first spot, but Minnig slid back to fourth just ahead of Jorgy, as first Kidd, then Berry got by. With just the two heats and three transfers apiece that left a lot of shoes hoping to make it out of the semi. Sanders and Minnig were off first, with Sanders leading. Scott Parker had it full open, and in coming out of tum four over his head, he made an error than only an experienced rider like Sanders stopped from ~ing a hell of a crash. Off went Parker with the lead and Jorgy's fans were heartened to see him and the Ron Wood Norton come up to take the second spot. Minnig's bike soured for a bit. dropping. him back enough so he couldn't challenge Sander's third place, but it ran well enough to keep him in the last transfer spot. Right ~hind him it was Dave Bradley over Wayne Rainey for first alternate. In the Trophy Dash, all but Jorgy jumped the starter. AI Mintz got them lined up again and this time it was Jorgensen and Scott into tum one side by side, with Jorgy out of tum two first. It was a race alright; Tom Berry arrived to shuffle second around with Scott. Goss's Harley went on iu side in tum two and Randy slid around on top of it. Scott still had it together when it came time for the main. taking off into the lead, folowed by Tom Berry, Alex Jorgensen and Randy Goss. Mike Minnig fell, Steve Morehead made one trip up high to the wall and Scott Parker was all over the track. even in spou where other riders were. Up front Scott was beautifully smooth. actually pulling away from the battle behind. Berry was holding down second but Jorgensen was falling behind and the front runners behind Berry were Parker, Morehead, Eddie Lawson and Mike Kidd. Randy Goss was starting to move, and it was hard trying to watch his progress up through the pack and watch what was going on between Tom Berry and Scott Parker at the same time. For several laps the pair were very busy settling out second before Parker finally kept it for a while and by that time. there was Goss right up to fourth with his eyes on Berry's back. Scott was still cruising up front, extending his lead just a bit although Parker was full of hope of catching him. The rundown was now Scott, Parker, BerrY. Goss, Morehead, Lawson and Jorgensen. Goss passed Berry at the end of the straight. but coming out of two, Tom was ahead again. but Goss wasn't having any and got by for good, going after Parker. . The youngster was still' going all out, and Goss just kind of set back and planned his move, going under him in the south tum. They exited side by side for a bit. but Randy maintained the upper hand. Gary SCOtt had gone so well and so fast that he had smashed his old 1973 track record of 5:43.26 on a Triumph with a 5:40.70, almost three seconds faster. The last time Don Sho~rt came all the way from Texas to Ascot. his bike wouldn't run. This time he made up for it. He timed as the only Junior in the 22-second bracket with a 22.94; since restrictor plates no Junior has been able to do that this year, and then went on to win the first and fastest junior heat. Steve Polson got left on the line in the start of the main. causing a restart and away they went again. Sho~rt shot for the front with Allison in hot pursuit, but there was no way Sho~rt was Mark White won the Open Pro c1ess at AME's Indian Dune. MX. going to get caught. Next came Allison, who had his hands full for several laps with Eddie San Roman until John Bennett arrived and made it a threesome. It got pretty crowded at times, and ended Allison, Bennett and San Roman. And what of the two 500cc machines? Well. with the Ascot surface boasting a good new load of decomposed granite, it wasn't to be their night. Honda's Jeff Haney, who has had an incredible couple of years as a Novice and now as a Junior. went down in defeat with a seventh over-all but what hun most was that the TT500 Yamaha of Tom McCullough beat him, but not by muchl It looked like it was finally going to be Jim Filice's night. He arrived at Ascot this season with a string of wins behind him back east but Ascot can do strange things and he couldn't do well. But Friday, there he was sound and strong in the Novice main' and out in from. lookin' good. The others behind shuffled around until it was Ben Zakarian. Scott Podergois and Joe Steffan with Filice going great. Incredibly. as he was corning out 9f turns three and four for the flag. he slowed and pulled toward the pit side of the track - th~ carburetor had come loose we found out later. and the pack swept by. The crowd gave him warm applause as he walked away dejectedly bllt it was of small consolation. Still, luck like he's had doesn't last forever. Results TROPHV DASH: 1. Gary Scott Iii-D); 2. Tom !IerTy IH-OI; 3. AleIl J o r _ !Nor); 4. R8ndy GoA IH-OI. NOVICE MAIN 1. Ben ZMwian I~; 2. Scott Podergois lYlm) 3. Joe S _ (Vom): 4. Mil

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