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.s 1:1 ~ Coda Mesa - San Bernardino - AHot - Ventura - Sacra.ento - Napa - Coata Mesa - San Bernardino - AHot - Ventura - Sacra.ento - N SPEEDVVAY WEEK E o 00 0') Brad Oxle y flew around Ascot's quarte r-mile for the Handicap win. Mike Bast and Alan Christian battle at San Bernardino. The Champ returns - with sole Managing to hang on (barely), Bast cruised across the finish line and shut down. But then Christian came screaming across the finish line, didn't shut down , went into slide, narrowly missed Bast, then heaped indignities on the Champ with a shower of dirt . Bast rode alongside Christian, and after a brief shoving match, fell off his bike . Bast got up angry, Christian dismounted and the two squared off, but were separated before any punches were thrown despite calls for blood from other riders. Don't look for the pair to ever be pen pals in the future . That's three Mains apiece so far up here this year. Let's not forget Keith Chrisco, a.k .a, "The Chrisco Kid. " All he did was win all three of his Handicap rides, including the Main. Christian finished second all three times. Life off the 10 may be history for the Chrisco Kid after a night like that. Craig Bradley, Third Division winner here the past two weeks, got a Second Division ride and made the most of it. He won his heat and the Main convincingly. Dennis Abbott won Third Division honors, holding off Oxnard's Henry Swain for the victory. Christian and Bast may find ihemselves battling for the second spot in two weeks when Bruce Penhall comes to town. a By Bill R. Locey VENTURA, CA, MAY 27 On race night when there's a full moon, something unusual often happens. You might say that the riders go nuts. For example. one . 30 night here two seasons ago under a full moon there were 28 crashes. Expecting the worst, I was happily disappointed as only three insignificant, non- injury crashes marred the program. The track at the Ventura Raceway was dry and fast; it wasn't too cold, and we almost had a normal evening of racing. Almost. Seven- time National Champ Mike Bast returned to racing last night after being suspended the past few weeks. In his absence (and even before) Alan Christian has been winning every Main in sight. The confrontation was inevitable and also a doozy. Christian easily won his Scratch heat ride, getting such a jump out of the gate that he held a full bike length lead before the other three riders could even cross the starting linel Next, Brad Oxley and Mike Muntean Iwere winners in uneventful hea IS. In the final heat race, Bast built a huge lead after three laps then slowed and allowed Lance King to pass, settling for second. The logic of this was quickly apparent to anyone keeping score - Bast would now transfer into the same Scratch Semi as Christian. A majority of the riders lined the wall to get a good view of the big confrontation . Bast, off the pole, took the inside line into the first tum with Christian close enough to be his shadow; the bikes were inches apan. Then they touched, and it seemed for a moment that both riders would go down. But the Champ doesn't like to be crowded, and he responded like a graduate of Bruce Lee High School - with a furious barrage of kicks aimed at converting Christian into keeping a respectful distance. Finally, Christian bobbled, saved it, saw the Champ build a comfortable lead and had to settle for the wrap'up spot. And then there was the Scratch Main. Bast opened up a big lead by the first tum (usual). Christian with a crummy start (unusual) found himself last behind Muntean and Sandona. After a frantic lap , Christian was in second and gaining on Bast. Results SCRATCH MAIN: I. Mik. Bast; 2. Alan Christian; 3. Mike Muntean; 4 . John Sandona. HANDICAP MAIN: I. KlOth Chrioc:o 2. Alan ; Christion; 3. Shawn McConnell; 4. DIM! DeTemple; 5. Charli. Mor..; 6. Grog Ayerl. SECOND DIY: I. Craig Bredloy . THIRD DIV: 1. Dennis Abbott. Bast triumphs in return to IMS By Scott Dalo isio SAN BERNARDINO, CA, MAY 28 Mike Bast ended a four week absence by capturing the Scratch Main at Inland Motorcycle Speedway Wednesday night. Bast, who started in the number two position, took the lead from pole sitter Brad Oxley in tum two on the first lap and never looked back. Kelly Moran went down in the same turn on the first lap and retired to the infield. Gene Woods. using the outside groove, moved up to challenge Oxley for the number two position. The pair raced side by side the remaining three laps with W~ . taking. a . move to the inside at the finish. Woods and Oxley crossed the line inches apart with Oxley taking second in a photo finish. For Bast , it was his second Scratch Main of the year at IMS, his other win coming on the second night of racing action. Jeff Tomlin took his first Handicap Main of the season over Gene Woods and Mike Bast. Tom Burba took the lead at the start from his 10-yard line starting position. Tomlin, who also started on the 10, took the lead in tum two on the opening lap. Phil Gagnon went to the high side of the track to take second from Burba entering the back chute on lap two. Gagnon was flying high and going for the lead when he fell against the back stretch wall on lap three. John Sandona inherited second, but John took a spill in tum two on the final lap. At the finish it was Tomlin with a comfortable lead ahead of Woods, Bast, Burba, Sandona and Gagnon . . Paul Belisle captured his first main event of the year at IMS taking the Second Division Main. Cary Faas, in his first week up from Third Division, took the lead at the start over Dwight Hill. Belisle used the high side of the track to take second from Hill on the back straight on lap two. Faas lost control of his bike at the end of lap two and grazed the front stretch wall , giving the lead to Belisle. Hill dropped out with problems and was soon followed to the infield by the 17-year-old Faas. Jim Lawson moved into second but was unable to catch Belisle. finishing behind Belisle and Lawson were Many Spellman, Tom Hughes, Faas and Hill. Don Bovee jumped out front in the Third Division Main but was quickly overhauled by Jeff Havacko. Ed Castro and Mike Burgett tangled in tum three on the opening lap but both were able to continue. Bovee, who was in second place went down in tum one on lap two and .retired to . the infield. Havacko continued to lead as Tom Conrad found himself in second. Conrad couldn't catch Havacko and settled for second. Victor Robledo, who won the main at Costa Mesa two weeks earlier, was running third but fell 10 feet from the checkered flag. Robledo was able to scramble up on his bike and barely edged the hardcharging Castro and Burgett for third. For Havacko it was his first win of the year atlMS . Dennis Sigalos will return from England for one week only and will be at IMS June 4. Bruce Penhall will be at IMS on June II. Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Mike Bast; 2. Bred Oxloy; 3. Gene Woods; 4. Kelly Moran. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Jeff Tomlin; 2. Gen. Woods; 3. Mik. Bast 4. Tom Burba; 5. John Sandona; 6. Phil Gagnon. SECOND DIV MAIN: 1. Paul Belisl.; 2. Jim Lawson ; • 3. Marty Spellman; 4. Torn Hughes ; 5. Cary Fsas; 6. Dwight Hill. THIRD DIV MAIN: 1. Jeff Havacko ; 2. Tom Conrad ; 3. Victor Robeldo; 4. Ed Castro ; 5. Mik. Burgett; 6. Don Bovee. MA1CH RACE: Lane. King dot . Dubb """011. Adamo and Oxley skid to Ascot wins By Gary Hoffman GARDENA, CA, MAY 29 This Thursday night was the night "Bad Brad" Oxley earned his nickname. Winning the Handicap Semi-Final, his Scratch Heat, the Scratch Semi- Final and the Handicap Main event will take away any doubt that Oxlev will be the one to beat out at J .C: Agajanian's Ascot. Riding a bike he had back in 1975, a Briggo built in Germany from a Jawa with four VW valves, Brad says it was all he needed to race the quarter-mile. And right he was as he started the Handicap Main on the 40-yard line with a very quick stan , battling it out for four laps keeping Lance King just far enough behind for "Bad Brad" to ca pture the trophy. With Mike Bast still not feeling well and Alan Christian out with bike problems, the track was open for some new winners. Frank Adamo showed some championship style by pulling a fast lead in the Scratch Main and keeping it over King and Oxley, doing a wheelie across the finish line for what seemed an easy win for him. But let's not count out Second Division. Their Main event looked every bit like a First Division race with Dan Braviroff from the l O-yard line riding the quarter-mile track like a veteran to keep his tight lead over Bill Dunlap and Kym Mauger. Eight-year veteran Danny Becker was expected to do very well, but just couldn't find the groove this week. Becker was tagged years ago with the nickname "Berzerko" because of his outlandish no- fear style of racing. When asked about accomplishments he had made over the years, he said his greatest accomplishments were after the races! Result s SECOND DIV. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Dan B,av;,off; 2. Bill Dunlap ; 3. Kvm Mauger .