Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

C.... Mesa - San Bernardino - Ascot - Ventura - Sacra.ento - Napa ,:, Cona Mesa - San Bernardino - Ascot - VentUra :" Sacra.ento - Ni : SPEEDWAY WEEK Mike Bast pauses before answering a question at Cal Expo. Ingels and Orlandi do it at Cal Expo By Jann Houston SACRAMENTO, CA,JUNE 13 Friday the 13th was a lucky day for the fans at Cal Expo as seventime National Champion Mike Bast made a rare northern Cali- 30 fornia appearance. An ugly, black cloud threatened rain which material ized in Event 7, lasting for a short time. However, the race continued, uninterrupted and neither fans nor riders seemed to notice as the thrills and excitement rolled right along. Several riders commented after the race that the extra moisture may have actually improved the already excellent track conditions. Friday the 13th, traditionally a day of bad luck, proved to be just that for Mike Bast as engine trouble caused a "no stan" in the Handicap Semi, resulting in a transfer to the Handicap Consolation rather than the Main event. A case of "go fast too fast " broke the starting tar in the Scratch Semi and it was of to the pits for Mike , eliminating him from th e Scratch Ma in. A Match Grudge Race during intermission between Bast and northern California's number one "Flyin' Mike" Fa ria proved to be the highlight of the evening. The audience was wild as Bast took the flag after managing to hold the lead from stan to finish . In the Handicap Main, former southern California Mike Belanger , a welcome addition to the Division 1 program at Cal Expo since moving north to Monterey, jumped into the lead with Greg Manz second and Eddie Ingels third. In tum two on lap three Manz went wide to the wall and Ingels took advantage of the mistake moving into second, thrilling the crowd with his speedway style. It was truly poetry in motion. On tum four of lap four, " Incredible" Eddie moved on the outside to take the lead, holding off "00 It " Duane Yarrow in a wild final lap to take the checkered flag. "Mighty Mouse" Paul Orlandi on the pole position took the lead out of the starting gate in the Scratch Main with "Flyin' Mike" in second coming off the wall . In tum four , Faria went wide and " Incred ible" Eddie moved into second. The final two laps saw a side by side. broadsliding battle between Orlandi and Ingels sending the screaming crowd to thei r fee t. Orlandi held on to win by inches. Ingels took second with new lywed Jim Ross in third . . In the Division II Main, Dave Schlosser took the lead in tum one with Ron Sweeton in second. It became an unusually exciting Division II "m a tch race" as Schlosser took the checkered flag. It was a comeback of sons for Dave, after a 20-yard rolling stan penalty in his heat. It 's hard to believe this is only Dave's third week in Speedway. There is no doubt ; he's a class " A" natural with a great future . In Division Ill , Steve Vieira took the win with Gary Abel second and Bill Thomas third. The Junior Main went to John Cryer, second to Ban Bast and third to Steve Miller. We look forward to our "Fourt h of July Blast" , The Fire Cracker Invitational all Scratch Program! Cal Expo is the place to be on the Founh with fireworks , concerts and Speedway! from Pinole Valley High School on June 9. Eddie made it back to back wins in the Handicap Main winning at Cal Expo on Friday and managing to hold off seven time National Champion Mike Bast to do it again on Saturday in Napa . Ingels. took the lead in the Handicap Main after Paul Orlandi and Jim Ross went into the ha y bales on lap three. Eddie held the lead using his " Incredible Eddie" style to take first , leaving second place to Bast and third to Tom Ferris. You can bet that trophy will always be a very special one to Eddie! In the Scratch Ma in , Bast took the lead with Mike Faria in second. " Mighty Mouse" Paul Orlandi paid another visit to the hay bales putting Ferris in third leading to a fast "doing it-sideways thriller" giving the crowd what they came to see. Bast took the checkered flag . Fa ria was second, Ferris third. The Division II Main resulted in an other back -to-hack win , as promising newcomer Dave Schlosser did it again after winning at Cal Expo the night before. Pat Linn was second, Bob Holmes third. Dave lives in Napa and obviousl y had quite a hometown fan club in the stands. In Division Ill , Doyle Jester made it two weeks in a row at Napa. Danny Montgomery was second and Charles Haines third. Results SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Mike Bast; 2. Mika Fw ia; 3. Tom Ferris; 4 . Paul Orlandi. HANDICAP MAIN : 1. Eddie Ingals; 2. Mika Bast; 3. Tom Ferris ; 4. S' lMl Moore; 5. Paul Orlandi ; 6. Jim Ross. DIVISION " MAIN : 1. 0..... SchIoIaer; 2. Pat Linn; 3. Bob Holmes. DIVISION III MAIN : 1. Dovte Jastw; 2. Danny Montgomery; 3. Charles _ . Big win for a little skin in Ventura Results By Bill R. Locey SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Paul Ortandi; 2. Eddie Ingels; 3. Jim R. .; 4. Mike Faria. HANDICAP MAIN : 1. Eddie IngeIa; 2. Duane Yarrow; 3. Mike Belanger; 4. Mike Faria; 5. GI.,n Hutchinaon; 6. VENTURA , CA , JUNE 17 Grog Martz. DIV II MAIN: 1. D..... Sch_; 2. Ron S_oo; 3. MarvW_. DIV III MAIN : 1. StlMl Vieira: 2. Gary Abet ; 3. Bin Thomas. JUNIOR MAIN : 1. John Cryer; 2. SCOll Brant; 3. S'lMl MiNar . Incredible Eddie and Mike Bast thrill the crowd at Napa By Jann Houston NAPA , CA ,JUNE 14 Mike Bast, making his first appearance at Napa since Speedway returned during the 1979 season, treated the enthusiastic capacity crowd to his famous style tonight. A wild and crazy two-lap match race during intermission between Bast and northern California's number one "Flyin' Mike" Fa ria was almost beyond description! Faria was out in front off the pole in tum one. Bast took th e lead when Faria went wide in turn four , but lost it when Faria came under him in turn two of lap two causing Bast to wonder how it happened . In turn four it was a dead heat as Faria took th e checkered flag in what could only be termed a photo finish . The real story of th e even ing was "Incredible" Eddie Ingels. a former Junior Division rid er who has grown up to be on e of northern California 's top 10. In fact, a t this po int Eddie is number two in no rthern California point sta ndings to Mike Fa ria . It was qui te aweek -for Edd ie who graduated The end of school, the thrill of speedway racing and the promise of a little skin in the form of a wet T-shirt night proved to be an unbeatable combination which attracted a near capacity crowd to the Ventura Raceway Tuesday night. Even though popular Gene Woods made his seasonal debut and Gary Ford and Brad Oxley won the big bucks in some dynamite racing, it was the skin in the end that got the lion 's share of the cheers, the leers and the oh dears. But more on that later. In Handicap racing, Canadian Gary Ford was simply brilliant in winning his heat, his semi and the Main off the 10-yard line . Ford, who won the Second Division Main here a month ago , got great stans and was never seriously threatened . After some experience in the British Speedway Leagues, and now in his first season on the SoCal circuit, Ford is now in First Division on all the other Tracks. It 's wonh the drive to Ascot j ust to see him fly around the long track and he promises to become a regular up here as well . A crunching crash marred the Handicap Consolation as legendary nich guy Marty Spellman went down hard. Dennis Stewan trailing laid it down, but with no place to go , plowed into the prone rider. Spellman managed to exit under his own power, if barely, with plenty of bumps and bruises and a sore back. With Alan Ch rist ian absent , still suffering from a close en counter with his den tist, th is figured to be an easy night for Mike Bast in the Scratch port ion of th e program. You remember Bast the National Champ - the guy that loses about four or five Scratch races up here all year? Well, the Champ lost two races tonight and Brad Oxley didn't lose any as he swept all his Scratch rides. It was an unusual night for the Champ in that he never led at the gate. In his heat ride he had to come from third for the win; in his semi race, he finished second behind Lance King after a three-lap battle with Mike "The Madman" Muntean. In the Scratch Main, it was still anybody's race after two laps when Gary Ford lost a one-on-one with the crash wall . Oxley took the lead on the inside followed by King who succeeded in keeping Bast in third. Kym Mauger, son of you-know-who, rode like you -know -who to win the Second Division Main - his first trophy evert Eddie Clark of Cerritos enjoyed his debut up here as he took Division Three honors. Oxnard's Henry Swain, after a nasty fall, was taken to the hospital for what turned out to be a badly sprained ankle. After the trophy presentation, the real Main event rolled onto the track - a flatbed IO-wheeler with 15 T · shined lovelies as cargo. While male bodies bulged against the fence , several cases of severe eyestrain were noted as each contestant was ceremoniously doused - and it weren't no downstream beer. Wives and girlfriends smoldered silently at the gawkers with a "sothat's·why·you-wanted-to-come" look. The mild uproar became a full fledged frenzy as the field was narrowed to The Final Four. Penhall's reception last week would be like a cheer for Debtor's Prison by comparison. At the end, it wasn 't the biggest and the bounciest that took the $150 in prize money, but lesser qualities and style (like leaving nothing to the imagination). Candy Childs of Oxnard took off her T-shin, took off with the prize money and won the Main event Tuesday night and never rode a motorcycle. Results SCRATCH MAIN : 1. Brod O>dey; 2. lance King; 3. Mika Bast; 4. Gary Ford. HANDICAP MAIN : 1. Gorv Ford; 2. John Sondona ; 3. Brad O>dey; 4. Mika Bast; 5. Charlie Mona; 6. lance King . SECONDDIY: 1. Kym~. THIRD DIY: 1. Eddie CIwk. MATCH RACE: 1. IIrodley del. G. McDonald; 2. Woodo del. 0xIev. WET T-SHIRT: 1. Condv CImclL Woods and Ford fly at IMS By Scott Daloisio SAN BERNARDINO , CA ,JUNE 18 Gene Woods outdueled defending National Champion Mike Bast to capture his first Scratch Main of the season on the sixth anniversary of Inland Motorcycle Speedway Wednesday night. Bast, who started on the pole, took the lead at the stan over second starting Woods, Denny Pyaeu and the " Li'I Ghost" Lance King. Woods went to his favored high groove and took the lead from Bast going down the back chute. Bast retook the lead in tum three only to have Woods move to the inside and take the lead on the front strai~ht. Bast then went to the inside going Into tum one on lap two to take the lead again and send the crowd into a frenz y. Bast held the lead through laps two and three and seemed headed for a sure victory . Woods went back to the inside and took th e lead from Bast as they

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