Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

a - Cost a Mes a - San Bernardino - Ascot - Ventura - Sacramento - Napa - Costa Mesa - San Bernardino - Ascot - Ventura _ Sacramento- checkered flag to earn the transfer to the Consolation . Pyeatt took the lead at the start of event 26 and neve r looked back. DeTemple was running second when a flat tire forced him inside the pipe and out for the night as Columbo got the transfer to the Consi . In the final two semis's, Ferrell held off a hard pressing Mike Faria to claim event 27 while Fishback easily outdistanced the pack to win event 28. Muntean finished second. King got the jump from the number two position in the Consolation, but was overtaken by Mike Faria coming out of two on lap one. King tried the inside of Faria through laps two and three and then switched to the outside on the final lap. Faria was up to the challenge as he held Lance off for the victory. King ended up a close second with Columbo third and Muntean , who did a beautiful job of getting off his bike when he hit the tum four crashwall on the final lap, fourth . With all the preliminaries out of the way, it was time for the showdown. T he four riders involved had a total of six Scratch Main victories at IMS betwee n them in 1980. An indication of what was to come was that Christian had all six of the victories. The riders drew for starting positions at the line with Pyeatt drawing the pole. Fishback got the second position with Ferrell in three and Christian on the outside. Christian got the jump at the start over Pyeatt, Ferrell and Fishback. Fishback bulled his way on the inside making contact with Pyeatt and moving into second. Fishback set his sights on Christain, but then had to contend with a determined Ferrell. Ferrell and Fishback hooked up in a 'wild battle with Ferrell trying to get by on the inside on la ps two and three. The determination paid off as Ferrell snuck through at the white flag for the number two position. Christian took the white with a small but comfortable lead and then got some help from Fishback. "T he Animal" drove it hard into tum one, got into th e cushion and did a spectacular flip sending his bike over the crashwall and his body tumbling down the track. The race was redflagged at this point, and called I~ complete , giving Alan the victory and 'com pleting his clean sweep. Fishback "l remained on the track for close to five minutes, but returned to his feet and walked off the track under his own power. Taking second behind Christian was Ferrell with Pyeatt third ~ and Fishback getting the wrap up 1 spot . The last regular show of the season will be Septernber lOwhich will also be "Fan Appreciation Night." The final night of racing at IMS will be . on September 20 with the California State Invitational Championship. Results FiNAl POINT STANDINGS: 1. Alan Christian 1281; 2. Dubb Ferrell 1251; 3. Denny Pyeon 1221; 4. Jim Fishback (21); 5. mEl Mike FOfioiStove Columbo (17); 7. Lance King (151; 8. Mike Munt..n (14); 9. me Bobby Mclain/ Shawn McConnell (12); t't . Dove DeTemple (11); 12. lTIEl Kelly Moran/Jeff TomlinlSl1Irling Cogar nOI; 15. mEl Gary FordICroig Schaeffer 191; 17. me Bred Oxley/Jan BollordIT om ForrislEddle IngoIsIGlonn HutchinooniKeith ChriocolJeff Carmollo (6); 24. mEl Duane Yorrow/Gone Woods/Dove Sims/Dave Foria (5); 2B. lTIEI John SandonaiMore PrincslMoooe Kennedy/ . Phil Gagnon/Curt StrommO<(41; 33. lTIEI Derek Goge/ Tom Burba (31. Lucero dials in at Ascot By Gary Hoffman GARDENA, CA , AUG. 21 There's a new kid on the block and his name is Steve Lucero. ; • • ~ t o 00 O"l ~ " Come on. hit me; I d~re you!" says Gary Ford at Costa M esa. Fresh out of Junior Speedway in his first year on the big bikes, 16year-old Lucero came down for his second time ever at Ascot and second time ever on a quarter-mile track to win the Handicap Main over Ascot's best - Frank Adamo ' and Lance King. Steve is a northern California rider, hailing from San Pablo, and is not unfamiliar with Frank Adamo where he's raced with him at Caruthers. Last week for his first time he did as a well as taking third in the Handicap Main. There's a new kid in town and he 's going to be tough to beat. Some of the other action included Denny Pyeatt and Frank Adamo in the Feature Match Race , probably the two most evenly matched riders on the track who are forever battling out every race they're in together. Denny got the jump out of the gate doing a little wheelie and held on to win the two lapper with Adamo right on his tail. The Second Division Main started with Eddie Clark making a false start leading the pack to a bogus lap and was penalized 20 yards for his over enthusiasm . At the restart , Pat Hawley grabbed the lead first with "Fast" Eddie Thurman hot on his trail and Marty Nation in third. There was a good battle for first until Hawley wen t down and Thurman, on a two -valve Jawa , just ate up the track , winning the event by a wide margin over Robin Bourgeois and Kevin Weeda . I think we're going to see Eddie in First Division next week. The Handicap Main was all Lucero. From the start he rode in front and even though Adamo and King battled their way through all kinds of traffic to catch up , Lucero managed to stay out front when the checkered flag fell. The Scratch Main event brought northern California's Tom Ferris on the outside, with Lance King next to him, Denny Pyeatt in the number two position and Frank Adamo on the pole as usual. The tapes flew up and Pyeatt shot out first with Ferris second and Adamo and King fighting for third. On lap two . Adamo managed to get by King and on the next lap by Ferris which once again brought the familiar _Adamo and Pyeatt duo together. Though Frank really turned on the juice on the last lap , Denny wasn't about to go home without a main event. Next week, Lucero will be back to take on all of Ascot's best. Perhaps Brad Oxley will put him to the test . Perhaps Eddie Thurman will shake 'em all up , We'll have to see. Results FEAnJRE MATCH RACE: 1. Donny Pyeatt; 2. Frenk Adamo. SECOND DIV. MAIN: 1. Ed Thurman; 2. Robin Bourgeois; 3. Kevin Weeds. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Stove Lucero; 2. Frank Adamo; 3. Lance King . SCRATCH MAIN: 1, Donny Pyeon; 2. Fronk Adamo; 3. Lance King . . Christian, King, Oxley top Costa Mesa qualifier By Ken Kellogg COSTA MESA , CA , AUG. 22 For a majority of the riders, it boiled down to this night, the final round of the National Qualifers. Competing were the top 32 riders and four reserves . The racing was all scratch racing (N ational format) and it was hot all night long. The biggest surprise of all the rounds of qualifying was Lance King who finished as second highest qualifier. Alan Christian finished as top qualifier to no one's surprise. Event number nine matched Mike Faria; Duane Yarrow. Shawn McConnell and Moose Kennedy. McConnell was first out of th e ga te with Kennedy and Faria second. On lap two with McConnell out front, Faria began gaining on him . On the last lap, Faria was in position to take the lead. He tried the inside and nearly took it , but in the straightaway, McConnell took it back. In the last turn , Mike threatened again, but Shawn held him off once more. At the tape by not even a bike's length, it was McConnell, Faria. Yarrow and Kennedy. . In tum four of the first event, Gary Ford hooked up with Alan Christian's bike causing Christian to go down . For a few moments. Alan didn't Ret up and the crowd grew quiet - until they found out the main reason Alan was staying down. He tore his leathers and was exposed so he needed a little tape job. The race was restarted and Kelly Moran took the gate with Dave Sims out second, Christian third and Ford fourth . Moran was trying so hard to win all his races that he went too wide and went down on lap three. Sims took the lead and Christian was unable to . pass so it was Sims, Christian, Ford and Moran. In Event 24 , a most unusual thing happened on the way to the starting gate. Lance King's bike d ied and he couldn't get it started. The two minute clock was winding down with about 20 seconds left so Gene Woods (also on the starting line) gave his bike to Lance. Thus. Woods was out of the heat and for sure out of the Nationals. The race went on again and Sims took first , King second and Glenn Hutchinson took third. The second half of the program was even better then the first half; it began with a run off between Bob McLain , Craig Schaeffer and Steve Columbo to see who got a chance to make the Nationals. McLain won and in the ensuing races, Bobby (a reserve) finished 12th overall. McLain proved his worth and on October II, we'll get another chance to see him. Event 28 was the hottest race of the night and what a match up - Brad Oxley, Bobby McLain, Eddie Ingles and Dubb Ferrell. Ferrell took the gate but Oxley was right behind. In the straightaway, Oxley almost took the lead , but Ferrell held him off. On lap three , Brad did take the lead, but Dubb took it right back. On the last lap, both riders were virt ually tied, but in turn three, Oxley got the edge. At the wire it was Brad by a half bike length. In the Main event, Oxley was back again. This time , his competition was Christian, King and Steve Columbo. Christian won the race hands down. On the last lap, Oxley passed Columbo to take second with a fantastic ride after a bad start. Results FiNAl POINT STANDINGS: 1. Aian Chr_ f125}; 2. Lonco King (94); 3. Bred 0xI0y 193}; 4. Dubb Ferrell (90); 5. Mike FOfia (53); 6. Donny Pyoon 1821; 7. 0 ..... DeTemple l7B1 8. Stove Columbo (62); 9. Jeff Tomlin ; (81I; 10. Keith Chrioco(61I; 11. Shawn McConnell (54) ; 12. Bobby Mclain (54) ; 13. EM Ingleo (48); 14. Dove .. Sima (46) . RESERVES 1. Mike Mun-.; 2. Craig ScMoffor. : SEEDED RIDERS: 1. Bruce PonhoII; 2. Scott Autrey. . 29

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