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/126486
SPEEDWAY WEEK o 00 0') Lance King !Stretches for his Ascot Sc:nm:h M8in win. Pyeatt and Christian take the big ones at Ventura By Bill R. Locey VENTURA, CA, AUG. 26 For speedway under a full moon, the racing was relatively tame despite numerous crashes, but served as a sufficient prelude to ,·30 next week's fmal go round - the Ventura Track Championahip. The 2000 or 10 fana saw track regular and ·Ascot whiz Denny Pyeatt bum up the track all night long. After winning the Handicap Main. Pyeatt had a chance for a sweep. but fmished a few lengths behind Alan Christian in the Scratch Main. There was a pleasant surprise in store for the crowd as Danny "Berzerko" Beclr.er made his 1980 debut here last night. Becker, a nine· year veteran at 25 who rode for the Ventura Sharks way bad when. has made more comebacks than Count Dracula. appeared rusty and failed to tranafer. In Handicap racing, Pyeatt successfully worked fast through slow traffic off the 4O-yard line to win all three of his rides. including the Main. It was Denny's first trophy here this season and his fan was happy. Shawn McConnell, always involved in anything bizarre that happens, added another move to his repenoire. In his heat ride. McConnell was running in third. spun out. did a complete S60, kept his balance, then cruised off as if nothing happened and earned his tranafer spot. Just business as usual for Shawn. Troy McKee, bad in the saddle now for three weeks, after sitting out slnce 1976, rode as well as could be eXJM:.Cled on a slow bilr.e and fmiabed third three times. In Scratch racing, after a lelia of mull in the beall, things bepn to Ft serious. In a 1eIIli, John Sandona got me pte mel took me early lead. Brad Oxley got a face full of din as he staned poorly, but then gave it the gas around tum one where Dave Miller and Keith Chrisco were battling wheel to wheel. With hardly enough room imide Miller for his shadow let along his motorcycle, Oxley bmilr.azed his way through on the inside. Well, almost through. In a dramatic display of the Domino Theory. all three riders went down. Oxley flew over both riden and escaped relatively unacathed. Chrisco and Miller were chewed up by the falling bilr.es. Chrisco, at fmt thought to have broken his anlr.le and thumb, managed to exit under his own power with two spraina, but retired for the night and perhaps the rest of the week. Miller suffered bruises and a brolr.en bilr.e. Since only two riden survived the season's shonest race, Oxley and Sandona tranafered to the Main. In the other snni, Pyeatt got the gate and took the lead from Christian on the second tum. On the next lap Christian got close enough to bump Pyeatt - hazardous to your health at 50 mph - but couldn't catch him. Unfonunately for Pyeatt, his heroics came one race too soon. Once he gets his senae of timing down... In the Main. Christian toolr. the lead in the first tum and never looked back. Pyeatt made it c10se for a lap. but Christian gradually pulled away to win by six 1engtha. Not very exciting, but mighty convincing. And then there's Randy Monroe. As Butch and Sundance would say. "Who is that guy?" Now a three-week veteran and still so new he doesn't have a number (he taped an "X" on his bad last night), Monroe took the Second Division Main, and easily. too. After . taking the Third Division trophy last week 'and with his win last night, Monroe is wishing the season was just beginning. Maybe BaR had plastic surgery and came bad as... nab... anyway, finally we can cha1Ir. one up fo.- Braad "X". In D-S action, RlIItJ jenninga enjo;ed his debut here as he won his Steve Lucero. fifth In the IMS Handicap Main. won at Ascot the next night. heat and the Main in convincing style. Next week will be the Big One at the Ventura Raceway - the 1980 Track Championahip. The top 16 First Division riden will be on hand. Among them. malting his third appearance will be Bobby "BoogaIoo" Abo returning from Schwartz. England and malting his seasonal debut here. (we hope) will be the U.S. Lang Trad Champion. "The Miracle Worker," Shawn Moran. Results s.-= • SCRATCH MAIN: 1. AIIn a-.-; 2. Denny Pyeot1; 3. John 4. _ Oxley. HANIllCAP MAIN: 1. Denny Pyeot1; 2. _ Oxley; 3. T..., _ . ; 4. 51-. McConnolI; 5. Tom Morley; 8. KeiIh Chrioco. SECOND DIY: 1. "-'dy ~ 2..... 3. c..Ig lIrdov· THIIlO DIY: 1.1luoly ....... 2. Chris M~ 3. .-v; _-. MATCH RACE: 1. ~ del. McConnolI. Christian claims number seven at IMS By Scott Daloisio SAN BERNARDINO, CA, AUG. 27 He did it againl Alan "Crazy" Christian chalked up his seventh Scratch Main victory of the season at John La Douceur's Inland Motorcycle Speedway Wednesday night. Christian. who staned in the number four position, took the lead at the stan over John Sandona, Dave Sims and Gene Woods. Sandona got by on the inside of Christian coming out of tum two on the opening lap. Christian got the lead back at the end of lap one and had an exciting duel with Sandona through lap two. Sandona stayed close the remainder of the way and several times pulled even with Christian. but was unable to get by. At the checlr.ers, it was ChriItian with Sandona second less than one bilr.e IenIrth bad. Sims toolr. third with Woods founh. Jim "The Animal" FIShback made his final appearance of the season at IMS a memorable one as he took the best Handicap Main 9f the IealOn over Dave Miller and Alan Christian. Miller took the lead at the stan over Steve Lucero. Lucero moved inside Miller coming out of tum two on lap two for the lead. Miller got back by Lucero for the lead at the end of lap two with Lucero moving bad into ftrst on the back chute on lap three. Lucero's lead was shan-lived as he bobbled coming out of tum four on lap three leaving FIShback. who had just gotten by Miller. in the lead. Danny "Berzerko" Becker dumped it in tum one on lap four dropping himself from founh to sixth. Christian got by Miller for second on the ftnallap on the back chute with Miller squeelr.ing back by for second at the checkered flag. Following Fishback, Miller and Christian were Sterling Cogar, Lucero and Beclr.er. Victor Robledo easily outdistanced the field to ralte in his initial Second Division Main of the season at (MS. Robledo moved out front at the start over Tom Conrad and was never headed. Pat Hawley got by Conrad coming out of tum two on lap three with "First Division Bound" Ed Thunnan abo getting by for third. Thunnan then powered his way b)' Hawley in tum two on the founh lap for second place. Hawley bobbled coming out of tum four on the fmal lap allowing Dennis Bransford. by for third. The official order of fmu was Robledo. Thunnan. Bransford, Hawley. Conrad and Robin Bourgeouis. Rusty Jennings got by Mike Baeder as Baeder's bilr.e shut down on the final lap allowing Jennings by for the victory. Baeder and Chris Misrreeta were even off the line with Baeder taking control on the back chute on lap one.Jennings, running founh, got by Miltreeta and Craig DePhiUipi on lap two to claim second. Baeder had a comfonable lead when his motor coughed and sputtered down the back chute on lap three. Just when it seemed Baeder would drop out (COfltiftud to page J4)