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/126518
Coata Mesa - San Bern_dlno - Ascot - Ventura - Sacramento - Napa _ Coata Mesa - San Bern_dlno _ ARot _ Ventura _ Sacra_ento _: SPEEDWAY WEEK than the pen. Riding with predictable brilliance, The Champ captured hiI third scratch main in as many tries, completing a sweep in this, hiI fint So Cal tour. In handicap racing, Lance King and Dave DeTemple each won heats by pa-ng five riders off the SO. Tom Morley, baclt again, did IikewiIe off the 20. In the final heat, PenhaU, nearest Santa Barbara on the 60, \lied his initial ride to checlt out the traclt - riding high, low, inside and outside, but only fast enough to place third. Things were different in the semi. PenhaU caught up to the paclt on the fint lap, passed the paclt by the third lap and was ahead by plenty after the fifth lap. Canadian champ Gary Ford, with new leathen and sponson, won the other semi off the· 20. King passed DeTemple on the last tum for second. PenhaU didn't win the handicap main, although he had a Kood ellaue. After a three-lap battle with DeTemple and King. PenhaU was malting his move when Morley crashed directly in his path. PenhaIllaid it down petfectly, thus avoiding a Wesiake imprint on MorIey'l forehead. King laid it down and IIid into the wall in order to awid Pa1hall. The Champ Te!!!C"lmted quicker than King and sped away, Meanwhile. DeTemple had avoided the whole unfonunate _ . pa.ed young G!!fAyen and won easily. Penhall_ third. In scratch racing. Penhall made the odIrr three riders look like touriatl at the Malibu Grand Prill as he woo hiI ~t:I~llt II mila. ride _ the 'I scratch temi race of the niKbt. With PenhaU in one Bast and Cogar cream Costa Mesa By Ken Kellogg 26 COSTA MESA, CA, APR. 17 With a cold winter chill and a slight sprinkle in the air, the true blue speedway fans endured it all to see these moden:l gladiators do combat and as usual, the Itands were full as the fans were ready. In the third scratch heat, Mike Muntean showed flashes of brilliance as he outrode Dave Sims, Bobby McClain and Dave DeTemple. DeTemple made Muntean work for every inch of traclt and at one point, for a brief moment, DeTemple moved put Muntean. Mike ref1Ued to lose, being that clOIe to the finish line. He recaptured the lead and thusthe win. To almost no one's surprise, Mike Bast led almost all of the very next race. Well, IOmeone forgot to tell John Sandona that Bast almost always wins scratch races. Bast took t~e _8'3:te with Sandona, Leni Fass and jeff Tomlin right behind. In the first straightaway, Bast opened up the lead and jult began to count down the laps to go to the finish. . But like a rocket out of the pack, Sandona flew up to less than a bike length behind Bast who responded by opening it up and talting every bit of power that the machine is capable of giving. WeD, if Baa can do it. Sandona thought he c'aii1d do it too, and he -an clid.· • is- aU ,lIro, and he thrives on competition like this. order) Cogar, Gagnon and Mike At the tape it was Bast with .the win, Curoso. Sandona having to settle for second, Mike Bast flew out of the gate in the Faas third and Tomlin fourth. scratch main with Dave DeTemple In the first scratch aemi, Dave right behind him. Gagnon was third DeTemple took the start with Sandona and Ferrell fourth. On the second lap, and Dubb Ferrell right behind. Ferrell Ferrell moved inside past Gagnon took to the outside to try to overtake talting over third. That was the only DeTemple but it didn't work 10 Ferrell position changed in the race. went baclt to the inside giving him the DeTemple nearly took the lead several lead on lap two. DeTemple can make times and had it been anyone else but a bike fly, too, and in an instant, Bast, he would have. At the wire, it recaptured the lead. Ferrell settled for was But. DeTemple, Ferrell and second with a ride that in another race Gagnon. would have been the win. Results In the Third Division main former HANDICAP MAft 1. SNI1ing e-; 2. Phil c;.gnan; Junior Speedway great David Hancoclt 3. Mbeuntook the win and made Third Division 2. 0...0 o.TempIe; 3. SCRATCH 4 . Phil c;.gnon. Dubb _ ; MAIN: 1. - . look more like a Second Division race DIY.1WO: 1. "'*D>g; 2. - . JeII-. . 3. as he won the race from the very Itart. DIY. TMREE: 1. DoIIid IWlclcl<*; 2. _ MiIor; 3. Second was Riclt Miller with Andy """., Nar1hrup. Nonhrup third. Robert Pfeuing has all the qualities of a speedway superstar. In only hiI third week of speedway, he has won two main evenu. Riding from the 50· yard line in the Second Division main, Pfetzing went out first and was never By Bill Locey challenged. Next week look for 1502 a VENTURA, CA, APR. 14 Iinle further back and during the It would have been a great night season, if he continues the way he is to reshoot "The Hound of the going. possibly in First Division. Second was Mike Baeder and third Baskervilles" - it was certainly went to 20-yard line rider Jeff chilly and foggy enough - but Havacko. they decided to have motorcycle races The handicap main saw Sterling inatead. It was just as well. The racing Cogar jump out front and manage to was more hair-raising than any dozen hold off constant challenges from Phil ugly dogs with big teeth. Gagnon. Gagnon closed the gap that In hiI only local appearance of the Cogar go~ every lap. On the last lap. year, n()ted author "Super Bruce" Lance Kmg went down and 10 did Penhall (Stan lind BiUs) proved once • - everyonO ,111110 '~P' ,~m. ·finillbi,,~. -.' .agsiil·&'al.' ~. .'id c.1f -= N oted auth or ta k es Ventu raserat c h main ""tt'-' and DeTemple in two. the gate went up and they went wheel to wheel around the fmt tum - in fact they went wheel to wheel for IS more tumI with PenhaU on the outside winning by' a length. The scratch main was anti-climactic and over by the fint tum as one of the Champ's rocket starts assured an easy win. With that, Penhall is history in our town for this year. Before all the adjectives are used on PenbaIl, Iet·s not forget Da~ DeTemple. All he's done 10 far this year is make nine of 10 mains. With each promoter contributing $250 each night to the points fund purse, which is nnnored to a{'proach $20,000 by seaIQIl'S end. and WIth Christian broken for a while, tbinp look good·for DeTemple. Greedy riden: Better ltan hitting all the traclt ... Second Division racing was good and bad. Fint the bad. Pat Hawley hooked up with nonbem rider Mat on the IeCOIId tum. then found . If too far outside going too fast, hitting the wall too hard - destroying a panel of the fence and shearing off a 4&4. Hawley was hospitalizled, bleeding profusel,-, with a slice of plywood em· bedded m his groin. Now for the good _ . OInard'I Henry Swain won the D·2 main easily for hiI first trophy ever and earned a clOIe encounter with the trophy girl. In D-5 action, Andy Northrup, in only hiI third night of racing, carried a trophy baclt home to Chino. Next week maritI the return (for us) of Steve Bast. • t:::" Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. _ - . 2. ...... King: 3. 4. 0...0 o.T.". HANDICAP MAIN: 1. 0...0 DeTemple; 2. Greg Ayerw; 3. _ PanholI; 4....... King: 6. Tom MaMr: II. c;.yFard. SECOND DMSlON: 1. Honry 2. fIan lllorex1; 3.0...0W-. 1MIID DMSlON: 1. IwJIt NanIwup; 2. lob 5I.-~; -= .. -'~ _'llff.1'IM11Il!oil>: _ •...

