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00 O'l (Above) Dennis 51galO8 leeds Bruce Penhell, Scott Autrey end Alen Chrlstilln In the fifth rece.lInsets) Penhen got rewerd enj:l recognition. World Championship Speedway Qualifier Penhall sweeps in Ifour go on' conclusion By Dele Brown Photos by Dennis Greene and Cherles Morey LOS ANGELES, CA, MAY so "I was really happy to get it over with," grinned Bruce Penhall after compiling a perfect 15point score to win the U. S. Qualifier to the World Speedway Championship, held on a specially-constructed track in the Los Angeles Coliseum..Fellow British League riders Dennis Sig- / alas,. Kelly Moran and Scott 18 Autrey' grabbed the other three spots alloted to American riden. The event was run under Federation Intemationale Motocycliste sanction, and with a speci,d "international" event to qualify the track and facility to host the 1982 World Championship race. It gave fans something to cheer about as former U.S. National Champ Mike Bast defeated England's John Davis, Australia's Billy Sanden and Poland's Zenon Piech in a three· race series. All four riden are to submit their judge· !Dent of t~e track to the FIM sanction· mgcomulIttee. Although the race wu not u spec· ta~ar and cltlRly-foug~t u lOme !D1ght have boped, the .pomts gather· mg process produced high drllDl;a. At the end of 20 regular heats, S~alOl a~d Moran were ~otted at l!l polnu, With a four.way ue for fourth betw~ Autrey, Sha~ .Moran, Denny Pyeatt and Alan Chrisuan. The fint run·off, for second, went to Sigalos. but the race meant little. The run-off for fourth was the important one. Scott Autrey had troubles all night long, but used his experience and won when he had to to get into the run-off. In that race, it was Autrey all the way. The 16·man field was to be com· posed of the top eight Americans in British League according to ·their league averages, and the top eight U.S. based riden, determined by the points they accumulated in qualifying for last year's National Championship. The field ,vu altered before the start of the race when Lance King stepped aside. King, who won't tum 18 until August, would not be eligible to ride the next step in qualifying, the July 12 Overseas Final. Ronnie Preston was unable to couipete due to a shoulder injury. That put Jeff Tomlin and Keith Chrisco into the field. Larry Kosta, another alternate, wu injured during the track's Wednesday practice session. New altemates were Bobby McClain and Shawn McConnell, and both would get to ride. At 7:S0 p.m., only a half hour be· fore the start, PenhaIl's bikes had not arrived. He wu busy borrowing bikes and leathen when his own equipment finally arrived, ~e van having ~roubles on the way down. When racing got down to business, Penhall, who had drawn number one, got the pole in the fint heat. For a touch -of European culture, plus to conform to FlM rules, riden wore ''bonnets" ~ their . posi. tion. Red wufor the pole~or the. second spot, white for third, and yellow/blaclt for the outside. Penhall and Moran got out front quickly in the fint heat, developing a huge gap between themselves and Mike Faria and Brad OXley. Moran stayed dose to Penhall through the four laps, but could not get by. Oxley passed Faria on the second lap to come up with one point for thrid. The only time Penhall ddn't lead wire to wire was in his second match. There Sigalos turned in the holeshot and led the fint lap. PenhaU dived under SigaIos in tum two of the foll~. iug lap and led to the flag. SigalOS seemed to have second wrapped up easily, only to hole a piston and fmish a coasting third behind Alan ChristiaD. Scott Autrey had machine probleDlS'in his fint heat, although he still fiDished RCond. He then borrowed Lance King's bike, but in this race the ltill button shorted out and Autrey piclted up no points. In his third heat, Penhall met Shawn Moran, the only other ride with six points. PenhaU led wire to wire, with Moran coming off an early encounter with Dave DeTemple to fin· ish second. Jeff Tomlin wu a distant fourth. At one minute, 1S.74 seconds, it was the fastest four laps of the evening. "My fint three races were the hard· est, 80 when I got through that. I ~ pretty happy," penhail said later., Indeed, his final two heats were run, aways. Keith Chrisco, Shawn.. McConnell and Bobby McClain were left ho~less1y behind 'in PenhaU's fourth nde. and .Denny Pyeatt, Bobby Schwartz and Steve Columbo trailed in the champ's fmal ride. Meanwhile SigalOl went to his back· up machine, and met Kelly Moran, Bobby -SChwartz atld Chrisco in the 11th race. Sigalos was fint into the fint tum, but Moran wu the fint out of the second tum. SigalOl regained the lead in the next two turns, and led to the checkered with Moran a close second. Schwartz finished third with Chrisco fourth. At 1:l!l.75, they were an eyeblink away from f..,t time. Sigalos wu challenged by Pyeatt in his next ride, but SigaIOI used a low line through tum two on the second lap, passed Pyeatt and rode to another three points. Pyeatt fmished second over DeTemple and Oxley. Sigalos came into his last race with 10 points and met Shawn Moran, who had nine. Sigalos' led wire to wire.