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SPEEDWAY WEEK Alan Christlen and Bruce Penhall'. m8tCh race lit CostII Me.. wes fIIIrt. Columbo and Schwartz lead Costa Mesa warm-up By Ken Kellogg COSTA MESA, CA. MAY 29 Just a wann-up - that's what Friday night's racing at the Orange County Fairgrounds was called before the races. Mterwards it was called fantastic. 36 The feature match race was a thriIJer, Bruce Penhall venus Alan Christian. Both riden were so anxious to win, they locked up in tum one and both went down. On the restan. Penhall was out of the gate fim. and Christian was right there. In tum two. Alan went under Penhall and took the lead. On the second and final lap. both riden came out of tum four together and dead heated at the wire. Due to the time element. no rematch was allowed. In the Second Division main. Ron Blanton was out first alone. In tum one. Rick Miller went into second place which he managed to hold onto until the third lap when he went too far ouuide, and both Pat Hawley and Bob Pfetting moved under him. Pfetting. a back yardage rider. worked his way through traffic into third place where he tried to ovenue Hawley. but Pat refused to give in. He held on to take second. In the Handicap main, Steve Columbo got a great Rart, was fUR into tum one and Rayed there the JPDIlIindrr of the race, taIting the win by at least four bike lengths. The toughest racing was for second. third and foanh poUbona. Gary Ford was third coming into lap two but took second where he remained for the duration. The Scratch main event had a perfect match up with Bobby Schwanz. Mike Bast. Dave ltims and Bruce Penhall. Every aingIe fan was Rill seated, and among the fana tonight were some of the bat speedway riden in the world - Ivan Mauger, Barry Briggs and John Davis were just a few. They all came to see this "apple pie racing" (a quote from Margo King). Some of the best talent the U.S. has were in this one event. Schwanz, from lane four, took the advantage and moved into first place immediately. From the inside in lane one was second place Penhall then Sims and Bast. The win was a good one for Bobby, but it was by no means a caIr.ewaIk. Had he Rapped to breathe. he would have been in third place. For •IDQS_t_ q( J!!.e _r~~t,_ ~~ _a..nA 'p_e!1!t~1 were tire to tire. Penhall seemed to be having a bit of trouble with the shon track. and Sims was able to hold on to the second place position. He tried his hardest to gain on Schwanz. but generally, when the bat get in front, they are usually there to stay. Even with an injured back received earlier in the night, Bobby was hot and took the win. Sims was second. Penhall third and Bast founh. Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Bobby smw.tz; 2. o.w Sims: 3. Bruce PenhoII; 4. Mike-. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. S_ Columbo; 2. Gory Ford: 3.51-. Mc:ComeII; 4. Tom IIurbL SECON> DIV MAIN: 1. Ron 2. Pol Howley. 3. ~ PIeaing. JR SPEEDWAY: 1. Honcoct;2. Corwv. -..on: Christian and Bransford best IMSprogram By Scott Deloisio SAN BERNARDINO. CA. MAY 27 Alan Christian capped off an exciting racing program by winning his second Scratch main in a row at John La Douceur's Inland Motorcycle Speedway Wednes, dayni~ht. Christian. on the STP Jawa. came from the number two spot on the staning grid to beat pole-sitter Lance King into the first comer. Michael Bast moved into the third position on the stan with Brad Oxley bringing up the rear. King was able to close on Christian in the cornen but couldn't keep up on the straighu. BaR. the new daddy. moved alongside King once to challenge for second. but the 17-year· old was able to fight him off. At the finish it was Christian for the victory with King a close second followed by Bast ancI Oxley. who was having mechanical probrcms. Dennis Bransford took a hardearned victory in the Handicap main as he outdueled ChriRian over the final lap. Bransford, coming from the 10 aboard a Jawa, took the lead from Jim Lawson, whom he had battled with from the start. in tum three on the opening lap. Defending Canadian National Champion Gary Foro took Lawson for second in tum two on the second lap. Christian charged by Lawson on the inside in tum two on the third go 'round and then outdragged Ford on the front chute for second. Christian used lap four to gobble up the open real eRate between himself and Bransford, pulling up to Bransford's rear tire at the white flag. Christian pressed Bransford into tum one but bobbled in tum two allowing Bransford a little breathing room. Christian was bacIr. on his tail. in three and swung wide coming out of four heading for the checIr.ered. At the line it was Bransford by half a bike length to capture the laat lap drag race much to the delight of the IMS fans. Ford hung on for third ahead of defending National Champion Bruce PenhaII. King and Lawson. Former C1aaI C racer Dennis Briggs paaeed Ron Blanton in tum three on the opening lap and never looked bacIr. as he rode away with the Second Division main. Blanton, who won laR week's Third Diviaion main. Rafted on the zero but had Briggs, who Rafted on the 10 and got a terrific Ran. alongside in turn one. Briggs got by in three with Steve Bauer and Cary Faaa moving up to challenge Blanton for second the remainder of the race. Blanton got the job done as he held off the two challengen to take the runnerup spot and a probable trip to the 10yard line for next week, Bauer got third over Faas. Dennis Abbott and AnieNay. Nine-year-old Bobby Cody outslicIr.ed the field to take his first IMS Junior Speedway main. The second generation rider took the lead from fellow 10yard·line starter Trinon Cirello on the back chute on the opening lap. Ronnie Corey got by Cirello for second in tum four on the opening lap. Jim Busby was maIr.ing his usual charge through the pack and took Corey for second in tum four on lap three. Busby then took the lead from Cody at the white flag. At this point. the race appeared to be over. but it was really juR beginning as Cody went to the ouuide and pulled alongside a RanJed Busby. The two riden were even coming off four with Cody getting the drive and edging Busby at the checkered. Jordan Duncan took third followed by Cirello. Corey and Dave Busby. Penhall seerninJly had it made into the Scratch maID as he defeated Oxley. King and Dubb Ferrell in one of the Scratch semis. Unfonunately for Penhall, he rode the last two laps without a muftler and was disqualified. moving Oxley up for the win and giving King the second transfer spot. The night's racing was one of the best and hardest nighu of racing you could see anywhere. Oxley went down on his handlebars in his Handicap heat, made a miraculous recovery and came bacIr. to nip Jim Fishback for the final tranafer spot. Shawn McConnell and Con Strommer also did some fancy riding after seemingly taIr.iDg a trip in the dirt for a couple of nice saves in their heau. On JUDe 10. IMS will have Student Discount Night. A valid 1980-1981 secondary or coDeae ASB card wiD admit each ROdent for $2.00. Results SCRATCH MAIN: t. AIIn Olrlolion; 2. ' - KinI: 3. _&-=4. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Donnio ....-..: 2. AIIn Ow-.; 3. ~Font 4....- - = 5 . '-KinI: -a.,. '.JIm~ SECOND DIY: 1. Donnio IIrtggo; 2. Ran IIIIr-.; 3. S _ ~ 4. Crt ~ 5. 0Irwia AbIIoa; .. Arlie Moy. .-v JR. SPOY: 1. Codr. 2. JIm IuoIl¥; 3. Jordon Durc-. 4. Trw- ClnID; 5. ....... ecn,; .. o.w8ulby. Bast family sweeps season opener at Aubu-rn By Jan Houston AUBURN. CA. MAY 22 The small town atmosphere, excellent track conditions, beautiful f,!~iJ~t!~ ~nd••a. f~p.a_c}!y crowd of enthusiastic speedway fana left DO doubt that the move from Cal Expo to the Gold Country Fair· grounds in the historic town of Auburn. 50 miles eaR of Sacramento, was a good one for speedway in northern California. uJilike previous years wben the Ruon baa been forced to cloee in early AuguR with the open\ng of the California State Fair, the 1981 _ baa been atmded to IS COIllecutive Friday eveninp, running May 22-AuguR 28, Adding to the thrills and excitement of the evening was the s- appeannce of Mike BaR. seven-time National Champion. who came bacIr. to his home town of Auburn for the RUOD opener. Mike had the crowd on their feet in his Scratch semi event. adding a bit of shnwmanahip to the race with a series of wheelies on every lap between turns two and three. This. combined with his perfect poetry in motion style. turned many firA timen into ~way fansl Mike won his semi. WIth Paul Orlandi second in a laat minute move on Eddie Ingels. who had to settle for third and a tranafer to the consolation event. In the Scratch main, it was Bast off the wall into first place in the first tum with Steve Lucero. who has unexplainably been riding Division II at CoRa Mesa this year. in hot pursuit. It was the closest. fastest race of the evening with BaR taIting the checIr.ered flag. Lucero second, Mike Faria third and Orlandi fouM. In the Division One Handicap main. BaR was noticeably missed after failing to transfer in his heat race when Ron McGiII's engine failed in tum four on the fouM lap forcing him to park it in front of Bast as he headed for the checIr.ered flag. QuicIr. action on BaR'S pan showed true pr0fessionalism and prevented what could have been a very bad situation. McGill managed to win that race despite his' mechanical problems. It was Ben Stephens who shot into the lead in the Handicap main with Stever Lucero again the CODRant threat. Stephens. however. held on for the win. Lucero was second, Mike Faria third. It was a night of wins for Stephens as he won his Handicap heat. semi and the main. proving to promoter John HOURon that he not only belongs in Division One, but bacIr. a few yards as welll In the Division II main. Harlan BaR. Jr.• Mike's cousin, carried on the family winning tradition. winning eaaily and leaving IecOIId place to Fat Linn and third to Mike McDoIIald. Division I is in Harlan's near future. Harlan moved onto the big bikes JaR july on his 16th binhday aad sufI"ered a serious leg injury several -ss later which hwpitalized him for two -SS. cutting his 1980 _ short. He has o ~ recovered fally aad Joob better than ever. In the Junior Imision. it was GMtltn Bast. Ban Baa, not to be outdone by brnther Harlan or cousin Mike, won both his heat and the Junior main. Second went to Scott Brant of Reno who a1Io won his heat, third to John Houston, Jr. • Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. MIke &-= 2. S_ u-o; 3. MIke F8rio; 4. PouIllrIondi. HANDtCAP MAIN: 1. Ben S_ _; 2. S_ u-o; 3. MIke F8rio; 4. 0 . - Y _ 5. Eddie 1ngoIo;' e. BIll L.ingley. HANDICAP CONSOlATION: 1. Ron McGII; 2. S_ aoun.; 3. Tom Feme. MATCH RACE: 1. Mike "-Ie cWo Mike - . DIVISION II MAIN: 1...... - . .Jr; 2. Pol lim; 3. Mike Mc:DonIId. DIVISION III MAIN: 1. .JKk _ ; 2. C _ ~ -= 3. ~ Mc<:Jo.y. JUNIOR MAIN: 1. Ben Houolon. Jr. 2. Sc:oIt IItW11; 3. Jchn .. J • ....... ..'r.;