Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

·-= == ~ Ventu ra - Sacra aento - N81 aento - Napa - Costa Mesa - San Berna rdino - Ascot Coda Mesa - San Berna rdino - Ascot - Ventu ra - Sacra SP EE DW AY W EE K t Gene Woods leads St.rlin g Cogar. Shewn Moren and Mik. Munte an at Costa M.... Dav. Woote n and John Gant tangI. at Costa M.... 40 two with King breathi ng down their necks in third. PenbaU got the drive coming out of four on lap two giving him the lead for keeps. King put the pressur e on Christi an for second the final two laps includi ng a tire-rub bing inciden t on the final straigh taway. Christi an was able to hold King off for the show spot with Sandon a coming home fourth. Steve Lucero , riding from the 10, took the family Jawa to a wire-to ·wire victory in the Handic ap main. Nation al Canadi an Defend ing Champ ion Gary Ford put immen se pressur e on Lucero the entire distanc e as he tried to sneak by on the inside. Lucero was equal to Ford's challen ge as he continu ed to shut the door time after time. Multi-time former National Champ ion Michael Bast did his usual masterf ul job as he came chargin g from the 60 to get into a war with King for the numbe r three spot. King and Bast raced side by side to the checke r on the final lap with King getting third by inches. Tom Morley picked up fifth with Bobby McLain getting the wrapup spot. Mark Milazzo took the lead from early pace-se tter Ron Blanton on lap one and went on to score his first IMS Second Division main win of the season. Blanton , starting from the zero, got the lead on the start over 10yard·lin e starters Milazzo and Steve Bauer. Milazzo got by Blanto n for the lead in tum four with Blanto n bailing in tum one on the next lap. Rob Pfetzing, who came into his heat as a reserve rider, moved into second as he passed Bauer at the end of lap two. Pfetzing moved up to challen ge Milazzo for the lead at the end of lap three. Pfeuing 's front tire rubbed the Milazzo's rear as they rode down the back chute on lap four. Pfetzin g continu ed to challen ge on the final lap and pulled ·to the inside in tum three. The two riders came out of tum four side by side with Milazzo taking the victory by a wheel at the checke red. Bauer took the numbe r three spot ahead of Dave Wooten , Artie Nay and Blanton . Andy Northr up took his first Third Division main of the season in a race that feature d a horrify ing crash. On the origina l go on lap two, Ed Castro and Steve Murray tangled coming out of tum four.·As Murray went down his right arm became tangled in his sprocket, rear wheel and chain. It took the ambula nce crew along with the help of a couple of pit men close to five minute s to free Murray '. arm. After several minute s in the infield, Murray was able to walk off under his own power with his hand heavily bandag ed and his arm in a sling. On the restart, Larry Shipma n took the lead over Northr up and Castro. Northr up, coming from the 10, took the lead on the back chute with Castro slippin g by Shipma n for second in tum four on the openin g lap. Castro kept the pressure on Northr up the entire distanc e but was unable to get by on the inside. Northr up opened a small advant age on the final lap while Castro' s motor failed in tum four. Castro tried to coast to the line but had to switch to manua l power (his legs). It didn't work as Bentley Barrett was going about 40 mph faster and edged by for third at the line. Castro came home third with Craig DePhil lippi fourth over Shipma n and Murray . Pat Cain and John Clark were also victims of the crash·filled night as both were remove d from the track via stretch er with possible broken ankles. The past two meets at IMS have kept the fans jumpin g to their feet through out the night with the same action expecte d to continu e every Wedne sday the retnain der of the season. The first race starts at 8 p.m.. Resul ts tonight in an opener filled with obstacles, controversy, crashes and thrills. It was an evening that the fans will not soon forget. Promot er Dennis Robins on and his crew did an outstan ding job of putting it all togethe r conside ring they had less than a day to do it after the circus left townl In the Handic ap main, Bill Lingley took the lead with Steve Lucero , off the 4Q-yard line, moving into second in tum two on the second lap. Lingley, riding in Division One only since the end of the 1980 season, looked good as he held off Lucero , who until this point had won all of his heats and semis of the evening. He seemed unbeat able until he found the haybale in tum three of the third lap, abruptl y ending that race for Steve. "00 It" Duane Yarrow came under Lingley on lap four and took the checke red flag for his first Handic ap main win of the 1981 season. Lingley was second, Eddie Ingels third. Paul Orland i was off the pole in the Scratch main and into the lead with "The Demon " Steve Lucero hot on his back wheel. Tom Ferris was third and Duane Yarrow fourth. On the second lap, Yarrow moved inside Ferris to take third. As the super fast, hard riding race continu ed the positions never change d with Orland i winnin g by maybe two inche5. It could not have been closer. The Division Two main turned out to be one of several controv enies of the evening. Craig E1stins took the lead and held it until tum two on lap four when Pat Linn took a short cut throug h the infield, re-ente ring the track in time to take tum three where he entered the infield a second time, falling slightly. He got back on to the track to take the checke red flag. Harlan Bast, Jr. was second , Craig E1stins third. The clerk and ·scoren refused to let the announ cer call the race, fully expecti ng the ref to disqual ify Linn, giving Bast the win. However, the word came down that in the refs opinion , Linn had taken to the infield as a safety measur e, in order to avoid an acciden t and would not be disqualified. So remetn ber, riders, the next time someon e gets in your way, just take to the infield. Scott Briard took his second Division Three trophy of the season, winnin g the main with Curt Miller second and Charles Haines third. Watch for Scott in Division Two. In the Junior Division main, John Housto n took tbe wall and a hay bale or two on lap one in tum' two as Bart Bast took the lead and easily held it for the win. Nine·ye ar-old Bobby Hedden was second, Mike Parsons third. Resul ts SCRATCH MAIN: 1. an- _ ; 2. AIon~; 3. Lance King; 4. J a h n _ HANIllCAP MAIN: 1. S _ ..........; 2. Gory Ford; 3. Bobby IIool; 5. Tam Morley; Lance King; 4. _ HANIllCAP MAIN: 1. 0 . - V...-. 2. 811 Lingloy; 3. EddIe Ingolo; 4. 0... . . . 5. S _ ..........; e. .latin Vall<. SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Pout OrIondi; 2. S_ ..........; 3- Mc:l.Iin. SECOND DlV: 1. _ -= Iloyte_. e. ~ ~. S_ M_; 2. Flab PI-.;; 3. 4. 0... W-.n; 5. Allie Hoy; e. Ron THIRD DIY: 1. Andy Northrup; 2. Ilenltey 8ImItt; 3. Ed e-o; 4. Cr8lg llePhiIipp i; 5. Uny Shipnwl; e. S_Mun 8y. MATCH RACE: 1. an- Penholl; 2. 51-.. _ . lluone V...-. 4. Tam_ Jr.; 3DMSION II MAIN: 1. Pot Lim; 2. _ 4. Mike _ ; 5. AI U _ ; Croig a.. e. DMSION "I MAIN: 1. Sc:olt 1Irierd; 2. Curt Miller; 3JUNIOR MAIN: 1. lien IIeel; 2. Bobby _ ; 3. .Mike "--'e; 4. Jahn _ , Jr. o.tIe_ Yar row and Orla ndi "00 It" at Napa ope ner By Ken Kellog g By Jann Hous ton COSTA MESA, CA,JU NE 5 NAPA, CA, MAY 50 Cool. breezy weath er greete d the large crowd as northe rn Cali· fornia speedw ay expan ded to the wine countr y of Napa. CA Res tarts and spil ls mar k Cos ta Mes a It was a rough night for both riders and officials to say the least. There were 16 official reo starts and all nine reserve riders were given a chance to ride. Irwin

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