Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

• COlita Mesa - San Bernardino - Ascot - Ventura - Sacramento - Napa - COlita Mesa - San Bernardino - A.cot - Ventura - Sacramen o· Waylon and Willie, or Waylon and Merle and Beatlemania and Pablo Cruise - all of which totters on the verge of boredom compared to speedway. In the all-Scratch racing format, Steve Lucero, a very good 17-year-old, won three of his five races en route to a score of 15 and the title. 1980 champ Bobby Schwartz was in England; 1979 champ Mike Bast was in pain, and 1978 champ Alan Christian was in fourth, completing an amazing season here in which he failed to win a single mam. Ventura County's sole D-I rider, Bobby McLain, almost won it. After winning his first two rides (including a yawner over Lucero), McLain took a lead in his next ride, bumping John Sandona aside in every tum. On the third lap, McLain left the door open, and Sandona changed lines, cutting underneath McLain and cutting him off in the next turn. Sandona took the win comfortably. McLain led for the first half of his next ride before Christian, going fast on the outside, passed him and took the win. In the ·final round, John Foster outgated everyone, holding off the repeated charges of the "Fillmore Flash," leaving him with 12·points and the hope Lucero did something dumb in his last race. Lucero and Sandona battled wheel to wheel for two laps in the last race of the night until Sandona pulled away for the win, ending with 12-points. Look out for Lucero next year; he's going to be something else. The 16 top D-2 riders also got the rare chance to go Scratch racing. Pat Hawley, Ed Castro and Dave Wooten were heat winners. Tim McCasland passed Kerry Miller in the final tum to earn the final transfer spot to the main. Hawley, in his best ride of the year here, passed Wooten on the second lap and enjoyed a cruise from then on. After 20 Tuesday nights of speedway action at the Commotion by the Ocean, what can I say except more speedwayl Results VENTURA TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Steve lucero 1131; 2. mEl John 5andonoIIIobby Mclain 112); 4. Alan Chtilltion 11 01; 5. mE) Jimmy i..lIwson/John ~/Croig Schoefer 191; 8. mEl ShMn McConnelll Dave MillorlTom Money IS); 11. Keith lars«1 12. Tom Hugha 151; 13. Moooe Kennedy 14); 14. [TIEl Rob PletzinglEddie ClorklShone Howley (2). Note: No runoffs for ti-. SECONO OIY MAIN: 1. Pat Hawley; 2. Ed Castro; 3. Tim McCasland; 4. Oave Wooten. m; Christian crushes Costa Mesa competition with a double By Kenneth R. Kellogg COSTA MESA, CA, SEPT. 4 It was not by any means another average night at Costa Mesa (very few ever are). It was, to start with, Fox Night, and second, a high accident night (musta been the quake). The most bizzare event of the night was the Third Division main where Jeff Buck's bike went up in flames, along with Jeff momentarily. Apparently after he had crossed the finish line, Buck's carburetor came off spilling fuel on both himself ~~d his bike. Jeff was OK, but the condition of the bike is not yet known. But even through all this weirdness, the racing was fantastic, and Alan Christian joined the double main racing winners' club. The Third Division main had to be red-flagged due to the fire, so it was called an offical race. No one was positive who was left up, and the win was given to Mike Mazzacane with National motocrosser Rex Staten given second. In the Second Division main, only three riders went down. Strange. Guy Ermolenko led the entire race with the closest rider being Ed Castro. Third was Shane Hawley who had worked his way through traffic with good solid riding. On lap four, Shane's brother Pat went down giving Shane third place. Pat got ba.ck up and finished the race in fourth place. On the first lap of the Handicap main event, Dennis Bransford took the lead with Steve Bast second. By the end of lap one, Alan Christian was in third and Dubb Ferrell fourth. Only inches away was Mike Bast in fifth place, obviously in pain from his heel injury. On the next lap, Christian passed Steve Bast and took second. Bast went too wide, and Ferrell also passed him. On the last lap, Christian, riding like the Alan of last season, moved into the lead. At the checkered, it ",as Christian, Bransford and Ferrell, all about one bikelength apart. The Scratch mairi event matched Christian, Gene Woods, Mike Curoso and Mike Bast. Woods almost broke the tape three times and with a fmal warning from referee Irwin Moon, things settled down. The gate went up, and Christian took the lead. Curoso and Bas.t both went under Woods putti~ him in fourth place. The only real change in the race from there on was that Curoso closed the gap between himself and Christian. At the flag it was Christian, Curoso, Bast and Woods. The Skoal match race was between Alan Christian and Dennis Bransford, who was second in the Handicap main. Christian rode from the 40-yard line and Bransford from the 10. Bransford's handicap was too much for Christian to make up, so on the Skoal three-lapper, it was Bransford first and Christian second. Sept. II is "back to school night" at the track. All junior high and high school age students (with student ID) pay only one dollar for admission. Results THIRD OIV: 1. Mika M~; 2. ROll Staten. SECOND OIY: 1. Guy Ermolenko; 2. Ed Castro; 3. Shone Hawley; 4. Pat Howley; 5. Jail Havacko; 6. Ed Thurman. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Alan Christian; 2. Denni. Bransford; 3. Dubb Ferrell; 4. Steve Bast; 5. Mike Bast; 6. Dave Miller. SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Alan Christian; 2. Gene Wood.; 3. Mike Curoso; 4. Mike Bast. Sandona wins firstever IMS Scratch main By Scott Daloisio SAN BERNARDINO, CA, SEPT. 2 Local hero John Sandona, aboard the Super Seer Jawa, led wire to wire to pick up the Scratch main victory at John LaDouceur's Inland Motorcycle Speedway Wednesday night. Sandona, coming from the pole position, got the jump on the start over Alan Christian (STP Weslake), Jim Fishback (Carpets Galore Fontana/ Yamaha of Covina Jawa) and Mike Curoso (Melanie Carpenter /KEZY Weslake). Fishback went to the cushion to challenge Christian and Sandona only to drop back when he got sideways in the cushion in tum 00 en Dennis Robinson lead. Duane Yarrow and Ron McGill at Auburn. four on lap one. Curoso took the number three spot from Fishback down the back chute on lap two. Christian mounted his most serious challenge for the lead when he tried to go outside Sandona coming out of four on lap two_ Sandona was able to shut the door and went the rest of the way to his first-ever lMS Scratch main victory unchallenged. Christian finished a close second with Curoso third and Fishback fourth. Tom Burba (Kenny's Muffler Jawa) came from the lO-yard line to pick up the victory in the crash-shonened Handicap main. STP-sponsored Rob Pfetzing had bike problems and had to borrow aJawa fromJohn Foster for the main event. Pfetzing got the lead on the start over Burba and Keith Larsen (Richard Bond Bird's Unlimited Weslake). Burba and Larsen sandwiched Pfetzing in tum three on the opening lap as they went by for the first and second spots. Gene Woods (7-Up Godden), coming from the 40-yard line, was steadily moving through the pack as Burba and Larsen battled for the lead. Woods got by Larsen at the end of lap three for second with Larsen pulling even in tum one on lap four. Sandona came flying through on the inside, tapping Larsen who nailed Woods sending both riders heavily to the track causing a red flag. The race was called complete at this point with the fmishing order being reverted to the last complete lap. Burba got the victory over Woods, Larsen, Sandona, Fishback and Pfetzing. Unsponsored Jawa rider Tim McCasland, corning from the zero, took the Second Division main in his second try at the middle division at IMS. McCasland took the lead at the gate over Wayne Leutz (S&S Construction Jawa) who was making his flTSt start in Second Division. Robin Bourgeous Oaw) snuck by Guy Ermolenko Oaw) on the inside in tum two for third on lap two. Ermolenko reclaimed the third spot from Bourgeous in tum four on the same lap. Leutz was in third heading for the white flag when he did a wheelie. Losing control, he crossed the track and was nailed by Steve Bauer (Ashgrove/Slokam Concrete Jawa) who had nowhere to go. Pat Cain (Coffman's Custom Exhaust) took evasive action to miss the crash and put the starting light on the infield out of its misery. After a few tense moments, Leutz got on his feet and walked off the track under his own power. Again going back to the last complete lap, it was McCasland over Ermolenko, Bourgeous, Bauer, Cain and Leutz, who was moved to the final spot for causing the red. Scott Talkington (Apollo Metal Spinning Jawa) received the good news/bad news treatment as he was the first rider to receive Sid Sutton's checkered flag and the only one to get Sutton's black flag in the Third Division main. Carlos Cardona (Hacienda Honda J.A.P.) was the early leader. Talkington grabbed the lead in tum one on the opening lap. George Sugita (Sugita Trucking Jawa) and Kermy Bencheck (Renee's Surf and Sport Weslake) both went down in turn three on the openi~ lap ending their night early. Mark Weaver (Mesa Verde Barber SalonJawa) got by Cardona for second at the end of lap two. Talkington was cruising and dreaming of Second Division when his rear fe.nder came off on lap three setting himself up for the disqualificiation. Weaver was the happy beneficiary of Talkington's misfortune as he was awarded the victory. Unsponsored Robby Stone on a Jawa took second followed by Cardona Benecheck, Sugita and Talkington. Bobby Cody went inside Jason Chism in tum two on lap one in the Junior Speedway main and neve.r looked back. Ronnie Corey edged Jim Busby for second followed by Jordan Duncan, Chism and Dave Busby. Sept. 9 at IMS will be Gene Woods 7-Up poster night. Also on hand to try and keep up his hot southern California streak will be the "Boogaloo Kid," Bobby Schwartz. The "Wheelie King," Doug Domokos, will be back at IMS for the California State Championship on Sept. 25. Domokos will perform at intermission while Bruce Penhall, Lance King, Mike Faria, Gene Woods, Mike Bast, Alan Christian, D,ave DeTemple and Jim Fishback will be just a few of the speedway stars on hand to vie for the championship. _ Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. John sandona; 2. Alan Christian; 3. Mike CurOlO; 4. Jim Ftahblck. HANOICAP MAIN: 1. Tom Burba; 2. Gena Wood.; 3. Keith lanon; 4. Jo~n Sandona; 5. Jim Filhback; 6. Rob Pletzinv· SECOND OIV: 1. Tim McCaaIand; 2. Guy Ermolanko; 3. Robin Bourgeous; 4. SttMl 8auer; 5. Pat Cain; 6. WaynalaulL THIRD OIV: 1. Mart< W _ ; 2. Robby Stone; 3. Carloa Cordone; 4. Kenny Banchecl<; 5. George Sugita; 6. Scott TalkingtOn. JR: 1. Bobby Cody; 2. Ronnie Corey; 3. Jim Busby; 4. Jordan Ou..,.,; 5. Jason Chism; 6. Dave Busby. HARLEY OAVIDSON MATCH RACE: 1. "Oirty" Did< Waiea. 15

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