Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

B ;'iE"D;;;:Y~i'ii'"-··-N 8 Hannum, Ormiston ~ nab Denver ...... anniversary wins 00 By Sam Slideways 0') ...... DENVER, CO, AUG. 21 _ Marking the first anniversary of speedway racing in Denver's ...... Western Stock Show Arena, the promoters and riders put on a c..o liJ e poQ fme show with lots of hard aggressive riding for the crowd to enjoy. Tonight ~ was..also the first night. f?r a fuU .., DiVlSlon Two program, gtvmg many ~ new riders a chance to show their stuff. ~ The Division Two main event lineup tn was Russ Underwood, Rusty Haflet and Bcn Moore on the outside. In the first tum, it was Underwood who pulled a nice holeshot, but he ~as quickly passed as he went too w.de coming out of tum two. Both Haflet and Moore slipped by when this happened. Haflet then began to run away with a battle developing between Underwood and Moore. Underwood was the victor as he got by Moore on lap three. Meanwhile, Haflet had developed quite a lead and hung on for the win. Handicap main action was ~lose, tight and extremely fast. The hneup saw RUlRI Wonders on the 20-yard line, Rick Steele and Bryan Hocllined up on the SO. On the 40 was Mark Borgman, Ken Pieper and Rusty Hannum. Getting the lead in the first comer was Wonders, but he quickly feU by the wayside as he was passed by IOmeone on aImost every lap_ After five lape filled with 10 much p~in~ that it would take a ful1 page to list .t all, the eventual winner was Hannum on his self-sponsored four-valve Jawa. Finishing a closc second was Pieper with Borgman a close third. . With the Scratch heats filled With 10 much action, it was obvious that the main would be a real handlebar rattler, and it wasl Nabbing the holeshot in fine style from the outside it was Borgman. It looked like a runaway for him until the second lap when he went wide coming out of turn four allowing Scott Ormiston on the E.E. Ormiston Jawa to take the lead. Meanwhile, there was quite a battle for third between Hocl and Pieper. When the action stopped and the checkered flag came out, Ormiston had held on for the win. Borgman, who was also celebrating his 24th binhday, came in a close second. Pieper was able to edge out Hocl for third. The King of the Hill match race pitted challenger Ken Pieper on his Buckram Contractors Jawa against Mike Golightly on the Yamaha West Jawa. First off the line and into the first comer it was Golightly. The lead was shon-lived as Golightly went too wide coming out of tum two, all Pieper needed as he slipped by. Pieper pulled away slightly until the last comer when Golightly put on a hard drive, but it was not quite enough as Pieper held on for the win. Results seCOND DIV: 1. Rusty . - ; 2. RUOI Underwood; 3. Ben M""",. SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Scon 0rmi010n: 2. Mork !Iofgmon; 3. Ken Pieper; 4. Bryon Hoot. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Rusty Hannum: 2. Ken Pieper; 3. Mork !Iofgmon; 4. Rick 51"": 5. Bryon Hoe!; 6. Ruoo Wonders. Ormiston, Hannum soar in Eagle By Sam Slideways EAGLE, CO, AUG. 2S 14 Flying away with the main event victories at the Eagle County Fairgrounds, Scott Ormiston and Rusty Hannum showed the small but enthusiastic high country crowd what speedway racing is all about. The Handicap main had a very unusual lineup with Mark Borgman, Scott Ormiston, Dave Pieper and his brother Ken all lined up on the 40yard line. As you might imagine, this looked like it would be a real battle in the frrst corner. Lined up on the SO was Larry Metherd, and all by himself on the 20 was Russel Wonders. First comer action was tight with Metherd coming out in the lead, Ormiston pushing real hard in second. On ~he third lap, Wonders, who was runnmg in third place, lost it into the hay bales in turn three, aUowing the rest of the pack to begin chasing the leaders. Ormiston began Meanwhile, pushing Metherd hard, and on the last lap Ormiston dove under Metherd to take the lead. Metherd almost got it back as Ormiston lost'aU his drive in the mud hole coming out of turn two, but Ormiston was able to get rolling and hold on for a nice Handicap win. The Scratch main looked like the race of the day with Rusty Hannum, Borgman, Onniston and Mark Corbett all making the lineup. Taking the lead from the pole position was Borgman, but it was short-lived as he lost aU his traction in the now famous tum two mud hole. Hannum then got the lead with Borgman a closc second. By the third lap, Ormiston was also able to get by Borgman for second place. At the checkered flag, it was Hannum with a convincing lead taking the win. The King of the HiU match race saw Borgman challenging Ken Pieper. From the moment the race staned, it was Borgman with the lead and Pieper chasing hard. Borgman was able to hold off the Pieper's charge for a nice Win. Special thanks go out to all the people involved with putting together this race. Despite the poor track conditions, there was a lot of good racing, and all the riders are anxious to return so they can sec all our friends in the high country. Results HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Scon Ormislon; 2. Larry ~; 3. D~ ~~; 4. ~ !Iofgman; 5. Ken Pieper. SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Rusty Hannum; 2. Scott 0rmi010n; 3. ~ Borgmon; 4. Mork Corilen. Hannum, Ormiston repeat victories in Denver By Sam Slideways DENVER, CO, AUG. 28 For the third week in a row, both Rusty Hannum and Scott Ormiston nailed hard-earned main event wins with smooth and fut riding on another marginal race track at the Western Stock Show Arena. The Second Division main was one of the most interesting races seen aU year. It was what you mig~t .caU.a survivor's r~ce as everyone nding m the race fell at \cast once with the exception being Rusty Haflet who won the eve~lt, just by staying on two wheels. Also mvolved in the melee was Dave McMillen who got back up to finish second, Norm Rindom coming in third. The Division One Handicap main saw Dan Weigum and Larry Methcrd lined up on the SO-yard line. The 40yard line was. full with Hann~, Dave Pieper, O~lSton an~ Ken. ~eper a~ making the lineup. WIth this lineup, It looked like first comer action was going to be hot and heavy. __ CootoM_ _ " ' When the tapes went up, Weigum and Metherd instantly began a battle for the pole. Getting a super stan from the 40, Hannum joined the battle and by the back straight had the lead. On the second lap, Dave Pieper managed to get by both Weigum and Metherd. Ormiston began a hard charge and also got by Weigum and Metherd on the third lap. Meanwhile, Hannum, on his self-sponsored four-valve Jawa, began to develop a lead over Pieper. Ormiston tried to pass Pieper several times on lap four but was unable to get by. Lining up for the Scratch main was Onniston. Methcrd and both Pieper brothers. With hard-charging riders like this in a main event, the crowd was expecting a lot passing, ~u.t it didn't harpen as flTSt comer postuons held unti the finish, giving Ormiston, on Fred Martin's four-valve Jawa, his third main event win in as many weeks. Putting in a couple of fine rides was Methcrd, scoring a second in the Scratch main and a fifth place in the Handicap main. The King of the HiU match race pitted chal1enger' Bob Borg against current King of the Hill Mark Borgman. Challenger Borg traveled in from Logan, lIT. Borg also used to ride in I>emer last year and at that time was the man to bnt. This match race gave Borgman a chance to even things up a bit, and this he did as he nabbed the hoIahot. Borg tried everything he could, but Borgman had the arena track figured out as he ~ to pull away and rode on to a convmcing win. This may be the beginning of a streak for Borgman as this is the second week he has been the King of the Hill. _. R....1ts SECOIIIl DIY: 1.1luoIy HIIlM; 2. 0... ~ 3- Norm IlindDm. HANDICAP _ 1. IluoIy Honnum; 2. 0... PIopor; 3. ScoIl a.-.; 4. o.n w.Igum; 6. l.Iny SCATCH _ 1. ScoIl a.-.; 2. l.Iny ~3.0...""";4.~""". Robinson wins NorCal Championship By Jann Houston AUBURN, CA, AUG. 29 Somehow it seems fitting that Dennis "Choo Choo" Robinson won the Rich MacMurray Memorial Northern California Championship in Auburn tonight. Fitting, because the man it honored, "Rollin' Rich" MacMurray, killed in a plane crash in 1980, was Robinson's best friend and long time racing companion. That fact surely played a part in the determination and flawless style which ended in a perfect score and the C;hampionship'. It is Robinson's first Nonhern California title, and the fact that it is named in MacMurray's memory had to make it extra speciaI for Dennis. The evening bepn with a riders' parade, after which announcer Milte Rooney, a friend and co-racer of Mac Murray's himself, made an appropriate opening statement remembering the full of life, fun-loving ways of the man we were honoring. The audience then stood for a moment of silence as the riders turned to face the infield where MacMurray's purple bilte sat under the waving American flag. As the national anthem rang out, more than one tear fell. The opening ceremony ended, Rooney broke the solemn mood by saying, "Rich would say, v_",,---'Have fun and enjoy the showl'" From that point on, that's what everybody did. Where Dennis Robinson was concerned, there was no catching him. He took the lead out of the gate in all five heats, never giving anyone the chance to take it. His "closcst encounter" of the evening came in the last heat when Steve Lucero gave him his biggest threat as he got past Tom Ferris on lap three and reaUy applied the pl'CSlUre, but Robinson was out for a perfect score, and he got it. He never Itncw the meaning of the word second all evening; the action in his heats was behind himl Nonhern California's number one, Mike Faria, and number two, Duane Yarrow, were tied at the end of the first round, both with unusual seconds, Faria held off by Robinson and Yarrow by Tom Ferris. Faria won his next three rounds, then took a second in his last heat to Yarrow, giving him three wina and two seconds. Yarrow took second to Robinson in his second heat and won the remaining three, creating a tie situation with Faria for second place. Faria, northern Cali· fornia champion for the past four years, declined to participate in a tiebreaking runoff and setded for third, giving second to Yarrow. During inten:niIIioD, Milte Faria was presented a plaque for Northern California Hi Point Man of 1981, making it four years in a row_ Harlan Bast, Jr. was honored as Rookie of the Year, finishing eighth in northern California points, his fint year in Division One. Harlan's younger brother. Bart, a five-year veteran of speedway at theage of 14, won the 1981 Northern Califomia Junior Championship in a clean sweep, winning all four heatll Bart also led in Junior points for the year, clearly malting him number ODeI .John HOUIbJD took second in the championship, and Scon Brant was third. "Little" Bobby Hedden proudly carried home the first place trophy in the Junior Pee Wee Division winning both 'heats, the second by half a lap. Tonight's race concludes the 1981 NorCaI season. It was the best ever for Promoter John Houston, proving that the move (rom Cal Expo in Sacramento to the Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds, SO miles east, was the right one. The enthusiastic crowds increased every week. There are lUlIlOrs of one or possibly two new nonhern California speedway tracks next season, as speedway continues to expand in northern California. Sec you next yearl Results MAC MURRAY MEMORIAl NORTHERN CAllFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Dennis _ : 2. Duor>e Y _ 3. Mike ForiI; 4. 5 _ Lucero; 6. Mike Delocy; 6. mEl Mort: Princ:eIIluddv _ ; 7. Poul Ortondi; B. Tom FerriI; 9. Ron McGiI: 10. lT1El Horton - . JrJAnay _ ; 11. Ron Long; 12. lT1El Bobby _ J o h n VolI<; 13. Bm Ungloy. NORTHERN CAlIFORNIA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. 8Irt Ilat; 2. John Houaton. Jr.; 3. ScoIl IIront; 4. Milt......... JR PEE wee: 1. Bobby . - : 2. Coors Wright. Lucero wins Ventura Track Championship By Bill Locey VENTURA, CA, SEPT. 1 The 1981 speedway season at the Ventura Raceway is history -quiet reigns until April of next year. The season ended much the same way it began - chilly and cold with a small crowd on hand. The racing, as usual, was exciting. As you may suspect, there will be no Fair race this year. The Fair has been extended to 10 days to accomodate

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