Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

C.-ta"", - Sa............0 - Ve.hWa- Aalnlra - N. . . -C. . . . . . . . - ............... - Ve.t1U'a- A...... - N. . . -C. . . . . . . . - . . . SPEEDWAY WEEK As per usuel. multi-time Champion Mike But grabs the holeshot on the WIlY to the Scratch mein win et Costa M.... John Cook teemed with Dubb Ferren for 88COnd in peirs et Venture. Pfetzing/Ermolenko are State Best Pair By Bill Locey VENTURA. CA, SEPT. 6 A pair of Tuesday-night regulars, Rob Pfetzing and Sam Ermolenko, won the problemplagued California State Best ..so Pairs Championship at the final twowheeled evening of '85 at the Ventura Raceway. The winners had no problems as they compiled a perfeo score of 25. four points better than the runners-up, John Cook and Dubb Ferrell. A pairs championship format features seven pairs racing every other pair once over 21 races. The first problem of the night started when Kelly Moran. among others, changed his mind about riding, plus an injury to Buddy Robinson limned the lineup of six pairs instead of seven. ThIS knocked out six races right off the bat. Then. midwaay through the program, two of the favorites, Mike Faria and Steve Lucero. left in a tizzy after disagreeing with the ref~'s decision. The actual racing itself was just fine. particularly when a pair of ~ood pairs were on the track. Pairs raangs. which is basic team racing. was showcased in the very first ratt when Cook and Ferrell got the lead. One took the high road, the other the low road; the.re was nowhere for Ron Blanton or Ed Castro to pass. The result was a 5-1 win for the Cook team. The next race was two races in one. Faria got the gate and spent.the rest of the race holding off the wild outside moves of John Sandona. Several lengths back. Brad Oxley was hold· ing Steve Lucero in last; at least until Oxley crashed coming out of four. Oxley's crash cost his team a 5·5 standoff and gave Faria's team a 4-2 edge. As the draw would have it, Ermolenko's team faced a tough challenge first time out against Faria and Lucero. Faria and Lucero took an early lead as they went around tum one. But PfelZing and Ermolenko are the best come-from-behind riders at this track, and by tum four they had both passed Lucero on the outside. Just as PfelZing made a tum·two inside move on Faria, the track champ broke his footpeg and was slowed considerably. Lucero managed third ahead of his partner, but it was a 5-1 win for PfelZing's team. Next time out. Pfetzing and "Sudden Sam" found themselves in third and fourth behind a streaking Bobby McLain and Tim McCasland. That lasted another lap or so, just long enough for Pfetzing and Ermolenko to go nuts on the outside and pass. In the controversial race of the night, Faria was gone. leaving his buddy Lucero to deal with a charging Ed Castro. The lead changed hands a few times. and after a few bumps, they came together in tum one and Castro went down in a cloud of dust. Referee Andy Cadoui disqualified LuttfO for rough riding, taking away his two points and giving him zero in return. After an argument. Faria got huffy and left the track."He took our points!; we were_out of it anyway," said a discontented Faria. "It was a bad call." said Lucero tersely. The departure of Faria and Lucero didn't make the contending team of Castro and PfelZing very happy. "It's not fair for them to leave." said Pfetzing. "We have to beat Cook and Ferrell or we lose, and they don't even have to ride against Faria and Lucero. We counted on them to take a few points away from those guys." With the title on the line, Cook and F(tTeIl, also unbeaten, took a lead over PfelZing and Ermolenko. B by turn four, Pfetzing and ErmQ. lenko had passed Ferrell on the oUl'side. There was, however, still tile problem of Cook, who was also ing on the outside. As the lead m Pfetzing, was all set to duck in . Cook around tum two, Cook ~ and that was the race and the title. Ermolenkoand Pfetzingended wi a perfect 25 after disposing of but DOl without a fight, the one-man team of Sandona, riding without bikeless Brad Oxley. Cook and Ferrell gained a measure of revenge by finishing 1-2 in a meaningless main event over PfelZing and Ermolenko. The Best Pairs Olamps certainly earned their title. winning all five of their rides from behind after being left at the gate. Results era. J. IIabby McLalnlTlm ~ (14~ 4. John s.- FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Rob Plwlzing/Sem Ienko (25~ 2. John CoakIDubb FerNlI 121 ~ doNI/Br8d Ollley 111 t 5. Ed e.trolRon B...... fBt 8. Mib F8ri11IS_ Lu-.. (B). Bast. Farrell fast at Costa Mesa By Jim Brown COSTA MESA, CA. SEPT. 9 Mike Bast, who started off th~ season with several consecutiv wins, put himself back in the winners circle. Bast, sponsored by Justice Bros.• Riverside Mitsub~ shi and Pre-Fab Erectors. won ht heat race and took a second place i the semi behind John Cook. Bas came into the event with GeneW bike. after having blown his own u Bast did his usual job at the ta being first, and carrying his lead righ to the winners circle. Sam Ermolenko came in fourth i the main after having won his hea race, In the semi, Ermolenko pa~ Kelly. Moran in a wheel-to-wh~ battle that was definitely the crowd pleaser of the evening. Alan Christian was held off bj Leni Faas in his heat race and in the semi. Christian did a donut coming out of tum one which guaranteed him last platt. He recovered and came back to win the consolation, this time leading Faas across the finish line.

• Cover