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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126759
Sigalos leads Sam Ennolenko and Dubb Ferrell. (Inset) Bobby Schwartz coasts around with engine problems. Margo King-Sandona interviews Sigalos after his Long Beach win and presented him with awards for capturing the Coors Spring Classic title. Alan Christian led going into the final round but finished second overall. ISiggy'smokes Spring Classic speed~ay finale By Scott Daloisio LONG BEACH, CA, MARCH 10 Dennis Sigalos calls the track at Long Beach Veterans Stadium, "my track." You could tell he believed that when he pulled up in a long white limousine to compete in the Coors Spring Classic. By the end of the evening he had everyone else believing strongly in his words as he raced to wins in _ 10 both the Scratch and Handicap mains. His big night also netted him the overall win of the three-race Spring Classic Series. Coming into Saturday night, Alan Christian was the point leader with 61. Sig-alos held down second with 54 points and Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz was third with 52. Schwartz was the first of the top three contenders to make an appearance when he came out in race two. He easily led from gate to checkers while Lance King earned second place when he pinched off Mike Faria in the first bend and held him off the remainder of the event. Sigalos, riding a potent Weslake sponsored by Orange County Food Service and Pepsi, came into the evening having never lost a race at Long Beach. Before the evening's festivities got underway, he confidentIy predicted in the pits, "I've got it in the bag. Yeh it's in the bag, this is my track." His first chance to back that up came in event three and alter watching the first lap, the captain of the new Wolverhampton entry in the British League looked to be a prophet. Suddenly, on lap two, he slowed as he reached the first bend and pulled to the outside, letting Dubb Ferrell by for first. As Sigalos coasted down the back chute he could be seen fiddling under the seat before the machine finally roared back to life. Unfohunately it was too late and I:te was forced to finish a distant fourth for his first-ever defeat on the ultra-fast quarter mile track. Alter the race, everyone was waiting word from the Sigalos pit as to what went wrong. "At first I thought my kill switch came out but when I saw it was still connected I knew it was electrical. Apparently the ignition box got bumped by the carburetor and turned off. I just reached down and switched it back on." Christian, who seems to have a hard time on the bigger tracks, saw his Spring Classic title hopes go up in smoke in event five. He finished a distant fourth in event four and whi~ john Cook was defeating Schwartz in event five, Christian crashed in tum three and went sailing under the fence. Event seven saw the worst crash of the evening occur. As the pack was headed for the first corner, Rick Miller's rear tire made contact with Kelly Moran's front, sending Miller into a head-on course with the chain links. It took several minutes for Miller to return to his feet and when he did it was believed that his only serious _ injury was to his knee. It turned out that the crash caused some kidney damage and the Coventry star was forced to spend a few days in an Encino hospital. Sigalos went wire to wire on the restart, while Moran dropped out as he was running second. That proved to be Moran's final hurrah of the evening. The diminutive "Sideways Superstar" had ignition problems with one bike and was using a borrowed motor on the other. When the loaner started acting up, Kelly called it an evening. Steve Lucero, who was looking good on the big track, held off a fierce challenge from King to win event nine while Faria scored his second straight triumph in event 12. Sigalos made it two out of three in event II but Schwartz was the real story. From the gate his bike sounded like it was going to expire at any time and he coasted around the outside at about 20 mph. The other competitors put a couple of laps on Schwartz but he continued to stay out. His persistence paid off as john Sandona crashed in turn three and Schwartz captured a slow third place. Miller, whoat the time didn't know how seriously he was injured, came back to win event 12 with a first-lap pass over Mike Bast, who had captured his first twO rides. Bast's Long Beach luck then returned to the norm when his motor apparently seized on the final revolution, dropping him to last. The top race of the evening was the first Scratch semi. Faria outgated everyone and then battled back a fierce challenge from Sigalos and Cook, much to the delight of the crowd who were on their feet and screaming. Heading into tum three on the final circuit, Sigalos forced his way inside Faria. Faria hit a groove in the track and drifted out a few feet and made what seemed as being inevitable a little easier and Sigalos bauled by. Cook tried to follow "Siggy" through in turn four but Faria aggresively shut the door and crossed the line second. Bast got the gate in the second semi with Schwartz and Lucero pushing him aside in the first bend. From there the pack spread out with Schwartz winning over Lucero, Buddy Robinson and Bast. Schwartz charged into the lead from the outside in the Scratch main but Sigalos cranked on the power in his Weslake and moved to the point position in turn two. Once out front, Sigalos was gone. He rode an impeccable four laps to take the win by 60 feet over Schwartz. Faria and Lucero rounded out the field. The Handicap main featured jim Lawson from the SO, Brad Oxley off the 40 and Faria, King, Sigalos and Schwartz off the 50. To say Sigalos got. a roller on the start was an understatement. Hewasalreadychallenging Lawson in the first comer and he made the pass for the lead in tum three. Schwartz took second from Lawson on the second go- 'round but the Sigalos roller made it impossible for Schwartz to challenge. As the checkered unfurled it was Sigalos again conquering Long Beach and he looks to be the man to beat at the American Final in june. Schwartz who took second in aIlS Scratch mains in the Classics, a second and a fifth in the Handicap mains and finished second in the overall standings had this to say at the end of the evening, "I tried my hardest. It was my best effort and I had a lot of fun." • Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Dennis Sigalos (WESI: 2. Bobby Schwartz (Jaw): 3. Make Faria (WES); 4. Steve Lucero (WESI. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Dannis Sigalos (WES); 2. 1!obby Schwartz (JAW); 3. Lance King (WESI; 4. Jim Lawson (Jaw); 5. Mike Faria (WES); 6. Brad Oxley (WES). ANAL SPRING CLASSIC POINT STANDINGS: 1. Dannis Sigalos (961; 2. Bobby Schwartz (921: 3. John Cook (631; 4. Alan Christian 161); 5. Lance King (61); 6. Mika Faria (59); 7. Buddy Robinson (491; B. Brad Oxley (43); 9. Stave Lucero (41); 10. Sam Errnolenlto (34): 11. Mike Me_cane (32); 12. Kally Moran (291; 13. Riel< Miller (28); 14. Gene Woods (27); 15. John Sandone (26); 16. Danny Scopellita(26); 17. Jim Lawsonf251; 18. MikeSast (21 I; 19. Dubb Farrall (181; 20. Sterling Cogar (16); 21. Tom Burba (15); 22. Ron Blenton (151; 23. Lani FINIS (13); 24. Rob P1etting (I): 25. Mike Curoso (01; 26. Ed Castro (0).