Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

.. C..ta M ... - San Bernardino - Ventura - ..a b arn - Napa - C.-ta M_ - San .....ardln. - Ventura - Aabarn - Napa - CeRa M_ - Sa. SPEEDVVAY VVEEK (Jaw); 3. Wok Farnum (Jaw); 4. Don BUller (Jaw); 5. "Crashwall" Cardova (Jaw); 6. Cory Lussier ewes). JR: 1. Jessee Finch; 2. Jordan Duncan; 3. Tim Gewecke; 4. Charlie Kolander; 5. cameron Evans; 6. Kelcey Gordon. ~ Faria far out at IMS 00 O"l By Scott Daloisio ...-4 SAN BER 'ARDINO. CA. APR. 18 ColLon's Mike Faria continues to keep his winning streak alive as he scored a clean sweep on the Scratch side o( the program Gene Woods runs inside a falling Sterling Cogar and Dubb Ferrell in action captured from Costa Mesa. Moran masters Costa Mesa By Scott Daloisio COSTA MESA, CA, APR. 20 In years gone by if you had drawn gate (our in the Scratch main at the Orange County Fairgrounds all you battled for 16 was to Slay out of last place. This season, gate four has amazingly supplied four straight wi.nners as defending National ChampIOn Kelly Moran (STP/Oakley Godd) raced home the latest winner. Alan Christian, winner of the previous week's main, was first to react at the gate but by turn one it was Moran in the point position. "Flying Mike" Faria, hoping to win hi third Scratch main of the week, breezed by Christian in turn two and set his sights on Moran. By that time Moran had opened up a big lead and was well on his way to avenging his Wednesday night defeat at the hands of Faria. Moran had it in the bag, but you have to remember, when he is on the track there is never a dull moment. As he approached the checkered he did a wheelie. His left foot was down and his steel shoe dug in, almost ending the star backwards and off the bike. He did recover (barely) and took home a fine paycheck on a crowded night. Faria claimed second with Chri tian third and Buddy Robinson fourth. Coming back after sitting out an entire season, Keith "Snakeman" Larsen continued his impressive-looking riding by Laking the Handicap main from the 30-yard line. Tom Walton was bumped up to First Division when a rider was forced to drop from the program earlier in the night. Like the Wednesday before, Walton won both his heat and semi and he took the initial lead on the SLart. Larsen (Jones Goggles/Hair By Bev Wes) gunned down Walton and grabbed the lead at the beginning of the third circuit. Walton tned to hang on to second but he got outside and watched as the pack blitzed by. This moved Robinson into second but he proved no threat as Larsen collected his first main event Win In nearly twO years by twO lengths. Christian took home third-place cash just ahead of Dub Farrell. Guy Waterson (Jaw) led from the gate to the checkered to win his first Costa Mesa Second Division main of the season. "Radical" Bob Ott hounded Waterson on the first lap and then Moose Kennedy took over. Kennedy stayed in second for the duration and attempted to pass Waterson everywhere on the track but Waterson was equal to the challenge and took the win. Randy Blevins took third. New guy Jeff Jones (Up Time/ PJI/Laser Helmets/Regina Chain Wes) came in as a reserve and. r~e a very aggresive race to t~~e hiS ftrsteverCosLa Mesa Third DlV1SJon main. Rich Sweaney kept the pressure on by riding the outside next to Jones the entire disLance until they arne to turn four on he final lap, when he dropped low and attempted to pass the leader on the inside. Jones was up to the trick however and he took the trophy and the cash. Jessee Finch remained undefeated at Costa Mesa as he took his third Junior main of the season. Finch took the lead from Tim Gewecke and then fought off Jordan Duncan for the win. Results SCRATCH MAIN: Kelly Moren (Godd); 2. Mike Ferie (Wes); 3. Alan Christian (Godd); 4. Buddy Robinson (Jaw). HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Keith Larsen (Wes); 2. Buddy Robinson (Jaw); 3. Alan Chris, ian (Godd); 4. Dubb Ferrell (Jaw!; 5. Tom Wakon (Jaw! 6. Mike MaDacane (Jaw). SEC DIV; 1. Guy Waterson (Jaw); 2. Moose Kennedv (Jaw); 3. Randy Blevins (Godd); 4. Bob Ckl (Jaw); 5. Danny Perkins (Jaw): 6. Car'( Fa85 (Wes). THIRD DIV; 1. Jeff Jones (Wes); 2. Rich Sweaney 10 win his lhird main event in a row al John LaDouceur's Inland MOlOrcvcle Speedway Wednesday Illght. . Thing-s started looking good for Faria prior 10 the mam when he pulled the number-one start in% SP0l. Everylhing- then took a drasllc turn for Ihe worse when he broke a cham right after he was pu.shed ofr. Faria was pUI on two mmules bUl hiS backup machine made it in plenty of time for lhe restart. Faria (Budweiser Shoei Oakley Kal-Gard STP Wes) quickly burSl from the g-ate and inlO the lead spot. but he didn't g-et far as Gene Woods and Buddy Robinson tangled m the firSl corner bring-ing- OUl a red flag-. On the restart. il was ag-ain Faria followed OUl by Robinson. Kelly Moran and Woods. Moran quickly releg-aled Robinson 10 third on the firsl circuit and lried in vain to Gllch Faria. Robinson tried 10 use the cushion 10 gel by Moran but had no luck as the top three flashed under Sid Sutton's checkered flag- within six bikeleng-ths of each other. Tom Wallon (Irvine Music Company WallOn RoofingJaw) captured alllhree of his ride in the Firsl DIVIsion Handicap and the main. AnOlher rider making his IMS First Divis~on debut Andy Northrup won hts first two races and popped the clutch firsl on the slart of the main. Wallon remained in second unlil lurn IwO when heslipped by Northrup for the lead. WallOn opened up a little kad. bUl on lap three. Northrup beg-an knocking- on Ihe door as they came into the corners. Northrup kept thai up ul1lil Kurt Slrommer pushed his wav into second in lurn two on lhe fin~l revolution. It was too late for the charg-ing- StrommeI' 10 catch Walton. who look his firslever First DIVIsion main. Alan Christian finished third after he passed Northrup a few yards before the checkered. . Don Faulkner (Wes) made Ll look easy a, he copped the Division Two main e"em fromlhelero. On a restart due to a red flag-. Faulkner led from the g-ate only to be pass{'d by Cory Lussier in tum two. Faulkner g-ot Lussier back b) lllrn three and proceeded 10 run away from the pack. Lussier took second five leng-ths back with Gt'orge Armas taking third. For the second consecutive week. Ron Williams emerged victorious from the Third Division encounler. Oscar Salinas led from the gate ul1lil Ihe final corner when Jawa-powered Williams snuck uponlhe inside and then oUl-dragged Salinas lO lheclwck· ered in a photo finish. Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Mike Faria (Wes); 2. Kelly Moran (Good): 3. Buddy Robinson (Jaw); 4. Gene Woods (Good). HANDICAP: 1. Tom Wall on (Jaw): 2. Kurt Strom· mer (Wes); 3. Alan Christian (Godd); 4. Andy North· rup (Wes), 5. Mike Curoso (Wes); 6. Denny Scopel· ",e(Wes!. SECOND DIV; 1. Don Faulkner (Wesl; 2. Cory Lussier (Wes): 3. George Armas (Jaw): 4. Steve Murray (Jaw): 5. Mark Weaver (Godd); 6. Wayne Leutz (Wes). THIRD VI: 1 Aon Williams(Jaw); 2. Oscar Salinas (Jaw); 3 Valerie Robledo (Jaw); 4. Randy Beddow (Jawl: 5. Terry Clanton (Jaw); 6. Don Butler (Jaw). MATCH RACE: 1. Gene Woods IGodd!; 2. Mike Fana (Wes). The Moose bulls his way to Ventura win By Bill Locey VENTURA, CA, APR. 17 Moose Kennedy kept the stampede of fast riders behind him bottled up as he won the Handicap main at The Commotion By The Ocean, thoroughly enjoying hi first ~uesday nl~ht nde ince 1982. And It was bUSiness as usual for "Flyin' Mike" Faria who won the Scratch main for the se ond straight week. For a change, full moon speedway was almost a safe as Sunday afternoon brid!?e, well almost. Mark Weaver new First Division rider here, fell ov~r on his back straight, breaking his foot and knocking off Tim McCasland. Kennedy, on a borrowed bike, jumped the start enough times to get penalized back to the 20 but won easily as his pursuers couldn'l gel sortt;d out fast enough to challenge. Fana showed how it's done off the SO and Ed Castro smoked everyone off the 30. In the best heat of the night, Kurt Strommerwon his first Tue day night ride of '84 when he whizzed around Swedish rider Lennart BengLSson. The crowd was thrilled and the scorekeepers had to earn thei.r money as four riders crossed the line all In a mass behind Strommer. Bengtsson and "Snakeman" Keith Larsen barely nipped Brad Oxley and last week's winner Andy Northrup. In a semI, Bengtsson and then Mike Mazzacane moved the "Moose" aside, but he held on for lhird behind them. Castro, off the 30, smoked them again to Lake his semi. The main was fast and exciting and the heat came down on the Moose during the last lap bUl managed to block Castro, who .in turn screwed things up for Faria. who returned the favor. In the Scratch heats, Jim Lawson held off Bobby "Insane" McLain for a win, and Moran smoked in his heat. Faria was cruising when Buddy Robinson made a frantic last turn drive, and Castro, after shadowing Mike Curoso for four laps, nailed the veteran on the final bend. Faria handed Castro his first loss of the night in a semi, and Robinson cut Moran off along the wall to win the other. In the main, Faria got the gate and that was that. Larry Willey and Doug Benjamin look their D-2 heats, but local, Walt Farnum, in his last night of racing as a 16-year-old, thrilled everyone the most. Trailing Danny PerkinS, who was trailing leader Eddie Marshall, Farnum followed Perkins by Marshall, who went 100 wide around turn four. Farnum got under PerkinS before either one reached turn one, only to have Perkins fall in turn one, leaving clear sailing for Farnum. In the main, Benjamin passed Marshall on the fourth lap to Lake the trophy. Farnum was la t after crashing in turn four. . Rick weaney won hIS heal and the Third Division main. • Results SCRATCH MAIN: 1. Mike Faria: 2. Buddy Robinson' 3 Ed Castro; 4. Kelly Moran. HANDICAP MAIN: 1. Moose Kennedy; 2. Castro; 3. Faria; 4. Mike Mazzacane; 5. Lennart Bengtsson; 6. Dennis Bransford. SEC DIV MAIN: 1. Doug Benjamin; 2. Eddie Mar· shall: 3. Randy Beddow; 4. Larry Willey; 5. Donny Faulkner; 6. Walt Farnum. THIRD DIV MAIN: 1. Rid< S_aney; 2. Wayne Selman; 3. Bill Conwav; 4. Jim Peery; 5. Jeff Jones; 6. Bob Boulene.

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