Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ lJl lJl it l>. :I: z :I: 0 -, >CD lJl 0 >0 ~ :I: l>. 00 0') ........ ~ 0 c<") ;;.-. ro ~ (Above) Top scorer Dennis Sigalos leads John Titman in WTC action. (Below) John Cook pushes across for a point. Shawn Moran. here leading Sam Ermolenko and Chris Morton at Cradley. led the U.S. to three Match Series wins. . was forecast over second between England and Australia. England was three points behind the Aussies after five races and their chances of advancing with the Yanks looked dim. However, 42-year-old reserve rider John Louis saved the day for the British when he came in for an off-form Dave jessup and scored eight very valuable points. Australia finished third with 25 points, and New Zealand, even with the leadership of former World Champion Ivan Mauger, mustered only five. Results USA. 34: Dennis 5ig8105 (1 2); Shawn Moran (11); Lance King IS); Bobby Schwartz (5); John Cook 11). ENGLAND. 32: Simon Wigg 110); Mike Lee IB); John louis fa); Chris Morton (5): Dave Jessup (1 I. AUSTRALIA. 25: Billy Sanders 18); Gary Gugliemi (8); Phil Crump 17); Steve Regeling (2); John Titman (0). World Speedway Team Cup: Qualifier 1 Engllnd/USA Speedwly Mitch Rice Series: Finll round U.S. opens with a win USA finishes on top By John Hipkiss By John Hipkiss KING'S LYNN, ENGLAND, MAY 13 Despite the non-appearance of Dennis Sigalos. the Americans wrapped up the 1984 series 4-1, winning the last race 58-59, POOLE, ENGLA D, MAY 9 American speedway ace Dennis Sigalos scored a perfect 12 points in his four rides to lead the U.S. to victory in the United Kingdom round of the World Team Cup Speedway Championsip. America and England advanced to the next round of the championship, while Australia and New 22 Zealand were eliminated. However, America's supremacy was not as emphatic as was expeCled after their runaway win in the recent USAI England match series. Sigalos had good support from Shawn Moran, but other team members - skipper Bobby Schwartz, Lance King and john Cook - were down the scale. America topped the scores with 34 points, but En~land was only two back at32. Only the top two teams go on to the Intercontinental round. America got off to a flying start when Shawn Moran won the first race, but in the second heat there was a four-man pileup.. Coming out of turn two Mitch Shirra brought down England's Simon Wigg and the trailing-. ·~~tS" .I,.ance. ~ing and Billy Sanders, had to lay· their machines down to avoid them. Kingdidn'ttake his ride in the re-run because he didn't feel he could give 100%, so his place was taken by reserve john Cook. With Shirra out of the race, when Cook's machine died. he was able to push it just over a lap (340 meters) to pick up a point for third place. King came back. in his second ride for a win over England's Chris Morton, but faded after that and only scored a pair of thirds. Schwartz failed to win a race, garnering a third and two seconds, but was out of the points in his final race after being balked in the first turn. Moran gave excellent support to Sigalos, dropping only one point. That was in his last race when he finished second to Wigg. Moran was cursing at himself for not changing gearing; so biller is defeat to him. America won eigh t of the 16 races, England six and Australia two. America was expected. to win, but a ba!tlc; _" Sigalos pulled outof theevemonly hours before it began. The only explanation given was that Sigalos had been forced to withdraw for "domestic reasons." The U.S. team was led brilliantly by skipper Bobby Schwanz. Schwartz fell in his first ride when his panner collided with him, but he came back to win the re-run over Poole-based Michael Lee. With fine riding by Alan Grahame, Simon Wigg and Phil Collins, England held off the Americans up to the halfway poim where the score was tied at 27-each. The Americans crept ahead in event 12 when Peter Collins had his engine go in the final corner while leading top American scorer Shawn Moran. That heat gave the U.S. a 5-1 poims boost and virtually won the meeting for them. After that race the Americans never looked back, aided by fine efforts from, Lance King, john Cook and Rick Miller. Results USA, 58: Shawn Moran (15); Bobby SChwartz ~}3); ~ Ki"G.~! ~J; John CooIl(8);·fljck Mille' (8); Steve Lucero (1); Sam Ermolenko (11. ENGLAND. 50: Alan Grahamell0); Simon Wigg (9); Phil Collins (9); Peter Collins (7); Mike Lee (7); Chris Morton (4); John Davis (31; Kevin Smith (1 ). Engllnd/USA SpeedwlY Mitch Rice Series: Round 4 U.S. posts 36-point rout By John Hipkiss IPSWITCH, ENGLAND. MAY 7 America wrapped up the 1984 . series as they literally slaughtered the English team with the biggest margin of victory in series history, 72-36. So lopsided was the competition, the Yanks had the meel clinched by the 12th of 18 races. World Long Track Champ Shawn Moran was the leading scorer, collecting the maximum 18 points, and it never even looked like he would be defeated. America won 12 of the 18 races, split the points in another four, and were only beaten twice_ Not to take anything away from the Americans, but the English were a strange-looking team. Simon Wigg and Phil Collins, both of whom had scored well earlier, were absent. First timer Richard Knight, who rides at Ipswitch, joined the U.K. effon, as did jeremy Doncaster and second-time rider Kelvin Tatum. However, those riders did their jobs and scored eight, five and 'six poims, respectively. It was the more famous names, riders like Mike Lee (no poims) and Dave jessup (3) who shouldn't have bothered showing up. But there is no detracting from the marvelous U.S. performance. They won seven of the first nine races, four of them by 5-1 scores. The race was over by the 12th heat with the score . 49-23. Sigalos and Schwartz rode to three 5- I wins, as did King and Cook. Moran and Ermolenko had two maximums. After finishing last in his first race, Sigalos won his next five for 15 points. Cook won two, as did King. Results USA. 72: Shawn Moran (1 8); DennisSigalos(151; John Cook (13); Lance King (1 1); Bobby SChwartz (9): Sam Ermolenko (5); Rick Miller 11); Robert Plotzing 10). ENGLAND. 36: Chris Morton 19); Richerd Knight (8); Kelvin Tatum (6); Jeremy Donce",er (5); PlIul Wood. (4); Dave Jellup (3). John Louis (1); Mike L.,e (0), \ I . . • t l 1 ~ ~ r '. ~ ...'"

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