Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) King leads Les Collins. Kelly Moran and Schwartz. (Below) Shawn Moran leads his brother. Both qualified for the Intercontinental Final. Overseas 51eed.,al Fina' ICing wins, Morans transfer By John Hipkiss BELLE VUE, ENGLAND, JULY 15 Three Americans remained in contention for the World Individual Speedway Championship as Lance King stormed to a perfect 15-point score and won the Overseas Final. The Moran brothers, Shawn and Kelly, also transferred to the Intercontinental Final, the last step before the World Final in Sweden. While Shawn Moran finished third in the event and Kelly Moran won a run-off with England's Les Collins for the final transfer spot, odd man out was a very disappointed American captain, Bobby Schwanz. Schwaru, who won the American Final in June, had a disastrous day and only scored three points. Mechanical problems plagued him for much of the day, including one race where he caught the ignition box with his leg at the stan line. In two of his races where the bike was running, it wasn't fast enough to stay ahead of the competition. But 1or,Ktng,. 2(l.. it·was oSWll6!·5oUC-' 14 '.. • cess; a magnificent and brilliant display of skill, control, speed and entertainment. He was headed only once in his five races, by England's Jeremy Doncaster in the 14th race of the day. King had two wait for two laps for Doncaster to make a mistake. When he did, King powe.red around on the outside. It wasn't a maller of if King would pass, but when. In last year's Overseas Final King finished in the last qualifying spot and went on to make his World Final debut in Norden, West Germany, where he scored four points and finished in 12th place. "I've matured a lot since last year when I didn't expect to do much in the World Final in orden," said King. "I came here just to qualify but I realized after my first three wins that I could take the Overseas title. That's when I had my two bad gates, both , ·from the ·in ide." .•.• ,.. ., •• _.- (Above) Left to right: Phil Crump. Lence King and Shawn Moran in (Below) The U.S. was ecstatic over King's win. ~inner's circle. "Doncaster had the drop on me in my founh race but he kept to the low line and I knew I'd be able to get around around him if I went out and rode in the di n. "In my last race I just managed to get a lillie extra drive against Phil Crump and I knew if I drifted out a little into the dirt where the drive was I could keep the speed to stay in front," concluded King. In was in race 18 that King met the Australian Crump. King was unheaten, while Crump had dropped just one. If Crump had won it would have meant a run-oU for first, but when the Aussie could see that there was no chance of catching the American, he eased up so that New Zealander Larry Ross could qualify. King rode an Eddie Bull-tuned "special," having used the engine only once before, and he said, "I'm saving it, hopefully for the World Final." Second place on the rostrum went to Crump with 12 points, and third was Shawn Moran with II. But for an engine seizing in Shawn's second race, his point total would certainly have been higher. Moran won his first race, beating Kenny Caner and in his second he met King. They were neck and neck [or two laps before the engine failure put Shawn out o[ the race. In his third race he had to play runner-up to Crump, trying everything he knew to get past, all to no avail. In Shawn's fourth ride he met brother Kelly, wbocame into the race needing points after only scoring [our in his fir t three heats. Shawn • •.won-the-raeeantlkUy [inimoosecOfld.- after balliing with Ross. After four events Shawn Moran had a safe eight poims.ln his last race he had a terrible stan, but after two laps he had fought his way past three Englishmen to take the flag first and wind up with II points. Kelly Moran's passage was touch and go from the beginning. In his second race he was trailing the pack and only picked up one point (one very valuable point) with a burst around Doncaster on the last tUTn of the last lap. In Kelly's third race he met fellow Americans King and Scwham and Englishman Les Collins, and Kelly wound up second behind King. In Kelly's last race he only needed one poim, but he finished last and was forced into a run-o£[ with Collins [or the last spot. Kelly controlled the race from the gate for his ticket to Denmark. So for America it's King, Shawn and Kelly Moran going through to the next round in Vojens, where the top II finishers will go through to the World Final. Of the eight English riders that qualified for the Overseas Final, only three transferred: Caner, Alan Grahame and Simon Wigg. Only Caner, still racing with a broken leg, is a likely contender [or the world championship. • Results QUALIFIERS: Lane. King (USA) 15: Phil Crump (Aus) 12; Shown Moron (USA) , 1; Billy Sond.rs (Aus) 10; Mitch Shirro (NZI9; Alon Grohome (GB) B; Simon Wigg (GBI B; Lorry Ros. (NZ) B; Kelly Moron (USA) 6. RESERVE: Los Collin. (GB) 6. NON QUALIFIERS: Jeremy Doncost.r (GB) S; Andy Grohom. (GBIS; Deve Je.sup (GBI 3; Bobby Sehwom fl/SA; 3~MlIrtin ye....i5e~2'.' " I

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