Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126791
.... v ..0 o ..... u o National Champ Kelly' Moran (center) is flanked by runner-up Bobby Schwartz (left) and third-place John Sandona on the winner's rostrum: Schwartz won four of his five races, but a third place in the sixth race cost him the National Championship. Moran lost his first race to Schwartz. but was perfect from then on, scoring 14 points to take the title. U.S. National Speedway Championship Kelly M~ran keeps his crown By Scott Daloisio COSTA MESA, CA, OCT. 6 A sellout crowd watched Kelly Moran defend and retain his title at the Coors U.S. National Speedway Championship at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Moran dropped one point in his first ride but the pint-sized star with the giant fan following was perfect over his final four rides and ended 14 up with 14 points. Bobby Schwartz and John Sandona finished second and third, wi th 13 and II points respectively. It was a surprise-filled night with upsets aplenty beginning with race number one: One of the' pre-race favorites, Sandona, made his first appearance in the race. Unfortunately, Sandona's best motor was damaged earlier in the week while being prepared for the event. Needless to say the high optimism he had been expressing the last few. weeks was replaced by a bleak outlook. It looked as though the motor woes were following him in the first race as he finished a distant third behind Mike Faria and Mark Dwyer after a dismal start. The problem happened to be from the new muffler approved by the southern California Speedway Control Board. It actually touched the ground and lifted Sandona's rear tire off the ground, leaving him with no drive. After "Sudden" Sam Ermolenko de troyed his competition towinevent twO, the big race of the evening rolled onto the track matching Kelly Moran, (STP/Oakley/Arai/Cirello/Busby/ Kal-Gard/Knolly Idea's/Barnett/ Gdn) with Bobby Schwanz. Schwartz gonhe gate with Moran coming out in second. Schwanz bobbled on the back chute and Moran zipped by and opened up a huge lead. He was maintaining that lead when Dubb Ferrell went down in turn one on lap two, forcing Keith Chrisco to lay it down and bringing out a red flag and a complete restart much to the displeasure of the pro-Moran crowd. Schwartz again took the gate on the second try and this time he didn't bobble. Moran hounded him all four laps but had to settle for second. Schwartz had won his toughest ride of the evening and was looking goOd in his quest for the crown. . 1982 Champion Shawn Moran made his first appearance in event four. In England this season you are excluded for touching the tapes. Tonight Moran pushed them hard all night long, and in this ride he pushed them too hard and broke the bottom tape. He was excluded from the race and that ended his title hopes. Brad Oxley went on to win the race over Jim Lawson and Alan Christian. Shawn Moran came back and again pushed the tapes in event five. This time he restrained himself and didn't break them and he rode to the win over Ermolenko and Chrisco. Ev~nt six proved to be the turning point of the meeting. Schwartz was set to face Christian, Faria and Mike Curoso, and it was Christian who got the gate over Schwartz and Faria. Schwartz took Faria high in turn two and left him in the heavy stuff. He got rid of Faria but Curoso took advantage and shot into second. While Christian was moving away from the pack, Schwartz was trying to breeze around the outside of Curoso. It was not to be done in this event and it was anybody's title again. Event seven again matched two first-round winners in Kelly Moran and Oxley. Oxley pulled a small wheelie and was third out of the gate behind Moran and Keith Larsen. Ox- ley got by Larsen on lap two but his poor start left him no chance of catching the streaking Moran. After the last race of the evening Oxley commented, "I missed the starts all night long and when you are racing with gaters like Moran and Schwanz that kills you.': Sandona closed out the second round with a big win over Lawson in a race that was red-flagged due to a crash involving Gene Woods and Ferrell. Woods was down for a long time with his shoulder popped out. He popped it back in and was ready for his next ride. Moran again gated the field in event nine, but like event three it was red-flagged before the end of the first circuit when Curoso went down. Lawson gOt excl uded and pleaded his innocence, but referee Erwin Moon wouldn't hear of it and a reserve was brought in. Itdidn't change things as. Moran rode to an easy win over Curoso. Ferrell came into event lO with zero points, but he returned to form and picked up three with a win over Oxley, who was celebrating his 25th birthday. Faria was also in the race but was taken wide and into the pit gate by Ermolenko on lap one. There had been bad blood between the pair before and Faria was definitely ticked off, but he eventually just stomped back to h is pi t. Christian made it two in a row with an easy win in event I I and with the right breaks had a glimpse of hope for the title. Schwartz led wireto-wire in event 12. Shawn Moran gave c/lase over the first lap but had some kind of mechanical failure and dropped to last on lap two. Sandona took second and was looking good . for a spot on the rostrum. His outlook had brightened considerably from the start of the night and it showed in his riding. Event l3 was a survival of the fittest. Larsen sheared the studs off his sprocket at the line. Christian was second out of the gate behind Ferrell, but he slipped by him on the inside on lap two. Less than a lap later Christian's bike died and he made the slow walk back to the pits as his usual National luck had finally set in. Kelly Moran survived a first-lap tussle with Faria by going by on the outside in turn three and traveled the final three laps unchallenged. The ultimate victory was so close now he could taste it.