Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

England's Paul Thorp leads Shawn Moran, countryman Neil Evitts and Kelly Moran at.the Overseas Final in Coventry, England. New Zealander Larry Ron and American reserve Rick Miller get raady for race 15; Miller and Ron each scored five points and will not advance. Sam Ermolenko powers around the outside of Bobby Schwartz and New Zealand's Larry Ross. Ermolenko won four heats to take the Overseas title. Overseas Final, 1986 World Speedway Cham,-ionshi~ thought I could take him but I made a slight mistake on the bend" explained Ermolenko. "With Chris Morton right on my tail and pushing hard I couldJ:l't afford to take a risk, so I decided to settle for se.cond place_" Ermolenko, who joined Wolverhampton this year, has now set up home in the area with his eyes firml y fixed on taking that world title. "I still have a lot to learn but I'm learning all the time and as long as things keep clicking along I'll be happy," said the man from Maywood. "I want that title and I. know I need the com peti tion of the British League to get there. That's why I bought my house near Wolverhampton and I intend to stay there for at least three years." high-poweredErmolenkochalked up The five qualifiers from the Amerihis second win. He 'h';ld to w<;>rk ~is way through from behmd m hIS thud can final, which was held at Long race after being beaten from the tapes Beach a week earlier, were tangling again, but he got there without any with the European contenders for the difficulty to beat England's Paul first time in the series at Coventry and Thorp. Ermolenko's triumph was a life-saver It was his last race before the interval for the U.S. continent. and immediately after the break They suffered an early shock when Ermolenko clashed with his three their top man, Shawn Moran, crashed leading rivals, British Champion Neil out in his first race. The four riders Evitts, Marvyn Cox and Kelvin were bunched together as they went Tatum. There was no way he was into a tight first turn and nobody was going to be shut out now and this going to give way. Moran was the time he was quickly away, holding unlucky one, clipping the rear of off Evitts at the turn and defying England's Paul Thorp's bike and every effort of the Bradford rider to shooting off out of control into the find a way past. safety fence. With four wins behind him ErmoMoran is a tough rider. He won the lenko wasan easy qualifier and needed Lon/!; Beach round despite havin~ to only two points to make sure of the ride with a broken leg, but this time Overseas title when he lined up for he. did not get up. It was several his last race. Ironically it was fellowminutes before he could be moved by Californian Rick Miller, substituting the first aid men and was lifted into for the injured Shawn Moran, who an ambulance to be taken to the inflicted Ermolenko's only defeat. It hospital suffering from a 'severe conspoiled a perfect card for Ermolenko cussion. He had also aggravated the but he could afford a wide grin when injuries to his leg which was protected the race was over, knowing he had by a special brace and his World done enough to make sure of the top Championship ambitions were ended . spot. for another year. It was terribly bad "Rick made a great start and I had luck for Moran and with Shawn out --co- -dtr the cha1;i-ng.-*t-one ·5'tll~e -1-- • 'e~ the dUlJupiomihips it _ Idt to Ermolenko wins in England By John Hipkiss COVENTRY, ENGLAND, JUNE 29 Sudden Sam Ermolenko, the 25-year-old track specialist from Maywood, California kept America's hopes of a Speedway World Title very much alive with a superb victory in the Overseas Round of Lhe Individual Championship. . E rmo Ien. 0 was a Winner a II k Lheway, takingcommandofthe ·1-4 meeting with four successive runaway rides before easing into second place in his final heat when he knew he had the Overseas title safely tucked away. He led the qualifiers for the InterContinental semi-final with 14 points, two points clear ofthe rest of the field and is looking good to be"t last season's placing when he finished third in the World Final. The Inter-Continental round takes place on july 20 at Odsal, England, where Ermolenko, now riding for Wolverhampton in the British League, gained his third-place rankingand he will be confident of getting one of the top II places in the scorechart to take hi rTl to Katowice, Poland, in August for the World Final. It was a competent, dedicated display by Ermolenko at Coventry. He was <;>0 course right from his opening race when he was beaten from the starting gate but then blasted his way past Australian Steve Baker on the back straight. Next it was Kelly Moran who was left in Ermolenko's slipstream as the The winner and his laurels, American Sam Ermolenko. brother Kelly to carry the family hopes into the semi;finals. He was not as impressive as Ermolenko but he did well enough, with eight points from his five rides to take him through. He opened with a second-place behind Evitts and was second again in his next ride when he met Ermolenko. A third place in his next heat put him behind schedule, but Kelly made up in his fourth race when he outraced jeremy Doncaster. His eight points were enough to qualify and he could afford to take it easy 'in his final heat, knowing he was already through. The other American contestants, Bobby Schwartz and Lance King, failed miserably. Schwartz, who never seems to have any luck in the World Series, picked up one point in his first race when he finished ahead of King and did not score next time out. He collected two second places from his next three rides, but sandwiched between them was another pointless heat and Schwartz finished up a disappointed non-qualifier with five points. Even then he was better placed than King, who has been missing from his post with British League club Bradford for nearly three months after cracking two vertebrae at the base of his spine in a crash at Belle Vue. King, third in the world two years ago, was never in contention and collected only one point in five spiritless outings. With Ermolenko the outstanding performer of the day, Doncaster took second place on the presentation rostrum with 12 points while third spot went to Evitts who had looked like ErIDolertko's biggest danger until they met in the I ~th heat. It was certainly unlucky for Evitts, who tailed 0(( to , third in his final heat. It was a fine meeting with firstclass racing and a good day for the England riders who succeeded in getting five men through out of their' seven contenders. Apart from the tragic Shawn Moran, the unluckiest rider was New Zealander Larry Ross who was leading in his fourth race when it was stopped for an unsatisfactory start. When the race was restarted he led again, only for Phil Crump to fall and cause the heat to be stopped a second time. Then, when the riders were called to the line yet again, Ross was having trouble with his machine. He did not hear the warning announcement and .was disqualified for failing to beat the two-minute limit. • Results QUALIFYING RIDERS: 1. Sam Ermolenko. 14 pts.; 2. J. Donelster, 12 pta.; 3. N. Evitts. 11 pts.; 4. mE) M. Cox/C. Monon, 1Opt•.; 6. (TIEl M. Shirra/K. Tatum, 9 pts.; 8. Kelly Moran. 8 pts.: 9. S. Baker. 7 plS. NON-QUALIFYING RIDERS: 10. P. Thorp. 6 pls,; 11. (TIEl L Ross. P. Crump. Bobby Schwanz. 5 pls.; 14. M. Simmons. 2 pts.; 15. Lance King, 1 pt.; 16. Shawn Moran. 0 ptS. RESERVE RIDERS: 1. Rick Miller. 5 pts.; 2. S. Regeling,l pt. " I III t , n ~ ,.," \ 1 ,. D 8.1

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