Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Rising speedway star Billy Hamill leads Speedway USA Scratch main winner Gary Hicks in Victorville, California. Warren Reid led a Suzuki sweep in the A main at the Alaska State Fair Supercross. Eric Munson and Andy Workman were second and third. 3. Jason Hapke. 125 INT: 1. Chad Pederson; 2 Brian Brenner; 3. Shawn Jones. BEG: 1. Allen Chapman; 2. Coe Bradley; 3. Kyle Dobson. Sandona sails at AscotSpdwy By Scott Daloisio GARDENA, CA, AUG. 28 Ascot South Bay Stadium has been in operation for almost two seasons but it took until last Thursday evening for one of southern California's most consistent rider to chalk up a main event win on the immaculate track. That rider was John "Sidewinder" Sandona and he narrowly took the win in the-Scratch main event over Bobby Ott and Ronnie Correy. Sandona came out of gate two in the main but he put bis Weslake into the point position ahead of New York nativeTuff McBride, Ottand 19·yearold Correy. Correy, who is blessed witb three times his weight in speedway talent, quickly worked his way past Ott and then got McBride for econd as the first lap came to a dose. Correy had the task of chasing down the leader while Ott just wanted to get back in the hunt. Ott was on the exu·eme outside trying to make the din work in his favor but he seemed to be fighting a losing battle at the back. On the third trip around the brightly lit oval Correy began to close on Middle Earth Video/Malcolm Smith/ Scott Goggles/Ar·ai/Rocky Cyclesponsored Sandona. As they took the white flag, Correy tried to push his way through on the inside but Sandona shut the door. The same thing happened in turn three but Correy tayed hot on his trail as they came off turn four and headed for the check· ered. At the same time Ott finally found the drive he had been searching for and even though the win went to Sandona, Ott took a crowd pleasing second over Correy at the line. Southern California's winningest rider, Mike Faria fell while leading his Scratch heat and failed to transfer. That forced him to vent his rage on the Handicap main event competitors. Don Butler paced Ott until the second lap when Faria, coming 0[£ the 40, went to the outside and swept by both of them in a gutsy move. Faria then made it academic as he rode away from the pack. Correy then provided the action as he took both Ott and Butler on lap four to end up second. Billy Hamill continued his march to Division One by topping the Division Two competitors from the 20yard line. Chris Martin, who will be leaving for England's National League this week, placed second while Steve "Captain Blaze" Furman raced home in third. Results SCRATCH; 1. John Sandona (Wes); 2. Bobby Ott (Gdn); 3. Ronnie Correy (Wes). HANDICAP: 1. Mike Faria (Jaw); 2. Ronnie Correy (Wes); 3. Don Butler IWes). DIV 2: 1. Billy Hamill (Wes); 2. Chris Martin (Wes); 3. Steve Furman (Jaw). . ON 3: 1. Jay Gianetti (Wes); 2. Pete Aickertson (Wes); 3. Ken Roesler (Jaw). Reid takes Alaska State Fair SX By M.R. Edge PALMER, AK, AUG. 23 International competitor and former factory rider Warren Reid won the Second Annual Alaska State Fair Supercross Amain, held at the fairgrounds in Palmer. The race drew participants from all over the state and northwest Canada. Reid was brought up from California as a guest of the State of Alaska and the Alaska Motorcycle Racing Association. Qualifier one saw Lance Leneave jet into the lead, but after one lap Joe Good flew by. Right after being passed, Leneave took a tumble on the whoop section and found himself in last. Andy Workman held down the. number two spot. Meanwhile, Pat Crabb wo.rked his way up from a bad stan to challenge Workman. With one lap to go Crabb cut inside Workman to take over second, but Good was long gone and finished first. Louis Mass holeshoted qualifier two with Jim McClain close behind. Kirk Schaub followed in third and the lead trio pulled far away from the rest of the pack. At the halfway mark McClain outwhooped Mass to bounce his way into first. Schaub followed suit and did the same. By the end of the race Rick Kantola edged his way into third with Mass just barely holding onto the last transfer spot. The third qualifier holeshot be- longed to Edwin Sims. But on the second lap Schaub's brother Kevin and Bruce Williams whipped past. Kevin couldn't shake Williams but was able to finish first, just ahead of him. Canadian Trevor Haggard quietly moved his way up and finished in third followed by Cletus Colpitts on a private Yamaha. Sims missed the transfer and ended up fifth. . Everyone was anxiously awaiting the start of qualifier four to watch Reid's skill and experience pitted against that of current 'State Cham· pionship point leader Eric Munson. Both were mounted on identical Jim Stewart/Suzuki Motorcycle & Marin RMs, but Reid took the lead and calmly won the race. With no flashy riding or taking any chances the semiretired Reid floated around thecour e. Munson ended up second over Kelly Butler on an An horage Cycle Sale's Yamaha. With visions of no-handed table tops and 36° mid-air antics the Alaskan race fans anticipated a Reid show in the A-main. The stan saw 20 riders jamming for first, but Haggard had it. Munson was in fifth and Reid in lOth. On lap two the Canadian did a 10-point endo leaving Good in the lead. With a steady rain falling the mud was making it hard for spectators to tell the riders apart. Except for Reid who, as he did in his qualifier, was using finese instead of flash to work his way up. By the halfway mark, everyone's goggles were useless and only the die· hards were left watching. What they saw was Munson pass Good for first and Reid smoothly sli e his way through the pack. Workman was also ableto pass Good, but Munson'started to pull away. On lap 10 of the l2-lap race Reid caught Munson and slipped on the inside of a corner to take first. Reid began to pull out a lead, but lapped riders slowed him down enough to allow Munson to catch up but Reid had it under control and finished first. Munson, Workman and Good followed making it a Suzuki sweep of the top four posi tions. The fair-goers were not disappointed with Reid's great ride. Results 50 NOV: 1. Luke Rambur IVam); 2. Zeb Deede (Hon); 3. Ricci Henderson (Yam). 60 NOV: 1. Josh Rambur IKaw); 2. Cory Bauder (Kaw); 3. Mark Henderson (Kaw). 80 NOV: 1. Mike Guthrie (Kaw); 2. Aaron Poland IVam); 3. Wayne Simonds ISUl). 80 EX: 1, Aron Niles (Han); 2. Seo" Williams (Kaw); 3. Tyrone Finch (Kaw). 125: 1. Kelly Butler (Yam); 2. Bruce Williams (Kaw); 3. Pet Crabb (kaw). QUAL 1: 1. Joe Good ISUl); 2. Pat Crabb IKaw); 3. Andy Workman (Suz). QUAL. 2: 1. Jim McClain (Kaw); 2. Kirk Schaub IKaw); 3. Rick Kantola (Kaw). QUAL 3: 1. Kevin Schaub (Hon); 2. Bruce Willi· ams (Kaw); 3. Tent Haggard (Yam). QUAL 4: 1. Warren Reid (Suz); 2. Eric Munson ISUl); 3. Kelly Butler (Vam). C·MAIN: 1. lance leneave (Kaw); 2. Roger Neth (KTM); 3. Trevor Haggard IVam). B:MAIN; 1. Bruce Singley IKTM); 2. Vernon Johnson (Kaw); 3. Jason McDonald ISUl). A·MAIN: 1. Warren Reid (Suz); 2. Eric Munson (SUl); 3. Andy Workman ISUl). Hicks hauls at Speedway USA By Scott Daloisio VICTORVILLE, CA, AUG. 30. Even though a number of riders were forced to scratch from the program, the racing at Speedway USA was once again very exciting and the big winner on the holiday weekend evening was 17-yearold Gary Hicks. Hicks won the Scratch main in a race that only saw two riders around for the final restart. The race got underway the first time with pole sitter Hicks and his Milne Bros.lScott Goggles/Mom & Dad Weslake racing into the lead over John Sandona and Ed Castro. As they exited turn four on lap one Castro drifted out and nailed Sandona who then careened hard into the wall. The red flag came out for the incident and a full restart was declared. Sandona's Weslake had a damaged front wheel and frame and he was unable to make the restart. The normally placid Sandona was furious. He first threw a handful of din into Castro's face and then scolded the rider before giving him a light shot to the head. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed and it was time to get back to racing. The second start only saw the race get as far as turn two where Castro and TuU McBride tangled. Again out came the red and Castro was kicked out for causing the crash. On the third try it was just Hicks and McBride. Hicks got away first and never looked back. It was the first win of the season in Scratch main competition at Speedway USA for Hicks. The Handicap main looked a lot less like "rollerball" but it was every bit as exciting. Jimmie O'Dell and his MAD. Raci'ng/Smith Goggles/ Jarvis Physical Therapy/Ron Preston/Arai Jawa stayed in front for five laps despite the repeated attempts of Billy Hamill and Bentley Barrelt to take the lead. The crowd roared their approval as the three circled the track lap after lap in tight formation. Barrett went wide in the final bend and let Walt Farnum by for third but the win went to O'Dell just ahead of young Hamill. Scott Hodgson and the Huey's/ King Embroidery Jawa got on as a reserve and won the Second Division main over Fresno's Ken Thiebaud

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