Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ 00 ... Q) ..c B u o Bobby Ott leads Dubb Ferrell in California State Speedway action. Ott's win was unexpected against the stellar field of competitors. The champagne flies as Bobby Ott and Keith Chrisco spray the spectators while Shawn Moran struggles to open his bottle. him the title. Defending champion Lucero won a hard-fought battle over pre-race favorite Faria and Rob Pfetzing closed the round by winning event four. Ott came back in event five and had Sandona hot on his trail over 'the first lap but from that point on "Showtime" opened it up for another win, giving him six points and he had already faced and beaten major contenders Moran, Sandona and Chrisllano Moran got on the winning track with an easy win over Ermolenko and Lucero in event six with Faria then taking a win in event seven. Ronnie Correy tl;rilJed the crowd in event eight by passing both Chrisco and Schwartz to win a thrilling race. Schwartz ended up finishing dead last and had no points to show from two rides. Hi hopes were over. The pack took Faria wide in event 10 and that allowed Moran to move it out. Faria came to the pole and moved into second but could not ome near the winner Moran. Correy made it two wins in a row and he did it over Ott and the rdce for first place was suddenly \'ery crowded. Keith Chri co took event II while Schwanz finally got on the winning side by winning event 12. More important was the faci that Lucero finished lastand that signalled thata new champion would be crowned at night'S end. Ermolenko got up from a first bend bou nce to win event j 4 and that kept him in rostrum contention. Faria was in pursuil trying to make the outside work when h~ell and threw away hi wholeeveningon lap three. all kept it alive and won after a hard battle with Dlibb Ferrell in event 15. He used the cushion like a master and hooked up, doing several wheelies, and the fans were warming up to Ollas they could smell an upset in the making. Moran stayed hot on the leader's tracks by winning his third in a row in event 16. COSI Sam Ermolenko and Brad Oxley leave the gate; Ermolenko finished fourth. California State Speedway Chamllionshill Showtime for Ott By Scott Daloisio SAN BERNARDINO, CA, EPT. 27 In what may have been the biggest upset of the decade "Showtime" Bobby Ott defeated a superstar field to win the 19th Annual Budweiser/KCAL FM California State Speedway Championship before a crowd of nearly 5000 speedway fans on a cold and damp Satd . h ur ay nlg l. . 30 all not only defeated the likes of southern CalIforl1la . regulars Mike Faria, Alan Christian and Steve Lucero but he also won over visiti ng expatnatc superstars Shawn Moran, Bobby Schwartz, Sam Ermolenko and John Cook. The night was full of surpri es and itall started in event one when Ermo- lenko won over Shawn McConn II while Christian and Schwanz. both f~rmer wtnner of the event, occupled ~he fmal two spots. Event two brought all and his Backstreet Limousine/Cirello Racing/STP/Arail jones/Racecrafters-sponsored Godden to the line and one of his rivals was Moran. all got the gate from the pole and forced Moran to try and play catch up. Moran played the game until he came out of turn four on lap two when he bit the dust and ended up with zero points and that The final round started with Chrisco Slaying in the picture by winning a bruising battle from Christian in a race that saw some heavy contact made. Ermolenko won thE next race and that guaranteed him of a runoff with Chrisco at night's end. Moran gave it his all by winning event 19andnowall he could do was watch all. If all took third in the final race there would be a runoff. Anything beller and the title was his. It was all against chwarLZ, Cook and Faria and on most nights Ott would have been picked for last. He got the gate but Cook passed him on lap three while Schwartz had already dropped out. Faria also got past but Ott went far outside on the last lap and almost slipped the wall. He was still in third in turn four but he dropped low and pin hed Faria of[ and took second in dramatic style. The crown was his and the fans wenl insane. Moran took second and then Chrisco won a runoff for third ovel Ermolenko by leading all the way. They closed the season by roaring around the track doing wheelies much to the delight of everyone. all was ecstatic over his triumph and excitedly talked about his last race, "When it came down to that last race I knew it wa going to be a tough one but all the rest of the guys were WellY much out of it. I figured they might give me a lillie slack but that wasn't the case. I knew that if I finished th ird I wou Id have a runoff (for first). I had to give a lillie bit of a pinch-off manuever in the las I turn but it had to be done. It was that or pack it up for econd. In turn one on the last lap, I think I wa righton the boards going around there. I was either going to get him or put a hole in the ,fence." • Results POINTS: 1. BobbyOlt 1131: 2. Shawn Moran(12): 3. Keith Chrisco (11): 4. Sam Ermolenko (Ill; 5. Ronnie Correy (91; 6. (TIE) Mike Faria/John Cook (81: 8. Rob Pfetzing (7); 9. (TIE) Brad Oxley/John Sandona/Dubb Ferrell (6); 12. (TIE)Alan Christian/ Gary Hicks (5): 14. (TIE) Bobby Schwartz/Steve Lucero (41; 16. Shawn McConnell 131.

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