Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Mike Faria slid to the inside of Sam Ermolenko on lap one of the Scratch main at Speedway USA and went on to score the victory. Sam Ermolenko (inside) scored a double win at Ascot May 14. Erri1olenko won the Scratch and Handicap main events. Ascot Speedway double to Ermolenko By Scott Daloisio GARDENA, CA, MAY 14 Sam Ermolenko, of the British League's Wolverhampton Wolves, made his first appearance of the season at Ascot South Bay Stadium on Thursday night. You would think that the popular rider was a , weekly regular as he won both the Scratch and Handicap main events. Coming along WIth Ermolenko was teammate and two-time Junior National Champion Ronnie Correy. Correy was fresh off a fifth place finish in a qualifier for the European Junior Championship in West Germany four days earlier. He will now contest the finals of that event in Poland next month.. Bobby Schwartz came to Ascot with five consecutive Scratch main wins at South Bay Stadium and he was un'defeated on the night. He had to be considered the favorite even though Mike Faria was off the pole. Schwartz would start in gate two with Ermolenko out of three and Phil Collins on the outside. Schwartz got the gate and set the pace into the first tum but Ermolenko took the Pick Your Partl Shoeil mith GoggleslAlpine Star Boots/Kal-Gard/PCL Weslake to the extreme outside in the first bend. "Sudden" Sam churned through the cushion, much to the delight of the fans, and he moved by Schwartz for the lead as they came off turn two. Ermolenko had a small lead over Schwartz and Faria. Faria was all over Schwartz for second but the defending National Champion guarded the pole and Faria would have to go around if he wanted second. After four laps it was Ermolenko for the win with Schwartz and Faria directly on his rear wheel. Ermolenko got a big break in the. Handicap main due to another rider's miscue. Billy Gray set the pace on lap one of the main but Correy relieved him of that spot on the second circuit. The young star quickly moved away from the pack and began to establish a good size lead. Correy's good fOrTune was corning at the same time that a couple of other riders were haviIlg miserable luck. Eddie Castro pulled to the infield when his motor began to seize up while Brad Oxley pulled in after his had completely seized. Late in the race the battle was for second with Ermolenko trying to hold back Faria. They were flying but had po chance of catching Correy in the remaining laps. Correy had almost a half straight lead when he took the white flag but suddenly he slowed down. Coming off tum two on the last revolution both Ermolenko and Faria shot by. Correy had mistaken the white flag for the checkered. Correy pegged the throttle after Ermolenko and Faria shot past but it was too late. He had to settle for third. The win was Ermolenko's by a half length. On the slow down lap Corey circled the track with his head down but Ermolenko attempted to cheer the 20-year-old up. He sent the trophy to Correy's pit after the races, saying that it really belonged to the younger rider. . RHuits SCRATCH: 1. $em Ermolenko (Wesl; 2. Bobby Schwlnz (Wes~ 3. Mike Foril (Jowl. HDCP: 1. $em Ermolenko (Wes); 2. Mike Forie (Jow~ 3. Ronnie Correy (W.s). SUP: 1. Joson Chism (JIW); 2. Jeff Frlnzenburg (Jlw~ 3. Rod Siunders (Gdn). Ermol8nko, Faria win at Speedway USA By Scott Daloisio VICfORVILLE, CA, MAY 16 Sam Ermolenko, making his firstever appearance at Speedway USA, made a big impression on the high desert fans by winning the eight-lap Handicap main event and placing second to "Flyin'" Mike Faria in the Scratch main. Another good sized crowd came to the track to see Ermolenko for the first time, and to see their favorite, former track champion Ronnie Correy. The Scratch main was one of the best of the season. Faria would be challenged by Schwartz, who had already racked up 14 wins on the year, Ermolenko and Keith Larsen. Faria, on the Shoei/Bill's Pipesl Kal-Gard/Oilzali/Cody Products Jawa, was coming off the pole. Ermolenko was off gate two with Schwartz out of three and Larsen on the extreme outside. The anxious Schwartz pushed the tapes twice before the gate lifted but Ermolenko got the gate and he I!! a slight advantage into the first turn. Faria found some traction on the inside and pulled alongside Ermolenko going down the back chute. Faria got the lead and a' slight advantage as they hit tum three. Ermolenko was in the deep din on the outside and he made a quick and spectacular stab for the lead as they came off tum four. Tile crowd went wild but Ermolenko had to back off or he would have gone down. That gave Faria the lead. Ermolenko stayed directly on Faria's rear tire and he hounded him until the final bend on the last lap. Ermolenko momentarily parked and Faria, finally, had victory assured. Larsen, who won the Handicap main the previous evening, took third with Schwartz fourth. The Handicap main turned into a battle between former Poole Pirate teammates Ermolenko and Bobby Ott. Ermolenko and Ott quickly made their way from the back yardage and by the end of the second lap they had passed early pace setters Greg Hancock and Billy Hamill. Ott had his Godden in the lead but Ermolenko was parked on his rear tire by the end of lap three. Ermolenko took the Pick Your Partl Shoei/KaI-GradlPCLIAlpine Starl Smith Weslake to the outside on lap four and he tried to go around Ott but he found too much traction and had to back off. Ermolenko's miscue gave Ott some breathing room and it appeared as though he was going to win his first Speedway USA main of the season until a slight bobble coming off turn two on the seventh lap gave Ermolenko a chance. Errnolenko seized the opportunity and hot to the inside. By the time Ott recovered Ermolenko was by and on his way to his third triumph in three days. Ermolenko wheelied over the line, much to the delight of the fans, to win over Ott, Hamill and Faria. Results SCRATCH: 1. Mike F.rie (Jewl; 2. $em Ermalenka (Wesl; 3. K.ith linen (Jow). HOCP: 1. $em Ermol.nka (Wes); 2. Bobby On (Gdn); 3. Billy Hemill (JIW). SUP: 1. J..... Finch (W.st 2. Jeff Frlnzenburg (JIW); 3. Don Ambr.... (Jowl. Schwartz.!. Larsen score at «;osta Mesa Speedway By Scott Daloisio COSTA MESA, CA, MAY 15 After his winning streak was stopped at five the previous evening at Ascot South Bay Stadium, Bobby Schwartz was asked what he was going to do about it. Schwartz laughed and replied, "I'm going to win tomorrow ~ night at Costa Mesa." Twenty-four I hours later he looked like a prophet as he won his -second Scratch main j in a row at the Orange County , Fairgrounds track. _ The win by Schwartz was his 14th of the young season on the circuit and his third at Costa Mesa. He had to contend with southern California point leader Mike Faria, Brad Oxley and Dubb Ferren. Sd)wartz Let everyone else draw for positions in the main and he WllS going to take what was left over. The competitors drew positions two through four and that left Schwartz and the C. T." Brace/Silkolenel Malcolm Smith/Oakley/Justice Brothers Weslake on the pole. Schwartz got another immaculate gate and he set the pace into the first bend. Faria had to start in gate I four but he was second off ·the line and he almost rocketed around Schwartz for the lead as they came off tum two. Faria ran out of drive and Ferrell moved into second. Schwartz had it all going his way • and he put some distance between himself and the remainder of the ' field and won by four lengths over' Ferrell. Oxley and Faria closed on Ferrell on the last lap but time ran out and they had to settle for the third and "fourth place spots, respectively. Tony Bienert came down from the high desert just so he could be a reserve rider. It proved to be a smart decision as Biednert got on the program and won both his heat and the four lap Support class main aboard the Record Express Godden. Trinon Cirello ended up second while New York's Lenny McBride finished third. The final race of the evening was the Handicap main. Tuff McBride, a former Golden Glove boxer, started up front and he paced Keith Larsen . and Scotty Brown in the early going. Larsen and Brown sandwiched McBride at the end of the opening circuit and they took up the fight for the point position. Larsen and his Highland Framers/Vern Marshall Drywall/Boot Ranch/Nautique Sports Wear/Sim-_ pie Green-sponsored week-old Jawa was going to be tough to heat. Ronnie Correy, in from England, slipped into the third spot on lap two. Correy was throwing his front tire over the inside line in an attempt to get past Brown for second but Brown continually held him at bay. Brown then had another force to deal with. That was Faria and he came charging into the third spot on lap six. ~

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