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/127162
00 00 0') ......... Winner Sam Ermolenko rece ives his hardware for w inning t he U.S . Long Track Championship . He also rece ived more than $2000 in cash ; Phil Collins took third in the Skoal Shoot-Out after making a late charge at runner-up Kelly Moran. Ermolenko was the winner of the event. Bobby Schwartz (f ar left). shown here starting a heat race alongside Kelly Inman (13 1 ) and Denmark's Jan Pederson. fin ished second . Ermolenko sweeps U.S. Long Track ChampiQnship By Scott Daloisio GARD ENA, CA, NOV. 18 For ridin g under six m in u tes on the Ascot half mile Friday night, American superstar Sam Ermolenko pocketed more than $2000 for winning the 14th Annual U.S. Long 10 Track Ch ampionship and taking first - p lace in th e four-lap I Skoal Bandit Shoot-Out. The top stars in American speedway descended on the famous half mil e for th eir a nn ua l visit. In addition to Erm olenko, th e likes of Lance King , Bobb y Sch wartz, Ronni e Correy, Rick Mill er a nd Kell y Moran were o n hand. They were jo ined by severa l o ther top America ns as well as Denmark 's J an O . Pedersen, England 's Phil Collins a nd Cana da's Sha wn Ven abl es. The first objective of the ni ght was to whittle the field down from 30 to ยท12 ride rs. To do thi s, eac h rider would contes t three heat s. The top 12 in po ints would then move into a pai r of semis. The fir st three finish ers from each semi earned a p lace in the main event . Erm o lenko, ridin g th e Pacifi c Coast Laminating/Pick Your Partl K&N/Shoei /Kal-Gard/Q&E/Smith GM . scored 19 points in the heats. His on ly heat race loss cam e in event four where he was bea ten by the determined efforts of Pedersen. The diminutive Da ne foug ht from behind and edged Ermolenko at th e lin e. Whil e leading his second heat. Pederse n had ma chinery failure, depri ving him of a maximum score in the hea ts. . Tied on 19 poin ts wi th Ermolenko was former Camel Pro racer Randy G reen a nd Lance King. Green won his first two heats and pl aced second to Kin g in hi s final heat. King dropped h is onl y heat race points in ro und two whe n he placed seco nd to Collins. . The most exciting heat race of the n ight was event 23. Collins was flyin g. but he was chased down by Eddie Castro on a two-valve Jawa. T hey raced side-by-side over the final two laps a nd wh en th ey took th e chec kered. Castro had th e win by a spo ke. Back in hi s pit. Collins shoo k his head . " I had th e lead and then Castro blew by me. That bike is ancient . ,It mu st be 20 years old, "he laughed. Off of gate th ree in th e first semi , Schwartz flew in to the lead. Erm olenko wrestled the lead awa y as they exited turn two the first time, a nd from that poi nt on , Ermo len ko lenghtened his lead out. Schwartz ran away with second and tak ing th ird and th e fin al tran sfer to the main was Castro. Green ca me from th e outside to set the initial pace at the start of the second sem i. Rick Mill er was o u