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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127279
Christian crazy at Costa
Mesa Speedway
scrambler Tim Coen took second with three
motocrossers, Pete Baughman, Shane Smi th
and Shaw n Ga tes ro undi ng ou t the top five.
In the Saturday even ing short track, Allen
Beech took the heat race a top h is North RidS"
Yama ha but was u na ble to duplicate his Win
in the fina l. Ga tes took his Park H on da C R
10 the win in the short track final with Sm ith
taking the checkered less than a tire length
behind. Gall o was fou rth beh ind j oh n Grasso
with Bau ghma n ro unding ou t the top five.
Beech bounced back to score the mo tocros s
victory with 2-1 mo to tallies . Ga ll o h oleshc t
rnoto one with Beech , Baugh man a nd Smith
trai ling. Gallo and Beech swapped places
several time s, but it was Gall o ahead throu gh
the checkered flag.
.
.
In mo to two, Beech and Smi th were 1-2 at
the star t with Baughman, Ga llo, Grasso and
Mike P ipe r tra ilin g . Beech a n d Smith
remained ou t front as the two riders battled
con tin uously for the lead with Beech takin g
the checkered less than a bike length ahead
of Sm ith.
Ga llo' s 1·4·2 Iinishes gave him th e overa ll
weekend victory ahead of season 's points
leader Smi th (4-2-3). Daughma n, Ga tes and
Beech trailed.
Results
Ry Scott Daloisio
COSTA MESA. CA. AUG. 24
Crafty veteran Alan "Crazy" Christian bided his
time and won the Ha ndica p main from the 50
yard-line on Kawasaki Motocross Night at the
Ora nge Cou nty Fairgrou nds.
With Team Kawa saki 's j eff Ward , j erf
Matiasevich, j ohnny O'Mara, j eU Emig and
, Larry Roeseler looking on, Christian gave them
a textbook examp le on how to ride speedway.
T wo red flags marred the start of the eight-lap
affair. When- th ings finall y got underway ,
Charlie Venegas got a tremendous start from
the 30 yard-line. He beat 20yard-line starter Chris
Manchester in to tum one and too k first place.
Manch ester got stuck on the outside and was
subsequent ly passed by T ony Bien ert and
Christian before the end of the first lap. Seconds
later, a red flag came out after Mike Buff laid
it down for the fallen Mike Faria.
The race restarted with seven laps to go and
Venegas in the lead. Christian and Bienert were '
second and third. Christian, a 2O-year veteran ,
was ridin g inches behind Venegas on lap four .
Whi.Je no t lea ning on Venegas physically,
Christian was applymg mental pressure.
Venegas, with his radical style, and Christian ,
as smoo th as silk, circled the track just inches
apart until the end of lap six. Suddenly,
Chri stian shot to the inside of Venegas and blew
by him for the lead. It was textbook speedway
and Chris tian was the teacher. Christian went
on to win his second Costa Mesa Handicap main
in three weeks. Venegas barely hung on to second
with Schwartz third. Bienert wheelied off turn
two on the last lap and needed assistance off
the track after the race.
In the companion Scratch main, the first lap
was a wild one, but after that. the whole race
belonged to Faria. The veteran racer was second
off the line behind National Cha mp io Bobby
Schwartz. Steve Lucero was third on the start
with Eng land's Phil Colins, who completely
missed the gate, fou rth .
Faria went after Schwartz on the back chute
on the first circuit, He got inside the veteran
and took him a lillie wide in turn three. When
Schwartz drifted ou t, Faria stormed ahead on
his Russell Racing/ShoeilOff-ShorelOilzall/
Ts ubaki-spc nsored Weslake. As Faria was takin g
the lead, Collins' woes continued when he fell
in turn three,
Lucero got inside Schwanz before the first lap
ended an dJ'ut him away on lap two for second.
Lucero ha open territory between him self and
Faria. bu t he couldn 't catch the streaking rider
and had to settle for second. Schwartz stayed in
third with the un lucky Collins fourth .
50: I. Ryan Edi xon (Yam); 2. Larry Rust (Yam ); S. Fred
Purn ell (Yam) .
.
,
.
J R MI NI: I. Levi Ht'nninKer ( Kaw~ : 2. Jordan Sara h (Ka w);
l . Bo Bowman (KT M).
. SR MINI : 1. Brock Sr'llat ds (Ka w ); 2. Viner Karn ow (Suz);
3. FrAnk Bi ln~r (Kaw ); 4. Eric Nepodd (Suz): 5. Bryan
IIdlin ger (Ka w).
125 SCH BY: I. JeU w ocledge (Han ); 2. Ja y H euhey (Sw );
S. Rid McGuire (Ho n); 4. Brent Abd (Hon); 5. Todd C u thrl e
(Han).
125 A: l. Trevor Vines (Ho n ); 2. Bam~ Barnett (Han);
3. Mar CU5 &jbrds (H a n ); 4. Cluck N icholson (Suz); 5. Jason
Balas (H en ).
125 B: 1. Mike Kalin (Hon): 2. T 0!lY Bonace (Ya m); 3.
J oe Hamor (Han ); 4. Ch uck Franasro (SUl); 5. Bruce
Robinson (Han ).
125 C; I. T odd Morain (Han); 2. Mil«: Mu ngo (Suz); 3.
Bnan Rh ines (Xa w); 4. DaR en Marshall (Ha n); 5. Dan
Fr k~ ( Kaw ).
250/ O PEN A: I. Brian McElr oy (Su.t); 2. Steve Joh nson
(Suz); 3. Mark Hyde (KT M); 4. Pete Mau rice (SUl); 5. Bm
gctenc (Ho n).
'
250 B: 1. Frank Ga llo (Suz); 2. Shane Smith (Sut); 3. Pete
Baughman (KT M); 4. .Sha wn G a tes (Hon); 5. Allen Beech
(Yam ).
250 C: I. Eric Klcin (Raw ); 2. Ro lan d Heard (H a n); 3.
Martin Kepiro (Kaw ); 4. Brett Da vis (Yam ); 5. Dea n Du ca to
(Hon ).
PLUS 25: 1. S~ Bertsch ey (Raw) ; 2. Steve Wi lm ington
(Ka w ); 3. Johnny Youn g (Hus): 4. Henry Hauenstein (Han);
5. Ken warrender (Hus).
O PEN B: l . Mark Sherw ood (KT M); 2. Nea l Davis (KT M):
3.
v agarasoro (Han ); 4, Flip j en dre (KT M); 5. Ti m
Slrick and ( Hon) .
SR 1: I. AI Chup pa (H a n); 2. Da ve 8 1 man (H a n ); 3.
au
J ohn G allag he r (KT M): 4. Demo n G reen e (H o n); 5. Bern ie
Rat
Be~~nrlSo.~~ Mo rg'