Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Le ft to right) Phil Collins, Steve Lucero and Scott Brant battle in a hea t race . Lucero was !lie runn~r.up for the night. T hirty-four-year-old Faria scored the night's win with one point to spare. Fari a was in the driver's sea t heading into th e fourth round. H e looked unbea tabl e on the ni ght, but looks can be decei ving . From gate three in event 14, he was th ird off the line beh ind Brant a nd Venegas. Chris tian, compe ti ng in hi s last Nat ional as a So uthern Ca liforn ia rid er, had fall en in tum two and was far off the pace. Franticall y working to get to the front, Faria went around the o utside of Ven egas for second on lap two. He set his sights on Bra n t, but the leader was long gone. Faria had no chance of catchi ng hi m. H e ended up d ro pp ing his fir st po int of the night. That gave Pfetzing and Lucero new hope. . H icks, having a dismal night, wo n h is on ly race in event 15. At that time, most of the fans were talki ng ab ou t event 16. It mat ched L ucero and Pfetzing. If o ne of them won, th ey would again be in a tie with Faria for first. Pfetzin g had the pole in event 16. He al so had it in hi s last ride of the evening. That made a win and a possible victory in th e National very possible. Larsen started in two with Lucero in three and Oxley on the outside. On th e first try to run the race, Pfetzing 's right foot peg got caug h t up in Larsen 's front wheel. They hit the turn one dirt. Out came th e red flag. Neither rider received injuries and both scrambled up for the restart. On th e restart, Larsen set the tempo off the line, but Pfetzing roared a lo ngs ide him. As th ey exited tum two, Pfetzin g flew into th e lead , did a wheelie and slipped a little wide. He quick ly pulled his fro nt tir e back down, but Lucero was shooting for the inside in tu rn th ree. Pfetzing tri ed to brin g it bac k do wn to the po le where Lucero drilled h im. Pfetzing ended u p going straigh t and bo th he and Larsen slammed to the ground on the o u tside. Lucero wen t down o n the ins ide and Oxley laid it down to avoid him. The red flag immediately came out. Pfetzing jumped up and gestured towards Lucero. H e then went over and th ey excha nged a few pleasantries before getting their mach ines ready for the restart. "I really had nowhere to go, " sai d Lucero afterwards. " he (Pfetzing) said so meth ing up at the podium that I was riding rough. Of course I am going to ride rough (at the National ). If he is no t up 100% to ride, he shou ld not be out th ere riding." With tempers somewha t cooled , everyone returned to the line. The best race of the n ight was abou t to beg in. The tapes went up an d Pfetzing found Leader J esse Finch, Lucero (left), Brad Oxley, Bran t and Alan Christian provided some of the e.vc.ning's dosest racing action. himself in front of Lars en and Oxley. Lu cero was dead last, but not ready to give up. Lucero disposed of Oxley in turn two o n th e first lap. One lap lat er he got Larsen for second in th e exac t same spot. By now, most of the fans were o n th eir feet. Lucero dosed down o n Pfetzing amazingl y fast. As they came to the halfway point, he streak ed inside for first. Pfetzing tried hard to fight back. He went to the outside o n the next lap and tha t cost him. He ended up hung ou t to dry and on the final go 'ro und, La rsen sho t by him for second . L ucero had ano the r ha rd fo ught win. Headin g into the fina l round , Faria . and Lucero were level wi th I I points each. All eit her of them had to do to insure the mse lves of at least a run off for first was to win their final race. Faria did justthat in event 17. He easil y outdistanced Fin ch (highest fin ish ing rookie in the race ), Oxl ey and Sisemor e. He did what he had to do. No w all he ha d to do was wai t and wa tch Lu cero in even t 20. Pfetzing won event 18, but it was too late for the cro wn. H e did, however, g ua rantee h im self of a t least a th ird pl ace finish , hi s best since he fini shed second in 1986. Larsen ended hi s eveni ng with a ru na way win in event 19. T hat gave the 19-year-old three wins in his las t four rides. If o nly he had scored one or two poi nts in his first rid e, he would have had a chance at a rostrum placing. Everyon e in the place ha d the ir eyes glued to the trac k for event 20. The story line was simple. If Lu cero won , he wou ld face Faria in a run off for first. If he finished second, he wou ld end up second overall. If he took third, he would run off with Pfetzing for second. When . th e tapes went up the first time, Schwartz and Lucero were th e first to tum one, but Lucero went down. Christian laid it down for him. Out came th e red . Everyo ne restarted and Schwartz led. Christian event ua lly m o ved into second while Lucero battl ed Bast for third. Things sta yed that way until turn one on lap th ree. L ucero and Bast came together. They careened into . Christian and took him o u t with th em . Bast and Lucero quickly sprang to their feet and began jawing at one ano ther. They got close to each o ther ' and all he ll broke loo se. They were separated, but members of their pit crew became em broi led and a fight nearl y broke o u t. Referee Fishbac k ruled th at th e race was over an d Faria was Champion aga in . The slen der ride r bo unded over the crashwa ll and received hi s victory bump s to the cheers from the cro wd . Sudden ly, Christia n an d Fishback approached the scorers tab le. T he ni gh t was no t over. In a champ io nsh ip race , all laps have to be run. They wo uld rerun the race. While being int ervi ewed by "Motowor ld, ' Faria fo und out that he was no t National Champion just yet. . Like the p reviou s try to run event 20, Sc h wa rt z took the lead while Lucero found h imself in la st. As. Sch wartz lengthened hi s lead , Lucero go t by Bast. H e also took Christian on th e last lap, but by that time th e race was over. Schwartz had the win in the bag. Lucero ended up second in the heat and second in the National and the celebra tion began o n the infield once again for Faria. Afterwards the jubilant Faria proclaimed, " This is great for me and for Warr en (R usse ll) . H e has done so much for me, this cha mp ions h ip is just as m uch h is as it is mine. He p uts th e best motorcycles between my legs. All I have to do is show up." " I never give up until the checkered flag ," sai d the fi rst ba ck to back Champion since Kelly Moran in 1983 and 1984 when asked abo u t his come from behind win in event two. " I knew I had four laps to get the job do ne so I went for it. " Wh en asked if th e loss to teamma te Brant in hea t 14 surprised him , the mu stachioed Fa ri a told veteran announcer La rry H uffman , "No, he is a good r id er a nd h e h a s good eq uipment." L ucero was philoso p hi ca l abou t seco nd. " I am glad I go t up o n th e podiu m , bu t I have been second so many times. I have got seconds all my life. I've got a couple of th in gs up my sleev e thi s o ff-seaso n (for n ext year )." CN R esults PO INTS: I. Mike Fa ria (11 p IS); 2. St eve Lu cero ( 13); 3. Rob ert Pfeu ing ( 12): 4. j o vh La rse n (II ); 5. (TIE) Ri ck Mill er/Bob by Sch wanz (10); 7. Ph il Colli ns (9 ): 8. S COll Brant (8 ); 9. J essee Finch (6); 10. (TI E) Alan C hristian/ Brad Ox ley (5): 12. (T IE) Cha rles Ven ega s/ Bar t Ban /j im Sisem o re (4); 15. Ga T) H ick s (3); 16. Brent Wern er (2). ' 7

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