Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

pulled away to decide the main on their own. Faria clung to the pole, forcing Hamill to loo k to the ou tside, but the dirt line was too far away to give Hamill a chance to make the pass. At the checkered flag, Faria snagged the first scratch ma in of 1994, followed by Hamill, Charles Ermolenko, Hancock and Pfetzing. "My Weslake went south on me, so I had to go to my GM, the one tha t I had bad luck on at the National, " Faria said. "But it came through the night. We're looking for a good season. It was a good way to start, and I want to finish it like tha t. It feels good to win again. " Th e eight-man eig ht-lap handicap main proved to be a tough one for Jason Chism, who grab bed the lead from his starting position on the 20-yard line and proceeded to lead the field for four very quick laps before slipping far enough off the groove in tum one to allow King by. Chism was on the outside of the train going down the back stretch, and tried to sneak back into line going into tum three, but Shawn McConnell was also aiming for the same point on the race track. The two riders made heavy contact and were slammed to the deck. Both riders were up, but Chism was clearly shaken and was through for the nigh t. King had the ad vantage as he was at the head of the single-file restart. When the tapes went up, it was simply a matte r of staying o u t of troubl e for the Silkolene /Gold 's Gym /Sinisalo /CTi/ Troy Lee/STP-backed King; he did so and collect ed his first wi n of the ne w year. "With the track being so slick, I didn't really think I had much of a chance. My plan was to just get aro und the guys in fron t as fast as I could, but I was just p ulling even," King said. "I thought that I would at least save second place, but then I got underneath him (Chism). On the restart, it was just up to me not to make any mistakes. It seems like any time these things (restarts) happen, they work against yo u. This on e fi na ll y worked out for me." Also on the program was a World Champion Challenge, in which five riders started scratch for a series of one-lap sprints w ith th e last-place man being sent to the infield and the remainin g riders continuing for another one-lap sprint until there were two rid ers left. The ultimat e prize was the chance to mat ch race the defending World and U. S. Nati onal Speed wa y Champion , "Sudden" Sam Ermolenko. Faria an d Oxley were the survivors of the Championship Challenge, earning the right to face Sam Ermo lenko. Ermolenko ca me from beh ind to grab the first ma tch, and Faria snagged the seco nd. Oxley finished third in both matches and elected to bow out of the thi r d match. In the th ird match , Ermolenko and Faria raced in a virtual deadlock, each taking a turn with the lead. Coming into tum four, Faria drifted a bit wide. That was all Ermolenko needed to nab the Championship Chal01 lenge victory. Coors U ght Spring Classic Costa Mesa, California Results: March 5, 1994 SCRATCH: 1. Mike Faria (GM); 2. Bill y Hamill (Wesla ke); 3. Cha rl es Er molenko (PP T); 4. G reg Ha ncock (Wes ); S. Robert Pfctzing (Wes). HDCP: 1. Lance King (Wes ); 2. Shawn McConnell (GM); 3. Brent Werner Uaw); 4. Bobby Schwartz (Wes); 5. Mike Faria (GM); 6. Jim Est es (Jaw ); 7. Ch arlie Venegas Uaw) ; 8. Jason Chis m Uaw ). SUP: 1. Rodney Sherman Uaw) ; 2. Joe Erha rdt Uaw); 3. Brian Pappal ard o (Wt. s) 4. Angela Ha le (C d n ); 5. o ; Tommy Hedden (Gd n); 6. Mark Hesse (Wes). S DCAR: 1. John Math erson / Scott Cole (Ya m) ; 2. Bill Matherson /Da le Leeder (Yam); 3. Gerrie Edwards/Da>id Brown (BMW). WORLD CHAMPION" CHALLENG~ I. Sam Erm olenko (e M); 2. Mike Faria (GM); 3. Brad Oxl ey {Wes~ Maxima Tops Nat'l Hare & Hound AMA Nat'} Hare &Hound · Lucerne Valley, CA 1st DANNY HAMEL(Kaw) 2nd IT DAVIS (Kaw) C ycleNews Rider of the Month DANNY HAMEL . "".hasn't lost anAMA National Championship Hare & Hound since 1992."

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