Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Twenty-two for "800galoo" W h ile Mike Faria w as celebra ting a birthday at the Sp ri n g Classi c, Bobb y " Boo ga lo o" Sch wa rtz (right) was celeb ra ting an anniversary of so rts. Th e beginning of the '95 season mar ks the 22nd year of Schwartz's career, o ne that has seen the 38-vear-old Californian race in virtually' every corner of th e world. Schwartz was one of the m ainstays of Team USA d u ri n g A me rica's fi rs t heyday in internationa l spee d way in the late 70s and ea rly '80s . He he lped g ui de Tea m USA to th e 1982 World Team Cup Champion ship and amassed two World Pairs Ch ampionships - one with Bruce Penhall in 1981 and the other with Dennis Sigalos in 1982 - as well as collecting countless ot her intern atio nal accolades. Schwartz returned home from the British League wars in 1986 an d collected his first Ll.S. National Championship at Costa Mesa, adding another in 1989. He will always be remembered as the ruler of Ascot's South Bay Stadium, having won more Scra tch main events there than any other rid er . Now Schwartz says that it may be time to slow down a little, and the veter an will see limited action in 1995, com pe ting mostly at Costa Mesa on Friday nights. "I like San Bernardino (Glen Helen}," Schwartz said. "But I don't ha ve a mechanic righ t now and I don't really have the time to even find one. I may be entering some new business ventures, and I no longer want to wo rk on the bikes night after night by myself." Though he ma y be slowing down off the track, Schwartz should remain as strong as ever on it. He was practically a permanent fixture in Costa Mesa Scratch mains during 1994, and looks to do as well in '95 . "I'm still doing all right," Schwartz said. " I'm going to the gym a lot and I feel pretty fit. Speedway kee ps me yo ung. I may have lost a little bit, bu t I ride sma rter now. 1could have won th e Scratch m ain if I had made t he start." (Above) Gary Hicks (left) and Billy Hamill (right) race in close quarters. Thoug h he didn't make either main event, Hamill did win the $200 Coors Challenge. (Right) Sam Ermolenko (left) failed to repeat his brilliant '94 U.S. National performance, but the reigning U.S. National Champion had a great time talking with old friends. Pro, Venegas Racing [ awa to drive o n through." Faria go t a w ake-u p call of his own wh en the eigh t-man, eight-lap Handicap ma in wen t to the line. He would come from the 60-yard line behind Oxley and Pfetzing, who were on the SO. McConnell would sta rt with Hicks on the 40 w h ile Odom sat alone on the 3O-ya rd line. Hed den and Estes would lead the field from the 20. Odom jumped the start and slammed his way to the inside of Estes an d Hedden as the field entered tum one, sending both rider s to th e grou nd . Odom was pe nal ized to th e 50 fo r his ac tio ns. Estes led from the pole on the restart while Hedden drifted high and fell back to third, Odom had gotten another goo d start an d mad e his way into second, followe d by Oxley. Faria pu lled in line and appe are d to be read y to slice through the pack when his number-one GM sputtered. Faria fell back qu ickly, lea ving Estes, Odo m and Oxley to fight for the win . Estes looked unshakable, but his new Jawa began belchin g d eath smoke jus t two laps into the race before expiring with a loud "pop" on the fifth lap. Odom inherited the lead wi th Oxley nipping at his heels in the waning laps and appeared to ha ve the race in the bag before parking it in tum one and allowing Oxley to slip up th e insi de for a ph ot o finish. Th ou gh it appeared that Odom had won, the referee made a controversial call and award ed Oxley the victory. Odom was disappointed , but he took the new s lightly. "I won it an d they gave it to hi m," O do m sai d with a smile. " I kno w I messed up in the last tum, but so w ha t? They reamed me." Ox ley, too, th ou gh t that Odom had wo n. "I think he beat me by fou r inches," Oxley said . "But hey, the referee made the call. We're goi ng 60 m iles per hour out there and the guy had to make the call in the space of four inches, Hell, I'll split the money with Odom.' Faria had good reaso n to be wo rried as the five-man Scratch main was rolled out onto the race track. He and mechanic Jeff Clevelan d had determ ined in the pits that th e elec tri ca l probl e m suffered in the Han dicap ma in was u nr ep airab le, and Faria was forced to ride his less familiar [awa. Bu t just as q uickly as his luck deserted him, it came back in the form of a po le-position d raw for the Scratch main Briefly_._ •• event. Nicol, w ho had earned a spot in the main via the Last Chance Qualifier, would start to Faria's right in gate two . Hancock, Venegas and Schwartz sta rted in ga tes three through five. Faria an d N icol ba ttle d fo r the lea d right off the start, but Faria took con trol goi ng into tum one . As th e pack so rted itself o u t, Faria stretche d h is lead over Nicol, Venegas, Hancock an d Schwartz . Four lap s later, the order was unchanged , a n d Faria wrapped up b ac k -to -h a ck Spring Classic titles. The win may prove to be a farewe ll of sorts, as the Sou the rn California ve teran w ill be racing in Eng la n d und e r th e r ev ampe d , 21-t eam Prem ier Le ague, whi ch takes th e pla ce of the Bri t ish Leagu e for the 1995 seaso n. Faria appears set to sign a contract with the Edinburgh, Sco tla nd , Mon arch s, and if so , will be headed for England by March 24. The deal would mark a return to League racing for Faria, who competed with the Belle Vue Aces during the 1988season. "I'd like to go back over and see how far I ca n go toward making the World Championships," Faria sa id . "I've been everywhere else but there." 1:\ Orange County Fairgrounds Costa Mesa, California Results: February 4, 1995 SC RATC H: 1. M ike Faria (Jaw); 2. Do ug Nico l (Cdn ); 3. Charlie Venegas Qaw); 4. Greg Hancock (yMI; 5, Bobby Schwartz (Wes). HDCP; 1. Brad Oxley (Wcs) ; 2. Don Odom (Cdn ); 3. Tomm y Hedden (Jaw); 4. Robert Pfe tzing (Wl"S); 5. Mike Fari a (GM ); 6. Jim Este (Jaw) ; 7. Gary Hicks (Wcs); 8. s Shaw n McConnell (Cd n). COO RS O fALLENGE: Billy Hamill (Wl'S) def Brad Oxlcy(Wes) SUP: 1. David Taylor Uaw); 2. Joc.' Erhard t (Wes); 3. Randy Skinner aaw ); 4. Brian Poppala rdo (Wes ); 5. Tom Coll ie>' (WL'S) 6. Kenn y Hansen (Wes) ; S DCA R: 1. Ga rd ne r / l yn ch ; 2. Steele /King; 3. Matberson / Leed eri 4. Horsley / MOOberry . The ,prese nce of the overseas-based riders wasn 't all that gave the Spring Class ic an international flavor. Rain fell for most of the . eveninq, but the 2200 fans who braved the weather were treated to a good night of racing. "The racing'was awesome," said racer/ promoter Brad OXll'y. "And those weres ome pretty hard- core fan s . Our cove red ma in · grandstand only seats 1200: . ' they dropped my point ave raqe down: an d ·they have to lease me out for a year. Long Eaton (Invaders) is holding a spot for me until . May, bull ain't in a hurry: . ' . . Billy Hamill is anxious to head back over for the 1995 season and will be on his way just a few days after the Spr ing Classic. Hamill, along with te amm ate Greg Ha ncoc k will remain fixtures on the Crade ly Heath Heathens in the Premier League.' Hamill will ride for clubs in Sweden and Poland as well. "I'm' ready to get back over and get towork ," said Hamill " who spent a fair amount of his vaca-: 'Mike Faria may notbe the only rider heading "tion time on a Honda CR125motocross bike . to the new' Premier League. Charlie Vene- "I've had a good off-season, but I'm charged . 'ga s rece ived several offe rs to' join su ch · up and ready to go: teams 'as the Sheffield Tigers, the Edinburgh Monarchs and the Bradford Dukes . But so Bycontrast, Sam Ermolenko and 'Greg Han-. far, Venegas has res isted signing up. "I'm still · cock spent much of their winter in Australia trying to decide," Venegas sa id: "I've got a competing in a 13-race series that utilized ttie few things that I'm working on here sponsor- new FIM World Championship Grand Prix forship-wise . If they work out I'll be ahead of the mat - the perfect warmup for the two, who will game. I'll probablys tay because there's still a be compet ing in the 1995 World Championships. "I started slow, but I wound up comlotot money to be made here: ' ing back from .12th to third, just,eight points 'One rider who missed the Spring Clas sic is · behind the leader ," Ermolenko said. "It will J osh Larsen .:The,former Arena Essex Ham- take real cOnsistency to win the World Chamme r and '95 Grand prix contender has re- pionship back. The Grands Prix have elevat- . upp ed with th e tea m a nd is in Engla nd ed the sport to that next level. I've just gotten already..Though' Larsen was unavailable for a new 27-foot trailer/workshop with livi ng 'comment, his engine ,builder Carl 'Blomfeldt accommodations. We're going to use a lot of shed some light on the arrangement. "I,think. the breaks in my schedule to test at various Josh's plan was to 'make the GPs and then ,tracks and get read y: . go bac k anyway. The money' in s peedway isn't what it used to'be, but he has got a real Don Odo m was proud to ,let CycieNews good deal. It will be a good living for a 22- or know that tie has once again signed Reebok ' as a sponsor, marking his third straight year 23-ye'a r-old guy likeJosh: of being backed by the outside-industry cor'Dukie Ermo len ko will be r;'ding ' for a new porate sponsor. Odom did them right with his club in the Premier League during the '95 second-place finish in the Handicap main. . season. Ermolenko has s igned 'up with the Glas gow TIgers and is anxious to get started Even though the Premier League is providing ' wrth the team: "I'JI finally be getting out of my .many American riders with new opportunities, broth e r's s ha dow, tho ugh th at's not by ' Bre nt Werner is stili struggling to take his .choice ," Ermolenko sai d. "It's just that with place in England . The former U.S : Jun ior ,the league opening up, new,doors are being ' National ,Champion spent much .of '94 bumope ne d to me'. Now I'll get' my chance to , ming around Europe cornpet inqin open shine: meetings; but difficulty in' obtaining a work permit has lelt Werner unable to put together Ronn ie Co rre y was runn ing aroun d th e a deal. "Right now you know about as much Costa Mesa pits in his usually happy mood. " as I do:' Werner,said. Correy, a memb er of the Wolve rhampt on anchester is headed back to ride for Wolves, may be getting back to work for the ' Chris M first time since suffering a broken back while Belle Vue; but all is not rosy with the 1992 competing in Swed en in 1993. "I've bee n U.S . National Cha mpion. "I'm home less ," Manchester said. "I've got to fi nd 'a new place refusing a lot of offers right now," Correy said. . ' ·Wo.lverhampton still has my contract , but to"live over there:

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