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the back straight, but the British Leaguer was in the d riv er 's sea t and protecting the p o le . O xle y was forced to d o th e same ra ther th an make any aggress ive offensive maneu vers on Fari a, beca use Lucero w as rubbin g on Oxley off tum two while-trying to force his way to the ins id e. As the laps quickly clicke d off, the order rem ained unchanged, and the Dr . Stein/McKinl ey Marine/Tint Docto r-ba cked Faria led th e three-rid er freight train across the finish line for his third Spring C lassic vi cto ry in three years . . "1 alwa ys like to start the season off with a bang," Faria sai d . "And ·it looks like I' m go ing to ha ve anoth er good season in the U.K. I was going to sell thi s motor that I used tonigh t. but ma ybe 111 use it to come back and win the Nation al th is year. I coul d n't co me back last year because I had th ree fixtu res (race meetin gs) at the time. But I kn ow I can win that title again . Line 'em up!" Faria's luck in th e Handica p main wa s n o t as g oo d , h o w e v e r . He was bumped from the p rogram in his opening rid e . But O xl e y , the perennial "handicap champion," was on fire once again as he hand ily won his heat rac e . and the n ran secon d behind Luce ro in the main to earn a spot in the eigh t-man, eight-lap finale . During the ma in , O xle y darted off the ins ide gate position on the 50-ya rd line and go t an excellen t drive to run in second pl a ce be h ind H icks d own th e back ch u te after in itial lead er Da v id Taylor fell into a series of h orrendou s s w a p s a n d d ro p p e d off the p a ce. Lucero,"too, b lasted th rough the fiel d from th e 50 an d was all over Oxley' s back fender as the laps clicked off. Hicks ap peared unflappab le, but his hope for the win ended with a pop when his bike expired in turn on e on the ·fi nal la p. Oxley sli d und erneath Hicks and in to the lead, and he was easily able to ho ld off Luc ero by pole-pu ttin g back to the stripe. Shawn McConnell rode his "bullet-fast" Godden to a thir d-p lace finish. "1 was going to give it up this year," said Oxley, who also handles all the promotions fo r International Speedway Inc ., which has run the weekly speedway prog ram at the fairgrounds for almost 30 years. "1just can't give my full attention to racing and to running the weekly show here. But I've learned that I can still swi ng a leg over the motorcycle and make some money, and the rent was due. Some of these guys, I've got 'em trained to move out of the way." The Support main w as highlighted by a tw o-man ba ttle be tw een the everim p roving Jas on Daniels and returing rid er George Fox. Daniels held the earl y le a d w it h Fo x r.unning second and catching up fast. At ab ou t the halfway poin t in the race, the exuberant Daniels backed it in a little too hard and slid just wi de enough to allow Fox to tak e control of the groove . Fox d ro ve u ndernea th Daniels and then held him off for the rest of the way. "He left it open, a nd I just wen t under," Fox said . "He opened the d oor, and there I was. This feels good, because I've been working hard to get back in shape." C'i 1996 United States Round May 25 &28 Stepping StoneRanch, Exeter, RhodeIsland BI'OlIIIht to AmerIca byPaIamIne PromotIons lIIlI the Rhode Island T rials Club ProudY spollSlloed by: World's Best elFrlJ ~ America's Best Tickets on sale NOW! cal MarcIa at 1-1100-827·3399 for tickets, IIscolIIt pacIIages and travellnlormatlon IfOtOWOrIll. _ _• • • • •" " , 1111111 = - -VISA ill r::ar-.... - mnw ,. Orange County Fairgrounds Costa Mesa, California Result s: March 16, 1995 S CRATCH: 1. Mike Faria (G M); 2. Brad O xley (Wes); 3. Steve Lucero (Gdn); 4. Robert Pletzing (Wes); 5. Gary Hicks (Wes). HDCP: 1. Brad Oxley (Wes); 2. Steve Lucero (Gdn); 3. Sha wn McConnell (Gdn); 4. Bobby Schwa rtz (W es); 5. Bob by Hedden Oaw); 6. Jake Zemke Uaw); 7. Dav id Ta ylor craw); 8. Gary H icks (Wes). SUP: I. George Fox craw); 2. Jason Dani els (Wes); 3. Richard Jones (GM); 4. Rand y DiFrancesco craw); 5. Bryan Thompson (Wes); 6. John DeFries (Wes). SDCA R: 1. Brayto n / Weave r; 2. Cannont/ Talling; 3. Matherson /Cole; 4. Morrow / Maggin . ..... l-< 0... ~ 45