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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127845
(Left) Sam Ennolenko
won the Fan
Appreciation Night
Scratch main at Costa
Mesa Speedway.
Randt romps at
Cherry Pit Classic
Enduro
By Kern Burden
Fan Appreciation N~ht:
Orange County Fairgrounds
Ermolenko
awesome
By Elaine Jones
Photo by Bob Jones
COSTA MFSA, CA, JULY 7
t was Fan Appreciation night at Costa
Mesa, and also the return of Razzo the
clown, the European Speedway rider
who rides once a year and seems to
have. a lot of disdain for the American
riders. The fans got a real bonus, as Sam
Ermolenko was on hand to get ready for
next week's American Speedway final.
Ermolenko has been racing in Europe
the past few years, so it is a real treat
when he makes an appearance in the
Vnited States. If Ermolenko had any jet
lag, it wasn't apparent as he won the
Scratch main. Meanwhile, Ed Castro
rode a new lay-down-motored Jawa to
victory in the Handicap main.
Ermolenko drew the number-two
starting gate in the Scratch main, with
Rob Pfetzing next to him in three. Bobby
Schwartz lined up in four, while on the
far outside was Castro. Reigning
ational and State Champion Steve
Lucero did it the hard way, winning the
last chance, and he drew the pole. When
the gate came up, it was a fairly even
start, with a slight edge going to Lucero
as they hit the first turn. Ermolenko
turned on the afterburners, and when
they came out of two, he had the lead.
He had been working the outside most
of the night, but thought better of it with
Lucero on his tail. He kept it down low,
and no one could put a wheel underneath him. He led the quick four-lapper
from start to finish, with Lucero looking
for the mistake that never came. Castro
held third, with Pfetzing, trying to make
the outside work, fourth, and Schwartz
fifth.
Randy DiFrancesco had the 10-yard
line all to himself in the Handicap main
event. The closest to him was Castro, and
he was on the 30. Shawn McConnell,
Raizo, Aden and Pfetzing divided real
estate on the 40, and Ermolenko and
Lucero shared the SO. DeFrancesco led for
one lap before Castro ran him down and
moved him off the groove to take over
I
48
the lead. McConnell was right behind
him and dogged him until the sixth lap,
when he lost his chain going into turn
three. Ermolenko was trying to get
through the traffic and, about the same
time, McConnell was seeing his hopes
dashed. Ermolenko went into three a little
too hard and laid it down to avoid what
might have been a nasty crash. He also
made a pretty good vault over the wall,
just in case someon'e else decided to
duplicate his moves. Razzo moved into
second with last week's winner, John
Aden (also aboard the new lay-down)
third. That's how they would finish.
Duane Carmont and Richard Taling
got the jump on the field in the Sidecar
main event, and it was a good thing,
because there was a major war going on
between Peter Lewis/Jamie Macy and
Bob Brayton/Parke Weaver. Lewis and
Macy held second after the first lap, but
Brayton and Weaver did their turn-four
setup on three and had the edge as they
headed for the white flag. Lewis and
Macy weren't about to be shut out again
and came right back, winning the drag
race to the finish.
Carmont and Taling avoided it all,
making it a smooth journey for them as
they claimed the win. Brayton and
Weave.r will be back to battle another
day, and settled for the place money.
Rounding out the field were Jeff Carr
and Mike Moreno. Randy Mclntyre and
Jeff Medberry looked pretty good their
first time out as they won the Sidecar
consi over Steve Morrow/Chris Chapman and Alan Hall/Dirk Votaw.
Johnny Walker won his second Support main in as many weeks. Walker, off
the la-yard line, chased Stan Galvez to
the white-flag lap before he was able to
get by. Richard Jones, from the 20, made
his way through traffic, but ran out of
time and settled for the third.
Tom Winchell was also a repeat winner, as he won the Support B main event,
topping Tim Tucker and Nue Boyle.
Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa Csllfornia
Results: July 7, 1997
SCRATCH: 1. Sam Ermolenko (eM); 2. Steve
Lucero (Gdn); 3. Ed Castro Oaw); 4. Rob Pfctzing (Wes);
5. Bobby Schwartz (GM).
HDCP: 1. Ed Castro Oaw); 2. Razzo (Wes); 3. John
Aden (Jaw); 4. Rob Pfetzing (Wes); 5. Randy
DiFrancesco (Wes).
SDCAR: I. D. Carmont/R. Taling (Hon); 2. P.
Lewis/J. Macy (Yam); 3. B. Brayton/P. Weaver (Han); 4.
). Ca"./lIA. Moreno (Yam).
SUP: 1. Johnny Walker (law); 2. Stan Galvez (law);
3. Richard Jones (GM); 4. David Lynch (law); 5. Bryan
Thompson (law).
SUP B: 1. Tom Winchell Oaw); 2. Tim Tucker Oaw);
3. Nue Boyle Oaw); 4. Jim Mustain Oaw); 5. Kerry
Conner Oaw); 6. OoLvey Jones Oaw).
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, MAY 18
Alan Randt took the overall win at
this year's running 01 the Cherry pit
Oassic Enduro held in the Boardman
River Valley just south 01 Traverse
City. The KTM rider grabbed an early
lead and gradually expanded it
throughout the day, winning round
two 01 the Oistrict 14 End uro Series.
Randt carded a 13, besting last week's
winner and defending champion
Seott Luca, who finished with an 18.
Luca and his KTM finished three
points ahead of Oavid Lipovsky Jr.
on yet anoU,er KTM. Lipovsky edged
250cc A rider Shawn Luca at the tiebreaker check, as both scored 21s.
Rick Seharphom completed the KTM sweep 01
·the top five places with a 24.
Ranch Rudolph once again was the staging
area, and Warren HiIls and the Twin Bay Trail
Riders were able to put together two loops of
very challenging terrain. The morning loop started down Brown Bridge Road, and the riders
were checked heading into the woods. This section consisted of single-track trail with some virgin areas that had the early riders looking furiously for arrows while dodging trees. A
logged-<>ut area with plenty 01 downed trees and
brush to go over or around, depending on the
courage and mental state of the rider, took points
from everyone. The club then furnished a generous l~miIe reset that allowed everybody to get
back on time and catch their breath. Mother
Nature decided to complete the festivities by
opening up the clouds and pouring rain on alI.
This joyous addition to the racers' day meant
that all those logs and deadfalls would now be
lubricated, yanking more than a few riders to the
earth. This section contained more of the same
terrain as the lirst, and ended at the gas stop.
Here the riders regrouped, and refueled their
bikes (and bodies) before beginning loop two.
The fogged goggles and rain of the first loop
began to slowly clear up soon after the first rider
entered the woods for loop two. The trail and
check placement remained the same as the first
loop. Whoever could go fastest through the very
tight woods would win this race, as the club
checked you in and out of every section. This
definitely was not a timekeeping evenl You had
to ride as if you were on a special test all the
time you were in the woods because, in effect,
you were. The skills Alan Randt used to earn his
way on to the ISOE team were in great evidence,
as he outran alI contenders to take his first win
of the season.
•
Results
eRNe CHMPN: AJan Ranch (KTM).
HJ-PT AA; Stott Luc:a (KTM).
HJ·P'J' A; Shawn Luca (KTM).
H1-PT B: Bob Burt (Yam).
}fl-P'T C: 'D.uTen m.des (J(aw).
AA: I. Davld Lipovsky Jr. (KTM); 2. Richard Sch&rphom