Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127941
r--------------------,,~ SPEEDWAY Coors Ught Costa Mesa Speedway Season Opener COSTA MESA, CA, APR. 18 harles ,"Dukie" Ermolenko and "Fast" Ed Castro shared the spotlight with the race track itself Saturday night, as Costa Mesa Speedway began its 30th year of speedway motorcycle racing on the world-famous bullring at the Orange County Fairgrounds. A packed house saw Ermolenko and Castro win the Scratch and Handicap mains,. respectively. Making it to the main events was a challenge in itself, and Castro, on new equipment, made a statement early on as he ~asily won his heat race, coming from the 30-yard line in three laps to take the lead. Earning transfer spots with him were Charlie "The Edge" Venegas, Steve Furman and Gary Hicks. The second heat saw Gary Ackroyd come from the 30 to fly by rookies Kon C Baur and Richard Jones and take the lead. He held it to the white-flag lap, when Ermolenko, working the dirt on the outside, got by to take the win by the width of a wheel. Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell was third, with Baur getting the final transfer. Brian Pappalardo was on fire in the final Handicap heat, as he came off the lO-yard line and ran away and hid from the rest of the field. "Rad" Brad Oxley, riding a new laydown Jawa, was second, with . Rick Pearce and Randy DiFrancesco picking up the remaining transfers. Pappalardo continued his quest for a main-event position as he again blasted off the line in the first handicap semi and went wire to wire, assuring himself a place in the feature. It may have been a preview of things to come, as he led Castro, Hicks and Venegas through to the main event. The red flag came out early in the second Handicap semi when Ackroyd came up under Baur in turn two and took him ou t. Ackroyd was disqualified for causing the red, and a total restart was called. On the second go, Baur got out front but Ermolenko took over on the second lap. McConnell came from the 50-yard line and got by Baur on the final lap to take the second position. Baur hung on for third, with Oxley picking up the final transfer spot. . The Handicap main was set. The line featured Pappalardo and Baur on the lO-yard line. Castro was alone on the 30. Ermolenko and Hicks shared the 40, with Venegas McConnell and Oxley on the 50. Eight laps, eight riders. Pappalardo dropped the hammer and jumped out on top, with Baur holding second for one lap before Castro got by him. Pappalardo held Castro off for two more laps, but then it was Castro who took over the lead duties. Pappalardo hung tough and came right back at him but just couldn't get a wheel underneath. Castro was working the outside big-time. Meanwhile, back in the pack, McConnell was on the move and went into third at the end of lap four. Oxley wasn't letting any grass grow under his feet and he was right behind McConnell, trying to find a way around his fellow veteran. Venegas didn't look like his heart was in it, but he was still holding fifth. They would finish in that order. After the performance Pappalardo turned in, it would not be a big surprise to see him lining up on the 20-yard line next week. On the Scratch side of the program, Venegas went wire to wire in the first heat. He came out of the third gate - not the best place to start - but he still made it look easy. T1fe other transfer went to Andy "The Enforcer" Northrup, who also happened to be Internatonal Speedway's "Speedway Rider of the Week." Brian Burch, Pappalardo and Paul Binnquist rounded out the field. The second heat had McConnell, out of three, taking the lead from DiFrancesco on the second lap and winning to move up the ladder. Difrancesco was second, also moving up. Pearce, Jones and Baur made up the rest of the field. The third heat was a little wild. Off the start, David Taylor took John Aden and Hicks into the turn-two wall, and the red came ~ut. Taylor was excluded, and the race was restarted. Oxley, from the middle of the track, hit the corner first, and the race was his. Transferring with him was Hicks, with Ackroyd and Johnny Walker third and fourth. In the final Scratch heat, Ermolenko came from the outside, worked the outside from start to finish and took the win. Chris ManChester, still trying to get comfortable on the small tracks since coming back from England, was second, making it to 'the semis. Castro and Jason Chism would have to watch from the pits. rn the first Scratch semi, Venegas was on the pole, with Hicks in two. McConnell drew three and Manchester was in four. Hicks outgated the field and was running in front when he threw a chain in four with not even a lap in ti;le books. He watched as Venegas took over the read and brought it home for the win. McConnell, by virtue of his second-place finish, also transferred to the main. Hicks and Manchester had one more shot in the last-ehance qualifer. Oxley drew the pole in the second semi, with DiFrancesco in two. Northrup and Ermolenko were in thre , and four. Ermolenko got the gate, with Oxley dropping in behind him in second. DiFrancesco and Northrup were third and fourth. They would finish in the same order they started. The last-chance was bizarre by any standards. Manchester drew the pole, with Northrup in two. Hicks loaded into three, with Difrancesco on the outside, in four. Manchester won the race to the first turn, but it was all for nothing when DiFrancesco got into trouble in one as they headed into the second lap. Hicks did some pretty fancy riding t ' keep from hitting him. The red came ou and Difrancesco was excluded. On th restart, Hicks got the drop on £he fiel and was out in front, with Mancheste second and Northrup third. Hicks lost his chain again as he hi turn three and, with nowhere to go Manchester nailed him, bringing out th