Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Bobby Schwartz won the Scratch main on Fan Appreciation Night at the Costa Mesa Speedway. (Above) The duo of Bob Brayton and Parke Weaver raced off to the win in the Sidecar main at the Costa Mesa Speedway. race, you can't afford to make a mistake. the check crews do the best they can, but to go to all the races chasing a championship, r just hate to see a mistake cost me the championship. I could have wrapped it up here, but now it will go to the final round of the FIR series to decide the champ. Ashley rode good today, 1'm not taking anything from him - I'm just disappointed." Brewer, on the other hand, was quite happy, as it was his first SETRA overall win and second overall victory of his career. f~ r realize SETRAlFTR Straight Arrow Enduro Richloam, Florida Results: May 17, 1998 (Round 18) 52 D/A: 1. Ashley Brewer; 2. Franklin Ramey Ill; 3, Brian Martin; 4. Joey Haley; 5. Tommy Veator; 6, Steve Hardeman; 7. Craig Borders; 8. Nick George; 9. Joey Rowland; to. Johnnie Grigsby. AA; 1. Ashley Brewer; 2. Franklin Ramey 10. A OPEN: 1. Steve Hardeman; 2. Joey Rowland; 3. Mic:h1'tcl Scott. A 250: 1. Don Baxley; 2. Nick George; 3. Johnnie Grigsby. A 200: 1. Brian Martin; 2. Joey HaJe; 3. Tommy Yea tor. A 4-STRK: 1. Craig Borders; 2. Frank Annello. S OPEN: 1. David MacAdam. 2SO B: 1. Donnie Brewer; 2. Michael Johnson; 3 Scott West 8200: 1. Ryan Crist; 2. Greg Johnson. 8125: 1. Matthew Jablonski. 8 4-STRK: 1. Mike Shirley; 2. Gary Crurnbacker; 3. John McClohorn. COPEN: 1. Ted Lentz; 2. Chris Doran; 3. Scott Presnell. C 250: 1. Dave Edwards; 2. Jim Distcnhaupt; 3. Rusty Easter. C 200: 1. Mtl·thew Gallaird; 2. Brad Cribbs; 3. Dane Smith. C us: 1. Todd Rosen; 2. Jim Yariano; 3. Jenni L.lmb. C 4-STRK: 1. Peter Magee; 2. Mike Worley; 3. Tom Cronin. VET A: 1. Richard Morabito; 2. Gary Williams; 3. Don DeHa.rt. VET B: 1. Frank Erickson; 2. Stan Garth; 3. Cary Hunt. VET C: 1. David Sopko; 2. Cleve Roberts; 3. George West. SR A, 1. Eddie Royals; 2. Rick Chapple; 3. Ed Schulenberg. SR B: 1. Phil Ellis; 2. Clint Johnson; 3. Rickey Wheeler. SR C, 1. Kirt Lynch; 2. John West; 3. Greg Luther. S/SR. A: 1. Rick Pino: 2. Davjd Kuka Sr.; 3. Terry Enyart. S/SR B: 1. David Tharp; 2. Lane Sheppard; 3. John Watts. S/SR C: 1. Cates Pelletie; 2. William Thompson; 3. Brad Minnix. MSTR A: 1. Emmett Cox; 2. Joseph VanSeeters; 3. ~ John Parker. MSTR B: I. Jimmy DuBose; 2. Bill Fordham; 3. Jim Tallbacka. MSTR C: 1. Sam Shaw; 2. Ed Wiest; 3. Buddy Gaillard. WMN: 1. Deborah Broderick; 2. Elaine Nobles; 3. Linda Rorrio. VINT: I. Ed Thomas; 2. Kevin Hodge; 3. Chuck Miller. CLDN MST~ 1. Joe Haley. SPTSMN 0-200; 1. Tim Hogan; 2. Dan McKune; 3. Thorn Morris; 4. Scott Johnson. SPTSMN 201-0PEN: 1. Thomas McBddc; 2. Rob Ingraham; 3. Jim Kutzler; 4. Travis Morris. Costa Mesa Speedway Down with Razzo' By Elaine Jones Photos by Mike Basso COSTA MESA, CA, JUNE 6 t was Fan Appreciation Night at Costa Mesa Speedway on Saturday night and, as ha become tradition, Razzo the Clown was on hand. Razzo comes from Europe and doesn't think much of American Speedway racers. He only competes against them once a year, and this year he will have to swallow a cup of humility as he was soundly beaten by Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz in the Scratch main (by default) and Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell in the Handicap I main. To make it to the main events, you have to work up the ladder, and the Scratch main is by far the hardest - and the richest. The lineup for the lastchance had Razzo on the pole, McConnell in two, Kon Baur in three and Charlie "The Edge" Venegas on the outside in four. When the gate came up, Venegas was gone, working the outside of the track, and Razzo was down low, trying to made the low line work to get around a little quicker. He was close but not close enough, and the final spot in the Scratch main went to Venegas. The draw for position in the Scratch main saw Venegas on the pole, Gary Hicks in two and Schwartz in three. Randy DiFrancesco was in four and Andy "The Enforcer" Northrup was loaded into five. When the gate came up, it was anyone's guess as to who got the best start. Venegas, Schwartz and Hicks all hit the first turn like they were attached at the hip, but Schwartz came out of two the best and started using the whole track. He is famous for this, and it also makes it very hard for anyone to pass him. Hicks proved what a talent he is, as he had blown his own bike up before he ever got to the track and was on his third loaner of the night. He was riding one of Lee Cohen's bikes; Cohen's bikes have special frames tha t were used by Rob Pfetzing and most riders have a hard time adjusting to them. Hicks didn't seem to have any problems, though, as he got under Venegas on the second lap and went after Schwartz. Schwartz was hungry and wasn't about to be denied. The win was his, and it was his first of the season so he was one happy camper. Hicks was second, Venegas got third, and orthrup got by Difrancesco on the second la p to take fourth. The lineup for the Handicap main event had Brian Burch, Richard Jones and Robbie Sauer on the 10-yard line. Northrup and DiFrancesco shared the 40, McConnell and Schwartz were on the 50, and Razzo was all alone on the 60-yard line. Burch went out on top, with Jones in second and Sauer third. Jones took the lead on the second lap but got crossed up in turn one, causing McConnell and DiFrancesco to plow into him. Since Jones was deemed the cause of the red flag, he was eliminated and the race was restarted in single file. This put McConnell in front, and he didn't need much more than that ·as he led the way. Schwartz was looking for a double win; he put himself in the second spot and then went hunting for an opening. McConnell's style also makes him very hard to pass and Schwartz tried everything he knew, but he came up short and settled for the second. Northrup, who has really been a contender this season, turned in another great ride for the third, with Razzo picking up the fourth. The Sidecar main had Bob Brayton and Parke Weaver on the pole, with John Matherson and Scott Cole in two. Jeff Carr and Mike Moreno drew the third slot and the other half of the Mission Yamaha team, Bill Matherson and Daryl Chrispen, were in four. Brayton and Weaver are deadly from the inside, as the rest of the field soon found out when they saw nothing but their backs when the flag came up. Carr and Moreno tried to work turn four, where they could get the drive to get under Brayton and Weaver, but the lead was too grea t. The two had another set of problems, as Matherson and Cole were riding double with them and trying to move them out of the way. This didn't happen either, and the Mission Yamaha team was shut out and had to settle for third and fourth. Randy Skinner tried to make it a double win for the Skinner family in the Support main event; his wife, Pam, had driven her midget car with the Kawasaki motor from the back of the pack for the win earlier in the evening. Scott Scarbrough had the lead for one lap before Kitt Nay took over. Skinner came from the back of the field, got through traffic and took over the lead on the white-flag lap. But Nay came right back and took the lead when it counted - at the checkered flag. Marvin Sonnier rounded out the field with the third. Mike McCarthy topped Jolm Vandemeulen and Bentley Barrett to win the Support B main. fN Orange County Fairgrounds Costa Mesa, California Results: June 6, 1998 SCR, 1. Bobby Schwartz (GM); 2. Cary Hicks (GM); 3. Charlie Venegas (GM); 4. Andy Northrup Qaw); S. Randy DiFrancesco (Jaw). HDCP: 1. Shawn McConnell (GM); 2. Bobby Schwartz (GM); 3. Andy Northrup (jaw); 4. Razzo (GM); 5. Randy [);Fr.ncesco Oaw). SDeR: 1 . B. Brayton/P. Weaver (Han); 2. J. Carr/M. Moreno (H n); 3. J. Matherson/S. Cole (Yam); 4. B. Matherson/D. Chrispen (Yam). SUP: 1. Kitt Nay Oaw); 2. Randy Skinner Oaw); 3. Ma.rvin Sonnier Qaw); 4. Mark Hitchcock (Jaw); 5. Scott Scarbrough. SUP B: 1. Mike McCarthy (Wes); 2. Joh Vandemeulen (Wes); 3. Bentley Barrett Oaw); 4. Greg Corona Oaw); 5. David Enloe Oaw).

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