Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Events A Coors Light Spring Classic Former World Champion Billy Hamill (foreground, right) proved that he has successfully recovered from the broken back he suffered while racing in Europe when he roared to the Coors Light Spring Classic Scratch main victory at the Orange County Fairgrounds. By Elaine Jones Photos by Mike Basso 32 COSTA MESA, CA, MAR. 20 aIry Oxley, longtime promoter of Speedway, was able to wish the rain away from his home in Mexico, and his kids - Brad, Laurie and Robin - were up to the task as the Spring Classic went off on schedule. The night belonged to Billy "The Bullet" Hamill, who won the Scratch main, and "Fast" Ed Castro, who came away with the Handicap main. Coming down from Reno was "Flyin'" Mike Faria, and Northern California was represented by Chad and Vance Felicio. The regulars were on hand, with "Rad" Brad Oxley, Shawn "Mad Dog" McConnell, Gary Hicks, Bobby "Boogaloo" Schwartz, Andy "The Enforcer" Northrup, Charlie "The Edge" Venegas, "Fast" Ed Castro and "Dukie" Ermolenko. The first Scratch heat of the night belonged to Ermolenko, who went wire to wire in the quick four-lapper. Schwartz, with a second-place finish, also moved up the ladder to the semis. The second heat had McConnell, who is more noted for his Handicap racing abilities, put a great ride together and led from start to finish. Moving up with him was Northrup. The third heat was all Oxley, who went down low, where he does his best work; and held off Hicks and Charlie Cooley. Cooley was ever so close, as he had second until the final lap, when Hicks found a way around him. It would be Oxley and Hicks moving on. The final heat had Faria and Hamill going against each other, and it was a barnburner. Faria got by Hamill as they crossed the finish line on the first lap and went on for the win. They would move up and more than likely meet in the main; that would be the matchup that counted. The first Scratch semi had McConnell on the pole, with Ermolenko in two, Hamill in three and Hicks in four. The gate and the win went to Hamill, as he lived up to his nickname and showed the fans the style that made him a World Champion. McConnell, who was really fired up, finished second and secured his spot in the main. Hicks and Ermolenko would have one more shot in the last-chance qualifier. Schwartz, from gate three, put together a textbook ride in the other semi as he made it look oh-so-easy, going wire to wire for his spot on the grid for the main. Faria, out of the second gate, would be there with him as the cream rose to the top. Oxley 'and Northrup would move on to the LCQ. Ermolenko did not make the call for the LCQ, so it was orthrup in two, with Oxley in three and Hicks in four. Northrup got the best start and went to the front, with Oxley second. Two laps in, Hicks hooked up big-time coming out of one and the bike literally launched out from under him. orthrup and Oxley had completed the third lap before the red came out, so the race was called, and Northrup took tJ:le final spot in the Scratch main event. The luck of th.e draw for the Scratch main event, the richest race of the night, had Hamill on the pole, w\.th McConnell in two and Schwartz in three. N rthup was in four, with Faria on the outside in five. If Hamill had been shot out of a gun, he couldn't have gotten off the line any quicker, and at Costa Mesa the start is everything. Hamill was gone but so was McConnell, who more than stayed within striking distance and let Hamill know he was knocking on the door, and if Hamill made a mistake, McConnell would be right there. Unfortunately for McConnell, Hamill showed the stuff that made him a World Champion. orthrup looked very good holding off Faria and Schwartz for third. Hamill was the man that everybody had come to see when the night got under way, with the opening Handicap rides starting off the program. He had suffered a broken back iri a horrendous crash a scant six months ago while overseas. Was he fully recovered and able to compete at the level he would need to when he re~ed to his league in England on Tuesday? His fans got their answer when the first flag dropp~, and Hamill, his nicknamesake, shot off the 50-yard line in the opening Handicap heat and took the lead on the second lap. That was all she wrote. Oxley picked up second, with Difrancesco getting the final transfer spot. Castro threw down the gauntlet in his heat race, coming from the 4O-yard line and taking the lead from John Defries on the third lap. McConnell and Schwartz transferred up the ladder with him. Richard Jones led one lap of his heat before getting bumped by Kon Baur and losing a chain. Baur took over for two laps before playing tag with the turnfour wall, and it was Rick Pearce who was wajting in the wings to pick up all the marbles, as he went on to win. Hicks and Venegas moved up with him. Faria was right on track in the final Handicap heat, as he nipped orthrup at the finish line to take the win. Vance Felicio got the final spot. The first Handicap semi saw Castro launch from the 40 and overtake Pearce, grabbing a lead which was never seriously p,allenged. It took Hicks two laps to get by Pearce, but it put him in second and gave him a spot in the main. McConnell and Schwartz were the final two transfers, with Venegas not making the cut after a rare fall. Venegas was also still celebrating the birth of his daughter on February 23rd, so he may be a victim of exhaustion due to those late-night feedings. like The second semi was all Hamill, who cut a great gate from the 50 and ran down Northrup as they crossed the line after one lap. ow it became a question of who was going to make the transfer with him. Northrup was a solid second, with Faria and DiFrance co rounding out the field. . The Handicap main had Castro, orthrup and Difrancesco on the 40. Hicks, McConnell and Hamill squared off on the 50, and Schwartz and Faria claimed the 60. Castro and Hamill both got awesome starts, but Castro had the la-yard advantage, and that was all he needed to go wire to wire. Hamill was knocking on the door the whole way, looking for the mistake tha t never came. Faria w'!s trying to get through traffic, and he was also within striking range as he got by Northrup to move into third. McConnell ran into problems early and was out. Hicks wa also having some major problems, as he ended up facing traffic coming out of one and almost became a victim of a head-on. It was the Castro Show, with Harnil1 getting about as close as you can to a double win on the night. Faria wa third, with orthrup, Difrancesco and Schwartz taking the remaining places. New teams and new rigs were the highlight of the sidecars. Bob Brayton has a new swinger in Dean Steele; a his/hers team is on board as Scott Cole and Leya Cravens have joined forces; a Ducati 906 is now a sidecar, with a rear wheel that could double as a car tire the team of Stuart Glass and Delon Stokes will be aboard this rig. The main event came down to the new and the old. On the pole, it was Brayton and Steele. Jeff Carr and Mike Moreno were in two, with Steve Morrow and Chris Chapman in three and. Bill Matherson and Dale Leeder in four. Off the line, it was Brayton and Steele, and they got a comfortable lead and left the battle to the other three teams. They were rubbing pretty good on each other, with Matherson and Leeder in second for two laps and then Morrow and Chapman taking over for the final two laps when all three teams tried to get through four at the same time. Matherson and Leeder were still able to come away with the show spot. The Support main went to Ryan Fisher. The three-time U.s. National Junior Champion will be a hard cookie to beat, as he has no fear and knows what he's doing. This was his first time out on the big bike, but it posed no problem for the Norco youngster. Bryan Thompson was second, with Kit ay third. Mike Mosby took home the honors in the Support I;l class, with Harry Brad well second and Phil Harmatiuk third. CIII Orange County Fairgrounds Costa Mesa, Californ ia Results: March 20, 1999 seR: 1. Billy Hamill (eM); 2. Shawn McConnell (GM); 3. Andy Northrup Uaw); 4. Bobby Schwartz (GM); 5. Mike Faria (GM). HDCP: 1. Ed Custro Qaw); 2. Billy Hamill (GM); 3. Mike Farin (GM); 4. Andy Northrup Oa\.); 5. Randy DiFrancesco (Jaw); 6. Bobby Schwartz (GM); 1. Gary Hicks (GM); 8. Shawn McConnell (GM). SDCR: 1. B. Brayton/D. Steele (Hon); 2. 5. Morrow/C. Chapin (Suz); 3. B. Matherson/D. Leeder (Yam); J. Carr 1M. Moreno CKaw). SUP: 1. Ryan Fisher (CM); 2. Bryan Thompson (Jaw); 3. Kit Nay (Jaw); 4. Tim Tucker Oaw); 5. Sean Learned Qaw); 6. Bill McCarley Q'aw). SUP B: 1. Mike Mosby (Wes); 2. Harry Bradwell Oaw); 3. Phil Harmatiuk Oaw); 4. Scott Mersereau Qaw); 5. Peter Curtis (Wes): 6. E10y Medellin Qaw).

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