Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Costa Mesa Speedway Brant is back! By Elaine Jones COSTA MESA, CA, MAY I fter a six-year absence from speedway that included a stint in the army, Scotty Brant made his return to racing at Costa Mesa Speedway, and he did it in style, winning the Handicap main event and taking second in the Scratch main event. The man who kept Brant from scoring a double win was none'other than promoter/rider "Rad" Brad Oxley, who got Brant at the wire to win the Scratch main. The Lineup for the Handlca p 'main event saw Bryan Thompson on the 10yard line by himself. Robbie Sauer was alone on the 20, with Brant, Randy DiFrancesco and Gary Ackroyd on the 40. Dukie Ermolenko and Eddie Castro were on the 40, and the 60-yard line was all Oxley's. Thompson got a good start and put some daylight between himself and the rest of the field, but that only lasted a whole three laps before Brant ran him down, and Ackroyd, DiFrancesco and Oxley all got by one lap later. Brant was getting away while Ackroyd, DiFrancesco and Oxley looked for racing room. Castro was trying to get in the thick of things, too, but when the checkered came out, the win was definitely Brant's, with Ackroyd second and DiFrancesco third. Castro came across fourth, but the announcement came that he would be placed last, so fifth went to Oxley, with Ermolenko, Robbie Sauer and Thompson finishing out the fi.eld. The lineup for the Scratch main, held earlier in the night, fea tured Jim Estes on the pole. Brant was in two, and Ackroyd loaded into three. Oxley was in four and Ermolenko was in five. The first try at a start had the red on before the tapes came up, as Estes and Brant tried to anticipate the start. A warning was issued, and on the second try, Estes crashed in turn one and impaired the racers' progress. They lined up again, the gate came up and they all got away clean, but with almost one lap in the books, Ackroyd and Ermolenko made contact out of four when Ackroyd came out wide. He clipped Ermolenko's wheel, causing Ermolenko to hit the wall and the bike to take off without him. . Everyone was okay, and they lined up to try it again. This time it was Brant who got the holeshot, with Oxley again a very close second. Brant looked like he might pulJ off a rare Costa Mesa double, but Oxley kept working the inside, and on the last lap he moved underneath A (Above) Scott Brant (left) made a successful return to Costa Mesa Speedway after a six-year layoff. Brant posted the Handicap main-event win, while Brad OXley (right) won the Scratch main. (Right) Racer/promoter Steve Mayfield (center) won his own race, as he led every lap of the third annual Big Valley Ford Spring Classic short track at Lodi Cycle Bowl. Brett Landes (left) and Rex Fisher (right) finished in second and third, respectively. Brant and moved him off his line to take the lead and the win. Brant was second, and Ermolenko and Ackroyd rounded out the field. In the Sidecars main event, the Mission Yamaha team of Bill Matherson and Dale Leeder came home first, ahead of Bob Brayton/Dwayne King and John Matherson/James Eiland. Randy SkirU1er . came from long yardage to win the Support main event, topping Gerry Duttweiler and Joe Winston. The Support "B" main went to Terry McCurdy over Scott Mersereau and Brent Smith. eN Costa Mesa Speedway Costa Mesa, California Results: May 1, 1999 seR: 1. Brad Oxley (GM); 2. Scott Brant Uaw); 3: Dukie Ermolenko (Jaw); 4. Gary Ackroyd (Jaw); 5. Jim Estes (Jaw). HDCP: 1. Scott Brant (jaw); 2. Gary Ackroyd Oaw); 3. Randy DiFrancesco (Jaw); 4. Srild Oxley (GM); 5. Dukie ErmoJenko Oaw). SOCR: 1. B. Matherson/D. Leeder (Yam); 2. B. Brayton/D. King (Hon); 3. J. Matherson/}. Eiland (Yam); 4. S. Glass/D. Stokes (Duc). SUP: 1. Randy Skinne,r Oaw); 2. Gerry Duttweiler Oaw); 3. Joe Winston Oaw); 4. Midlael Mattocks U

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