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/128402
U.S. National SpEEdway Championship
Costa MEsa Speedway
PHOTOS BY MIKE BASSO
The Kid Threepeats at u.s.
Speedway Championship
By ELAINE JONES
COSTA MESA, CA, SEPT. 24
I
t was quite a Saturday night in Costa Mesa. as
International Speedway Inc. got the best
there is for the running of the U.S. National
Speedway Championship: three-time National
Champion "Flyin' Mike" Faria; two-time
National Champs Bobby "BoogaIoo" Schwartz
and Chris "The Kid" Manchester; one-time
National Champs Charlie "The Edge" Venegas
and Bart "Simpson" Bast.
It would be five rounds of Scratch racing.
the top three in points getting automatic passes
to the main. while fourth through seventh
would advance to the B main. with that winner
getting the final spot. The pot was sweetened
by generous sponsors Clean-Up Masters.
Warren and Evie Russell, Dan Nay. the Kreps
Family.
Borge
Development,
BHR
Motorsports, Specialized Coatings. Stanley
Exhaust Tech and Haven Insurance.
In the first round, Bryan Yarrow stoned the
night off with a smooth ride from start to
finish. Shawn Harmatiuk surprised Bast,
Schwartz and Tommy Hedden as he won the
second heat. Randy "The Rocket" DiFrancesco
got a great gate, but it all came apart as he
headed for the checkered nag: Ryan Fisher
beat him by a tire's width. The final heat was all
Manchester, as the youngest rider ever to win
a National was never challenged.
Faria opened the second round with a win,
going away. DiFrancesco was unbeatable in his
second ride. Manchester put in another
flawtess ride, going wire to wire. Bast
was on
track in the final heat and took control early,
but the spoiler, Fisher, did it again on the last
lap for the win.
Schwartz was hitting his stride. so it was
no surprise when he opened the third round
with a perfect ride. Manchester continued to
dominate, putting another win in the books.
Venegas was getting on track, and a good
gate and a great ride put him in the win
column. Faria took the rest of the field to
school with his win.
In the first heat of round four. Fisher, still
smarting from his second in the third round,
didn't bother coming from behind: He led this
heat from stan to finish. Faria socked it to the
foeld as he continued to stack up points. Shawn
"Mad Dog" McConnell got the pole and the
start, and that was all he needed for a win.
Schwartz put another one in the books and, In
doing so, smashed Manchester's perfect score.
In round five, Manchester put the
exclamation point on his final ride, having no
trouble dealing with the foeld. Venegas also got
a win. Faria was going to make it the Mike and
Manny show, as be won his final heat.
With a tie in points, it would be Manchester
and Faria in the main. The third rider, one
point back, was Fisher. Headed to the B main
were Venegas, Schwartz and Harmatiuk. The
racing was so dose, there was a four-way tie
for the final spot among Yarrow, "Fast Eddie"
Castro, Chris Kerr and DiFrancesco; the nod
went to Yarrow.
In the B main, both Venegas and Schwartz
got a good gate. but Venegas held it on a Iltde
longer and took the lead as they came out of
two. The seven-time ice-racing champ took
the checkered flag and headed to the pits to
get ready for the main event.
When they rolled to the line for the most
important race of the season, the first choice of
gates went to Manchester, and he chose the
pole. On out, it was Faria, Fisher and Venegas.
The first try at a go saw the ned light come on
and a false stan charged to Fisher. They loaded
in again. The light went green, the tapes came
up, and Manchester exploded off the line and
won the drag race to the first tum. Faria was
second, and Fisher was trying to make the
outside work.
"Unbelievable," Manchester said later. "I
felt him on the outside, banging walls and
bumping and grinding on me. I had to take up
as much track as I could."
Manchester came through unscathed, but it
cost Fisher: He was out two laps in. Faria
continued to pressure Manchester, but he had
his hands full holding off Venegas. They would
finish in that order. Manchester now joins Faria
AHRMA Southwest Region
CALVMX Series
Round 7/8: Perris Raceway
Clausen's in No Pickle at
AHRMA-CALVMX, Part Deux
By STEVE CARO
PERRIS, CA, OCT. 9
A joining of forces resulted in some of the
/"'\best Vintage motocross racing Southern
California had seen in years. The combined
efforts of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association and the California Vintage
Motocross club once again established the via50
bility of Vintage motocross racing in the southwest region of California. Holding the event on
one of the oldest circuits in the country added
to the pleasure of those in attendance.
A large variety of machines from the late
1950s to the early 1980s were out in force.
Adding to the excitement was the presence
of motocross legends Gary Jones, Jim
NOVEMBER 2,2005 • CYCLE NEWS
COSTA MlSA SPEEDWAY
COSTA MlSA, CAUfORNIA
RE5ws: 5IPnMIIR 24, 2005
P/W so: I. Dominic ManUl'"es: 2.
Brayden Galvin; 3. Broc Nicol; ....
Spencer Hunter·llshbrook; S. Ben
McConnell. )R 0·1: I. Jason Ramirez
(Hon): 2. G;no r<.n..... (Hon); 3. Joey
Holt (Hon). 1ft D·}, I. Austin _
(Hon); 2. Chad Hoyt (She); 3. Dylan
Black (Hon): .... Cory W~liamson (Hon).
HAtN: I. Chris Manchester Oaw); 2.
Mike Faria Oaw); 3. Charlie Venegas
(Jaw): 4. Ryan F""'" 0-).
FINAL STANDINGS: I. Chris
Manchest., (Jaw): 2. M;k. Faria (Jaw): 3.
Charlie Venegas Oaw); ... Ryan Fisher
(Jaw): 5. Bobby 5chw>nz (Jaw): 6. 5haun
HannatM< (Jaw); 7. 8