Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

MORN INT: I . Scot Reutzel; 2. Will Ma rtin (Yam ): 3 . Cory Bow ers (Yam ) ; 4 . Mik e Sul eski ( Hon); 5. Peter Rodrigu ez (Ya m) . MORN EX: I. Ed ward Blewett (Hon) ; 2. Vincent Scennaplecc (Y8m) ; 3. Ric k Rossiter (Yam) ; 4. Mark Wunderl in; 5. Kevin McCarthy (Yam) . IT PRE· 197 5 OPEN NOV: I. Al an Zackrcne (C· A); 2. Scott Dares (C· A ). PRE-1 9 7 5 OPEN INT: 1. Delio Hutchinson (Tri ); 2. John Rodi s (Bul); 3 . Ro bert vincent ( 851'\) ; 4. Ron Wahl (BSA) . PRE· I975 O PEN EX: I. Ronald Bertra nd (Bul) : 2 . Ric k Rossiter (Hon) ; 3. Eric Zackrone (e-A) ; 4. Eric Beuenberge r (Suz); 5. Ron Dares (H-D). EVO O PEN NO V: I. Darry l Stcding (Mai) ; 2. Ted Bohlke (Suz). EVO OPEN INT ; I. Ed Howell (Hon); 2. Robert Leskanic (Bul) ; 3 . Richard Fogel (Hon ). EVO O PEN EX : 1. Edward Blewe tt ( Hon) ; 2 . Ronald Bertra nd (B ul ); 3. Tom Fran ce (Hon); 4. Rick Ross ite r (Hon ); 5 . Mark Griggs (Suz) . MDR N NOV ; 1. Matthew Lambert (Yam) ; 2. Nate Vincent (Kaw); 3. Ted Bohlke (Suz); 4 . Tom Roidl . MOR N INT : 1. Peter Rodriguez ( Yam). MORN EX : 1. Rick Rossiter ; 2. Edward Blewett (Hen ): 3. Mark Wunderl in. V entura Speedway C lassic V enturaRaceway Venegas ' Ventura Victory By E LA IN E J O N E S VENTURA, CA, JUNE23 h ar lie "The Ed g e" Venegas has a mission this season , and that is to w in everything in sight . So far. he 's right on target, as he opened up the big Vintage Bike Weekend in Ve ntura C F riday n ig ht by wi nn ing t he Scrat c h m ain even t on th e lo ng track . The pro g ram w as all Scratc h, with points earn ed 4 -3 -2 · 1· 0. The top ] 2 w ent t o t h e se mis, w it h thre e from ea ch sem i g o ing to th e m ain . In the first hea t, Mark A dams got an aw es om e start from t h e p o l e , b ut D uk ie Ermolenko too k the lead and th e w in . A n d y " T he Enforc er" N o rth r up wa s th ird , with Brad Sa uer fo urt h. Ch ri s "T h e Kid " Man chest er c ut th e b est ga te in th e second h ea t , bu t bike probl em s sid eli ned h im after on ly on e lap , and Bobby " Boog aloo" Sc hw artz brought home th e win . J im Est es was second , with Robbie Sau er thi rd . In heat th ree, Ve negas ca me out o f ga te two w ith the le a d , b u t o n t he wh i t e - fl a g la p h is b i k e qu it , a nd " F ast " Ed Ca stro to ok the wi n . Randy "T he Rocke t " D iF ranc esc o was se c and , w i th " Ro c k i n '" Richard J on e s thi rd . K i t Nay w a s cred ite d w i t h fourth, an d Ven eg as got zip . In t he fi nal first -rou n d he at . " Go r ge ous " Gary Hic k s got out on top , but after o n ly o ne l ap h is b ik e b r ok e . "Flyi n'" Ry an F ish e r took t h e w in . Se a n M c D ougall was se c ond . with J ohn ny W alk er thi rd . D iFran c esc o get th e gate, t he lead and t he w in i n th e f irst h ea t of t h e second round. Fisher had to settle for s ec o n d , wi t h Ro bb i e Sa u er a nd M cDoug all t hi rd and fo u rth . Ermolen k o led t he next h eat fr om start to fin ish . Schwartz fi n ished sec o nd. B rad Sauer and J on es were thi rd and fourth. .,,--- - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - -----, w ond . The fi na l spot in the ma in wen t t o S c h w artz. ., No rt hr u p , E s t e s and McD o uga ll f i ni shed ou t 10 g the fi eld . ~ Q. In the main, Fisher had dra w n t h e p o l e , with E r m o l enk o i n two a n d Ca stro in three . Sc hw artz loaded i nto fou r , wi t h Hicks and Vene qa s in five and six. O n t he f irst try , Venegas hooked u p big ti me, loopi ng his bike and doing sig nificant damage. Di Fra ncesc o grabbed his b ike and rolled it ou t for Ve negas . Th e y li ned up aga in. T hi s t ime, Veneg as ex p lo de d o ff t he li n e and Ventura Racew ay: Bob Brayton and Dwayne King open took t he lead . H ic k s w a s it up at the Ventura Speedway Class ic, tak ing the ir in seco n d , b ut n o t for Godden to the Sidecar win In Ventura, California . lon g , a s E rm o len k o took over o n the second la p . Ven eg a s took t he t hird second Er m o len k o worked every lin e he could rou nd heat from start to fin is h . E st es find, but Ve nega s blocked his every snatche d second awa y from Northru p m o ve and the w in was his . Fisher got on t he last la p . W al ker was fou rth . by Hicks on the white -flag lap to tak e In th e last seco nd -r ound heat , Cas th ird. Castro fi ni she d fou rth , w ith Hick s tro took t he lead awa y fr om Hic k s on and Schwartz fi fth and sixth . the se cond lap . H ic ks w as second . In the Sidecar event, Pet er Lewis Adams and Nay we re th ird and fourth . A fter two rounds, E r m o len k o and Speedway Bikes Backwards Castro had perfect scores. Schwartz A uburn Gold Country Fairgrounds and DiFra ncesco were one point ba ck . Jones w as unable to make th e c all in th e fina l rou nd due to a broken fra me. Nort h rup c ut the best gate and led B y M . S O BE R fo r two laps before Ca stro got by on AUBURN, CA, JUNE30 t h e whi te-flag la p for the w i n . h e America n / New Zeal an d Side McDoug all w as third . cars a nd th e S p eedwa y Bi k e s Schw artz c ut t he b est gate in t he and J am ie Ma cy had drawn th e pole , an d ev eryo ne ag reed th ey w er e the t eam to beat , a s th ey had l eft t h e c om p eti t io n in th e dust all n ig ht. Bob z ~ g Brayton and Dw a yne K i n g were i n tw o , wi t h S c ott Col e and Le y a C rav en s in t h ree an d St u art Glass and J ack Straw in fo ur. T he g ate came u p an d ev er y o n e was away b u t L ew i s a nd M a c y ; th ei r mo tor had go ne so u th an d th e red flag ca me out so they could get the b ike off t he track . They lined u p again , and t his time it was the B ray t o n an d K ing Sh o w , as the y put th e b i g Godde n - powered bike o ut o n top. Th e battle was for secon d , as Stuart and Glas s, aboard t he b ig D uc at i, were try in g to hold o ff Yama h a -p o w ered Co le an d Craven s, but o n th e wh it e -f laq lap, Co le and C ra v en s g ot u nderneat h an d second w as th eirs. eN Ventu ra Raceway Ventu ra , Califll mia Results: June Z3, ZOOO S CR : I . C he rlie Ve nega s ( Ja w) : 2 . Duk ie Erm olenko (J aw); 3. Ryan Fisher (J aw) ; 4 . Ed Castro (Ja w) : 5. Gary Hicks (GM). S DC R : I. B. B r ayton /D . K ;n g (G d n ) ; 2 . S. Cole/ L Cravens (Yam) ; 3. S. Glass/J . Straw (Due) : 4. P. Lewis/ J . Macy (Yam) . SUP: 1. Bill McClirley (J aw); 2. Paul Hitchcoc k (J aw); 3. Gerry Duttw eiler (J aw); 4. Greg Stercevic (Jll W); 5. Chad Newlee (J aw) . Bast Blasts Backwards ic o n Harl an B a st. T h e Sidecars and B a c k ward s b ik e s weren ' t t h e o n ly n ew ga m e in town , as no le ss t han t w o f o r me r jun io r ride rs m ade t h ei r d ebut on t he 500 cc m a ch ines. Ch r is K er r l ed all b ut th e l a st t u rn i n h is D iv ision T w o he at rac e , and c u r re n t U .S . Junior Sp eed w ay Cha m pion Eric Ca rrill o ran away in h is heat an d th en T seco n d th ird- ro und h eat , bu t Fi sh er to o k t he lea d and n ever looked b ac k . Schwartz wa s second . Brad Sa u er got aro u n d W al k er on th e f irst la p and c ame home third . In the next he at, Erm olen k o was in gate fiv e, w ith Veneg as in fou r. The gate w ent t o E r molen ko , an d he cla imed his third wi n o f t he n ight. He headed to th e se m is with a p erfe c t s core . V en eg a s was se c ond , with Adam s a n d D iFran c es c o t hird and fourth. In the fi nal h eat, Hicks went wire to wire , with E st es , Ro bb ie S au er and Nay chasing h im hom e. T he fi rst se m i h a d E rm o len k o on th e pole, with D iFrancesco in two and Adam s i n t hree . F i sher loa de d into fou r , wit h Hic k s and Rob bi e Sau er in fi ve and six. Hic ks c ut th e best g at e, but Erm ol en k o t oo k th e lead on th e s ec ond lap . On e l a p l at er , H i c k s rega in ed t h e lead , an d thi s t im e h e didn't g iv e it u p. Ermolenko was sec ond . F ish er got aro und D iFrancesco for third . The to p three moved to the m ain . Ca stro w as o n th e pole in t he sec o nd se mi , w ith Sc hwartz in two an d E st es i n t hree. On t he outside w ere Ven ega s , North rup an d M cDoug a l l. Castro go t th e g ate, bu t Veneg as took th e lead . C astro had t o settl e for sec - B a c kw ard s Ma in E v en t mad e th ei r ye ar ly v i s it s t o th e Aubu rn G o l d C o u ntry F a irg round s . In t h e Ba ck w ard s Mai n , fo r me r I C E R a c ing c h am p ion Robert C u rry drew th e pole a n d ou t d ista nce d r unn e r -u p Chad d id th e s ame i n the D i vi s i on T w o main eve nt. Ro bert M ell or topped th e bill in the D iv ision Three ranks. T h e five v i sit i ng Sid ecar t e ams Felicio , wh os e b ro th er Vance w on th e ra ce last year, an d Pau l Orla nd i, who b at t l ed earl y wi t h C urry but drifte d bac k t o third , j u st ahead o f Speedwa y r ode a se ries o f t h ree hea t rac es s pr i n k le d th r ough out t h e p rog ram Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds: Bart Bast (center) checks to see where Bobby Hedden (outsi de) Is as he maintains a slig ht lead on Mike Faria (right) In t he Scratc h semifinal. Bast blasted to his first Scratch main-event win of the year at the Speedway Bikes Backw ards event in Auburn, California. cue I e n D _ S • A UGUST 9 , 2000 35

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