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/141033
• • o N c " ::> ..., ~ W Z W ...J o o ~ CULLUM, CODY WIN; NUTTER, KONLE BASHED Photos by Dennis Greene VENTURA. CAL.• June 6,1972 - Mike Konle and Sonny Nutter spent a bruising nigh t midst the beanfields bouncing off each other every time they ran. The two first division stars knocked each other allover the track. Ironically, when Nutter finally unloaded in the Scratch Main he was all by himself. Bill Cody was first across the line in the Scratch Main, with Nutter's former contender for blocking honors, Mike Konle , in in second. It was a big nigh t for Don Cullum who took top spots in both the Handicap Main, after starting fourth, and the Scratch Consolation. The weather on the North coast has been tacky all week but improved enough to bring o u t a crowd of increasing size . \Vith sum mer coming on, more fans shou ld be piling out to see some of the outstanding racing at the Ventura oval. T he track surface is pretty well shaped, a t least it doesn' t ha ve any bomb craters you can get lost in. A first-time winner in the Division T wo Main was Mike Mesojed nik , He has gathered a lo t of seconds and th irds previously and th is first should be just one of many. Migh ty mites Les Chan key and Steve Gresham con tinued their crowd-pleasing show. The fans love to see the two smallest guys on a speedway track herd the 500cc machines around. (Resu lts o n page 46) Nutter. Mike Ko nle, Larry Shaw and Don Cullum. Cullum got it on !O be the night's big winner. More Than Grapesfompin' Speedway goes North for Summer By Pat J on es NAPA, CAL ., June 3 , 197 2 - It was a big ni gh t for virgins as two riders won their fir st Cl ass A Spee d way Main Even ts an d all th e hot shoes wound up wo nde ring wh at h it them. Paul Min or, Jr.. a be gin n in g speed way racer wh o runs fro m th e scr atch lin e ca p tu red the Handicap Main Even t and Butch Corder, wh o ca rries a 2 0'y ard handicap , won th e Scr atch Main over speedway st ars Gu s Lauer an d Sumner McKnight. The Scratch Main Event had to be res ta rted as Lau er crashe d he avily whi le chasi ng th e su rp rising Co rder on th e firs t go. Referee Han k Henry hal ted the race on the secon d lap after La uer hit th e retain ing wall an d appeared to be seriously injured. However. after a short recovery per iod, Lauer w as able to leave the track under his own power and the race Was restarted with only three competitors - Corder, McKn ight and Rich Mac Mu rra y . Corder again j umped to an ea rly lead inadve rte n tly let an d McKn ight MacMurray sneak b y o n the last lap for secon d place. In the Handicap Main , McKnigh t h ad even w orse lu ck as he dropped a ch ain while sitting o n th e 50-yard line waiting fo r the race to sta rt. The good-natured Pea ce Corp s veter an drew so me of the loudest ap p lause o f th e eve n ing by n on ch alan tly w aving his b roken chai n to the fairgro un d's crowd as he p ushed his crippled J awa in to th e pits afte r th e race. Minor, tak in g full advantage of his scratch -lin e starting position , led all the way in th e Han dica p Main. Jim Do ran and A lan Christian finis hed in second an d third spots, with neither rider able to make up enough ground to push Minor hard. (Results on page 48)