Cycle News

N M ,... '" "- N co ~ W Z W ..J U >- U .." " Rick Woods and Butch Corder at Napa Speedway. By James Brammer NAPA, CAL., July I, 1972 - Costa Mesa regulars shined at Napa Saturday night in AI Lauer's weekly speedway races held on the southern outskirts of this town more famous for its wines. In his first appearan e at Napa, Rick Woods made winning look easy, riding a borrowed Jawa in the Scratch Main with Stu 'Morley in second and the first northern rider, Butch Corder in for third. Steve Gresham. another rider from the Southern California ovals capped the Scratch Consolation. The Handicap Main money may have stayed north with Bill Duvall winning. Stu Morley again was in for second in the Handicap Main. Handicap Conso!ation race at Napa,left to right, Norm Denny. and Rick Woods. Denny won TealIl Speedway By Ralph Springer LESS SOUND MORE GROUND Off Road Vehicle Institute-SD PRO-AM "DUCK VISOR" • Comes with sliding snaps to fit all helmets. • Made of top grade plastic. Available in Black, White and Orange. ... DEALER AND INVITED CALL: ........ I 228-2025 I Send Check or Money Order to: PRO·AM PRODUCTS $1.49 each Ir--------------------------- I I 45 Woodland Avenue. Washington, Pa. 15231 DISTRIBUTOR I INQUIRIES I : Please send me. I Name__ - I Address - ---- - City -".-' ._State I I I . __PRO·AM Duck Visor(s) : - ZipJ ~---------------------------~ I l I I Speedway motorcycle racing in the United States, traditionally competition with the accent on individualism, will take on a new look in seasons ahead as the team concept is introduced to the sport. Speedway promoters at four California race tracks - Costa Mesa, Irwindale, Bakersfield and Ventura - hammered out the final details recently for the team speedway racing schedule. The new developmen t, as planned, will help put the United States on an equal footing with the major speedway racing countries of the world: England, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Czechoslovak.ia, Poland and the U.S.S.R. England was chosen as a model for the U.S. team concept. More than 40 speedway teams are scattered throughout the British rsles represen ring major cities and regions the way American pro football and baseball teams do. The switch to team motorcycle competition, first major change in American professional rna torcycle sport in more than a decade, will also pave the way for team competition with other foreign countries. An American speedway team toured Australia and New Zealand in January and February and proved that the concep t is sound by racing against more seasoned Australian teams with great success. The first team racing match is set for Friday evening, July 7th at Costa Mesa's Orange County Fairgrounds race facility. The new Costa Mesa team, the Comets, will square off against the visiting Ventura Chargers. Team racing will then go to the Ventura County Fairgrounds track on Tuesday evening, July 11 th, followed by team matches at Bakersfield on Wednesday, July 12th and at Irwindale Raceway on Thursday evening, July 13th. The loop then repeats at Costa Mesa the following evening, July 14th. Team racing will not completely alter the existing speedway programs at each track. A full slate of handicap even ts and second and third division races for individual riders will be retained. Final details are still being worked . , Napa Speedway Changes Hands NAPA, CAL., June 28, 1972 Speedway racing at the Napa Fairgrounds in Northern California will be promoted in the future by Ed Greene of Napa. Current promoter AI Lauer has sold his interest in the promotion to devote more time to the track at Cal·Expo in Sacramento. The Saturday nigh t Speedway races featuring Gus Lauer, Butch Corder and 40 other top names will continue through the month of October. The Napa Fairgrounds, known as the Town and Country Fair, is located on Third Street in the heart of town. out concerning purses, payoffs, and individual team makeup. Each promoter is currenUy trying to put together a team broad in strength. Some trading and buying as well as drafting of new riders is expected prior to the July 7 th Costa Mesa debut. Southern California Speedway Teams Teams- COSTA MESA IPromoter·Harry Oxley) COMETS Rick Woods Steve Bast Larry Moon Don Cullum John Fishburn Greg Haserot Ron Stewart IRWINDALE (Promoter·Ed Meister) EAGLES Bill Cody Mike Kanle Ed Williams Scott Autrey Jim Gresham Reuben Benites Ron Taylor BAKE RSF IE LD (Promoter·Digger Helm) BANDITS Mike Bast Larry Shaw Les Chanky Mike Curusa Billy Gray Kurt Lewis Eric Olesen VENTURA (Promoter-Johnny Mantz) CHARGERS Sonny Nutter Danny Becker Sumner McKnight Guy Waterson Steve Gresham Bob Hardison Scott Sivadge TEAM SCORING: A II team speedway matarcycle racing events are scratch races. That is, each heat has all participants starting from the same line. A typical team racing program will involve approximately fourteen separate scratch heats. Each team carries six regular riders on its roster plus a back-up reserve rider. Each regular team rider will ride a maximum of four heats in a team program. The reserve rider, should he be needed .in the case of mechanical failure or injury to a regular team rider, may ride a maximum of two times in a team program. In each heat event four riders are involved, two from each team. Scoring is on a point

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