Christian Scores Wire-to-Wire Speedway Win

Alan Christian of Huntington Beach scored a wire-to-wire victory Friday night in the four-lap scratch main event of the weekly speedway motorcycle racing program in front of 4,106 at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Brad Oxley of San Clemente was second, Steve Lucero of Riverside third and Mike Faria of Colton fourth.

Simi Valley’s Bob Simons pulled a major upset by defeating Tuff McBride and Oxley to win the handicap main event. Simons was originally scheduled to race in the second division but was allowed to compete in the handicap main because several first-division riders took the night off to prepare for tonight’s American Final in Veterans Memorial Stadium at Long Beach.

Steve Furman of Manhattan Beach survived two crashes on false starts and went on to win the second-division main on a borrowed bike. Mike Dalbey of Seal Beach won the third-division main.

In a match race, Shawn McConnell of Brea defeated Lucero.