Penhall Provides Some Foreign Aid : Former Speedway Champion to Assist Phil Collins Tonight

How’s this for a twist? Bruce Penhall, a former two-time world speedway motorcycle champion, will be assisting a foreign rider tonight in the 19th U.S. championship at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Penhall will be in the corner of British rider Phil Collins, a former teammate at Cradley Heath when Penhall was competing in the British Speedway League. Collins spent the 1987 season in Southern California, where he became only the third foreign rider to qualify for the championship.

Collins tested three English-built Weslake engines and some different tire combinations under the watchful eye of Penhall at Ascot Park on Thursday.

“Patriotism has nothing to do with this,” Penhall said. “I decided to help Phil based on a long friendship with his entire family. The crowd might be a little naive of my friendship with the Collins family.”

Phil Collins and Penhall were teammates for four seasons at Cradley Heath, where they helped the team win two league championships. Collins’ older brothers, Peter and Les, often traveled and raced with Penhall.

Penhall became embroiled in controversy in Great Britain in 1982 when he slowed to allow three American riders (Kelly and Shawn Moran and Dennis Sigalos) to go around him in the final qualifying round for the world championship.

The race was held on July 4, but the thousands of English fans failed to see anything patriotic about the move. They pelted Penhall’s van with rocks at the end of the meeting.

Penhall, who retired in 1982 after he won his second world title, has competed only once in Great Britain since retiring. He faced Peter Collins in a match race in Belle Vue for Collins’ testimonial meeting last year. Racers receive a testimonial meeting--and the event’s gate receipts--after 10 years with the same team in the British league.

Phil Collins certainly has the credentials to win the U.S. title. He won the junior world championship (under 21) in 1978 and was the British Commonwealth champion in 1983. His bikes experienced mechanical problems throughout most of the 1987 season, but he won two scratch main events at Costa Mesa.

Collins was also the leader at Ascot Park’s track championship after three rounds, but carburetor problems plagued his final two rides. He hopes a new engine will change his luck.

After a day of testing, Collins decided to use an engine owned by Trinion Cirello, former junior champion, for tonight’s race. The motor was built by Eddie Bull, Penhall’s former tuner. Collins also tested engines owned by Greg Hancock and Sigalos.

“I figure if I can get the lead coming out of Turn 1, there’s no reason I should lose,” Collins said. “The starts are so critical at Costa Mesa. I drew the pole twice in my five heats, so I feel good about that.”

Collins said it’s likely that tonight’s race will be his last in Southern California for a while.

“They’re starting a new league in Denmark, and I’ve had a couple of offers to ride over there next year,” he said. “I’m going to Australia in three weeks for the winter season and then I’ll make a decision.

“If things don’t work out, I’d like to come back to Southern California next year. I’ve done my stint in England. I’m looking for new ventures.”

His next could be as U.S. champion.

Speedway Notes

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., with the first of 20 heat races scheduled to begin at 8. Tickets will go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. at Gate 5 near the fairgrounds’ motorcycle parking lot. . . . Kelly Moran, who won the title in 1983-84, is scheduled to replace injured Sam Ermolenko in the 16-rider field, but he returned to Sheffield Tuesday and had not returned on Friday. “If he doesn’t show up, it’s going to be World War III between myself and the British promoters,” said Harry Oxley, Costa Mesa promoter. “He’s supposed to be here, we’ve advertised him as riding, and he better show up.” . . . Oxley’s son, Brad, has prepared the track, and riders can expect a deep cushion with an outside line, conditions similar to those at San Bernardino for last week’s state championship where Brad Oxley finished third. . . . The first heat includes favorite Mike Faria, defending champion Bobby Schwartz, 1986 state champion Bobby Ott and Moran. . . . Tuff McBride and Billy Hamill will be making their first appearance in a championship.