Motor Racing : Norris Fails in His Bid to Set Offshore Record

Chuck Norris, the movie tough guy and karate expert, failed in his bid to break the offshore powerboat record from San Francisco to Los Angeles Wednesday when his diesel-powered, 48-foot racing boat twice had propeller problems.

The record Norris was shooting at is 7 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds for a trip in a gasoline-powered craft, set by 75-year-old Bob Nordskog in 1984, and Norris said if it hadn’t been for the problems, the record would have been his.

“We were shooting at 7 hours and we would have broken it by about 20 minutes if we didn’t have the problems,” said Norris, a newcomer to offshore racing.

The first problem occurred about 20 miles north of San Simeon when a vibration developed in the starboard engine. The problems rapidly became worse. Norris had to stop the boat and one of his four crewmen went over the side to check the problem.

The crewman found a broken prop tip and had to take it off and install a new one. The repair took about 41 minutes, and with that went their chances of setting the record.

The problem flared again, with the port engine, about 20 miles from the finish line at Marina del Rey. Because they were so close, this time they didn’t stop, but were forced to throttle back the engine which the crew figured cost them another 20 minutes.

Despite the problems Norris finished the 440-mile run that started from under the Golden Gate Bridge, in 7 hours 41 minutes 19 seconds--a record for diesel-engined boats, but not the one they wanted.

Although he was disappointed, Norris rated it one of the more thrilling accomplishments in his varied career.

“It ranks right up there with my ride with the Blue Angels,” he said. “It was difficult to concentrate all the time because of the scenic beauty with the whales and other sea life and the scenery when we were close to land.

Norris wasn’t the only one disappointed by the outcome.

Joe Heiss of Wellcraft, builders of the Scarab boat Norris drove, said, however, that he felt the boat and engines had proved themselves.

“I think we have proved that a diesel-engined boat can be competitive,” he said. “Maybe not in outright speed but over the long haul in endurance events like this, and we are definitely proud of the attempt.”

Is there another try in the works?

“I hope so,” Heiss said. “But we need to do some more work on the boat, and Chuck is starting a new picture, so nothing is definite.”

If they do try again, they may have to go even faster. Nordskog has announced that he is planning an attempt to lower his record in September.

Shav Glick, motor racing writer for The Times, is recovering from surgery at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. Glick is expected to be in the hospital for another week before returning to his home, where doctors said his recuperation period could be anywhere from six weeks to three months.

STOCK CARS--A victory in Saturday night’s Winston West American National Bank 200 at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield would wrap up the 1988 Winston West championship for Roy Smith of Canada. Smith, 44, has a 23-point lead going in, and a vcitory and the 11 bonus points would close out current runner-up Bill Schmitt of Redding and defending champion Chad Little of Spokane, Wash.

Smith, who drove his Ford to victory in the May 21 race at Mesa Marin, will have some added competition this time around in Winston Cup drivers Rusty Wallace of St. Louis, and former Washington driver Derrike Cope. Wallace and Harry Gant of Taylorsville, N. C., also are entered in Friday night’s 100-lap race for Southwest Tour cars.

In the Southwest Tour standings, fewer than 100 points separate the top three--Roman Calzynski of Sepulveda, 1,626; Troy Beebe of Modesto, 1,619, and Mike Chase of Bakersfield, 1,543. Fourth- and fifth-place drivers, Ken Petersen of Sausalito and Ron Hornaday Jr., the former Saugus champion, are locked in a battle for rookie of the year with Roger Gannon of Redding with 19 rookie points each.

Marcus Mallet of Gardena will be seeking his third straight main event victory in the Winston Pro Stock series at Ascot Park Sunday night. Mallet, who is currently third, behind standings leader Jerry Meyer and runner-up Fred Estrada, was the winner of both races last weekend. . . . Glen Cummings will try to pad his standings lead when he heads the NASCAR modified field Saturday night at Saugus Speedway in a 40-lap main event. Also on the program will be the sportsman, street and Figure 8 divisions. Hobby and foreign stocks and jalopies will race at Saugus on Friday night. . . . Track leader John Borneman heads the sportsman field at Cajon Speedway Saturday night. Street, pony and bomber machines also will compete. . . . Hobby and mini stocks will race Friday night at Ventura Speedway.

SPEEDWAY MOTORCYCLES--Bobby Schwartz of Costa Mesa, with a perfect 21 points at Ascot Park and 19 at San Bernardino, is the leader in the battle for the 14 qualifying spots for the U.S. National races in October as qualifying action moves to Auburn in Northern California this Saturday night.

In weekly action, Bob Ott of Redondo Beach, who fell in one heat of the Ascot qualifier and wound up back in the pack, will try to regain his winning form against Schwartz, Brad Oxley, Steve Lucero and England’s Phil Collins, who has won two scratch mains and a handicap event since his return after an eight-week recuperation at home from a broken leg. Most of the same cast will move to Orange Country Fairgrounds Friday night.

Inland Motor Speedway is awaiting the return from England of Sam Ermolenko, who will compete in the San Bernardino track’s Bruce Penhall Classic next Wednesday night. Ermolenko, the Cypress rider who competes in the British Speedway League, is the only American who qualified for the World Finals later this year. He is also scheduled to compete in the USA vs. the World races Aug. 19-20 at Ascot Park.

SPRINT CARS--Mike Sweeney of Carson will resume his season-long battle against Ron Shuman and Lealand McSpadden, both of Arizona, when the Parnelli Jones/California Racing Assn. series returns to Ascot Park Saturday night after a weekend at Phoenix, a weekend Sweeney would just as soon forget. In Friday’s time trials at Manzanita Speedway, Sweeney tagged the wall qualifying in what was supposed to be the first of two nights of racing.

Friday’s program was rained out after time trials, however, and on Saturday night, the seven-time CRA winner had to start last in every race. He won the semi from last and finished sixth in the main. However, because Shuman finished third, he increased his lead to 67.

McSpadden, who won the Phoenix race for his eighth CRA vcitory of the year, will be at Ascot Saturday night before heading to Knoxville, Iowa, where he will compete in the U.S. Nationals for winged sprinters Aug. 10-13. Also scheduled to compete is P.J. Jones, the son of the series sponsor who finished fifth in his last sprint car start, highest for a rookie driver this year.

MOTOCROSS--Riders of the Continental Motocross Club will hold their regular program Friday night at Ascot Park. Sunday the CMC’s Dodge Truck Summer Series continues at Barona Oaks in Ramona.

MIDGETS--With United States Auto Club Western States leader Sleepy Tripp in Belleville, Kan., defending his Midget nationals title this weekend, Saturday night’s Western States series event on the fifth-mile Ventura Raceway figures to be wide open. The three-quarter midgets also will be in action Saturday night.