Lucero Unbeaten in Winning Fall Cycle Event

Speedway motorcyclist Steve Lucero of Riverside was perfect Friday night and won the Coors Fall Classic in front of 3,962 fans at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Lucero won three heat races, a semifinal race and then went wire-to-wire in the main event to score 21 points. Lucero had the pole position in the main event and easily defeated Brad Oxley of San Clemente and Mike Faria of Colton in the four-lap race.

Lucero, the national champion in 1988, said the off-season victory was a sign of things to come in 1991.

“I’ll be getting it done in ‘91,” Lucero said. “I thought the new rule that disqualified riders going into the starting tapes helped me. I know how to start like that, and I thought the new rule created more consistent gating.”

Faria, who won the 1990 national championship at Costa Mesa last month, finished tied for third with Bobby Schwartz with 16 points. Oxley was second with 18 points.

Faria started off on the wrong foot, crashing in his first heat on the back straightaway while leading the race. He recovered to win his next two heats and then won a semifinal to advance to the main.

Oxley was consistent throughout the program, winning two heats, a semifinal and then finishing second in the main event.

Overseas rider Ronnie Correy won the most exciting heat race of the night, holding off Sam Ermolenko to win his first heat. Predictably, four local riders advanced to the main event where Lucero earned the victory.

“I had good heat races,” Lucero said. “I beat Gary Hicks, Ronnie Correy and Lance King to get to the semifinal and then outgated everybody to get to the final.”