Five Local Motorcycle Riders to Compete Today in London

Five U.S. riders will compete today in London in the Overseas Final, the second qualifying round for the world championship of speedway motorcycle racing. )

Sam Ermolenko of Cypress, who finished third in the world championship in 1985 and ‘87, heads the U.S. contingency in the 16-rider field. Ermolenko won the Overseas Final in 1989 but missed last year’s race because of a broken leg.

Ermolenko, 30, is coming off a disappointing performance in the semifinals of the World Best Pairs last Sunday in Pocking, Germany, where he scored only seven points.

Ronnie Correy, 24, of Fullerton, is making his third appearance in the Overseas Final. He finished third in 1989 and was fourth last year.

Kelly Moran, 30, qualified for the Overseas Final for the first time since 1987. Moran, who lives in Huntington Beach, has finished fourth in the world championship three times.

Billy Hamill, whom many consider to be the top U.S. rider overseas, failed to advance from the Overseas Final last year. Hamill, 24, of Monrovia, has been sidelined three weeks because of strained knee ligaments.

Rick Miller of Reseda is the fifth U.S. rider in the field. Miller won the American Final in March at Long Beach. Miller, 30, was eighth in the World Final last year.

The five riders compete in the British Speedway League, where Correy is the second-leading rider with a 10.31 average (of a possible 12) for the Wolverhampton Wolves. Ermolenko, Correy’s teammate, is third in the league with a 9.89 average.

The top nine riders will advance to next month’s InterContinental Final, where they will join the top riders from Sweden and Denmark. The last U.S. rider to win the world championship was Bruce Penhall in 1982.