MOTOR RACING / SHAV CLICK : Daylight Will Be Cast on Supercross Points

Motocross began as cross-country racing for motorcycles over the hills and valleys of Europe shortly after World War II. It found its way to the United States in the 1960s, and in 1971 the American Motorcyclist Assn. established a national championship schedule at such places as Carlsbad, Saddleback Park and Indian Dunes.

In 1972, promoter Mike Goodwin encapsulated the outdoor-daytime sport and created what is now called Supercross, a stadium-nighttime sport.

Saturday in the Coliseum, in the 16th and final race of the Camel Supercross season, half of the sport’s heritage will be restored when the racing will be conducted in daylight. The first moto is scheduled for 4 p.m. as the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group experiments with an early starting time, designed to finish the program before dark.

The championship moto will decide the $100,000 bonus for the season winner. Three riders remain in contention in one of the closest finishes in Supercross history.

Damon Bradshaw, 19, of Mooresville, N.C., has won a record nine races on his Yamaha, but his 310 points are only six ahead of two-time champion Jeff Stanton of Sherwood, Mich., and 10 ahead of defending champion Jean-Michel Bayle of France and Redondo Beach. Stanton and Bayle ride Hondas.

It is the tightest race since Jeff Ward of San Juan Capistrano and Broc Glover of El Cajon were tied going into the final race in 1985 at the Rose Bowl. Ward, riding a Kawasaki, edged Glover, on a Yamaha, by two points.

After riding for 14 years at the national level, Ward is making his final Supercross appearance Saturday. He won the stadium championship a second time in 1987 and won the Coliseum race in 1984. Bayle, who swept all three AMA championships last year, also is making his final motocross appearance before becoming a road racer.

The Coliseum event is the most spectacular in motorcycle racing. The riders race to the peristyle level at the east end of the Coliseum on each lap, and they ride around the Olympic pillars and return to the floor of the stadium.

All Bradshaw needs to do in the 20-lap Coors Light Challenge main event is to finish third, no matter what Stanton or Bayle do. However, the North Carolinian was shaken up last Sunday in the season’s final outdoor 250cc race at Buchanan, Mich., when he fell and landed face first. After being treated for bruises, Bradshaw said he was ready for the race at the Coliseum.

Stanton finished second to clinch the 250cc championship. The race was won by Ward’s Kawasaki teammate, Mike Kiedrowski of Canyon Country.

Kiedrowski, fourth in the points but out of the running for the Supercross championship, is looking for his first stadium victory. Other contenders include Suzuki riders Guy Cooper and Larry Ward, and Bradshaw’s Yamaha teammates, Doug Dubach and Jeff Emig.

Also on the program will be motos for 125cc motorcycles.

The Supercross is part of a daylong “L.A. Coming Together” celebration at Exposition Park that includes music, dance, food and Artfest ’92 exhibits.

A similar festival will surround next Saturday’s second Coliseum offering of the Mickey Thompson group, an off-road Gran Prix for trucks, desert buggies, ultralites and motorcycles.

SPEEDWAY BIKES--The 24th annual Coors Speedway Fair Derby will be run Friday night at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, with the top 10 riders competing in scratch and handicap events to determine the Fair Derby champion. The speedway sidecar championship will be held Sunday at the Orange County oval. Both events are free with an admission to the fair. After this week’s races, the track will be closed until Aug. 7 because of the fair. . . . Sidecars will also be on the show tonight at Lake Perris Speedway. . . . National champion Mike Faria will be after his third consecutive victory Saturday night at Speedway USA in Victorville.

MOTORCYCLES--The Coors Light motocross and stadium off-road series will resume Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. . . . The first Mikuni Calendar motorcycle show, featuring championship bikes from Vance & Hines, Yoshimura Suzuki, Pro Italia Ducatti and Bartels Harley-Davidson, will be held July 18 at the Santa Monica Airport as a benefit for the Museum of Flying.

STOCK CARS--Sportsman and street stocks cars of the Winston Racing Series will race Saturday night at Saugus Speedway, Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino and Cajon Speedway in El Cajon. . . . Dirt cars and late model stocks are scheduled Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway.

SPORTS CARS--The United States Auto Club’s western regional Formula 2000 series will resume Sunday at Willow Springs Raceway. Greg Tracy of Tustin is the series leader with 74 points to 48 for Greg Moore of Canada.

MIDGETS--USAC three-quarter midgets will race Saturday night as part of the Orange County Fair at Costa Mesa. It will be the first time the speedway track has been used for any race other than motorcycles.

MISCELLANY--The Southern California Timing Assn. will hold a lakes meet Sunday at El Mirage Dry Lake. . . . The Long Beach Rum Run offshore powerboat race will be held July 19, instead of its usual Saturday date, according to officials of the Pacific Offshore Power Boat Racing Assn. The race originally was scheduled for last March but was postponed because of scheduling conflicts. . . . Top fuel dragsters and National Motorcycle Drag Racing bikes will share the spotlight Saturday night at the Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale.