Top Field Vies for U.S. Speedway Cycle Title

For the first time, two world speedway champions will be vying for the U.S. national speedway championship tonight, starting at 7:30, at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The season for the brakeless speedway motorcycles ends with the premier national event featuring Costa Mesa’s Greg Hancock, who won this year’s world championship in Europe, and Monrovia’s Billy Hamill, who won the world title last year and finished second this year.

Hancock also won the national title in 1995.

Costa Mesa’s Bobby Schwartz, national champion in 1986 and ‘89, and San Juan Capistrano’s Brad Oxley, national champion in 1987, are among the five former national champions trying to dethrone current champion Steve Lucero of Lompoc. Lucero is one of three two-time national champions. He also won in 1988.

Other former national champions entered are Riverside’s Mike Faria, 1990 and ‘91, and Chris Manchester, 1992.

Also in tonight’s field are Shawn McConnell of Brea and John Aden of Apple Valley.

There are 20 races, allowing each rider to compete once against every other rider, with points assigned for order of finish. The top three riders after 20 races advance to the four-man championship race. The riders who finish fourth through seventh compete in a one-race runoff in which the winner advances to the final. The champion is determined in one final race.

In previous years, the champion was determined by the point totals.