Down Cycle?

By MARTIN HENDERSON

April 7, 2000 12 AM PT

If Brad Oxley has his way, an Orange County institution won’t go down sputtering.

Speedway motorcycle racing, a fixture at the Orange County Fairgrounds in its 32nd year, returns Saturday with its annual Spring Classic.

But this could be the final season at the track, where legendary riders Mike Bass, Bruce Penhall and Bobby Schwartz cut their teeth.

Rising costs have made it prohibitive for Oxley’s International Speedway, Inc., to continue at the site beyond 2000 without a long-term lease agreement with the Orange County Fair Board.

“To make the speedway viable, we would need a long-term agreement, and at this time, the fairground isn’t willing to do that,” said Oxley, who has operated under a series of one-year contracts since 1995.

Oxley is staging 24 events through Oct. 14, including 20 on Saturday nights. Hoping to negotiate a three-year lease, Oxley proposed a cooperative that would upgrade and refurbish the facility, including its lighting, public address system and restrooms. But for him to do his part in the upgrade, he said he needs a lease that would make it worthwhile.

“He stated his interest in a letter, and I’ve asked for some more details,” said Becky Bailey-Findley, general manager of the fairgrounds.

“We’re going to take the next two years to evaluate programs and facilities, and put together a business plan and a master plan of what programs we would like to see remain, what we need to add, and what facilities are needed to support that.”

She said she prefers some form of motor sports to remain on the site. Though Oxley wants a multi-year lease to make his investment worthwhile, the fairgrounds also wants to protect its investment.

“The investment being asked on both sides needs to make sense into the future,” Bailey-Findley said. “It could be in the master plan that the decision is to have the arena moved to another part of the fairgrounds. If we put a lot of investment in its current site, does that make sense?”

Speedway began at the fairgrounds in 1969 under the hand of Harry Oxley, Brad’s father, and 1937 world champion Jack Milne.

“Our No. 1 focus is to have a great 2000 season,” said Oxley, 40. “We’ve got a lot of fond memories here, and we’re going to go out with a bang; 2000 can be a great year for us, but we need to be successful in 2000 to have a future at another facility.

“We don’t want to put the cart before the horse. I still think there’s a chance we could get an agreement with the fairgrounds.”

Failing that, Oxley said there are about a dozen possible sites, but only one is in Orange County--at Los Alamitos Race Course.

“The speedway is a good family event, and we’re the last event of our kind in this entire area,” Oxley said. “At one time, there were dozens of these types of facilities, and it’s gotten more difficult for all types of business to be viable in Orange County. We’re not the only business that’s feeling the squeeze.”

That squeeze has led to this season being marketed as “The Last Season Ever.”

“We owe it to the fans, riders and sponsors to give them some kind of notice that a 32-year business may be coming to an end,” Oxley said. “All those other tracks that closed, no one knew the last race was really the last race.”

HICKS THE PICK

Oxley won last season’s points championship, finishing ahead of Riverside’s Gary Hicks, who will be 30 this month. Oxley also won the U.S. championship, beating Hicks in the process.

But Oxley believes Hicks, who has been racing since he was 15, is the rider to beat Saturday on the 1/8-mile dirt oval.

“Gary’s 10 years younger than me, 13 years younger than [Schwartz] and 12 years younger than Shawn McConnell,” Oxley said, “and you’re talking all your favorites right there.

“I wouldn’t want to race me 10 years ago. He’s trying a little harder.”

WINSTON CUP

After failing to qualify in the previous two events, Scott Pruett qualified third in last weekend’s Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. He also led for the first time in his NASCAR career, but moments after being overtaken for the lead by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Pruett was spun from behind by Steve Park. Pruett crashed into the wall and finished 27th for Newport Beach team owner Cal Wells’ PPI Motorsports entry.

“We certainly wouldn’t have beat Junior,” Wells said. “I think we had a top-five car, but not a race winner. We’re not anywhere near good enough to run like that every weekend, but hopefully we will be at this time next year.

“Our short track and concrete programs aren’t where they need to be yet, but we do appear to be pretty good on 1 1/2 miles and above.”

The bad news for Wells’ team: Sunday’s race is on the high-banked, .526-mile track in Martinsville, Va. “I think we’re going to struggle like hell,” Wells said.

Orange owner/driver Robby Gordon failed to qualify in Texas, the second time in seven races he has missed the starting grid.

INDY RACING

Dana Point team owner Dick Simon announced a second entry for the Indianapolis 500, Belgian driver Wim Eyckmans, who qualified 29th and finished 23rd last year after completing 113 laps for Team Cheever. Eyckmans will be teammate to Simon’s regular driver, Stephan Gregoire.

“He ran last year for Eddie Cheever, he had his sponsor, and he decided he wanted to try a different team for this year’s 500,” Simon said. “He talked to three or four teams, and I gathered he preferred our package. By signing Wim, we’re also acquiring a brand new car that will be used as a backup car by Stephan for the balance of the season.”

If you have an item or idea for the Orange County motor sports notebook, you can fax us at (714)966-5663 or e-mail us at martin.henderson@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

ON TRACK

Orange County Speedway

Schedule

April 8--Coors Light Spring Classic; 29--Season opener.

May 6--Speedway and sidecar; 13--Mother’s Day Skirt Night (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 20--Olympic of Speedway (speedway, sidecars).

June 3--Harley Blowout (speedway, sidecars, Harley races); 10--Jack Milne Cup (speedway, sidecars); 17--Father’s Day (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 24--Championship 25-lap Classic (speedway).

July 8--Fan Appreciation Night w/Razzo (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 14--Friday sidecar, quad, midget championship; 15--Fair Derby (speedway); 16--Youth Motorized Olympics (Jr. speedway series), Vintage Dirt Track races.

Aug. 5--Demolition Derby (speedway, sidecars); 12--Kids Night (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 19--Harley-Davidson Night (speedway, sidecars, harley races and show); 26--Dan Nay Night (championship speedway, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway).

Irwindale Speedway

Through April 1

Super Late Model

1. Greg Voigt, Goleta98

2. Ben Walker, North Hills92

2. Dan Holtz, Bakersfield92

4. Charles Utts, Camarillo90

5. Sean Woodside, Saugus76

6. David Brandon, Palmdale64

7. Russell White, Corona56

8. Brian Kelley, Arleta50

9. Shawn Brink, Lancaster46

10. A.J. DiMarzo, Saugus44

10. Mike Walker, Pasadena44

10. Terry Henry, Bakersfield44

Super Stock

1. T.K. Karvasek, North Hills50

2. Jeff Green, Long Beach48

3. Yagel Berkovitz, Burbank46

4. Steve Gilmore, Granada Hills44

5. Kevin Wood, Saugus42

6. Doug McComb, Thousand Oaks40

7. Don Rogers, Simi Valley38

8. Greg Benner, Whittier36

9. Mike Price, San Pedro34

10. Tom Siebuhr, Canyon Country32

Late Model

1. Todd Burns, Riverside50

2. James Weston, Goleta48

3. Tony Green, Oak Hills 46

4. Guy Goldstein, Cathedral City44

5. Rick Miller, Palm Desert42

6. David Hessing, Canyon Country40

7. Steve Nickolai, Simi Valley38

8. Deryk Aard, Palm Springs36

9. Jeff Saelid, Covina34

10. Richard Hooper, Palmdale32

Grand American

1. Dean Kuhn, Oceanside50

2. Robert Rice, Hawthorne48

3. Bruce Gallion, Lancaster46

4. David Andrews, Frazier Park44

5. Henry Ford Jr., Alta Loma42

6. Tom Topping, Los Angeles40

7. Rob Chaney, Ventura38

8. Steve Luecht, Chula Vista36

9. Rip Michels, Mission Hills34

10. Dennis Schlakbaum, La Habra32

Schedule

April 8--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, Figure 8s, American Race Trucks, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds; 15--NASCAR Super Late Models, Super Stocks, Grand American Modifieds, Legends Cars, Spec Trucks; 22--NASCAR Late Models Twin 40s, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, T.Q. Midgets, Figure 8s; 29-- NASCAR Food4Less Southwest Series, Super Late Models, Spec Trucks.

May 6--NASCAR Super Late Models, Late Models, Speed Trucks, Mini Stockars, Mini Stocks; 13--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds, T.Q. Midgets, Figure 8s; 20--NASCAR Super Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Legends Cars, Mini Stocks, Speed Trucks; 27-- NASCAR Super Late Model Twin 50s, Super Stock, Mini Stockars, Figure 8s.

June 3--NASCAR Late Models Twin 40s, Super Stock, Grand American Modifieds, Formula Mazda, Figure 8s; 10--NASCAR Super Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Spec Trucks, Legends Cars; 17--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, Speed Trucks, Mini Stocks, Figure 8s; 24--NASCAR Home Depot Winston West 250, Super Late Models.

July 1--NASCAR Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Super Stocks, Legends Cars, Figure 8s, and Fireworks Show; 8--NASCAR Super Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Spec Trucks, T.Q. Midgets, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds; 15--NASCAR Late Models Twin 40s, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Legends Cars, Mini Stock cars, Figure 8s; 22--NASCAR Super Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Speed Trucks, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds; 29--NASCAR Home Depot Southwest Series, Late Models, Super Stocks.

August 5--NASCAR Super Late Models Twin 50s, Grand American Modifieds, American Race Trucks, Mini Stocks; 12--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Spec Trucks, Legends Cars, Figure 8s; 19--NASCAR Home Depot Winston West 250, Late Models.

Perris Auto Speedway

Through March 30

SCRA Sprint Cars

1. Richard Griffin, Silver City, N.M.: 396

2. Tony Jones, Corona: 319

3. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda: 289

4. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix: 282

5. Mike English, Norwalk: 271

6. J.J. Yeley, Phoenix: 265

7. Steve Ostling, Corona: 259

8. Mike Kirby, Lomita: 242

9. Brad Noffsinger, Concord, NC: 239