Area Roundup : Moran Among Long Track Speedway Favorites

Speedway motorcyclist Shawn Moran of Huntington Beach, who won the World Long Track championship in 1985, is among the 30 entries for Ascot Park’s Long Track championship at 8 p.m. today in Gardena.

Moran became the only American to win the world title when he won the event two years ago in Czechoslovakia, even though he rode with a broken leg. Moran is the team captain of Sheffield in the British Speedway League.

Two-time world champion Hans Nielsen of Denmark, Sam Ermolenko of Cypress and 1986 U.S. champion Bobby Schwartz of Costa Mesa figure to be Moran’s top rivals. Ermolenko finished third in the 1987 World Final and was the only rider this season to win the handicap and scratch main events on the same night at Ascot.

Other top British League veterans who have entered include Lance King of Fountain Valley, John Cook of Roseville, Ronnie Correy of Fullerton and Phil Collins of Manchester, England.

A full program of scratch and handicap racing is scheduled along with the Skoal Bandit Shootout, a four-lap race in which six riders will compete for a $1,000 purse. For further information, call 213-321-5323.

Defending state champion Long Beach is the top-seeded team in the Southern California community college regional water polo playoffs, which start today at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

Long Beach (21-1), which won the South Coast Conference, will play eighth-seeded L.A. Valley (13-10) at 9:30 a.m. in the first match in the single elimination tournament.

No. 4 Cuesta (14-7) will play No. 5 San Diego Mesa (22-8) at 11 a.m.

Golden West (18-5), the only team to beat Long Beach this season, is seeded second and will play No. 7 seeded Citrus (23-7) at 12:30 p.m.

Saddleback (22-3), which won the Orange Empire Conference and lost only to Golden West (twice) and Long Beach (once), will play No. 6 Santa Monica (15-8) at 2 p.m..

The winners of Long Beach/L.A. Valley and Cuesta/San Diego Mesa games will play at 6, and the winners of the Golden West/Citrus and Saddleback/Santa Monica games will play at 7:30.

The teams that win the semifinal games will advance to Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. final and gain automatic berths into the state tournament Nov. 20-21 at Belmont Plaza.