Area Roundup : Speedway’s Moran Brothers to Race at Fairgrounds Tonight

Kelly and Shawn Moran of Huntington Beach will make their first appearance of the 1988 season when speedway motorcycle racing resumes at the Orange County Fairgrounds at 8 tonight.

The Moran brothers, who ride for Sheffield in the British Speedway League, have been named to the American team for the competition for the World Team Cup on Sept. 10 at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

Shawn Moran, 26, won the World Long Track championship in 1983 in Czechoslovakia despite riding with a broken leg. Kelly, 27, won the U.S. championship in 1983 and 1984 and has finished fourth in the World Final three times.

The Morans will be trying to end Bobby Schwartz’s domination at Costa Mesa. Schwartz, who has won the scratch main event three of the past five weeks, has won 34 main events on Southland tracks in 1988.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with parking and programs free. All women will be admitted free.

Liberty Coin, the fastest qualifier, has been installed the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday night’s $324,000 Denim N Diamonds Futurity, the richest race of the 20-night late summer season at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Liberty Coin, trained by Bob Gilbert, easily won his trial last week, establishing the fastest 400-yard time of 19.97 of any entrant. Steve Treasure has the mount.

Game Sissy, winner in three of her past four starts, is the second choice at 7-2, and Moon Over Cari, third in the Kindergarten Futurity, is next at 9-2.

The other 2-year-olds with odds are Leading Effort (8-1), Special Perks (10-1), Fols Snazzys Girl (10-1), Griswold (10- 1), Special Commander (15-1), The Big Kahuna (20-1) and Sagesensation (20-1). The winning 2-year-old in Saturday’s futurity receives $123,120.

Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals in speed skating at the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, N.Y., will join a field of business people in the AT&T; FourMan Corporate Cycling Challenge in Irvine Saturday.

The event, the last in a four-city tour, will feature four-person cycling teams attempting to negotiate a 12.5-mile course that starts and finishes at the AT&T; Tower at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

The entry fee is $200 per team, with proceeds benefiting the Special Olympics. For more information, call (213) 937-4626.

The $10,000 Hobie Pro/Am Surf Contest for longboards will take place Sunday and Monday on the north side of the San Clemente Pier.

Some of the top longboard riders, including Herbie Fletcher, Dale Dobson, Jonathon and Israel Paskowitz and Donald Takayama, are expected to compete in Masters men’s and women’s pro divisions. There is also a junior men’s and boys’ amateur divisions with no cash prizes.

The $17,000 Pontiac tournament, the 12th stop on the 1988 U.S. Pro Tour of Surfing and Bodysurfing, goes Sept. 8-11 at the Wild Rivers water theme park in Irvine.

Action starts at 7 each day and the final is Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. Kelly Slater, who won the stop last year; Mike Lambresi, the defending tour champion; and Jim Hogan of San Clemente are expected to compete.

The Newport Outrigger Canoe Club will hold a Hawaiian luau Sept. 9 at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center in an effort to raise money to compete in the Molokai Outrigger Canoe race later this year.

Cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. The evening includes a live Hawaiian show, a rock band and Hawaiian food. For more information, call 756-0194 or 547-7361.