CHRISTCHURCH SPEEDWAY

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26363, 6 March 1951, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH SPEEDWAY

NATIONAL TITLE MEETING

B. ABERNETHY’S SURPRISE WIN

Bruce Abernethy (Wellington) caused some surprise at the national speedway championships at Aranui on Saturday evening when he scored the possible 15 points from five starts to retain his New Zealand'title. It was generally thought that the championship would be won by Jack Parker, who has been champion of England since the war ended, and holds most-of the major Australian titles, but Abernethy rode brilliantly to beat Parker by a slight margin in their only encounter. Abernethy was not troubled to maintain the one point lead so gained, and Parker was runner-up for the title with 14 points. Another English' first division rider S. Waterman, was unlucky in hi.t first and only in the series. He maintained a good lead for three laps of the race, but then his motor seized and was out of commission for the rest of the evening. Abernethy twice equalled R. Moore’s track record time of 77 4-5 seconds for four laps (one mile) from a standing start, and in a lap of one race he equalled Hj e J a P , r « cord t,me °f 18 3-5 seconds (held jointly by Trevor Redmond and Norman Parker). A novice rider at the start of the 195051 season, L. Holland achieved his most notable success so far by scoring 10 points, one point more than his veteran brother, A. G. Holland.

. Th jl® Jvere 14,000 people at th<e meeting, the last of the season. Results:— ,

First Race.—B Abernethy 1. A. Clarkin 2. B. Langtrey 3; time. 77 4-ssec. Second P i ? ykes 11 A ’ G ’ Holland 2. B. p.Bh, C , C , 3: 73 4 ' ssec - Third race: P. E°< K i Hayden 2, R. Duckworth 3; l' Ssec - Fourth race: J. Parker l ’^k.T h ?. mas 2 ’ G ' Le,th 3: time, 79 l-ssec. no ‘o th .. Race —Langtrey 1, Dykes 2, PoltB « 4 o sec d Sixth *’ ace: Clarkin L„^?K dson 2 ' Duckworth 3: time, 83sec Seventh race: Abernethy 1, Parker 2, Mc.tllsS’ 77 - 4 - sse c- Eight race: L. Hofiand 1, Thomas 2, W. Fabian 3; time.

o Ha . c . e ~4. natrey^1 - Thomas 2, n r, 3 i, tin l e ’J^P c - Tenth race: Parker 1, Dykes 2, Fabian 3; time. 79 3-ssec. Eleventh race: T. Bolton 1, McGhee 2 H«nlnri y i 383 , qec A Twelfth race: U 81° 2-ssec’ McGhee 21 Duckworth 3; time,

„T? irt ® e ." t h race: Abernethy 1, A, G Holland 2. Bolton 3; time, 79 4-ssec. Fourteenth race: A. G. Holland 1, Havden 2 Ahe™ n ti 3 ' ti . me i > B o 3-ssec. Fifteenth race: W) b 2 ci ? yke .t 2 ’ Thomas 3; time, 80 2-5-wc. Sixteenth race: Parker 1 L Holland 2, Pollitt 3; time. 80 2-ssec i»^H V a n T Cen V'‘ race: Pa rker 1. A. G. Hol-race-2 Clerkin' 6 ? 79 J ec El Shteenth £?. ce \ LJarKin 1, McGhee 2: time £ Ab c rn ethy 1; time. 79 twentieth race: Dykes 1, L. Hol--1 a ?d. 2 ' Ha y den 3; time. 81 3-ssec. Points were scored as follows •—Aber. (Wellington), 15: Parker (England) 14: Dykes (Wellington), 12; L Holland lo"A e G U HolUnd iV n ? tr t y <Wellingtonh <CaXb»k : 3