Sportsman’s Notebook WORLD SPEEDWAY RIDERS TO RACE AT DOYLESTON

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29389, 16 December 1960, Page 28

Sportsman’s Notebook WORLD SPEEDWAY RIDERS TO RACE AT DOYLESTON

Two speedway world champions, Barry Briggs and Ronnie Moore, and one of the leading New Zealand riders for several years, Geoff Mardon, will race together at the Doyleston speedway on Sunday.

It will be the first time since they won their world titles that Moore and Briggs have appeared on a New Zealand track together. Both have just returned to Christchurch after a successful season in England and on the Continent This year Moore was runner-up in the world championship. He was champion in 1954 and 1959. Briggs filled a minor place in this year’s event. This is Moore’s first visit to his home town for four years because he has been riding in South Africa in the English off-season-Briggs has returned to New Zealand for the last two summers. Speedway is booming in England, according to Moore. Last year 17 new tracks were opened. A New Zealand rider now resident in England, Trevor Redmond, is promoting meetings and runs five different tracks each week in England and Wales. Several other New Zealanders are to the fore in England. The most prominent is Ron Johnson, of Dunedin, who rides for the Belle Vue team.

Asked what they thought of the decrease in interest in speedway racing in New Zealand, the two agreed that the lack of top-class riders was the main problem. There was also a lack of big competition. In England there was league racing between teams from different tracks every night There is now a junior league in England which caters for, and encourages promising riders. Also riding in this division are some of the older semi-retired riders. One country where speedway is given encouragement is Poland where the sport is Statesupported. There are more than 40 tracks and the Government trains and maintains the riders and supplies their machines. Both Briggs and Moore were offered jobs there this year at £?5O a week each to train young Polish riders.

Russia Is also reported to be starting speedway racing and is expected to branch into world comnetition soon. Other countries which Moore and Briggs raced in this year included Austria. Sweden. Germany, Denmark. Norway and Finland. In all these places clubs promoted races. Asked abou* future plans both riders said they did not have much in mind at the moment except that they were negotiat-

ing to visit Australia early in the New Year to tie in with the world champion, Ove Fundin’s, visit there. * « • Tennis Discussions The chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association (Mr F. S- Ramson) visited Christchurch this week for discussions with the management committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association. The two associations have been at variance on one or two matters recently and it was hoped this meeting would clear them uo. The Canterbury chairman (Mr G. E. R. Atkinson) reported that the meeting had been successful. . * • * Cricketers’ Dress The Wellington Cricket Association is taking steps to ensure that correct dress is worn by cricketers playing in competitions under the association's control. Clubs will be told their players must wear correct attire or pay a fine equivalent to the team’s ground fees. This decision was reached at a meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association recently after the matter of incorrect dress had been raised by the Midland club. The Midland club reported that its fourth grade team had played against a team which had not been dressed in a correct fashion, and had not behaved in a proper manner on or off the field. • • • Life-saving Display A team from the Sumner Surf Life-saving Club will give a display of life-saving and do patrol duties at Carter’s Beach, Westport, at the New Year weekend. Although the Canterbury Surf Association was unable to arrange for teams to give lifesaving displays as part of the Westport School carnival to raise funds for a new swimming pool, the Sumner club has offered to send a team at the expense of the members. • • • Last Athletics’ Meeting Tomorrow’s inter-club athletic meeting at Rugby Park will be the last for the 1960 season. A break of three weeks will be taken before the next meeting which will be held in Ashburton. A good representataion of clubs I is expected for the New Year i meeting at Ashburton.