Halswell Moto-Cross Won By K. Cleghorn

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30095, 1 April 1963, Page 7

Halswell Moto-Cross Won By K. Cleghorn

Blustery winds and intermittent rain, combined with some of the worst hazards known to scramble motor-cycle racing, made the third Halswell 100 Grand National MotoCross, held on the Findlay’s Farm circuit yesterday, an even greater test than in previous years.

. However, the competitors, who came from as far afield as Auckland and Dunedin for what is recognised as New Zealand’s classic scramble, coped admirably, and some first-class racing was seen.

Fortunately, the rain did not affect the circuit a great deal as the soil was very dry and soaked up the moisture. A few of the grassy strips were fairly slippery and had to be treated with great respect. There were numerous tumbles and retirements, but nobody was seriously injured. As expected, K. Cleghorn (Palmerston North) won the main event, the 500 c.c. motocross, riding a A.J.S.-B.S.A. Cleghorn, rated as New Zealand’s top scramble rider and among the best in the world, gave a faultless display, and by the twenty-third lap had lapped the field of 24. He won, easing up, a lap and a half ahead of M. Butler (Christchurch). Cleghorn also won the event last year. , In the opening laps of the 500 ex. race, it appeared that a close battle would develop between D. Burns (Christchurch), riding his small 250 c.c. Cotton, and Cleghorn. R. R. Clark (Christchurch), riding an A.JJS., made a brilliant start, and at the end of the first lap was leading Burns, Cleghorn and B. Roberts (Christchurch). But he could not keep up the pace, and Burns and Cleghorn overtook him on the second lap. By the end of the third lap these two led by some 200 yards, with Burns almost miraculously holding off Cleghorn by a length. Cleghorn made his effort on the fourth lap and managed to slip in front of the diminutive Cotton, and held the lead to the finish. Towards the end of the 30lap race, Burns’s machine began to sound very sick and he lost ground rapidly. He was forced to concede second place, which he had held for 25 laps, to Butler with two laps to go. Burns Outstanding Although Cleghorn won the 500 c.c. race easily enough, Burns was undoubtedly the outstanding competitor of the day. He led the 350 c.c. race and the 350 c.c. race from start to finish and then gained third place in the 500

c.c. race. That he had already completed 60 tortuous laps ■before starting in the main event and then led the Dominion’s leading rider for three laps on a much smaller machine testifies to his ability. £ L. G. Reynolds, who was second in the 350 c.c. event, showed considerable skill and judgment. He fought his way through a bunched field of 21 riders to be in third place at the end of the first lap and second place at the end of the second lap. On the third Lap he came off his machine, but was able to remount and continue after most of the riders had passed him. On the fourth lap, Reynolds brought his Jawa past the start-finish in tenth position, but by the eleventh lap he had worked his way through to fourth position. He overtook R. E. Meyer (Christchurch, BJSJt.), who was lying third, on the fifteenth lap, and in the following lap overtook the second man, N. R. Millar (Blenheim, Matchless). The 250 c.c. race was perhaps one of the most interesting of the day. Although Burns led from the start and was never challenged, second place was held by five riders throughout the race. D. Van Dongen (Christchurch), gained second place on his Jawa mainly through his remarkably steady riding and the mistakes of other riders. He finished some 250 yards behind Burns. There was very little difference in the race times of the three 30*lap events. Burns’s winning time in the 250 c.c. race was 43min 20sec, and on the same machine in the 350 c.c. race he returned 42min 36,35ec. Cleghorn’s winning time in the 500 c.c. event was 41min 22.35ec. Fastest Lap The fastest lap of the day was ridden by Cleghorn— Imin 15sec on the fifth lap of the 500 c.c. event. Bums, on a machine exactly half the cubic capacity of that ridden by Cleghorn, recorded the

second fastest lap of Imin Ifisec on the same lap. The five-lap selected riders’ race, open to the 15 best riders of the day, was also won by Cleghorn, who led from start to finish. Butler was second, some 200 yards behind Cleghorn. C. Shultz (Eketahuna), who won the main race in 1961, was third. Included in the course, which was seven-tenths of a mile long, was a climb with a grade of one in three, descents over almost vertical clay banks, a reasonably fast front straight and a mud trip. In spite of the rain about 2000 watched the races. The meeting was officially opened by the chairman of the Halswell County Council (Mr J. Y. Pethig). Results:— 500 c.c. (24 startiers, 30 laps).— K. Cleghorn (Palmerston North), AJS.-B.SA., 1; M. Butler (Christchurch), B.SA., 2; D. Burns (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Cotton, 3: N. R. Millar (Blenheim), Matchless, 4; □. Irving (Wellington), A.J.S., 5; C. Schultz (Eketahuna). AJ.S. 8; D. Boyce (Otematata). 250 c.c. DOT., 7. Time. 41:22.3. Fastest lap: K. Cleghorn, 1:15, on fifth lap. D. Burns recorded second fastest time of 1:16 on lap five. 350 ce. (21 starters, 30 laps).— □. Bums (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Cotton, 1; L. G. Reynolds (Christchurch), Jawa, 2; N. R. Millar (Blenheim), Matchless, 3; R. E. Meyer (Christchurch), BJS.A., 4; I. McGregor (Christchurch). BSA. Special, 5; J. Archibald (Christchurch). Greeves, 6: P. Langdale-Hunt (Chrtstchurdh), AJ.S.. 7. Time, 42:36.2. Fastest lap: D. Burns, 1:20, on first lap. 250 ce. (15 starters, 30 laps).— D. Bums (Christchurch), 250 ce. Cotton, 1; D. Van Dongen (Christchurch), Jawa, 2; A. Reynolds (Christchurch), Jawa, 3; D. Boyce (Otematata), D.0.T., 4; R. J. Harris (Christchurch), BA.A., 5; R. Archibald (Christchurch), Greeves, 6: W. V. Horton (Hornby), Greeves, 7. Time, 43:20. Fastest lap: D. Burns, 1:34. Selected Riders' Race (11 starters, 5 laps).—-K. Cleghorn (Palmerston North), A.J.S.B.SA, 1; M. Butler (Christchurch), 8.5. A., 2; L G. Reynolds (Christchurch), Jawa, 3; C. Schultz ('Eketahuna), AJS., 4. Time, 6:43. Consolation Race (15 starters, 5 laps).—Open class: K. McCleary (Christchurch), Matchless, 1; W. V. Horton Horton (Hornby), Greeves, 2; B. Roberts (Christchurch), Ariel, 3; B. Tong (Palmerston North), A.J.S., 4; A. G. Sabtston (Dunedin). AJfi., 5; T. Smith (Christchurch), Francis Barnett, 6; W. Tweedy (Dunsandel), BSA., 7. 250 c.c. class: W. V. Horton 1, T. Smith 2, I. V. Clarke (Christchurch), Triumph, 3. 350 c.c. class: W. Tweedy 1, G. Sword (Christchurch). AXJS., 2, R. Russell (Christchurch), BA. A., 3. 500 c.c. class: K. McCleary 1. B. Roberts 2, B. Tong 3. Time, 7:10.1.

Half the things that people do not succeed ■ in, are through fear of making the attempt—James Northcote.