MOTORCYCLING Brilliant Ride Gives Burns S.I. Title

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30563, 5 October 1964, Page 19

MOTORCYCLING Brilliant Ride Gives Burns S.I. Title

A drastically re-routed course proved no obstacle to the prominent Christchurch rider, D. Bums, who spreadeagled a ngh-class field on his diminutive 250 c.c. D.O.T. to win the South Island open scamble championship by 22sec from R. Johnson limaru) at Findlay’s Farm, Halswell, yesterday afternoon. It was the first major event of the new season.

It was by no means Burn’s first win in a South Island title event but it was surely his most satisfying. He was in brilliant form throughout the entire meeting, the more forceful style of riding he appears to have adopted paying handsome dividends.

Apart from the 1511ap South Island championship race, he also won the Tai Tapu Motor dub’s 250 c.c. championship, the 250 c c classic scratch race, and the five-lap invitational event for the 12 top riders. He completed the 12-mile feature race_in the very fast time of l“min 21sec and set the best time of the day of smin 34sec for the five-lap events. Johnson, mounted on the much more powerful 500 c.c. Mattisse, one of the best scramble machines at present In the Dominion, was the only rider to provide Burns with any opposition. Moore Finishes Bth He trailed Burns throughout the main event, only slipping back on the final laps: he was only overtaken bv Burns on the final lap of the invitational event; and won both the 500 c.c. classic and the 500 c.c. Tai Tapu Motor Club’s championship. The former world speedway champion, R. Moore, who retired from the track after breaking a leg at Wimbledon a little more than a year ago, made a re-entry into motor-cycle racing in the South Island championship on a 250 c.c. Greeves. He showed surprisingly good form to finish eighth. There were numerous spec-

| tacular spills during the meet;ing, but no serious casualties. In practice, G. J. Alexandre’s 350 c.c. Matchless burst into flame and he spent some rather tense minutes trying to extinguish the blaze. Finally, he dragged the burning machine to a small water splash and managed to extinguish the fire without serious damage. Two Riders Collide In spite of the comparatively low power of his machine, Burns made a magnificent start in the South Island championship, narrowly leading Johnson over the hill, a new inclusion in the circuit. Two other contenders. B. Roberts, a former New Zealand open champion, and B. Horton—collided half way up the hill, finishing in the middle of a handy gorse bush. Horton retired but Roberts continued on after losing a lap. First time round, Burns held held a lead of 50 yards over Johnson, with N. Currie (250 c.c. Greeves), N. Millar (250 c.c. Greeves). the current South Island 350 c.c. and 500 c.c. South Island champion, L. Bevnolds <250 c.c. Villiers), G. Holland <350 c.c. J.A.P.), I. Boorer (Timaru, 250 c.c. D.0.T.), N. Mcllwaine (Blenheim, 500 c.c. Tribsa), and G. Stapleton (250 c.c. Jawa), in close pursuit. By the fourth lap, Burns had opened up a gap of 300 yards on Johnston and was being harried by Roberts, a lap behind. Stapleton had moved up from ninth to fifth position with a magnificent spell of riding and the rest of the field, although holding the same positions, began to slip back. On the sixth lap. Stapleton moved past the Blenheim rider, Miller, into fourth position. Mcllwaine had moved into sixth position and Boorer had surprisingly dropped right out of the running.

Positions remained more or less .unchanged for the next few laps. Riding quietly but consistently behind the main bunch. Moore moved up to seventh position on the eighth lap. Half-lap Ahead On the penultimate lap, Stapleton suffered slight mechanical trouble and dropped a place to fifth, allowing Miller back into fourth position. Roberts. who had been holding his position between Burns .and Johnson, overtook Moore on the final lap to finish seventh. Burns crossed the finishing line almost half a lap ahead of

Johnson, who narrowly headed Currie by 4sec. South Island Open Championship (15 laps).—D. Burns (Christchurch), 250 c.c. D.0.T., 17:21, 1; R. Johnson (Timaru), 500 c.c. Mattisse, 17:43, 2; N. Currie (Christchurch). 250 c.c. Greeves, 17:47, 3: N. Miller (Blenheim), 250 c.c. Greeves, 4; G. Stapleton (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Jawa, 5: N. Mcllwaine (Blenheim), 500 C.C. Tribsa, 6; B. Roberts (Christchurch), 250 c.c. D.0.T., 7: R. Moore (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Greeves, 8. Invitation Classic for 12 Top Riders (5 laps).—D. Burns, 5:34, I; R. Johnson, 5:36, 2: I. Boorer <Timaru), 250 c.c. D.0.T., 5:44, 3. 500 c.c. Classic (5 laps).— Johnson, 5:45, 1: Mcllwaine, 5:56.4, 2; L. Murray (Timaru), 500 c.c. A.J.S., 6:28, 3. 350 c.c. Classic (5 laps).—B. Horton (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Greeves 6:1.4, 1; Stapleton, 350 c.c. Ariel, 6:9, 2: G. Holland (Christchurch), 350 c.c, J.A.P., 6:16.4, 3. 250 c.c. Classic (5 laps).— Burns, 5:45.2, 1; Currie, 5:48, 2; Boorer, 5:49, 3. Tai Tapu Motor Club's championships.—soo c.c. (5 laps): Johnson, 6:8, 1; Murray, 6:31.4, 2: T. Mitchlngton (Kaiapoi), 6:53.4, 3. 350 c.c. (5 laps): Stapleton, 6:12.2, 1; B. J. Horton, 250 c.c. Greeves, 6:21.4, 2; Holland 3 . 250 c.c. (5 laps): Burns, 5.50.4, 1; Boorer 2, Stapleton 3.