Rider Blames Feud For Entry Refused

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30642, 7 January 1965, Page 9

Rider Blames Feud For Entry Refused

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 6. The former New Zealand motor-cycle champion and Isle of Man representative, John Hempieman, has been refused entry by the Auckland Motor-cycle Club in the New Zealand senior and junior Tourist Trophy races at Pukekohe on Saturday.

Today, Hempieman blamed the club’s action on a clash of personalities between himself and club committee members, and said the club was carrying a feud “a little too far.” He said this was the third time within a year that the club has refused to accept his entries, and he believed this was because of a disagreement between him and the club committee over last year’s Grand Prix meeting. At that meeting he staged a brilliant come-back to finish second to the then world 250 c.c. and 350 c.c. champion, Jim Redman, of Rhodesia, in the New Zealand junior race. Hempieman said the club had withheld prize money from him after the event, and an inquiry by the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union had found in his favour and ordered the club to pay out. Italian Machine Hempieman was to have ridden an Italian works Ducati 250 c.c. machine in both this year’s senior and junior T.T. races. He said this was the only works machine entered, with a factory guaranteed top speed of 125 miles an hour. Hempieman's entries in the club’s meetings at Pukekohe last November were at first accepted, but nine days later the club told him his entries had not been accepted, and returned his entrance fee. The club president, Mr K. G. Allport, said today the club had very good reasons for refusing Hempieman’s entries.