Currie Title "Dark Horse”

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 17

Currie Title "Dark Horse”

A talented entry has been received for the South Island open miniature T.T. championship, to be held by the Corsair Motor Club bn the Moeraki grass track circuit near Rangiora tomorrow.

Two current South Island scramble champions, G. Stapleton (Christchurch) and N. McElwain (Blenheim), and more than half-a-dozen former major title-holders in all branches of motorcycling will face the starter for the main event.

It is doubtful if spectators will give the rider on the bright orange B.S.A. a second glance as he lines up on the grid for the start. If the same lack of interest in him is still apparent a few laps later it will be most surprising for the rider will be B. Currie (Christchurch), once one of New Zealand’s top scramble riders.

Courageous Come-back

Currie is staging an unexpected but courageous come-back after an absence from competition of more than seven years. He was badly injured white competing in the first inter-island scramble ever held in the North Island. He was thrown out of the saddle while battling for position at the start of one of the 500 c.c. races at Palmerston North. A rival North Island rider attempted to jump his heavymachine over Currie’s prostrate body but the back wheel crashed down on his neck. For a time his life hung in the balance.

He surprised the South Island selector (Mr J. A. Fraser) with his form at the Timaru selection meeting last month—his first competition ride for seven years—and then confirmed this promise by winning a minor race against top competition at Findlay’s Fann a short time ago.

Tomorrow’s big race will be his first major title bid since his accident and he could well prove the dark horse of the meeting.