Clark Back On Speedway

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31018, 25 March 1966, Page 15

Clark Back On Speedway

One of the most prominent first division solo riders in the early days of the Templeton Stadium, Sonny Clark, is planning a full-scale come-back to speedway racing after being away from the sport for three years.

He will make his first appearance at Templeton on Saturday night on the same machine that the former world champion, Ronnie Moore, rode in competition this season. It has been loaned to him for the rest of the season by the veteran competitor Seiwyn Burt, who built the machine specially for Moore. However, a condition of its loan is that Moore has first claim to it if he wants to race again this season. Lot Of Practice “I went to practice on Tuesday night and was ail at sea. I am going to need a lot of practice,” Clark said yesterday. He said that he was keen to race agato at the speedway and hoped to have his own machine to time for next season. It would take him at least three weeks to settle down, he said.

Clark was one of the leading riders at Templeton the first year that the stadium opened in 1963. On the first night he took a second plaice to a first division four-lap handicap race off 30 yards. His handicap was doubled for the next meeting, but to spite of this he managed to beat both S. Burt and T. M auger, who later were to win South Island titles. Handicap 120 Yards By the end of the season, a particularly brief one, his handicap had been increased to 120 yards. At the time he showed at least as much promise as M. Burt, who was later to win the New Zealand solo championship. Clark is one of the most versatile competitors to the country today. Apart from speedway racing, he is currently the holder of the South Island miniature T.T. championship, a former South Island scrambles champion, a prominent road racing motorcyclist, and has even made an odd appearance at the wheel of a midget car.