Champions On Spanish Machines: McCLEARY MAY GET FIRST HAT-TRICK

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31030, 9 April 1966, Page 13

Champions On Spanish Machines: McCLEARY MAY GET FIRST HAT-TRICK

The holder of both the New Zealand senior and junior motor-cycle grand prix, T. R. McCleary, jun. (Christchurch), has obtained the extremely potent Spanish water-cooled 250 c.c. works Bultaco, raced successfully on the national circuit earlier this season by the international, W. “Ginger” Molloy.

He has entered it for the New Zealand light-weight grand prix, to be held in conjunction with the national grand prix meeting at Ruapuna Park tomorrow. If it performs up to expectations, McCleary will probably use it in defence of his junior title as well. For the main race, for machines up to 500 c.c„ he will rely on the beautifully prepared Norton which carried him to a convincing victory last season. The Bultaco, a two-stroke, is undoubtedly one of the fastest

machines in the country, regardless of capacity. Molloy, a works rider for the Spanish factory, has now returned to Europe to contest the world championship events, but his performances on this incredible little machine have not been forgotten. In the New Zealand 250 c.c. and 350 c.c. airfield championships at Wigram in January he proved more than a match for New Zealand’s 125 c.c. world champion, H. R. Anderson (Ohinewai), on the tiny but very fast works Suzuki. He was beaten to the chequered flag only by a few lengths by this year's Isle of Man captain (N. J. Landrebe Dunedin), who was riding out

of his class on a 500 c.c. Matchless. McCleary, who has entered for the three main races at the grand prix meeting, now faces some interesting prospects. Already the only rider in the country to have won the senior grand prix three times in succession, as well as being the only rider to have won all three grand prix, he could now become the first to win all three races in the same year and the first to win the senior event four times. Ten Victories

He has by far the most impressive record of any rider in this, the road racing classic of New Zealand motor-cycling. He has won the light-weight title four times (1948, 1950. 1956 and 1959), the junior title three times (1952, 1958 and 1965) and the senior title three times (1963 1964 and 1965).

His brother, K. McCleary, who won the light-weight title in 1962 and 1964, will be racing in both the light-weight and junior events on a 250 c.c. Greeves Silverstone. Another member of the family, W. McCleary, will also be competing. . Although the senior grand prix, to be held over 25 laps of the sealed mile course, has a talented entry of 23 riders, it seems likely that T. R. McCleary, jun., will only have to produce his form of last season to win handsomely. His strongest competition could come from the riders using the very fast 250 c.c. Japanese Yamahas: D. Schultz (Tokoroa) and J. B. McLean (Auckland). R. “Sonny” Clarke (Christchurch) could prove a threat on his 350 c.c. A.J.S.