English Rider Makes Impressive Debut

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31210, 7 November 1966, Page 19

English Rider Makes Impressive Debut

The new resident overseas rider, H. Coles (England), made an impressive debut at the Templeton Speedway Stadium on Saturday night, winning three races in four starts —all from the back mark of 110 yards.

Although he was riding a borrowed machine, he had little trouble in most of his races and demonstrated considerable ability at threading his way through packed fields.

However, the former New Zealand champion, M. Burt, stole much of his thunder the two times they met in competition during the evening's racing. On the first occasion both were off the same handicap of 110 yards and Cole quickly went through the field to the front. Burt, riding brilliantly, followed him through and on the second lap took the lead on the inside.

Burt held the lead for two laps, defying every attempt by the Englishman to get past, but on the final lap he misjudged his pole-line on the south bend, lost control at the exit of the corner and crashed to the cinders. He was not hurt. Cole's winning time was 89.8 •ec.

In the next event they were drawn against one another, the feature race for the top six riders, it was Burt who triumphed. Cole's clutch gave out on the starting grid and he was out after a quarter of a lap. Burt, riding off a handicap of 10 yards, turned on one of the finest rides of his career to win handsomely in 85.9 sec, the fastest time of the night by a considerable margin. He also re-

corded the second fastest race time of 89.8 sec in an earlier handicap race. Mead Wins The Rakaia rider, R. Mead, graduated from the three-quar-ter midget car class in spectacular fashion when he comfortably won the four-lap speedcar handicap off the 130 yard mark—his first serious race at the wheel of a big midget. And then, just to prove that this was no isolated performance, he later won the feature eightlap scratch race from R. Clive and took maximum points toward the South Island championship. He finished third in the only other speedc„r race. He handled his newly purchased Vauxhallpowered car with the skill of a veteran and gave a firm Indication that he would be a strong contender for the South Island championship. He has formerly held the South Island three-quarter midget car title.

Although not placed in any of the races. E. Murray's new home-built Zephyr - powered speedcar showed tremendous potential. Beautifully finished in bright red, the car was completed a few hours before the meeting and had never been on the track before the first race. The motor, fitted with a Raymond Mays-B.R.M. developed head, had not even been run in. J. Annan raced away with the feature eight-lap stock rod scratch race for the second week In succession, lowering the record he set the previous week by two-tenths of a second. His winning time was 3min 2.4 sec. His brother, P. Annan, was

second and the South Island champion, D. Cameron, third. Results were:— MOTOR-CYCLES Solo Handicap Races (4 laps). —First Event: T. Black (110yds) 1, R. Wright (100yds) 2, C. Glasson (40yds) 3. Time, 94.3. Second race: H. Cole (110yds) 1, T. Mauger (100yds) 2, A. Brown (110yds) 3. Time, 92.4. Third race: R. Wright (100yds) 1, I. Begbie (30yds) 2, A. Brown (110yds) 3. Time, 92.0. Fourth race: H. Cole (HOvds) 1, T. Black (110yds) 2, W. Moulin (80yds) 3. Time, 91.8. Fifth race: M. Burt (110yds) 1, C. Glasson (40yds) 2, W. Moulin (80vds) 3. Time, 89.6. Sixth race: H. Cole (110yds) 1, G. Ray (70yds) 2, R. Wright (100yds) 3. Time. 98.8. Solo Scratch Race (4 laps).— R. McKinlay 1, C. Glasson 2, R. Jones 3. Time. 93.4. Fast Six Solo Handicap (4 laps).—M. Burt (10yds) 1, A. Brown (10yds) 2, T. Black (10 yds) 3. Time, 85.9. Side-car Combination Events (3 laps).—First Handicap: W. Philp (rider) and B. Savage (passenger). 40yds, 1; I. Begbie and D. Harper, 60yds, 2; R. Wtnstone and K. Perkins, go, 3. Time, 79.2. Second Handicap: Philp and Savage, 70yds, 1; Begbie and Harper, 90yds, 2; Winstone and Perkins, go, 3. Time. 78.4. MIDGET CARS

Three-quarter Midget Racing Cars.—Open Handicap (4 laps): G. Roxburgh (100yds) 1, D. Richens (150yds) 2, J. McKitterick (150yds) 3. Time, 93.4. Second Handicap (6 laps): G. Roxburgh (130yds) 1, D. Jones (90yds) 2, M. Chandler (70yds) 3. Time, 2:22.4. Feature Scratch

race for S.I. Championship points (8 laps): G. Roxburgh 1. J. McKitterick 2, D. Jones 3. Time. 3:1.9.

Full-sized Speed- cars.—Opening Handicap (4 laps): R. Mead (130vds) 1, N. Hawkins (130yds) 2, R. Clive (150yds) 3. Time, 93.7. Second Handicap (6 laps): R. Clive (140yds) 1, S. Campbell (50yds) 2, R. Mead (160yds) 3. Time, 2:16.5. Feature Scratch race for S.I. Championship points (8 laps): R. Mead 1. R. Clive 2, N. Hawkins 3. Time, 2:55.8. STOCK RODS Stock Rod Races.—Open Handicap (4 laps): J. Annan (SO yds) 1, A. Botherway (20yds) 2, P. Annan (90yds) 3. Time. 96.8. Second Handicap <6 laps): J. Annan (100yds) 1, P. Annan (110 yds) 2, G. Foster (go) 3. Time, 2:20.8. Feature scratch race for S.I. Championship points (8 laps): J. Annan 1, P. Annan 2, D. Cameron 3. Time, 3:2.4 (record).