BID FOR MOTOR-CYCLE TITLES

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31579, 17 January 1968, Page 17

BID FOR MOTOR-CYCLE TITLES

(By Our Motor-Cycling Reporter)

The national senior grand prix winner last season, R. “Sonny” Clarke, of Christchurch, will resume his quest for the New Zealand 350 c.c. and 500 c.c. road racing titles on Saturday at Wigram.

Now recovered from the broken collar-bone which prevented him from contesting the last few rounds of the championships, Clarke will start as favourite for the 500

c.c. title on the G5O Matchless he rides for T. R. McCleary, Jun. If Clarke can regain his old form he should be able to win the 500 c.c. and open classes on Saturday, to be decided in one race over 11 laps or 25 miles. He will be opposed by many of the country’s leading riders, including the brilliant young I. D. Veitch (Auckland), who has excelled in the North Island this season. Veitch won the Levin senior grand prix last Saturday with a G5O Matchless, beating such accomplished riders at L. May (Manurewa) and T. Discombe (Hamilton), winner of the last New Zealand junior (350 c.c.) grand prix.

Both May and Discombe have entered the Wigram races, which also count towards the New Zealand road racing championships in all classes. May will ride a Manx Norton, and Discombe a 350 c.c. 7R A.J.S.

The light-weight riders could also trouble Clarke and Veitch. The former Isle of Man team captain, B. Scobie (Hamilton), is bringing his new 250 c.c. Japanese Kawasaki production racer, capable of more than 130 m.p.h., a speed that few 500 c.c. machines can readily reach. R. Haldane (Auckland), also recovering from a broken collar-bone, has entered another of these very fast machines. Depending on

his condition, he may give this to Veitch to ride. K. Williams, who until recently competed privately in Europe, will ride a special water-cooled Greeves twostroke tuned by the English tuner, R. Orpin. Williams was highly placed in the Isle of Man T.T. last year.

The 350 c.c. and 250 c.c. classes will be run as one race over 25 miles, and if the new Kawasaki machines reach expectations both titles could be won by the same rider. However, those on 350 c.c. machines must start as favourites. Clarke will ride a 350 cc. Norton in this race. He won the 250 c.c. title last season, but this year May could win

if he can produce the form which earned him the Levin junior grand prix. The outcome of the 250 c.c. class seems open. The New Zealand 250 c.c. road racing champion, K. McCleary (Christchurch), first last season, has again entered but will have to be on top form to beat the Japanese machines. He will ride the same watercooled Spanish Bultaco which carried him to victory last season.

Scobie, Haldane, Veitch and Williams must all have a good chance of the title and championship points. J. Kingston (Wanganui), riding a very fast Suzuki, is another who could be a big threat on the fast Wigram circuit