New Motor-Cycling Race Won By D. Wylie

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32015, 16 June 1969, Page 14

New Motor-Cycling Race Won By D. Wylie

The new motor-cycling roadrace called "King of Ruapuna” has been won by D. Wylie. He overcame a high-class field of 20 riders in the flve-mile race for the title at Ruapuna Park yesterday with a faultless exhibition on a borrowed 500 c.c. B.S.A. x He led all the way, receiving the chequered flag in the good time of 4min 48.2 sec. Second place went to the runner-up in the national lightweight series, this year, K. McCleary, on a 250 c.c. watercooled Spanish Bultaco. After a poor start, McCleary came through the field but only narrowly beat M. Gibbons, on a 600 c.c. Norton. A tenth. of a second was all that separated them. McCleary's time was 4min 49.55ec. Earlier, Wylie’s chances of winning the final diminished when he was unable to use the hew 500 c.c. Lyster-Matchless he has taken half-shares in with his sponger of last season, R. Harris. However, the Rangiora racing enthusiast, Mr R. Currie, generously offered the beauti-fully-prepared B.S.A. which Wylie used with such outstanding success. In some respects the “King of Ruapuna** race was an anticlimax after the wheel-to-wheel racing in the earlier five-lap race for Canterbury class championship points. Wylie also won this but only after a long duel with McCleary. The time was 4.lsec faster than thO major race and Wylie finished only inches ahead of McCleary. The third man, I. McGregor (250 c.c. Suzuki) recorded 4min 45sec, which was also inside the winning time for the main race. A particularly unlucky rider was R. Gillard (Yamaha). He

only had to finish in a place in the points race to win the Canterbury 250 c.c. championship series but broke the throttle cable on his machine Just before the start. Another leading contender. K. Hanham, was eliminated with carburatlon troubles and the 250 c.c. title went to McCleary. Although he raced in a different class yesterday, Wylie had sufficient points to win the 350 c.c. title. R. Mayne, absent yesterday, won the 500 c.c. series and the open title went to G. Warder. Final points of the Canterbury championship series are: 250 c.c.—McCleary 17, McGregor and Gillard 15, Hanham and N. Duncan 10. 350 c.c.—Wylie 26, C. Robertson 18, G. Kirby 9. 500 c.c.—Mayne 14, Wylie and J. Walker 7. Open.—-Warder 17, McGibbons 12, P. Walker 10. Results of yesterday’s races were:— "King of Ruapuna" (five laps). —Wylie, 500 c.c. 8.5. A., 4:48.2, 1; McCleary, 250 c.c. Bultaco, 4:49.5, 2; Gibbons, 600 c.c. Norton. 4:49.6, 3; McGregor, 250 c.c. Suzuki, 4. Canterbury championship points race (five laps).—Overall: Wylie. 4:44, 1; McCleary, 4:44.1, 2; McGregor, 4:45. 250 c.c.: McCleary 1, McGregor 2, Duncan (Suzuki) 3. 350 c.c,—Robinson (8.5. A. 1, R. Clarke (A.J.S.) 2, G. Kirby (Honda) 3. 500 c.c.—Wylie 1, R. Plumer (8.5. A. 2 Open.—Warder (Royal Enfield) 1, Gibbons 2. Handicap Race (five laps).—P. Armstrong (Suzuki) 1. Kirby 2, Duncan 3. Reverse Direction Handicap.— P. Armstrong 1, Warder 2, Wylie 3.