Form in practice no guide to world title prospects

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 9

Form in practice no guide to world title prospects

'Alas my hopes of competing in die world final were in vain. Shortly before the final I had my broken arm examined by a specialist and he told me t» come back in a month. There was no chance of it being strong enough for the championship. Fortunately, I was able to travel to the meeting in Wroclaw, Poland, with a supporters’ tour and Trevor Hedge, my Wimbledon team-mate and the only English rider to reach the final, managed to get me a pit pass. j I was first reserve for the final and it was very frustrating to discover on my arrival in Poland that the Russian, J. Dubinin, was a non-starter and that I .would have been able to ride throughout the entire meeting. Ivan Mauger, as you are already aware, won the title for the third successive time with a maximum score of 15 points. He made five magnificent starts and although he was under severe pressure in several of his races he was first across the finishing line on ' every occasion and thoroughly deserved to retain his title. However, in the official practice two days before the New Zealand world champion had looked anything but a certain winner. I did not arrive in time to see it but I was told that at the practice it was another New Zealand former world champion, Barry Briggs, who shaped up most impressively. The practice track was very deep and heavy and Briggs was "burning” everybody off, including Mauger. When I spoke to him in the pits just before the final he was very confident and felt that he might be able to “pull it off” for the fifth time. Mauger never looked happy during the practice. He was being passed by the Russians as well as the Poles. As one machine got hot he would step off it and on to another in an attempt to master the track conditions.

But on race day the track was slick. Briggs just did not seem able to handle it while Mauger was unbeatable. Both had their first outing in the third heat. Mauger made a perfect start but Briggs was last away. G. Kurlenk (Russia) fell on the first lap and Briggs managed to get past J. Mucha (Poland) to take second place points behind Mauger. Briggs ' did not get his first win until his last ride. He scored a third at his second attempt. On his next two outings his motor was giving trouble and a last and another third put him well out of the running.

Manger's performance was in sharp contrast, although he did not have everything his own way. In his second race he was

matched against two Poles, A. Wyglenda and H. Glucklich, and a Russian, W. Klementiev. It looked a tough one. Mauger made a splendid start but the Poles stayed right with him. Down the straight he had one on either side trying to get past. Wyglenda eliminated himself when he hit the fence while trying to go round the outside but Glucklich pushed Mauger all the way. He pulled right up alongside Mauger at the finish but the decision went to the New Zealander. Mauger made two more perfect starts in his next two rides and won both. His final outing was the one which counted. He had to win to avoid a run-off with the two Poles, A. Woryna and P. Waloszek, who were trailing him at this stage by only one point In this heat, Woryna and S. Sjosten (Sweden) were the danger men.

Standing in the pits, I think I was more nervous than Mauger but there was no cause for concern. He made another jet start. S. Sjosten (Sweden) tried to ride round him and hit the fence half-way down the straight. Mauger went on to win with Woryna chasing hard all the way. Hedge had very bad luck. His motor broke down in practice and he fitted a

motor I had lent him. Before I gave it to him I fitted a new magneto, just to be on the safe side. It was this magneto which let him down in his first ride when he was leading and again in his second ride. In his third outing he crashed into the fallen machine of the Russian, G. Kurlenko, and wrecked his own machine. He was unable to take part in the re-run. For his fourth race he borrowed Sjosten’s spare machine but that failed too. Final points were: I. Mauger (New Zealand), 15; P. Waloszek (Poland), 14; A. Woryna (Poland), 13; H. Glucklich (Poland), 9; S. Sjosten (Sweden), 9; W. Klementiev (Russia), 8; A. Michanek (Sweden), 7; A. Wyglenda (Poland),, 7; B. Briggs (New Zealand), 7; J. Fritz (East Germany), 6; O. Olsen (Denmark), 6; J. Mucha (Poland), 6; V. Gordeev (Russia), 5; Z. Friedek (Poland), 3; G. Kurlenko (Russia), 2; T. Hedge (England), 0.

Specially written for ‘‘The Press” by the former double world speedway champion, RONNIE MOORE, of Christchurch, who was forced by injury to become a spectator at the recent world final irr Poland.