Engine failure costly for English rider

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32788, 13 December 1971, Page 3

Engine failure costly for English rider

Engine failure in the final heat cost the English international, R. R. Owen (360 c.c. C.Z.), almost certain victory in the Mount Cook Airlines National Moto-Cross on the sandy Moody’s Farm circuit at Kaiapoi yesterday.

The top honours went instead to the rider who has dominated the New Zealand domestic scene in recent years, A. Collison (400 c.c. C.Z.), from Palmerston North. He finished runner-up to Owen in the first two sevenlap heats before completely dominating the final heat in a superb display. This gave him a total of 23 points, well clear of his nearest challengers. The joint runners-up were Owen and the reigning New Zealand 500 c.c. scrambles champion, P. Ploen (400 c.c. Suzuki), of Wanganui. Both finished with 18 points.

The honour of being the highest scoring rider on a 250 c.c. machine went to G. J. Stapleton (C.Z.), of Christchurch. He finished fourth in the first heat and second to Collison in the last heat, showing once again that he retained much of the ability which made him one of New Zealand’s top rough riders before he began to specialise in speedway. Had he not suffered a spill at the start' of the second heat and finished out of a placing after a stimulating recovery from the rear of the field, he might well have displaced Owen and Ploen from the runner-up position. There were several minor Spills. Owen was fortunate not to be eliminated in the first heat of the motor-cross when he came down on the first bend. Stapleton and two other riders also dropped their machines in the bottleneck and officials hurriedly stopped the race and called for a rerun.

This time Owen made no mistake. Collison made the early running, but before the end of the first lap the Englishman was in front. The former New Zealand representative, G. Holland (400 c.c. Suzuki), was less fortunate. He lost control in the first sand trap and dropped to the rear of the field.

Collison settled into second place with Ploen and Stapleton in order behind. The placings remained unchanged until the end.

Collison made a perfect start in the second heat and for almost three laps he held Owen at bay. Then he swept past and was never • headed again. Collison claimed second place and Ploen third. R. Austin (360 c.c. C.Z.), of Ashburton, rode well to claim the fourth position ahead of R. Happer (360 c.c. C.Z.), of Dunsandel. Rider injured The final heat was held up for a considerable period while officials waited for the arrival of an ambulance from Christchurch to remove an injured rider, B. Young, from the side of the track. Young was competing in the third enduro event when his 250 c.c. Suzuki Savage slid out from underneath him, hurling him into a marking stake. He finally bounced off a heap of old motor tyres surrounding a tree, and came to rest on the side of the track.

He was carried to the opposite side of the track where St John ambulance officers diagnosed severe bruising of the back. The ambulance arrived after about 30 minutes delay and took Young to hospital for observation.

The area of track where Young fell had been watered prior to the enduro race and was extremely slippery. To avoid the possibility of any further accidents, officials rerouted the course and moved the start to the opposite side. Deciding heat When the final and deciding

heat at last got under way. Collison stormed into the lead with Owen, Austin, Ploen and Stapleton in hot pursuit. In the first big sand trap both Austin and Ploen we’nt down in a tangle, seconds later. Owen’s machine spluttered to a halt at the foot of a small sand hill.

He re-started and set off after the field only to have the motor cut out in exactly the same place a lap later. Asked what the trouble was, Owen said: "The thing just stopped.”

This left .Collison well clear and Stapleton just as firmly established in second place. The Canterbury champion, A. Sabiston (499 c.c. 8.5. A.), seemed likely to take third place, but he was forced wide by the fast finishing Ploen with the chequered flag in sight. His B.S.A. stalled and by the time he got it running again, two more riders had gone by. Officials waited expectantly for a protest to come, but Sabiston accepted the situation and made no official complaint Ploen had fought his way back from an apparently hopeless position after his spill, and the placing he snatched from Sabiston enabled him to finish level on points with Owen over all. Earlier in the day, Collison had defeated Owen in the invitation race for championship riders. But the English rider finished the meeting on a bright note. He borrowed Collison’s C.Z. and came from behind to win. the selected riders’ race from Ploen.

Results of the Mount Cook Airlines motor-cross were:—

First heat (7 laps.—R. R. Owen (England), 360 CJZ„ 8:41.3, 1; A. Collison (Palmerston North), 400 C.Z., 8:45.2, 2; P. Ploen (Wanga-

nui), 400 Suzuki, 8:52, 3; G. J. Stapleton (Christchurch), 250 C.Z., 4; R. Happer (Dunsandel), 360 C.Z., 5; A. Sabiston (Christchurch), 499 8.5. A., 6; R. Austin (Christchurch), 360 C.Z., 7; M. Shirriffs (Palmerston North) 360 Yamaha, 8.

Second heat (7 laps).—Owen, 8:49.1, 1; Collison, 8:52, 2; Ploen 9:1.1, 3; Austin 4; Happer 5; Sabiston 6, P. Lintott (Wanganui), 250 Suzuki, 7; L. Peeti (Dannevirke), 400 Suzuki, 8. Third heat (7 laps).—Collison, 9:34, 1; Stapleton, 9:48, 2; Ploen, 9:52.8, 3; Happer, 4; Shirriffs 5; Sabiston, 6; Lintott 7; L. R. Boyce (Christchurch), 250 C.Z., 8.

Final points.—Collison 23, Ploen 18, Owen 18, Stapleton 11, Hap* per 10, Sabiston 6, Austin 5, Shirriffs 3.

Other results were:— Invitation race for championship riders (7 laps).—A. Collison (Palmerston North), 400 C.Z., 8:43.2, 1; R. R. -Owen (England), 360 C.Z., 8:45, 2; P. Ploen XPalrnerston North), 8:49.4, 3; M. Shirriffs (Palmerston North), 360 Yamaha, 4; R. Austin (Ashburton), 360 C.Z., 5. Selected riders’ race (5 laps).— Owen, 6:51.9, 1; Ploen, 6:52, 2; Austin, 7:4, 3; Sabiston 4; Shirriffs 5.

Events for non-championship riders (5 laps).—First race: G. Reid, 250 C.Z., 6:56, 1; D. Sincock 250 C.Z., 7:2.1, 2; G. Roberts, 7:20, 3. Second race: Reid, 6:47, 1; Sincock, 7:1;9, 2; B. Read, 7:12, 3. Third race: Sincock, 7:25.2, 1; G. Copsey, 7:29, 2; G. Reid, 3. Enduro events (5 laps).—First race: R. Gillard, 7:6.9, 1; R, Howell, 7:14, 2; I. Clark, 7:21, 3. Second race: J. A. Butts, 7:10.2, 1; H. Anderson, 7:14.7, 2; Clark, 7:17.2, 3. Third race: Gillard 1, Anderson 2, Clark 3.