Breingan is surprise grand prix entry

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32880, 1 April 1972, Page 38

Breingan is surprise grand prix entry

A former New Zealand representative in the Isle of Man T.T n R. Breingan (Gisborne), is a surprise entry for the national senior motor-cycling grand prix at Ruapuna Park on Sunday.

After a number of Krs racing in Europe, ingan returned home earlier this season but made only occasional appearances in competition and has not been in outstanding form.

However, if he can reproduce the ability winch made him one of mis country’s foremost internationals a few years ago, he must start as favourite for the senior title —the final round of the New Zealand 500 c.c. road racing championship series—on Sunday.

Breingan, who spent a lot of time building special frames while he was in England, will race a 500 c.c. Suzuki twin which he has modified and prepared himself. It has a very low centre of gravity and usually attracts a lot of attention with its unusual appearance.

His chief rival for top honours will be R. Dumpleton (Auckland), who has entered on the latest sixspeed 350 TR2B Yamaha. He has been very prominent in championship events this season and is keen to add his name to the list of famous riders who have won the New Zealand senior grand prix.

The Christchurch challenge seems likely to be led by P. McLachlan, who was third last season on a modified road Suzuki 500. For Sunday’s race he will have a 500 c.c. Suzuki racer, similar to that on which K. Turner (Taradale) finished runner-up in the last world championship. With his local knowledge of track conditions he might well provide the surprise of the meeting. M. Sinclair is another Christchurch rider who Should play a part In the upper levels of the race. Last season he was fifth on a

light-weight 250 ex. Suzuki. Now he hopes to improve on this with a 500 c.c. Suzuki racer. This will be his first serious race since crashing spectacularly at Wigram in January. SEVEN RACES But this set-back obviously did not dampen his enthusiasm for the sport. He has entered for seven of the nine races listed on the programme with a variety of machinery. Only one other rider has made an entry of similar proportions—W. Guy, also of Christchurch. One of Christchurch’s leading production racers in recent seasons, D. Ellis, has branched out this year and will contest the senior grand prix for the first time on a 500 c.c. Suzuki. He should do well. But he has not divorced himself from the production races lie dom-

inated at last season's grand prix meeting and should again be prominent in these. Unfortunately, the rider who won all three of the main grand prix classes last season, Ji D. Landrebe (Dunedin), has not entered. In common with several others of New Zealand’s leading international competitors, he is now overseas.