Wylie wins after earlier crash

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 3

Wylie wins after earlier crash

(By

R. O. DEW)

The 23-year-old Christchurch international road racer, D. Wylie (500 Suzuki), narrowly won the 40-mile feature race at the Canterbury Auto Cycle Club’s Guy Fawkes motor-cycle meeting at Ruapuna Park yesterday.

Fifth after the first three laps, he worked his way through the field and in the finish defeated the New Zealand 350 c.c. champion, T. Discombe (Hamilton), by only 2 seconds. Wylie’s time for the 40 laps was a very creditable 35min 41.8 sec.

He very nearly had to withdraw before the race because of a crash in an earlier eightlap race. Trying to make up ground after a slow start he crashed his Suzuki in spectacular fashion while negotiating the esses during the second lap. After skating along the track for 50 yards, he was quickly on his feet but collapsed on the outfield. He was attended by St John Ambulance officers and was able to leave the scene unassisted after a rest.

His machine, which had discarded pieces along the track, was taken back to the pits on a truck where his helpers immediately started the task of returning it to a race-worthy condition. They succeeded with time to spare, and Wylie—although stiff and bruised-—proceeded to the starting grid for the main race determined to succeed. Again Ms start was not the best and he was forced to work Ms way through the field. The talented Dunedin racer, J. D. Landrebe (350 Yamsel), showing the benefits of Ms recent trip to Europe, made a superb start and led the race for 12 laps before being forced to retire when Ms gearbox locked in second gear. Discombe, riding a tremendous race on Ms tiny 250 Yamaha, kept within challenging distance of Wylie. OFF TRACK On the nineteenth lap, Wylie overdid things again in the esses, but this time he kept Ms machine upright and after an excursion on to the grass, managed to regain the track. Discombe shot through into the lead and it took Wylie nearly three laps to win back the front position. At the finish, Discombe was closing the gap rapidly. Third place went to another Christchurch rider, D. Ellis (500 Suzuki), who rode a very welljudged race. Apart from Landrebe, the most unfortunate rider in the race was the brilliant production racer, O. Galbraith (750 Kawasaki). He went down in a shower of sparks at the exit of the esses while fighting to regain the tffird position Ellis had snatched off Mm seconds before. He was not injured. but his standard road machine was superficially damaged and he was unable to continue. Earlier, Galbraith led the half-i hour production machine race j

from start to finish, confirming his place as New Zealand’s top production racer. Results:— Open feature race (40 laps).— D. Wylie (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 35:41.8, 1; T. Discombe (Hamilton), 250 Yamaha, 2; D. Ellis (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 3; M. Sinclair (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 4; S. Burton (Christchurch), 750 Honda, 5. Fastest lap: Wylie, 51.5 on fourteenth. 30min production race.—O. Galbraith (Christchurch), 750 Kawasaki, 1; A. Collison (Tauranga), 750 Kawasaki, 2; S. Burton (Christchurch), 750 Honda, 3; P.

Royds (Christchurch), 750 Kawasaki, 5; S. Dundon (Wellington), 350 Yamaha, 5. Distance covered: 34 miles. Fastest lap: Galbraith. 52.5. Flying farewell (10 laps).—T. Discombe (Hamilton), 250 Yamaha, 1; M. Sinclair (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 2; D. Wylie (Christchurch), 350 Suzuki, 3; A. Collison (Tauranga), 750 Kawasaki, 4; S. Burton (Christchurch). 750 Honda, 5. Open production race (eight laps). — O. Galbraith (Christchurch), 750 Kawasaki, 7:8.4, 1; A. Collison (Tauranga), 750 Kawasaki, 2; S. Burton (Christchurch), 750 Honda, 3; P. Royds (Christchurch), 750 Kawasaki, 4; G. Keats (Christchurch), 750 Norton, 5. Fastest lap: Galbraith, 52.4, on second lap. Open racing class (eight laps). —J. D. Landrebe (Dunedin), 350 Yamaha, 7:8.4, 1; M. Sinclair (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 2; T. Discombe (Hamilton), 250 Yamaha, 3; D. Ellis (Christchurch), 500 Suzuki, 4; S. Avant (Christchurch), 250 Suzuki, 5. Fastest lap: Sinclair, 52.5, on eighth. Up to 350 c.c. production race (six laps).—S. Dundon (Wellington), 350 Yamaha, 5:42.5, 1; I. Miles (Christchurch), 350 Yamaha, 2; G. Boote (Christchurch), 350 Suzuki, 3. Fastest lap: Dundon, Enduro events (six laps).—First race: J. Nicholls, 350 Kawasaki, 6:2.4, 1; D. Raymond, 400 Suzuki, 2; R. Gillard, 250 Kawasaki. 3 Fastest lap: Nicholls, 59.1. Second race: Nicholls 1, Raymond 2, Gillard 3. Go-karts (each race five laps) —First race: T. Etwell (38sec) 1, L, Howan (28sec) 2, L. Giles 3 Second race: Etwell (48sec) 1, P La Breton (18sec) 2. V. Watts (go) 3. Third race: Watts (go) 1, M. Mitchell (38sec) 2, P. Crichton lossec) 3. Fourth race: La Breton (10yd) 1, B. Varnham (10yd) ,2, Watts (syd) 3. * 1