Airfield motorcycling title to Boote

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33438, 21 January 1974, Page 7

Airfield motorcycling title to Boote

(By R. O. DEW) The brilliant 19-year-old Christchurch rider, ,1. A. Boote (Levi’s Yamaha TZ7SO), added further lustre to an already impressive record with a fine win in the open class of the New Zealand airfield motor-cycle championships on the fast Wigram circuit on Saturday.

After an indifferent start, Boote weaved ids way through the strong field to take the lead on the fifth lap, winning the 25.5-mile race in file outstanding time of 17min. The runner-up, just 6sec behind, was the experienced Napier international, K. 1. Turner, on a water-cooled Yamaha twin half the size of that ridden by the winner. Turner led the race in the early stages, showing much of the form which carried him to second place in the 1971 world 500 c.c. championship, D. Wylie, of Christchurch, perhaps the one rider who could have matched Boote, did not start. He has sold the 500 Suzuki which he rode to victory in the Marlboro international series and is preparing for his first trip to the United States early next month. S. Avant (Christchurch), riding a 250 c.c air-cooled Yamaha, was third after a tremendous battle with another Christchurch rider. Si. Cropp (350 Yamaha,. Even before the race. Boote, who has been unbeaten since he took delivery of his new fourcylinder, 700 c.c. water-cooled Japanese two-stroke, was a firm favourite. The fast, open circuit at Wigram seemed likely to suit the big Yamaha. However, not once did Boote manage to go fast enough to I'.se his sixth gear. Even down the long back straight, where he was electronically timed at 150.9 miles an hour—the fastest by more than 20 m.p.h. recorded on the circuit—he was pulling only fifth gear. Unofficially. Boote also set a new record for the 2.13-mile circuit of Imin 22:6sec, the equivalent of 92.83 m.p.h. After the race, Boote said that

he had not gone as fast through | the speed traps as he had expected. although he had not been I “screwing it on.” The Yamaha would bo capable of about 165 m.p.h. on the Wigram straight, and would, on a longer stretch, top 180 m.p.h. Boote is still waiting for a spares kit which will contain gear ratios more suitable to New Zealand circuits. He also expressed considerable disappointment that the organisers of the Lady Wigram Trophy meeting had seen fit to reduce the motorcycle races to one. “Wigram is such a terrific circuit 1 am sure that if there had been two races Ron Grant and the other American riders would have stayed,” Boote said. “Even for North Island riders, it was not worth fheir while coming down just for one race.” But Boote had good cause to he satisfied with his own performance. Once he hadfakenthe lead, the only rider who managed to stay with him was I Turner. He slip-streamed Boofe whenever he could, and it was not until two-thirds of the race was over that he started to slip back. Even then, the margin was only a slight one anad on file last lap Turner made up considerable ground on the leader. The outstanding light-weight rider on the day was undoubtedly Avant, whose third placing overall was no mean feat. He rode superbly, heading off faster machines with his skilful cornering. Afterwards, he suffered the humility of a protest. The Hamilton rider, M. de Lacy (Yamaha 250), claimed that Avant’s Yamaha 250 was oversize. The Auto Cycle Union steward (Mr R. Shearman) impounded the machine, lifted the head and measured the bore and stroke.

It was found to be under 250 c.c., and de Lacy lost his $2 protest deposit. Avant won a total of $ll5 as well as the New Zealand 250 c.c. airfield title and Pall Mall championship series points. But had he entered for the other classes as well as the 250 c.c. and open, he could have increased his earnings by another $125. Results were:— Overall.—J. A. Boote (Christchurch), Yamaha TZ7SO, 17:00, 1: K. I. Turner (Napier), Yamaha TZ3SO. 17:06, 2; S. Avant (Christchurch), Yamaha 250, 17:28, 3; M. Cropp (Christchurch), Yamaha 350, 4. New Zealand open airfield championship.—Boote, 17.00, 1; B. Neilson (Invercargill), Yamaha TZ3SO. 2; J. P. White (Christchurch), Kawasaki 900, 3; G. D. Keats (Christchurch), Norton 850, 4; S. A. McLellan (Palmerston), Kawasaki 900, 5. New Zealand 500 c.c. airfield championship.—Cropp, 17:28.5, 1; Neilson 2; M. de Lacy (Hamilton), Yamaha 250, 3; L. B. Murray (Timaru), Honda 350, 4; J. A. Gallagher (Christchurch), Suzuki 500, 5. New Zealand 350 c.c. airfield

championship.—Turner, 17:06. 1; Cropp 2; Neilson 3; de Lacy 4; I. R. J. Miles (Christchurch), Yamaha RD3SO, 5. New Zealand 250 c.c. airfield championship.—Avant, 17:28, 1; de Lacy 2; K. J. Wendt (Auckland), Yamaha. 3; D. Cosford (Christchurch), Yamaha, 4; N. M. Rogers (Christchurch), Yamaha, 5.