New Zealanders win final speedway heat

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 12

New Zealanders win final speedway heat

In the twelfth and final heat of the international best-pairs contest at the Templeton Pall Mall Speedway on Saturday night, R. Moore and G. Stapleton (New Zealand) met O. Olsen (Denmark) and E. Jancarz (Poland).

Moore and Stapleton had to finish first and second to win the contest, and Stapleton shot off the tine to lead the quartet into the first corner with Moore beside him. Olsen tried everything lie knew to get past Moore, but the former world champion best pair rider (with I. Mauger in 1971) held him off, and the positions did not change. The time for the heat was 77.45ec, the fastest of the night. A rather small crowd saw some exciting racing, but the New Zealand and European teams were very hard to catch, and Stapleton, in particular, was in splendid form. He won three of the heats, was second in another, and withdrew from a fifth. He capped off his night by winning the Coca Cola invitation flying six (for the six best individuals in the pairs) from G. Middleton (Australia) and Olsen. BRILLIANT TEAM Olsen and Jancarz rode brilliantly as a team. In a number of races they finished far ahead of their rivals, only a few inches separating them as they crossed the line. C. Pusey (Brtiain) had a disappointing night. He won one heat and was second in two others but had to withdraw from the other heats. First, he injured his knee; then he had magneto trouble, and in heat nine he pulled out after the first corner. The track had just been watered, and he said later that the surface was like ice. “Ole (Olsen) and Edward (Jancarz) nearly went down on the first corner, and I didn’t want to break my neck, so I pulled out.” The time for the heat was 84.6. the slowest of the 12. Pusey refused to race in the invitation flying six because he

considered it was too dangerous to have six riders on the track. When it was suggested to him that his refusal might cost, him his place in the rest of the world team fo meet New Zealand at Templeton on February 16, he said: “If they don't want me, I’ll go home tomorrow.” Results were: MOTOR-CYCLES Best pairs Heat one: G. Middleton 1, C. Pusey 2, B. Harkins 3. Time, 77.8. Heat two: 0. Olsen 1, R. Moore 2, E. Jancarz 3. Time, 78.5. Heat three: Jancarz 1, S. Autrey 2, Middleton 3. Time, 79.1. Heat four: G. Stapleton 1, Moore 2, Harkins 3. Time, 78.3. Heat five: Moore 1, Stapleton 2, Middleton 3. Time, 78.0. Heat six: Olsen 1, Jancarz 2, Harkins 3. Time, 79.4. Heat seven: Jancarz 1, Olsen 2, Middleton 3. Time, 78.4. Heat eight: Stapleton 1, Pusey 2, Moore 3. Time, 79.0. Heat nine: Olsen 1, Jancarz 2, Harkins 3. Time, 84.6. Heat 10: Moore 1, Middleton 2, Autrey 3. Time, 80.3. Heat 11: Pusey 1, Middleton 2. Autrey 3. Time, 79.0. Heat 12: Stapleton 1, Moore 2, Olsen 3. Time, 77.4. Points: Moore and Stapleton, 24; Olsen and Jancarz, 23; Middleton and Autrey, 14; Pusey and Harkins, 11. Coca Cola invitation flying six (highest individual points-scorers in best pairs): Stapleton 1, Middleton 2, Olsen 3. Time, 78.6. Other motor-cycle events Novice solo scratch events: (four laps).—First race: C. Blackett 1, G. Bennitt 2, B. Register 3. Time, 93.4. Second race: P. Salt 1, Register 2, R. Carrol 3. Time, 87.0. A grade scratch events (four laps).—First race: G. Rhodes 1, D. Sincock 2, P. Fewings 3. Time. 82.0. Second race: R. Wright 1, G. Stewart 2, T. Black 3. Time,

81.0. Third race: L. Ross 1, Fewings 2, D. Sincock 3. Time, 81.5. Fourth race: Wright 1, Stewart 2, A. Brown 3. Time, 79.6. Side-car events (four laps). — Qualifying scratch: W. Benson and T. Henry 1, H. Jones and B. Beadle 2, B. Lynch and D. Scobie 3. Time, 90.8. Handicap: Benson 1, Jones 2. I. Begbie and B. Lee 3. Time, 89.0. Scratch: B. and W. Turner 1, L. Dwight snr and B. Valentine 2, Begbie 3. Time, 85.8. Scratch: Jones 1, L. Dwight jnr and G. Cox 2, Begbie 3. Time, 85.4. CARS Three-quarter midget racing cars.—Diggs Barker Sales Handicap (6 laps): A. Palmer 1, B. Hobbs 2, M. Williams 3. Time, 2:10.2. Crowes Garage scratch (6 laps:: Palmer 1, R. Burt 2, Hobbs 3. No time taken. Midgets.—Bifora handicap (6 laps): M. Burt 1, L. Millar 2, R. Clive 3. Time, 1:59.3. Pall Mall feature (8 laps): Clive 1, Millar 2. No time taken. Super-modified cars.—Bifora handicap (6 laps): S. Everett 1, P. Annan 2, A. McDonald 3. Time, 2:8.6. Raceway Spares scratch (10 lans): Everett 1, T. Lynch 2, Annan 3. Time: 3:26.4.