Champion falls

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33588, 17 July 1974, Page 4

Champion falls

(V.Z Pres.’ Assoctotient HAMILTON. A fall tn a mud hole 550 yards from the finish line cost the New Zealand moto-cross champion, P, Ploen. ihe title in the Great Leopard moto-cross championship in Hamilton. The young Hlkutala rider, M. Smith, riding a 360 c.c. Yamaha, took the lead in the last lap of the event and the title when Ploen feU. New Zealand’s richest motocross event, the SlOOO race was held at Te Kapa in fine weather,; and turned out to be a battle between Smith and Ploen. Ploen was riding a Suzuki 400. Ploen managed to pull his Suzuki out and rode on to take second place before L. Hoss (Christchurch), riding a 250 c.c. Honda Elsinor. A new 100 c.c. Yamaha street machine worth more than $4OO was auctioned off for 8315. the proceeds going to the Hamilton St John Ambulance Association. The race was sponsored by Leopard Brewery, Ltd, and almost 200 riders from as far away as Dunedin and Kaitaia took part. Basketball.— . Russia won the seventh world amateur basketball championship by beating the United States in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 105-94. Russia took the title by a better scoring j average. The United States and ’Jugoslavia also had 6-1 records ; in their seven matches.