Hennen wins — 'I’ve learned a lot here’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 3

Hennen wins — 'I’ve learned a lot here’

(Bt,

ROD DEW)

The talented American junior champion, Pat Hennen (Suzuki 750), won the 1974-75 Marlboro $25,000 international motor-cycle road racing series yesterday.

The leader by a mere five points after the Timaru rounds, the 21-year-old Californian lost ground when he was beaten by his fellow countryman, Randy Cleek (TZ7SO Yamaha), in the first 20-mile points race during the final meeting at Ruapuna Park yesterday.

However, Cleek’s chances of snatching over-all victory disappeared on the tenth lap of the second race while he was leading by a comfortable margin. The rear tyre of his four-cylinder racer punctured and he was forced to retire. Hennen went on to win from the New Zealand international, John Boote (TZ7SO Yamaha), and the prominent Australian, Murray Sayle (750 Kawasaki). But once Cleek had dropped out, the race was of academic interest only. Hennen could not then be beaten in the series aggregate.

“It is a great honour to win this series,” Hennen said afterwards. “You don’t just ride around effortlessly here in New Zealand. The standard of racing is really high. I’ve learned a lot while I’ve been here.” Hennen ended the series with 57 points. Cleek, who finished only two of the last four races, was runner-up with 45 and third place was shared by John Boote and Sayle (36 points). RECORD LAP If Cleek suffered from ill fortune, he still had the satisfaction of knowing he left his mark on the Ruapuna circuit. In the first leg he lowered the lap record to 44sec, 2.ssec faster than the old record held by the New Zealand champion, Dale Wylie. Wylie, who broke his right wrist and elbow in a crash while practising for the Timaru round the previous Saturday, was a spectator yesterday but has to return to Timaru hospital today for further treatment. He has now discarded plans to race in the Daytona 200 in March. Another Christchurch rider, Gary Boote (TZ7SO Yamaha), was the only casualty of yesterday’s racing. He crashed in the esses on the opening lap of the second Marlboro leg and was taken to hospital with a badly sprained ankle. This was a big disappointment because a fine fifth placing in the first leg had earned him a place on the front row of the grid with his older brother, John. Because the series outcome

was far from settled, the field for the first race was very tense as it waited for the clutch start. But when the flag dropped, John Boote and Hennen led the rush into the first comer. Before the first lap was completed, Hennen had taken the lead.

He led narrowly from Boote and Cleek at the end of the opening lap. He was still in front after two iaps but Cleek had passed Boote and was challenging strongly. On the third lap, Cleek took the lead and held it to the finish.

Hennen clung to his tail for a time before dropping back slightly. On the eleventh lap, he was overtaken by Boote and his series win seemed to be slipping from his grasp. Calling on all his reserves, he fought his way back into second place and stayed there until the end.

Cleek’s winning time for the 20 miles , was a record, 15min llsec. Hennen recorded 15min 15.2 sec and Boote, well up in third, 15min 17.6 sec. Stewart Avant (TZ7SO Yamaha), of Christchurch, rode a well judged race to work his way up from an early eighth to finish fourth. EARLY BATTLE

Although his aggregate lead had been reduced to three points, Hennen knew that he needed only a second placing in the final leg to win the series. But he decided to ride to win. He led the field through the first lap, was overtaken by Cleek on the second and regained the lead on the third.

Cleek, desperately needing to win, put m a supreme effort on the fifth lap and succeeded. Once in the lead, he produced a startling series of sub-45sec laps and gradually drew away from his rivals. Then, when he was comfortably ahead, his rear tyre went flat on the tenth lap and Hennen was left to win as he liked. John Boote, after being fourth initially, came through to claim second place and hold off a late challenge from Sayle. The New Zealander, who won the Ruapuna round last season, was a little dissatisfied with his performance. “I made some silly mistakes,”

he said in the pits afterwards. Avant rode another sound race to claim fourth place after trailing the Hamilton international, Trevor Discombe (TZ7SO Yamaha), for most of the distance.

Earlier in the day, Cleek won the invitation A grade event of 10 laps from John Boote and Sayle. Boote was even faster in winning the later open racing class event over the same distance with his brother, Gary, runner-up. Results:—

Marlboro international classic (each leg 20 laps).—First leg: R. Cleek (U.S.A.), TZ7SO Yamaha, 15:11.0, 1; P. Hennen (U.S.A.), 750 Suzuki, 15:15.2, 2; J. Boote (Chch), TZ7SO Suzuki, 15:17.6, 3; S. Avant (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha, 4; G. Boote (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha, 5. Fastest lap: Cleek, 44.0 (record). Second leg: Hennen, 15:18.2, 1; J. Boote, 15:24.4, 2; M. Sayle (Aust.), 750 Kawasaki, 15:27.2, 3; Avant, 4; T. Discombe (Hamilton), TZ 750 Yamaha, 5.

Meeting points.—Hennen 16, J. Boote 13, Avant 10, Cleek 9. Final points.—Hennen 57, Cleek 45, J. Boote 36, Sayle 36, Discombe 35, Avant 30. Mount Cook Airlines A grade invitation (10 laps, clutch start). —R. Cleek (U.S.A.). TZ7SO Yamaha, 8:41, 1; J. Boote (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha, 8:45, 2; M. Sayle (Aust.), 750 Kawasaki, 8:47.6, 3; S, Avant (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha. 8:49.4, 4. Fastest lap: Cleek, 45.2 (record). Open racing class (10 laps).— J. Boote (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha, 7:56.0, 1; G. Boote (Chch), TZ7SO Yamaha, 7:58.5, 2; P. McLachlan (Well.), TZ7SO Yamaha, 3:4.5, 3. Fastest lap: J. Boote, 46.0. Sayonara 350 c.c. racing class (8 laps).—S. Avant (Chch). TZ3SO Yamaha, 6:29.6, 1; D. Ireland (Dunedin), TZ3SO Yamaha, 2; J. Woodley (Blenheim), TZ3SO Yamaha, 3. Fastest lap: Avant, 47.3.

Gold Pan Pizza 250 c.c. open class (8 laps).—M. de Lacy (Hamilton), Yamaha. 6:59.05, 1; P. Dean (Tauranga), Yamaha, 7:04, 2; G. Boote (Chch), Yamaha, 3. Fastest lap: 50.9. 125 c.c. racing class (8 laps).— K. McCleary (Chch), TA Yamaha, 7:24.4, 1; A. Mitchell (Wellington), TA Yamaha. 2; D. Holmes, Yamaha, 3. Fastest lap: McCleary, 53.5. Sidecar races.—Radio Avon scratch (6 laps): P. Corbett and S. Forbes (Blenheim), 750 Suzuki, 5:52, 1: L. Murray and R. Anderson (Timaru), 5:37.6, 2; I. Clarke and A. Boyle (Chch), 5:47.5, 3. Fastest lap: Corbett and Forbes, 52.0. Norjo feature (10 laps): Corbett and Forbes, 9:7.4, 1; C. Olsen and C. Sherley (Wellington), 750 Suzuki, 9:23.6, 2; Murray and Anderson, 9:23.8, 3. Fastest lap: Corbett and Forbes, 52.2.

B grade open events.—First race (10 laps): C. Mulligan (Invercargill), 350 Yamaha, 6:31.4, 1: G. Goodyer (Wellington), 750 Honda, 2; O. Galbraith (Chch), 750 Kawasaki, 3. Fastest lap: Mulligan, 49.4. Second race (10 laps): J. Gallagher (Chch), 400 Suzuki, 8:59, 1; D. Hutchison (Chch). 350 Yamaha, 9:00.8, 2; R. Vercoe (Invercargill), 350 Yamaha, 3. Fastest lap: Gallagher. 52.2. Radio Avon production race (8 laps).—O. Galbraith (Chch), 750 Kawasaki, 7:0.4, 1; I. Miles (Chch), 750 Kawasaki, 7:3.4, 2; S. Ellison (Tauranga). 900 Kawasaki, 7:5.8, 3. Fastest lap: Galbraith, 51.0. Production feature (15 laps).— O. Galbraith (Chch), 750 Kawasaki, 12:56.5, 1; I. Miles (Chch), 750 Kawasaki, 2. Fastest lap: Galbraith, 50.4. '