Mauger seeks his fifth world title

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33941, 6 September 1975, Page 48

Mauger seeks his fifth world title

(By

ROD DEW

Ivan Mauger, of New Zealand, is strongly favoured to regain the world individual speedway championship at Wembley Stadium tomorrow morning (New Zealand time).

The 36-year-old Christchurch rider has been in brilliant form this year. As captain of Exeter in the British league, he is head and shoulders above his rivals in the averages with a score only f ractionally less than the possible.

Recently, he won the European championshin in Poland, defeating most of the riders who will oe his chief opponents in the world final tomorrow. However, it was not an easy victory. He won the title in an exciting run-off with Ole Olsen, of Denmark. Third place was taken by the young Australian, Phil Crump, and fourth by Anders Michanek of Sweden, the rider who forced Mauger into second place in the 1974 world final. Biggest threat On the evidence of the European championship, Olsen, who was world champion in 1971, appears the greatest threat to Mauger. Inconsistency has been his biggest handicap over the years but his ability to come from behind is probably unequalled in the sport. Ronnie Moore, twice a winner of the world crown, said in Christchurch yesterday that Mauger was his favourite. “Anything can happen on world final night. Riders rise spectacularly above their usual form and somebody always surprises. But Ivan is so good that it is difficult to see him being beaten.” The shale track at Wembley has been specially laid for the world final and in some respects it is not as good as permanent tracks at other, lesser stadiums. A shale track needs time to consolidate and this is not possible with Wembley being constantly in demand for other sports. Fine starter Because of this, the Europeans do not like racing there. But it will suit Mauger, probably the finest starter in speedway. The first man into the first bend will have a decided advantage over the others. If Mauger wins tomorrow,

it will be for the fifth time. Only one other rider has won the world title five times — the old Swedish fox, Ove Fundin, whose last

victory was in 1967. Mauger shares second place in the world title stakes with another New Zealander, Barry Briggs, who failed to qualify this time! Mauger finished third in the 1967 world final. He won his first world crown the following season and in the last seven years has never finished lower than second. Although Olsen will be his main rival tomorrow, there are others capable of upsetting. Crump, who has helped pioneer the fourvalve motor this season, might prove a dark horse and Michanek. the defending champion, cannot be discounted. Henryk Glucklich, Poland’s best performer in the European championship, and his two experienced fel-low-countrymen, Edward Jancarz and Zenon Piech, are all outstanding performers. Valeri Gordev (Soviet Union), an experienced world finalist, is another who could surprise. The full list of world final qualifiers is:I. Mauger (New Zealand); Tennis.—The top seeds, Christopher Lewis (New Zealand) and Natasha Chmyreva (Soviet Union), both won their opening matches in an international junior tennis tournament at Forest Hills, New York.

O. Olsen (Denmark); P. Crump (Australia); A. Michanek, T. Jansson, B. Persson (Sweden); H. Gluclich. Z. Piech, E. Jancarz. M. Cieslak (Poland); V. Trofimov, V. Gordev (Soviet Union); P. i Collins, J. Louis, R. Wilson, M. Simmons (Britain).