A frustrating time for champion New Zealander

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33957, 25 September 1975, Page 20

A frustrating time for champion New Zealander

By

PHILIP RISING)

LONDONh an Mauger's determined bid to win both the speedway and 1000 metres world championships this year collapsed within the space of eight days. The first setback came at Wembley. in front of 85,000 spectators, when he finished out of the top three for the first time since 1907. A week later, in Yugoslavia. Mauger finished second in the 1000 metres championships behind Egon Muller (West Germany) — who rode in Christchurch with the World Champions Troupe earlier this year. Ole Olsen (Denmarki was third and Barry Briggs (New Zealand* fourth. It was a frustrating few days for Mauger. who was a red hot favourite to win the speedway crown for a fifth time at Wembley. His form in league racing this season has been phenomenal —a run of eight consecutive British League maximums established a new record.

and one which was only ended by a mechanical failure. He won the intercontinental final and the European championship on his way to the final. He has lost more than a stone in weight this year and looked m tremendous form for his double bid.. But on a night w’hen all the talk was about the disgusting condition of the Wembley track — dust and bumps wrecked speedway’s gala night for the riders and the spectators— Mauger simply did not ride well enough to win. “I think his problem,” commented his close friend, Barry Briggs, afterwards, "was that Ivan has been at such a peak all year he just

couldn't give any more at Wembley Ole Olsen, on the other hand, has not ridden at full stretch in league matches, yet in a few big individual meetings he has been able to turn it on. And at Wembley there was only one rider who looked a world champion throughout and that was Ole ”

Though disappointed at failing to equal Ove Fundin’s record of five speedway championships, Mauger buckled down to the task of winning the long track title for the third time. This championship, though not highly rated in England where sand track racing is virtually unknown, is very important to the sport’s superstars like Mauger, Briggo, Olsen and Anders Michanek (Sweden), who earn a lucrative income on the continental circuit.

Briggs fought his way through to the final by finishing joint first with Mauger in their semi-final in Czechoslovakia. And both, experienced longtrackers, felt confident of pulling it off in the backwaters of Yugoslavia. Olsen, long track champion in 1972, was another firm favourite, especially after his,Wembley success. But on the day, none could match the defending cham-

pion. Muller. Muller is "king” of the German tracks and much more at home on the 1000 metres tracks than the speedway circuit. He took the title with 27

points, five more than Mauger. Olsen had 19, the same as Briggo. Christo Betzl. of West Germany, was fifth, Anders Michanek sixth and Peter Collins and Don Godden, of England, joint seventh.