Not all were good sports at the speedway

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34042, 5 January 1976, Page 5

Not all were good sports at the speedway

( By

ROD DEW)

Ihe former L’nited States midget car champion, Larry Rice (Volkswagen), won the Radio Avon champion-of-champions international contest at the Templeton Pall Mall Speedway on Saturday night.

He sained a fourth, a first and a second in the three six-lap championship heats to score 38 points—eight more than Ihe runner-up, Allan Palmer (Sesco), of Christchurch. Gary Paterson (Sesco), of the United States, finished third on 26 points in spite of being disqualified after finishing second in the second heat for taking a short cut across the grass.

Paterson, however, was later named as the Mutual Travel “Sportsman of the Night” — a choice which did not win universal approval, especially after his tongue-in-cheek comments over the public address system. “I was robbed out of the cup," he said. “I got a third, a second and a win so I must be the champion.” He was uncomplimentary about his rivals and then told the crowd of some 8000: “If you want me to come back, you should come along and support your local drivers — then they might get a bit better.”

After his outstanding driving of the previous week, Paterson started as the favourite for the champion-of-champions title. But the shocks started in the first heat. WILLIAMS WINS The Christchurch driver. Mark Williams, stole a march on the field to win well from another local competitor, Jack Bryan. Paterson was the beat of the visitors in third place. The challenge was out and in the remaining heats things got a little over-enthusiastic. The first attempt to start the second heat failed when Williams spun in the first bend and, in a sep-

arate incident on the same bend, Gordon Roxburgh and Edwin Murray locked together. When the field finally got away, the former South Island champion. John McKitterick, was in the lead and he clung to this for nearly four laps before Rice forced his way through on the inside. Then Paterson, in third place, got caught up on th© tyres marking the side of the track and went on to the grass. Instead of retiring to the rear of the field, he rocketed across the centre-field to regain his third position. In the remaining laps, Paterson and Palmer overtook McKitterick but were both moved up one placing w’hen Paterson was subsequently disqualified. Another visiting international. Tony Derosa (Volkswagen), of Australia, was also disqualified after finishing fifth. Williams, the winner o£ the first heat, did not finish and mechanical troubles with his Chevy II racer prevented him starting in the final heat. This was led throughout by Paterson in a really outstanding drive. But not before there had been one re-run called for after Bryan and Laurie Millar had tangled on the first bend. Rice finished a close second to Paterson and Edwin Murray, of Christchurch, showed all his old fire to finish third after winning an exciting due! with Derosa.

Paterson also won the Firestone SI 000 handicap of 10 laps from Millar and the Pall Mall handicap of six laps. Rice finished a close second in the Pall Mall event —the two Americans touched hands as they swept across the finishing line—but in the 10-lap race he had the dubious distinction of smashing a hole in the safety fence after ramming Murray from behind at the entrance to the Prison Bend. Both cars were “parked” on the outside of the bend.

Minutes later. Palmer joined them in his Sesco. But the race went on. which obviously annoyed Rice.

‘‘After I had been here for a while I thought your drivers were a bit funny.” he said. “Now I think your officials must be stupid—leaving three cars sitting in the middle of the race track.”

Another American, 16-year-old Randy Mamola, gave motor-cycle enthusiasts food, for thought when he did a demonstration ride of four laps on his 250 c.c. Yamaha flat tracker. Although the bike he was riding was exactly half the power of the

normal speedway machines. Mamola completed the four laps in 86sec and recorded a fastest lap of 21sec.

Not all the excitement of the night was confined to the midget cars. In the smaller threequarter midget car class, Graham Eyles shot off at a tangent after contact with a rival in the main scratch race and his car tipped on its side. At the same time, Chris Hobbs swung broadside on. Gavin Parr tried desperately to steer through a gap but hit Hobbs on the way past and somersaulted spectacularly, his car coming to rest upside down. No-one was hurt and the re-run resulted in a first win for Ray Whiting in his unusual rearengined racer. Spectacular crash

There was a moment of high drama in the motor-cycle events, too. In one of the first division qualifying races, Tom Black's bike reared up down the pit straight and threw him off. Graeme Stewart hurtled straight into man and machine and he was flung down the track for some 30 metres. It was probably the most spectacular accident involving motor-cycles at Templeton. The meeting was held up for some time while the pair were taken from the track by ambulance. Almost miraculously?*’ they both recovered in the pits and were able to watch the racing for the rest of the night. Keith Anderson, of England, showed no ill-effects from his spectacular crash the previous week to win both main scratch races from his fellowcountryman, lan Hindle. Joe Annan marked th© end of his two-week suspension with a brilliant win in his first race in the supermodified car class. He followed this up with a good second to Roger Gleeson in the second event. There was a greater depth to the sidecar fields with the return to competition of two combinations earlier sidelined with injury. Riders, with the incentive of a place in the Canterbury team to compete against Auckland next Saturday, raced hard and honours were well spread. Graham Pull an and Dave Molyneux won two events and the other went to the national champions, Les Dwight, jun., and Steve Unwin. Results were:— CARS Radio Avon champlon-of-champions midget car series

(each race 6 laps).— First heat: M. Williams 1. J. Bryan 2, G. Paterson (U.S.A.) 3. Time, 2:3.6. Second heat: L. Rice (U.S.A.) 1, A. Palmer 2, J. McKitterick 3. Time, 1:58.2. Third heat: Paterson 1, Rice 2, E. Murray 3. Final points: Rice 38. Palmer 30. Paterson 26, McKitterick 25. Murray 20. G. Roxburgh 17, Williams 14, Bryan 13, T. Hall 10, L. Millar Midget car events.—Firestone SlOOO handicap (10 laps): G. Paterson (U.S.A.) 1, L. Millar 2, J. Bryan 3. Time, 3:18.8. Pall Mall international handicap (6 laps): Paterson 1, L. Rice 2, E. Murray 3. Time, 1:55.6. Supermodified car events. — Ferry Road Rubadub scratch (10 laps): J. Annan 1, S. Everett 2, R. Gleeson 3. Champion $lOOO feature (12 laps): Gleeson 1, J. Annan 2, M. Allan 3. Three-quarter midget cars.— Hornby Auto Services handicap (4 laps): W. Denovan (50yd) 1, N. Chandler (70yd) 2, A. Davis (70yd) 3. Time, 88.4. Hobbs Bros scratch (6 laps): R. Whiting 1, C. Hobbs 2, Davis 3. MOTOR-CYCLES Novice solo events (4 laps).— First qualifying race: A. Sintes 1, E. Nutteridge 2, T. Jemmett 3. Time, 87.2. Second qualifying race: G. Taylor 1, D. Maxwell 2, A. Harris 3. Time, 85.0. Second division solo events (4 laps).—First qualifying race: P. Salt 1, G. Forscutt 2, J. Hanning 3. Time, 83.2. Second qualifying race: C. Blackett 1, B. Read 2, G. Taylor 3. Time, 84.0. Final: Read 1, Hanning 2, Blackett 3. Time, 82.4. First division solo events (4 laps).—Opening handicap: 1. Hindle 1, M. Brown 2, G. Reid 3. Time, 81.6. Second handicap: J. Hanning 1, B. McMillan 2, T. Black 3. Time. 83.8. First qualifying race: C. Blackett 1, P. Fewings 2, Brown 3. Time, 81.8. Second qualifying race: Hindle 1, K. Anderson 2, D. Sincock 3. Time, 78.7. Pall Mall scratch: B. McMillan 1, K. Burt 2, G. Reid 3. Time, 83.0. Tommy’s Suzuki Centre Super six: Anderson 1, Hindle 2, Brown 3. Time: 80.0. Go Cola flying four: Anderson 1, Hindle 2, Brown 3. Time, 80.0. Sidecar events (4 laps).—Qualifying race: W. Benson and W. Turner 1, H. Jones and 11. Asky 2, B. Beadle and A. Boyl© 3. Time, 88.5. Opening scratch: G. Pullan and D. Molyneux 1, K. French and P. French 2, I. Begbie and A. Henry 3. Time, 83.6. Rex Russell scratch: L. Dwight jun. and S. Unwin 1, French and French 2, Pullan and Molyneux 3, Edox handicap: Pullan and Molyneux 1, Beadle and Boyle 2, French and French 3. Time, 86.8.