Templeton Speedway

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 7

Templeton Speedway

“O.K. lads. last one into the ambulance is a sissy poo.“ the advertisements for the Pall Mall Templeton Speedway had been proclaiming on a local radio station during the week. "They're letting it all hang out" the advertisement went °n—"skin, bone, blood and the odd piston rod At this rate there will be no-one left to race." Unfortunate!} for Gary Reid, he wa a the only rider or driver who could not be classed a "sissy poo.’ He crashed at the Prison Bend in the first lap of the Pali Mall solo scratch race and injured a wrist. He was carted off in the ambulance. On the second statement the advertisement was right. Over the -eason the speeaway had taken its toll on man and machines and the president of the ‘ hristchurch Speedwax Association ‘Mr Tonv Nesbitt- announced during the evening that Saturday night was »he last meeting tor the year. Both men and machines were getting tired. said Mr Nesbitt. Officials during the evening had decided if best to end the season. The outstanding performance of the night was provided in the -pec’aeular sidecar events, made more so bx the fact they race right-handed around the track. Howard Askex and his passenger lan Cambridge. scooped: ’he 000 l winning all three races; two scratch and a handicap event. Tn each case they were well clear of their rivals, mainlx due to a sunerior technique on ’he bends where Askey was able ro keep the bike on a straight line. The cars had a hard time dur-‘ :ng the evening, particularly the supermodifieds. The hard track ith a tine gravel surface made life very difficult on the bends—the gravel seemingly acting like ball bearings under the tyres. In one of the main events for -upermodifieds. the Ferrx Road Rubadub scratch, there were three orange lights during the race before it was finally com pl eted . With two laps of this race re-

maining, Alan Coles and Roger Gleeson had sorted themselves nut with Coles leading. He wa« < hallenged with a lap and a half to go by Gleeson, their cars touched and Coles spun furiouslv into the pit gates. Coles featured in another spectacular incident in the Champion *lOOO feature later in the programme. He was jockeying For position at the Prison Bend in: the second lan when he left the; track and ploughed into a large puddle and disaopeared mom-i en tartly under a cloud of spray and steam. This again allowed Gleeson a free rein and he was untroubled' for the remaining six laps, ing a comfortable lead on Selwyn Everett. Coles came out of his 1 predicament and made up ground for third with daring driving. Gordon Roxburgh and AllanPalmer dominated the midget ’ car events. The previous week Palmer had won the South Island’ championship, but in two of the three races on Saturday he had tn be content with the runner-up position behind Roxburgh. In the Firestone SlOOO feature, however, the main race of the night. Palmer led from "go tn whoa" in the eight-lan race and finished about 30 yards ahead oft his rival.

Wayne Den ox an won two of the three-quarter midget-car races including the feature event, the Geofl stone Motors scratch. He was hotly pursued though' b- Bruce Hobbs (second) and Rex. Burt • third i. In the first qualifying race in; division 1 of the motor-cycles a bad accident was avoided by Reid, who himself was later injured. Merv Salt tell at the second bend, and Salt following up fast, dropped his bike on to the track to avoid running into Salt. F rom the restart Graeme Stapleton took the lead, but with a lap to go broke a chain and had to retire. In the Pall Mail solo scratch a few events later. Stapleton again swept to an early lead, but coming into the straight at the en dof the first lap he again had to withdraw for the same reason. Craig Reid and Max Brown, with intelligent riding, won the division I qualifying races, and in the tinal. the Go-Cola fixing four. Broun again was successful. He swept round the four laps in 73.65ec. the fastest time of the night. He had earlier recorded 78.9 sec in the Tommy’s Suzuki Centre's super six. In both these events the improved .John Hanning tracked Brown throughout to finish second. In the division II final Paul Salt took an early lead and held off several challenges before beating Andrew Sintes. Ken Robinson \x on the novice solo final, beating the xvinner of the other qualifying race. Stephen Duff. Results xvere:— CARS Three-quarter midget cars.— Hornbv Auto Services handicap ■six laps): W. Denovan (80yd) 1, B. Hobbs (50vdi 2. R. Burt (50yd) 1 3. Hobbs Bros scratch (six laps):. Burt 1 Denovan 2. G. Parr 3.: Time: 2:9.0. Geoff Stone Motors scratch (eight laps): Denovan 1. Hobbs 2 Burt 3. Time: 2:46.0. Midget cars.—Handicap (six laps): G. Roxburgh I. A. Palmer 2. K. Schumacher 3. Scratch race • eight laps): Roxburgh I. Palmer

2. J. McKitterick 3. Firestone scratch < eight laps): Palmer 1. Roxburgh 2, C. Millar 3. Super-modified ears. — Edo.x handicap (eight laps*: S. Everett I. M. Allan 2. P. Leversedge 3. Ferry Road Rubadub scratch •(eight lapsi: R. Gleeson 1. Everett 2. P. Leversedge 3. Champion SI 000 feature (eight laps): Gleeson 1, Everett 2. A. Coles 3. Time: 2:42.0. MOTOR-CYCLES Novice solo events (four lapsi. —First qualifying race: S. Duff 1. N. Harris 2. M. Williams 3. lime: 90.8. Second qualifying race: K. Robinson 1. D. Maxwell 2. R. Brown 3. Time: 88.9. Final: Robinson 1. Duff 2. Time: 86.6. Sidecar events.—Scratch race Hour lapsi: H. Askey and I. Cambridge 1. G. Pullan and D. Molyneu 2. B. Lynch and D. Scobie 3. Time: 86.5. Scratch race (six . laps): Askey and Cambridge I. Pullan and Molyneu 2, Lynch and Scobie 3. Time: 87.0. Edox ; handicap (six laps): Askey and Cambridge 1. B. Beadle and A. Boyle 2. Lynch and Scobie 3. Time: 88.2. Second division solo events (four laps).—First qualifying race: L. Chatterton 1. G. Tayloi 12. P. Poulson 3. Time: 85.1. Second qualifying race: P. Salt 1. A. Sintes 2, R. Seyb 3. Time: 84.8. Consolation handicap: A. North 1. J. Moore 2. K. Robinson 3. Time: 84.4. Final: Salt 1. Sintes 2. Poulson 3. Time: 81.3. First division solo events (four laps).—Opening handicap: G. Stewart <2ovd) 1. M. Brown (50vd> 2, M. Salt (40vd) 3. Time: 82.2. Second handicap: G. Forscutt iscr) 1. G. Stapleton isovdi 2. G. Reid (10yd) 3. Time: 82.0. First qualifying race: C. Reid I. B. McMillan 2. P. Fe wings 3. Time: 82.0. Second qualifying race: Brown 1 J. Hanning 2. D. Sincock 3. Time: 81.0. Pall Mall scratch: G. Stewart 1. T. Black 2. P. Salt 3. Time: 81.2. Tommy’s Suzuki Centre super six: Brown 1. Hanning 2. Fewings 3. Time: 78.9. Go-Cola flying four. Brown 1. Hanning 2. Fewings 3. Time: 78.6.