Avant arrives alone

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34106, 19 March 1976, Page 24

Avant arrives alone

The international Christchurch road racer. Stuart Avant, has arrived in Italy but his $BOOO RGSOO Suzuki four has been lost somewhere between Los Angeles and Rome.

Avant, who has an apparently unbeatable lead in the national 500 championship, rang his Christchurch sponsor, Mr T. R. McCleary, junior, with this news yesterday.

However, he is hopeful that the whereabouts of the Suzuki will be discovered to-' dav and that he will have it in time for an international race at Modena on Sunday. The meeting represents his first opportunity to match skills against the world champion, Giacomo Agostini (Italy), and the former world champion, Phil Read (Great Britain), on their “home” territory.

Avant has already gained the sponsorship of Diemme Lugo Sport, a form of sports foundation attached to a company which manufactures canned foods. When his Suzuki failed to arrive, the Italian concern provided him with a new TZ3SO Yamaha with "all the trick bits” for a meeting last week-end. He practised on the machine but heavy fall of snow forced meeting to be abandoned.

1 If the Suzuki does not ar- ! rive by this week-end, Avant ; will ride the TZ3SO Yamaha 1 at Modena. The following ; week-end he will compete in ; the 500 class of the Imola , international meeting. Depending on his perform- ; ance in these two meetings, t

Diemme Lugo Sport is prepared to sponsor Avant in the forthcoming world championships and will also allow him to keep the Yamaha so that he can contest both 350 and 500 world championships.