McLachlan racing at Laguna Seca

Press, 29 July 1976, Page 11

McLachlan racing at Laguna Seca

Th* failure of a chain on his TZ7SO Yamaha forced the Christchurch road racing international, Paul McLachlan, to retire from the rich Loudon meeting in the United States last month. However, he remains confident of doing well in his next big event — the Laguna Seca international in Monterey on Augut 1. McLachlan and his wi e, Jean, are at present staying in Kansas City wrh the American racer, Mike Ninci, who competed in the last New Zealand Marlboro series with mixed success. “I am now in the process of preparing my bike and myself for Laguna Seca and I am confident of finishing well there,” he said in a letter to “The Press”. The Laguna Seca circuit is a tight one which requires considerable skill and suits New Zealand rider,. Last year, John Boot?, of Christchurch, finished runner-up to the then American No 1, Kenny Roberts, in what was the climax ot his carear so far. !n the Loudon meeting, McLachlan was unlucky.

His Yamaha just passed the sound test with a reading of 115 decibels and during his heat to determine grid positions a rider crashed in front of him. It cost him two places and put him on the second group on the grid, which was to start lOsec behind the first group. there were 60 riders in the race, which was over 47 laps of a circuit of one mile and a half. “I was lying in fifteenth position when my chain broke and put me out ot the race. This was very disappointing as another rider from the second group, who was behind me at the time, finished thirteenth. I would have been placed at least thirteenth, if not higher, and would have collected more than 8500 in prize money. “However, the makers of the chain compensated me by paying me place money for the position I was in at the time.’’ McLachlan has bought a station waggon and is using this to transport his big Yamaha around the Vnited States.