Marathon to solo rider

Press, 29 November 1976, Page 6

Marathon to solo rider

PA . Palmerston North Graeme Crosby, of Auckland, preferring to “go it alone,’’ won his second consecutive Castrol six-hour production motor-cycle race at the Manfeild motor-racing circuit near Feilding yesterday. While most of the other entries in the testing marathon alternated between two riders, Crosby, as he did last year, rode the six hours, 250 laps race solo. Riding one of the two nevyly - imported Kawasaki ZIOOOs, Crosby led a capacity field of 73 bikes in a virtual start-to-finish victory. The race was full of incident, with 17 riders being treated by course doctors and five admitted to the Palmerston North Hospital. It is understood that none of the riders were seriously injured.

Only 43 competitors finished the 'race. It was an extremely smooth race from Crosby and apart from a brief spell at the start of the race, he

was never headed. Peter Fleming (Lower Hutt) took his Kawasaki 750 to an early lead, but a stop to adjust his leathers, saw Crosby take the lead. Fleming came back well from the short stop, but again he struck trouble, this time with his brakes. On Higgins Comer he appeared to misjudge his braking and clipped his arm on another rider’s handlebars, spelling the end of his chances. The Lower Hutt riders, Peter Stark and Bill Biber, rode their Kawasaki 900 into second place, while another Kawasaki 900, ridden by the Wellington pair of Wayne Coughlan and Nigel Caigou came in third.

i One disappointing aspect ' of the race was the late de- • fection of top English rider, i Chas Mortimer, and the ’ Christchurch star Stu Avant. ■ on the latest Yamaha RD4OO. Mystery surrounded the ; withdrawal of this pair, but i it is understood they rode > at Manfeild in a practice on ■ Friday and decided their bike ■ tyres were not suitable. The • two riders apparently flew ; back to Christchurch, deciding against competing. , The Manfeild promoter, Mr , Bob Lester, was disappointed i with the whole affair. “They ■ are professionals after all i and the least we could have s expected was proper notii fication of their withdrawal,” he said.