Discombe triumphs over adversity in grand prix

Press, 11 April 1977, Page 11

Discombe triumphs over adversity in grand prix

By

ROD DEW

A rapidly deteriorating rear tyre failed to stop the 34-year-old Cambridge international, Trevor Discombe (TZ7SO Bakker-Yamaha), winning the New Zealand open motor-cycling grand prix title by a comfortable margin at Ruapuna Park yesterday.

"I really had to watch out; — the bike was sliding all over the place,” he said; afterwards. It was his fourth grand prix victory, but only his first in the open class. Intermittent showers of; rain earlier in the meeting' prompted Discombe to fit rain tyres to his racer, but; when the time came for the' 20-mile feature event to begin, the track was comdry. * ‘I made the wrong deci-i sion. The rear tyre was so soft that it just tore itself to pieces. The weather .was so uncertain — 1 didn’t know what to do. I think 1 had the hack wheel out of the bike four times before deciding to do the wrong thing,” Discombe said. But to the spectators, it was anything but obvious that all was not well. Discombe accelerated into the lead down the starting straight, led the field through the hairpin bend, and was never again headed. Paul Goodyer (Wellington) rode brilliantly on his smaller TZ3SO Yamaha to claim second place after an enthralling tussle with Roger Freeth (Auckland) on a TRSOO Suzuki, and a former title-holder, Jim Landrebe (Dunedin), on his Suzukibased C 3 370 Special. Freeth also ran rain tyres, and paid the penalty in lost prize money. He just headed off Landrebe for third. Discombe’s winning time was 16min. One of the big disappointments of the day was the failure of the RGSOO Suzuki entered by the runnerup in the 1971 world 500; championship, Keith Turner (Napier). In the senior (up to 500 cu cm) grand prix, he was strongly favoured to win, but struck trouble right from the start. His clutch was slipping and his brakes started to fail. Even then, he hoped to limp on to the finish, but. on the fourteenth lap his cooling system sprang a leak, and when his radiator emptied itself on the track he was forced to retire. There was no chance to

i repair the bike in time for the open grand prix. ij “These things happen inj I motor-cycle racing,” a dis- j [ appointed Turner said later. | He will now concentrate on] porting the machine out for 1 /the next summer season. i Goodyer wins Although the failure of I Turner’s bike eliminated a] [[potential winner, it could ' not detract from the fine. ' performance of the 23-year-l old Wellington rider, Good-1 yer. Riding a TZ3SO Yam-1 laha, he took the lead on the ' fourth lap when the early; leader, Norris Farrow (Auck-; I land), was forced out with a damaged crankshaft in his : TZ3SO Yamaha. ; From that point, he was; 'never challenged, pulling; ■ away to win comfortably 'from Freeth and the national; 250 champion, Brent Wylie .[ (Christchurch), on yet an- ! other TZ3SO Yamaha. ; Landrebe was a distinct ; I threat for much of the race, I; but was forced out after 16 , [ laps when his clutch failed. Farrow won the junior (up i; to 350 cu. cm) grand prix by J a surprisingly wide margin. /He and Goodyer engaged in , a tense battle for supremacy for the first four laps before /the Wellington rider’s brakes -'locked at the hairpin, and he /shot off the track. Goodyer| ’ recovered and rejoined the race in third place but by i the time he had fought his j way through to second again i Farrow had disappeared into the distance. [ . “1 just got too keen,”| (Goodyer explained. “The .[front wheel locked and awayj ; I went.” . Behind him, the contest] . for third was an enthralling! j[one. Mike Adler (Auckland); finally took the third place] /from Peter Shapcott (Christ-] , church) after being as far! Jiback as fifth only a few laps L ;before the finish. i ’ Vital points . The light-weight (up to ! 250 cu. cm) grand prix was ■[one of swiftly changing fort-] II ones. Neil Hawker (TZ25O| i Yamaha), of Rangiora, set a] >ihot pace early in the race; Hand for a time looked a; ) likely winner. But another] [Christchurch rider, Brent > Wylie (TZ2SO Yamaha), was I

in a particularly forceful! mood. !. ; He worked his way; [through to second place, /when a heavy shower ofll [rain drenched the track. The] pace immediately slowed as] [riders tried to keep their,: sliding mounts upright.] iWylie had more at stake] /than most of the others and; he continued to press on. He ! ::needed the nine points from: ■ the win to enable him to ■lfinish first equal with Mike] Vinsen (Auckland) in the : New Zealand 250 champion- ’ .ship. Riding superbly in the i tricky conditions, Wylie] > took the lead on the sixth: Jap and drew away to gain a] /very convincing and impres-. Jsive win. Hawker hung on; lo finish second with Alister i liMitchell (TZ2SO Yamaha) ithird ahead of a fast finish-] ■iing Andy Brown (TZ25O[ [Yamaha). Afterwards, Wylie said; , that the rain had possibly > helped him, although he had] felt fairly confident, anyway. > “1 had good wet weather t tyres on. I was very lucky. 1 . was going to change them i before the race but I ' changed my mind at the last i minute.” > Des Morland (125 Yam- : aha), of Rangiora, made a . • | great start in the New Zea- ■ s land 125 grand prix and surprised everybody when he] 1 > crashed on the second lap' i while in a comfortable lead. 11Wayne Mantell (Yamaha), of [Christchurch, continued on ’lto win his first title in com- : fortable fashion. i David Hiscock (Yamaha 1 |400), of Lower Hutt, nar-h [rowly won the up to 410 cu. 1 cm production race from'; ' Brett Hawker (Yamaha 400), [ lof Rangiora. The points he [gained ensured him of sec-/ ond place in the national ' production series for this;: .class. Another rider from; 'Lower Hutt, Peter Fleming; > (750 Kawasaki), won all l /three production races for [the bigger machines, al-; •'though he had strong comJpetition from Peter Waters ! (900 Kawasaki), of Timaru, i in each. ’I Results were:— N.Z. 50 cu. cm grand prix 14 > I laps'.—N. Hawker (Rangiora),

Yamaha. 4.41. 1: I- Clarke (Tiniarui. C. and S. Special. 2; .1. Graham (Christchurch), Honda, 3. Fastest lap: Hawker, 1:6.7. N.Z. 125 cu. cm grand prix <lO laps,.—W. Mantell (Christchurch), Yamaha, 8:15.8. 1: P. Payne (Napier), Yamaha. 2; T. Carkeek i Woodbourne). Yamaha. 3. Fastest lap: Mantell, 54.7. N.Z. light-weight (up to 250 cu. cm) grand prix <l2 laps,.—B. Wvlie (Christchurch), Yamaha, 11:14.9, 1: N. Hawker (Rangiora), Yamaha, 2; A. Mitchell (Christchurch). Yamaha. 3; A. Brown (Christchurch), Yamaha. 4; P. Shapcott (Christchurch). Yamaha, 5. Fastest lap: Hawker, 52.8. N.Z. .junior grand prix (15 laps, up to 350 cu. cm) —N. . Farrow (Auckland). TZ3SO Yamaha. 14:2.8. 1: P. Goodyer . (Wellington). TZ3SO Yamaha, 2; ’M. Adler (Auckland), TZ3SO 1 Yamaha, 3: P. Shapcott (Christchurch), TZ2SO Yamaha, 4: N. Hawker (Rangiora). TZ2SO . Yamaha, 5. Fastest lap: Farrow. I 54.2.

N.Z. senior grand prix (20 laps).—P. Goodyer (Wellington), TZ3SO Yamaha. 16:45. 1: R. Freeth (Auckland), TRSOO Suzuki, 2; B. Wvlie (Christchurch). 350 [Yamaha. 3; M. Adler (Auckland). [ TZ3SO Yamaha, 4; N. Hawker (Rangiora). TZ2SO Yamaha. 5. Fastest lap: Goodyer. 48.2. N.Z. open grand prix (20 laps) —T. Discombe (Cambridge), 750 Bakker Yamaha. 16:00, 1: P. Goodyer (Wellington). TZ3SO Yamaha 2: R. Freeth (Auckland), TRSOO Suzuki. 3; J. Landrebe (Dunedin). C 3 370, 4; W. Wylie (Christchurch), 350 Yamaha, 5. Fastest laps: Discombe and Goodyer, 47.1. N.Z. sidecar grand prix (8 laps).—B. Chapman and P. Skipper (Nelson), Suzuki 750, 7:45, 1; A. Ward and S. Forbes (Timaru), Honda 750, 2; G. Copsey and G. Barton (Christchurch), Triumph 650, 3. Fastest lap: Chapman, 54.8.

Racing class all-comers (10 laps).—T. Discombe (Cambridge), 750 Bakker Yamaha, 6:58.5, 1; R. Freeth (Auckland), TRSOO Suzuki. 2; B. Wylie (Christchurch), TZ3SO Yamaha, 3. Fastest lap: Discombe, 47.4. Classic machine race (6 laps).— P. Pinion (Christchurch), Norton Man. 500, 6:20, 1; R. J. Harris (Christchurch), A.J.S. 7R. 2; D. Silcock (Christchurch). A.J.S. 7R, 3. Fastest lap: Pinion. 1:1.8. Up to 410 cu. cm production (13 laps).—D. Hiscock (Lower Multi. 400 Yamaha. 1.3:13.7, 1; 8., Hawker (Rangiora). 400 Yamaha, 2: K. MeDonagh (Christchurch),l 350 Yamaha. 3. Fastest lap: . Hiscock. 52.3. i 410 to 1050 cu. cm production [(l5 laps).—P. Fleming (Lower Hutt). Kawasaki 750, .13:45.4. 1: P. Waters (Timaru). Kawasaki 750. 2; J. Phillips (Christ’ church*. Kawasaki 750. 3. Fastest lap: Fleming, 52.4. Production all-comers (10 laps*.—P. Fleming (Lower Hutt), 750 Kawasaki. 7:47.5, 1; P. Waters (Timaru), 900 Kawasaki, 2; IVL Robertson (Christchurch), 750 Kawasaki. 3. Fastest laps: Fleming and Waters, 49.8.