Avant for Isle of Man

Press, 21 April 1977, Page 30

Avant for Isle of Man

By

ROD DEW

Claims by prominent international motor-cycle road racers that the Isle of Man T.T. course is too dangerous for the high speeds oi modern racing machines has failed to deter the former New Zealand 500 cu cm champion, Stewart Avant, of Christchurch. The 22-year-old Avant has confirmed his entry for the light-weight (250 cu cm), senior (500 cu cm) and 1000 cu cm classic T.T. races which will be hel< on the demanding island course in June.

“He has been offered quite a lot of money to do it," his Christchurch sponsor, Mr Tom McCleary, jun., explained yesterday. “I have told him to take it a bit easy. It is an awful long way around the Isle of Man course and with the speeds now being reached it is not easy to learn.” However, Mr McCleary is pleased that Avant will ride in the island because it was something he always wanted tu do when he was racing. Mr McCleary was a New Zealand representative for the Isle of Man T.T. race in 1954 but crashed while practising and broke his wrist. Mr McCleary has spoken by telephone to the English rider, Chas Mortimer, who raced in New Zealand at Easter, and asked him to

show Avant around the course. Mortimer, third in the world 350 championship last season, won the junior T.T. last season and is recognised as one of the finest riders on the island course. Avant will ride a TZ2SO Yam.-ha in the light-weight race, a Nico Bakker-framed RGSOO Suzuki in the senior and his TZ7SOD Yamaha in the 750 race. It is a demanding programme and one which will test his stamina to the limit. Also entered for the T.T. is the American Suzuki works rider, Pat Hennen, who won the New Zealand Marlboro series this year for the third time. Hennen showed little interest in the race when asked about it during his New Zealand visit but has bowed to the wishes of the British-based Suzuki team. Hennen refused to make a decision until he had visited the Isle of Man and looked at the circuit. "I had to decide whether or not I thought I could learn the circuit well enough to be competitive. I think I can — provided I get over to the island again to start learning the course before the T.T. practice starts,” Hennen said. The popular American will contest the senior T.T. on an RGSOO Suzuki and the 1000 cu cm classic on one of the new RG7OO Suzukis.