Brilliant debut by Woodley

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 42

Brilliant debut by Woodley

A New Zealand rider, John Woodley (RGSOO Suzuki), was robbed of a fairytale introduction to British motor-cycle road racing by a damaged piston. Competing in the 500 class of the annual North West 200 in Ulster, Woodley, who is 26, made a slow start before brilliantly threading his way through a strong field and was challenging the leader, John Williams (RGSOO Suzuki), when a piston holed on the penultimate lap. But before he retired, he broke the lap record three times, leaving it at 120.76 m.p.h. in a performancr which the leading British magazine, “Motor Cycle,” described as incredible. Woodley made his mark but it was a frustrating first event for him in Europe. His Rod Colman Suzuki seized after only two laps of practice. He borrowed another RGSOO Suzuki from the Christchurch rioer, Stewart Avant, but this also seized. Avant also did well before he, too, was out of the racing with mechanical problems. He started well

in the 500 raee and was lying second to Williams when plug trouble forced him out at the start of the second lap. After qualifying second fastest in the North West 200 feature race on his TZ7SO Yamaha, Avant fared poorly on a machine which was obviously below its best. He was as high as seventh in the middle stages before dropping back and finally retiring. Earlier, he had been holding third place in the first 750 race when he holed a piston. His efforts to repair the damage in time for the main event proved in vain. The reigning world 500 cu. cm champion, Bam Sheene, of Britain, tightened his grip on the. 1977 title on Sunday when a victory in the French grand prix on a Suzuki. Giacomo Agostini (Italy) thrilled the 100,000 crowd at the Paul Ricard circuit by hurtling through the field after his Yamaha failed to start. He finished second with Steve Barker (United States, Yamaha) third.