N.Z. rider killed

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 6

N.Z. rider killed

NZPA staff correspondent Londo A New Zealand motor-cyclis Mike Adler, died in an Isle o< Man hospital on Saturday after crashing in a T.T. classic race on the island. Adler, aged 27. from Belmont: Auckland, was rushed to hospital in the island’s main town of Douglas after crashing at high speed midway through the final 60.75 km lap of the six-lap race. An Isle of Man oolice spemet- [ man told the NZPA yesterday that the New Zealander’s 350 c.c Yamaha machine had struck ; football and the rider had beer thrown into a stone wall. The police spokesman said the accident had occurred on a tradi tionallv difficult part of the course. “It is a very fast, winding. twisting section.

Adler was riding at number; i 6 in the race—the final event I f the week-long T.T. series, for lachines of up to 750 c.c. ;: Adler is the fifth competitors to be killed during the current [I TT.. and the one hundred and ; twenty-first since the T.T. was 11 first held more than 70 years i ago. rhe circuit has been boycotted •' by many leading international riders who claim that the nar-li row roads, with hump-backed I' bridges, sharp corners, promi-; sent stone walls, and other im- 1 * moveable obstacles are abso-i ‘utely unsuited to the speeds of r more than 320km/hr (200 miles!' an hour) which modern machines can reach on sections of the T.T. course. Mick Grant, of Britain, be-1 .came the fastest ever rider over'

;the notorious course in winning the 750 race. Grant, riding a 750 c.c. Kawa- ; saki. covered six laps of the mountain course for a total of 363 km in 2hr Omin 50 2see. at a I record average speed of 180.27 |km/hr. He also set a lap record of 183.95 km/hr. breaking the ; best times he established when winning last year. Grant, who led all the way. i collected £6OOO John Williams, of Britain, was second in a Suizuki. almost Imin behind Grant. | while Alex George (Yamaha) fin iished third after a terrific duel with a fellow Briton. Phil Read, lon a Honda. The much fancied seieran. Mike Hailwood, was among the I early leaders before pulling out I when his Yamaha developed en--1 gine failure.