Maoris just beat Pakehas

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 18

Maoris just beat Pakehas

The best pairs speedway competition resulted in a narrow one-point victory for the Maoris over the Pakehas at Ruapuna Park Speedway this week, but Larry Ross left little doubt that he was the master of the series.

The New Zealand champion did not appear to be extended in winning two of the three heats, although Bruce Cribb, riding for the Maoris, applied a lot of pressure in the final heat to hold out Ross for two laps. Cribb, a seasoned international and a finalist in this season’s world ice speedway championship, rode an excellent pole-line all night but could not match Ross’s speed from the starting tapes. The other Maori rider in the contest, James Moore, played a useful supporting role for Cribb, keeping up with the play in two of the heats, but Roger Wright, who partnered Ross, had a mediocre night and mechanical troubles preventing him from finishing all but one of the heats.. There was plenty for the small crowd t enthuse over in the two first-division scratch races. In the Suzuki Centre solo event Ross was once again first off the mark but Roger Abel rode a tre-

mendous race to push him hard all the way. Abel even sneaked in front for a lap and the finish was one of the closest seen for some time. In the final scratch race Abel showed more of the benefits of his recent experience in Britain by gaining a good third ahead of the two Europeans, Trond Skretting and Rudy Muts. This event was won by Ross from Cribb in the fastest time of the night—7s.Bs. Abel’s efforts earned him the "C.8.A.-Mutuai Sportsman of the Night” Award. Tracy Holmes was the most unfortunate of the seconddivision riders, falling heavily in the first lap of the opening handicap and requiring medical attention.

The novice solo class was notable for the appearance of Tony Briggs, the second son of the former multiple world champion, Barry Briggs. It was Tony’s first competitive ride on a speedway track and under the watchful guidance of another past champion, Ronnie Moore, he scored two good wins. With the Turner brothers in Australia at present, Dave Scobie and Mark Lock w’ere relatively untroubled to score three straight wins in the sidecar races. The minor placings were well shared, although lan Begble and Tony Henry took a nasty tumble in the second handicap event. The midget cars provided good racing, too, with former T.Q. driver, Dave Cawley, recording a fine win in the first event in his Offenhauser—believed to be the only “Offy” still racing in New Zealand. Rod Robinson, the mechanic-turned-driver, gained his first win of the season in the next race, while the VW midgets of Kevin Proctor and Alan Palmer gave nothing else a chance in the final event,

Proctor coining within 2s of the eight-lap record. Gordon Roxburgh had the misfortune to break an axle in this race while lying third, the car slewing to a halt almost on the finish-line. The experienced Gavin Parr made light work of his hefty handicaps in the T.Q. midget races, finishing with two wins and a third to his credit. Kobin Gibben. who had a most successful meeting last week, seemed to be trying too hard in the eightlap feature; he managed a spectacular high-speed roll on the Prison Bend while challenging the leaders. The car landed back on its wheels and Gibben was able to crawl out unhurt. Mike Allan found form again in his oider-style super-modified

in the sprint-car races. He snatched a very close victory over fast-improving Kerin Burt in the opening handicap, but A. J. MacDonald proved to be Allan’s main adversary in the remaining races. The colourful MacDonald spun while leading the last race, although he came back well for a close third. Results:— MOTOR-CYCLES Maoris v. Pakehas Best Pairs if our laps) .-—First heat: B. Cribb 1, L. Ross 2, J. Moore 3. Time: 177.65. Second heat: Ross 1. Cribb 2, Moore 3. Time: 79.05; Third heat: Ross 1. Cribb 2. Time: 76.45. First division solo events (four laps:.—First handicap: A. Abel 1, L. Ross 2, G. Forscuss 3. Time: 80.45. Second handicap: P. Pawson 1, J. Moore 2, R. Wright 3. Time: 77.95. Consolation scratch: T. Skretting (Norway), 1, R. Muts (The Netherlands) 2. Pawson 3. Time: 76.95. Suzuki Centre scratch: Ross 1, Abel 2. Pawson 3, Time: 76.85. Tommy’s Yamaha Flying Six: Ross 1, Cribb 2, Abel 3. Time: 75.85. Second division solo events: First handicap (three laps): J.

Sparks 1. D. McPherson 2, G. Stewart 3. Time: 61.25. Second handicap (four laps): G. Beardsley 1, R. Bruce 2, G. Taylor 3. Time: 80s. Final scratch: Sparks 1, Stewart 2, Beardsley 3. Time: 79.75.

Novice solo events (four laps). —First scratch: R. Brown 1, W. McClintock 2, R. Lang 3. Time: 91.85. Second scratch: T. Briggs 1, K. Robinson 2. Time: 85.65. Final scratch: Briggs 1, Robinson 2, Lang 3. Time: 84.85. Sidecar events (four laps). — Honda City handicap: D. Scobie and M. Lock I. H. Jones and 1. Cambridge 2, C. Finch and L. Brooks 3. Time: 89.95. Christchurch Motor-cycles handicap: Scobie and Lock 1, Jones and Cambridge 2. B. Savage and R. Murray 3. Time: 87.85. RCA Records scratch: Scobie and Lock 1, I. Begbie and T. Henry 2, A. Rogers and I. Wilson 3. Time: 85s.

CARS Three-quarter midget car events. —Fish Tank handicap (six laps): S. Smith 1, R. Gibben 2, G. Parr 3. Time: 2min 13s. Geoff Stone Motors handicap (eight laps): Parr 1, C. Beach 2, Gibben 3. Time: 2min 50s. Russ Noble Invitation (eight laps): Parr 1, R. Sladen 2, Smith 3. Time: 2min 44.75.

Midget car events.—First handicap (six laps): D. Cawley 1, J. McKitterick 2, A. Palmer 3. Time: 2min 2S. Second handicap (six laps): R. Robinson 1, Palmer 2, McKitterick 3. Time: Imin 58.65. Coca-Cola Feature (eight laps): K. Proctor 1, Palmer 2, McKitterick 3. Time: 2min 30.45.

Sprint-car events.—First handicap (six laps):: M. Allan 1, K. Burt 2, A. J. MacDonald 3. Time: 2min 5.85. Second handicap (eight laps): Allan 1, MacDonald 2. Burt 3. Time: 2min 42.45. CRC Feature (eight laps): Allan 1, S. Everett 2, MacDonald 3. Time: 2mui 37.45.