Top moto-cross rider away

Press, 27 August 1979, Page 18

Top moto-cross rider away

One of New Zealand's foremost moto-cross racers, John Nichols, of Christchurch, will not be available for the annual inter-island moto-cross meeting at Mosglel on October 21. Nichols, runner-up in the New Zealand 250 championship in 1977 and the top man in the South Island this year, will leave New Zealand on September 8 for a trip through Australia, South-East Asia, and Europe. Unfortunately, he will have no time for racing while he is away. The trip will last for two months and he expects to be constantly on the move. However, wherever possible, he will attend moto cross meetings and make himself known. His absence is a big blow to the South Island selector, M.r Bill Campbell, of Christchurch, who was hoping for the longawaited win over the North this year. “It will certainly weaken us in the 250 class,” he said yesterday. “However, we will still have a pretty good team. Things are looking fairly good.” The South Island selection meetings will be at Kaiapoi on September 2, Blenheim on September 9, Mosgiel on September 16 and Timaru on September 23. The South team will be an-

nounced on the day of the final trial. Nichols will also lose all chance of winning the Canterbury moto-cross championship, which he leads at present. He will be away for the next two meetings, on September 16 and October 14. “I am sorry to miss it. But it can’t be helped,” he said. Nichols won all three races in the first round of the championship last Sunday. But he was hard-pressed by the 125 Kawasaki rider, Chris Brady, who scored two seconds and a third. Nichols rode a new YZ2SOF provided by his sponsor. Tommy’s Yamaha, and wa spleased with its performance. “It was a hard day out there,” he recalled. “Chris rode well, but I had more power. I just shut him out in the corners and knew I could pull away from him whenever I wanted to.” The surprise of the first round of the championship was the failure of Robin Hampton (Suzuki) to score highly. He suffered two falls in ■ early heats and did not start In the final race. Points after the first round are: Nichols 60. Brady 51. R. Selby 44, B. Daniel 26, S. Oliver 25, Hampton 24, S. Timmlngs 22.