TONY BRIGGS: A RISING STAR

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 23

TONY BRIGGS: A RISING STAR

By

ROD DEW

There has been no more spectacular rising star in the uncertain world of speedway racing in recent times than the cheerful, baby-faced, blond-headed teenager, Tony Briggs.

From the moment he made his racing debut at the Ruapuna Park Speedsway, near Christchurch, in New Zealand a mere 18 months ago the spotlight of public attention has bathed him in its glow. He was only 16 when he qualified for the Australasian final of the world championship in Sydney last year — in his first Season of competition. This year, after another period of learning at the Christchurch track, he failed by only the narrowest of margins to qualify for the Commonwealth final of the world championship at Wimbledon. It took an inspired ride from the experienced Australian, Phil Crump, to claim

the final Australasian place in a run-off after both had ended the Australasian final at Ruapuna Park on the same score. Now he has gained a rich sponsorship from the cosmetic company, Faberge, and has leaped in at the deep end of the sport as a member of • Reading Racers in the British national league. Surrounded by a constant ■blaze of publicity, he seems destined for a dazzling future in speedway. However, . Briggs, who has just turned 18, has no illusions about the magnitude of the tusk which lies ahead of Kim. He has merely scratched the surface in his bid to become world champion, and he knows that the road ahead is a rocky one. “If I nave not reached

the top in three years, 1 will give it away,” Briggs has vowed. “If you are a middle-class rider, it is a hard life. You have got to be a superstar to get the benefits from the sport.” Briggs is, of course, a son of the former fourtimes world champion, Barry Briggs, and this obviously accounts for some of the attention being lavished on young Tony. But following in father’s footsteps is not as easy as it might sound, especially when father happens to have been a world champion. People are inclined to expect too much too soon.

But Tony has disappointed nobody so far. It has been suggested that he is even better than his famous father "was at the same age. His style is certainly more polished, although there could never be any doubt that he is a Briggs. Tony is, in many

respects, a chip off the old block. He is intelligent, with wisdom beyond his years, and he has the delightful sense of humour and love of life that made his father so popular. Tony has certainly had the best of support Even though Briggo was not present when he made his racing debut at Ruapuna Park in 1979, Tony was in good hands. Another of New Zealand’s former world champions, Ronnie Moore, acted as his coachmechanic during the early part of that first season and there is no doubt that a little of the Moore magic has rubbed off. The decision for Tony to make his racing debut at the Christchurch track was made after careful thought.

It enabled him to race on one of the finest tracks in the world (it is wide, and a full 400 m in circumference) and against competition of a suitable standard. Young Briggs took to it like a duck to water, and he has never looked back.

There was also a tradition to maintain. All three of New Zealand’s world champions — Ivan Mauger, Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs — received their start in Christchurch. And although he was born and bred in England, young Tony will race as a New Zealander as his father did before him. He earned his New Zealand colours within four months of starting by qualifying for the Australasian final of the world championship in Sydney. However, his chances of going further in the championship were destroyed by officialdom. It was discovered, after he had arrived in Sydney, that at 16 he was too young to hold an international competition licence. David Bargh, another highly promising young New Zealand 16-year-old, was ruled out for the same reason. After a lot of arguing, they both

rode, but were not eligible for points. Still, it was valuable experience, and this year, on what has become his home track at Ruapuna Park, Tony Briggs all but qualified for the Commonwealth final. He and Phil Crump both scored 11 points to share fifth place. The Australian had to borrow the super-fast Weslake racer from the Australasian champion, Billy Sanders, to be sure of victory in the vital run-off. “It was disappointing to be that close and not make it, but it is no disgrace to be beaten by Crumpie,” Briggs said.

Barry has taken on the role of manager of his talented son, and no rider has been more carefully introduced to the sport. Tony has inherited his father’s love for motorcycling of any variety, and he has been riding since he was seven years old. He learned to ride a speedway bike in a paddock near his home in Southampton. He taught himself so well that nobody could believe he had never ridden on a speedway track when he made his debut at Ruapuna Park.

A realist, Barry Briggs is pleased that Tony was able to see him racing “When I wasn’t winning everything.” Watching Dad being beaten by younger riders certainly ’didn’t deter Tony. “Speedway has always been my favourite sport. It is something I have always wanted to do. There was no particular time when I decided I wanted to be a speedway rider. I never really thought of anything else.”’

Tony was allowed to make his own mind up, and when he was old enough to begin racing Briggs stepped in with a guiding hand. He kept Tony away from the British league last year. Instead, Tony spent the northern season racing on the tight little American tracks of Ventura, San Bemadain and Costa Mesa, and on the bigger 400 m bowl at Ascot. “That is the best training ground you can find,” said Barry. “Tony was knocked off, run over and it was no use complaining or grizzling. He had to get right back on and keep going. It did him a lot of good.” Tony made several trips to Britain during this period, simply to gain variety and get away from the American environment. He suijirised everybody by claiming second place in the British 350 grass track championship in his first attempt at this aspect of racing.

Tony obviously has the ability, and the will to succeed, but he has one major hurdle to overcome before he can be assured of a comfortable future in speedway. He suffers from dyslexia,’ which makes him want to do things back to front.

It manifested itself when he was at school. He was a dreadful reader and it was some time before teachers realised he was suffering from dyslexia, which made him word blind. “The middle letters in a word change around. I see them in a different order,” Tony explained. Unfortunately, it also affects his' performance at the tapes. He has to concentrate very carefully on what he is doing, or he gets his starting procedures out of sequence. It takes him a split second longer than other riders to co-ordinate the green light, the rising tapes, the throttle opening and the clutch movement in his mind.

However, he is working on overcoming this and is quite positive that he will succeed. He has had a special starting gate machine linked to a stopwatch made, and spends hours trying to “beat the gun.” It is having a beneficial effect. Tony is no longer as slow away as he was even a few months ago. “If you don’t want to get covered in dirt every race, you have got to be a good starter,” observes Tony.

In the last IS months, Barn. - has used his vast experience to try and guide Tony through the period when riders usually hurt themselves. But now he is in the British league, and “the kidding stops.” Out on the track, Tony is very much on his own. And Briggs is far from worried.

“He knows exactly where he is going. He would make it with or without my help. All I can do is advise.”

These sentiments are widely shared. Tony Briggs has the speedway world at his feet. If he can continue as he has begun, there could be another Briggs standing on the world championship rostrum before many years have passed.