Kiwis in world title venture

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 12

Kiwis in world title venture

New Zealand will have more than, a passing interest in- the 1982 world speedway final, which has been allocated to Los Angeles. Two of the organisers are two of New Zealand’s greatest riders, Ivan Maeger and Barry Briggs, who believe that the meeting will be watched by more people than any previous world final in the history of the sport. Air e a d y , television rights have been sold to C.B.S. television and the search-has now started for a major sponsor.

The Los 1 Angeles-Colos-seum,, which can seat more than 100,000 spectators, has been .chosen for the final, - scheduled for Augustv A track will-be laid in the stadium spe-cially-for- the final, along with the necessary safety fencing, : and pit’ facilities will be. built. The- track will actually be laid on top of about 40cm of sawdust.' The estimated cost of the venture wuld be more than $700,000, Briggs said during his brief’ visit to Christchurch last week. “It is a big financial risk, but I think’ it will come off,” he said. Both Mauger and Briggs are now in Australia preparing for’ the . Australasian round of the world championship at Liverpool in. Sydney .on Saturday. Mauger is. aiming to finish among the top' four who will advance to the next stage; Briggs,, now retired,

is there to help his son, Tony, try and do .the same, The two New Zealanders have teamed up with two of the best-known figures in American speedway, Jack Milne and Harry Oxley, for the world championship venture. They have organised a preliminary meeting as a trial at the Colosseum in May, and are hoping for an attendance of 50,000. This will be the American final of the 1981 world championship. “The one good thing about California is that there is a 99 per cent chance that the weather will be fine," Briggs said. He is also encouraged that C.B.S. television covered seven speedway meetings last year. These had been watched by 45 million people and the top performers were becoming household names. Tours to the world final are now being organised. The ones leaving from New Zealand are being organised by Union Travel. Briggs is convinced that there will be more than just a sprinkling of New Zealanders- watching? the final. But there is nothing he would like to see more dearly than a New Zealander on the top of the rostrum at the end of the meeting.

Australia will hold its first world final in 1982 — itlhe best pairs. This year it will be held - at Chorzow,--Poland, on June