Spectacular Bishop to ride

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 3

Spectacular Bishop to ride

By PETER BRITTENDEN The organisers of the Summertime motor-cycle road racing meeting at Ruapuna park this week-end "guarantee" some close racing. This meeting is the third round of the New Zealand championships and. if the closeness of the racing at the first two rounds at Invercargill and Timaru was any indication, then the battle for supremacy between Suzuki. Honda, and Yamaha riders should be fairly desperate. Until this season Suzuki riders, especially the team from the Wellington Motorcycle Centre, have dominated the open. 75Qcu cm and 50 cu cm production classes

November and Honda rider Vince Sharpe has performed well in the first two rounds in the open and 750 cu cm class. The domination by Dave Hiscock. his brother Neville and Bob Toomey, all on Suzukis, is being seriously threatened. Sharpe beat Dave Hiscock in the 750 cu cm race at Levels, near Timaru. after making a devastating start and holding Hiscock out till the finish. Sharpe fell spectacularly at Teretaunga. near Invercargill. In the 550 cu cm class Yamahas totally dominate. Peter Fleming and Chris Bishop looked to have this class sewn up but suddenly Mike Hogan, who won

But times have changed. Honda won the prestigious sixhour race at Manfield last

Bishop is a spectacular rider, having a reputation for winning or falling off in the attempt. Possibly some of the closest racing will be in the open racing class. Here there are few restrictions on machinerv and the contestants can make plentv of modifications. Dave Hiscock. on a Yoshimura Suzuki should win this but three riders who will press him vigorously will be Dennis Ireland, who has been racing in Europe for the last two seasons, on a Suzuki RGSOO two-stroke. Roger Freeth on a GSX Suzuki with a highly modified motor and Robert Holden on a slightlvmodified GSX 1100.

one of the rounds. Rod Harris Ireland should easily win in and Peter de Bruin are in the the 500 cu cm racing class but the reckoning competition in; the' 250 cu cm

racing class should be interesting Yamaha TZ2so's have dominated this class for years but the introduction of a Rotax motor in an Auckland-built frame in the hands of Andrew McLaren, could make for close racing Rotax motors, in a variety of frames, have been a force to be reckoned with in European racing. However, a local rider. Brent Jones, on a late model TZ. is the success of this class so far this season and he will be hard to beat.

Mike Pero. of Christchurch, if his form this season and last is any indication, should have the 350 cu cm racing class easily won But the ■ Blenheim rider, Neil Smith, has emerged as a strong challenger and these two will provide some class, racing during the week-end.