Mitchell puts Canty ahead

Press, 8 March 1982, Page 22

Mitchell puts Canty ahead

An unbroken series of six wins by Alister Mitchell steered a Canterbury combination to a first-round Lead in an ihvitation sidecars best-pairs championship at Ruapuna Park Speedway, near Christchurch, on Saturday. . 1 The championship, which matched 14 of New Zealand’s best riders, was held over 21 heats on Saturday and was to' be decided after a second round at Nelson last evening. Mitchell, of Christchurch, and his partner, Tim Gough, were paired with another local combination, Howard Jones and Craig Hooper. Between them the leading pair scored 26 points, with Mitchell making most of that with a maximum of 18 points from his six -races. Jones had four second placings for eight points from his last four heats after having been

unplaced in his first two races. The New Zealand champion, Bruce Turner, as partner with his brother. Wayne, in another Canterbury combination, was in second place, two points behind the leaders. Bruce Turner; with his wife Norma in the chair, scored 15 points, , while Wayne Turner and Laurie McMahon contributed nine. Two pairs were tied in third place with 23 points: the Invercargill representatives, Russell Cunningham and Brian Reed; and two Wanganui three-wheelers, Tony Cave and Robert Vandenburg. Vahdenburg and his swinger, Bruce Johnson, provided the second-best individual effort of the evening, with 16 points from two

second placings and four wins. Mitchell, who finished sixth-equal at the national championships in Wellington earlier this year, gave what he said was his best performance of the season. The former motor-cycle racer, of Christchurch, finished ahead of Bruce Turner in his opening heat and recorded the fastest time of the evening. Mitchell said later that his good form had been partly a result of having eliminated misfiring problems with his engine. ’ SIDECARS Results.New Zealand best-pairs invitation (Christchurch riders unless otherwise stated).— Heat 1: J. Warwood. 1; L. Dwight (Nelson). 2; C. Aitcheson, 3. Time: 82. Heat 2: R. Cunningham (Invercargill), 1; R. Vandenburg (Wanganui), 2; B. Reed (Invercargill). 3. Time:

82.4. Heat 3: A. Mitchell. 1; B. Turner. 2: W. Turner, 3. Time: 8.06. Heat 4: P. Lowe (Auckland). 1; L. Dwight (Auckland). 2; W. Taplin (Nelson). 3. Time: 83.3. Heat 5: Reed. 1: Cunningham. 2: Aitcheson. 3. Heat 6: Mitchell, 1; Vandenburg, 2; T. Cave (Wanganui), 3. Time: 80.8. Heat 7: B. Turner. 1; W. Turner, 2. Heat 8: Cunningham. 1; Reed, 2; Dwight, 3. Time: 83. Heat 9: Vandenburg, I; Cave, 2; Aitcheson, 3. Time: 82.5. Heat 10: Mitchell. 1; H. Jones. 2; S. Solly. (Nelson),. 3. Time: 82. Heat 11: B. Turner, 1; W. Turner. 2; Dwight, 3. Time: 81.2. Heat 12: Mitchell, 1; Jones. 2; Warwood. 3. Time: 81.1. Heat 13: B. Turner. 1: Reed, 2; Cunningham, 3. Time: 81.2. Heat 14: Vandenburg. 1: Cave. 2; Taplin. 3. Time: 81.9. Heat 15: Mitchell. 1: Jones. 2: Lowe. 3. Time: 82. Heat 16: W. Turner, 1: B. Turner, 2; Warwood, 3. Time: 81. Heat 17: Reed. 1; Cunningham, 2: Taplin, 3. Time: 84. Heat 18: Vandenburg. 1; Cave. 2: Dwight, 3. Time: 82. Heat 19: Warwood. 1: Aitcheson, 2. Time: 86.1. Heat 20: Mitchell. 1;

Jones. 2: Cunningham. 3. Time: 82.5. Heat’2l: Vandenburg, 1; B. Turner 2 W Turner. 3. Time: 82. . SPRINT CARS Ran 1 l D Mathias, 1; .P Leversedge. 2 S. Everett. 3. Race 2 R Weeson. 1; Everett, 2; Leversedge, 3. Time: 1:52. Race 3.- Everett. 1; B. Todd, 2; Leversedge, 3. > MIDGETS Race I.— P. Robinson, 1; G. Fineran, 2: D. Cawley, 3. Race 2. Fineran. 1: A. Palmer. 2; D. Cawley. 3. Time: 2:40. Race 3Cawley. 1: Fineran. 2: G. Roxburgh. 3. A grade solos — Race 1: K Browne, 1; G. Taylor, 2: M Brown, 3. Time: 81. Race 2- R Wright. 1; M. Brown. 2. Time: . 79.9. B grade- Final: P. McClintock. 1: G. McEwan. 2; R. Brown, 3. Time: 61.8. T.Q. Midgets.- Race 1: B. Leask. 1: B. Lambie, 2: E. Smith 3. Time: 2:04. Race 2: W. Deno- ,1 van. I; B. Lambie, 2: C. Beach, 3. » Time: 83.8. J