‘Big four’ dominate speedway contest

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 60

‘Big four’ dominate speedway contest

By

ALISTAIR ARMSTRONG

The New Zealand solo motorcycle championship at the Lucas Ruapuna Park Speedway this evening should boil down to a contest between four professionals in the field of 16.

Larry Ross (Christchurch), Ivan Mauger (Christchurch), David Bargh (Martinborough) and Mitch Shirra (Napier), all past or present British league riders, look to be the most likely contenders for the top two places and a start in the next round of the world championship qualifying competition in England. Ross said yesteray he did not expect a rider outside of those four to qualify for the Overseas final at Manchester’s Belle Vue circuit: “They are the blokes that count,” he said. 5 All four have recorded notable championship successes. Mauger is a six-times former world champion, Ross a five-times New Zealand champion, Shirra the defending national titleholder and Bargh the present North Island champion. Ross’s background suggests he will be a difficult opponent for his rivals to get past at his “home” Ruapuna track

The 28-year-old Christchurch man is seldom beaten in club races at Ruapuna’and after his victory over a similar field in the Australasian qualifying championship there last year he was described by Mauger as “virtu-

ally unbeatable” on the track.

Despite his impressive record, Ross claims that any familiarity with the circuit will mean little when it comes to heading home his fellow professional opponents. “They are too good for that,” he said.

Ross earned his place among the eight South Island finalists in this evening’s event by finishing a stylish second behind Mauger, the iix-times former world champion, in Invercargill earlier this month.

Mauger was in “fantastic” form at yesterday’s practice session at Ruapuna, according to Ross, and despite having stated that a place in the world finals would not be his top priority this year the 43-year-old veteran looks once again well placed to qualify.. Shirra, meanwhile, will be particularly keen to regain his national title. The 23-year-old Coventry rider missed out by a single point on a qualifying place last year when he finished third behind Mauger in the Australasian competition. He said yesterday he was particularly keen to make his first world finals appearance in Germany this year. /Bargh, who races in Wellington, will come to the 20heat championship - fresh from his North Island title victory in Palmerston North earlier this month. He has also won the Grand Prix in Wellington this year.