Ross, Bargh highlight Ruapuna speedway
The presence of the former world speedway finalist, Larry Ross, and an emerging young rider, David Bargh, of Wellington, kept the crowd on its toes during the Ashburton Engineering, Ltd, Solo Teams Challenge at the Lucas Batteries speedway at Ruapuna on Saturday evening. Graeme Taylor, who, like Max Brown, was part of Ross’s team, held the lead after the opening lap of the first heat but was almost immediately forced to surrender it to Alan Crosbie, working in tandem with his captain, Mason, and Bargh. Crosbie drifted wide on the Town bend, allowing Ross to come through to the front, where he stayed until the finish line. The second heat had to be re-run after Mark Tobeck fell heavily into the safety fence when trying to pass wide on the Prisons bend. Tobeck was shaken and missed the re-run, in which Bargh quickly hit the front and went on to win easily. This brought the scores at the half way stage to 18-17, with Ross’s team trailing.
Ross put his team back in the front by winning the next heat, opening up a handy lead on the first lap over Bargh and increasing it as the race progressed. The final heat saw a spectacular accident involving the Canterbury champion, Mason, and Robin Hampton. Going into the Prison bend, Mason lost control after hitting a wet patch and was tossed heavily to the track. With the rest of the field scattering to avoid the' falling rider, Hampton, with no room to move, rode over Mason. The latter was lucky not to be seriously injured and was admitted to hospital after the meeting had finished. Crosbie won the re-run from Hampton, having his first meeting of the season since returning from racing in England. With his machinery still on its way to New Zealand,
Hampton was riding a Lee Chappell bike for the meeting. Mark Richards filled third place, with Craig Searle fourth. This left Ross’s team the winners, 38-35.
Bargh won the super six event in the fastest time of the season, having passed Ross on the first bend. Ross tried to close the gap on the last lap, but the Wellington rider was not pressed into making a mistake. Ross reversed the result in the last race of the night and held a handy lead over Bargh for the entire race. The midget driver, Dick Webb, had another good meeting collecting two good wins and a second. In the second race, held up when Bob Leask and Dick Chapman tangled on the Town bend, Webb took the lead on the last lap bend when Mark Thompson spun. Webb broke the four-lap record and looks to be a frontrunner for next week-end’s South Island title. Thompson again looked to have the feature race won, leading for most of the race until he again spun on the Town bend with one lap to go. The midget section provided some hectic racing which took a heavy toll on machinery, the second race going under the yellow light three times. Going into the last lap, Gordon Roxburgh and Mark Williams collided and the race was stopped with Alan Palmer, Selwyn Everett and Dave Cawley being awarded the placings. Williams made no mistakes in the feature. The national sidecar champions, Wayne Turner and Laurie McMahon, were locked in battle with John Sullivan and Craig Williams. Turner and McMahon had the better of a torrid contest but after crossing the finishing line first, were disqualified for barging another competitor just before the finish. Results.—
Ashburton Engineering, Ltd, Solo Teams Challenge
trophy.— Heat 1: L. Ross 1, A. Crosbie 2, G. Taylor, 3; time, 78s. Heat 2: D. Bargh 1, A. Fisher 2, C. Searle 3; 80.65. Heat 3: Ross 1, Bargh 2, M. Brown 3; 76.25. Heat 4: Crosbie 1, R. Hampton 2, M. Richards 3; 82s. Final score: Larry’s Wild Cats 38 (Ross 12, Brown 7, Taylor 7, Searle 7, Hampton 5, G. McKeown 0); Alan’s Aces 35 (Bargh 11, Crosbie 11, Fisher 5, Richards 4, A. Mason 2, M. Tobeck 2. Super six: Bargh 1, Ross 2, Crosbie 3; 765.
Lemon and Paeroa flying four: Ross 1, Bargh 2, Richards 3; 78s.
B grade — Handicap: D. Hopewell 1, L. Chappell 2; 87.85. Handicap: M. Hollow 1, S. Maurice 2, B. Kerr 3; 92.75. Consolation: R. Brown 1, M. Ward 2, C. Slade 3; 84s. The "Star” final: Brown 1, Hopewell 2, Hollows 3; 84.45. Novices — Handicap: Hopewell 1, S. Brandon 2, Kerr 3; 93.75. Consolation: A. Papageorge 1, Kerr 2, R. McKinnon 3; 88.75. Final: Hopewell 1, Brandon 2, Kerr 3.
Sidecars — Handicap: C. Aitcherson-S. Barry 1, W. Turner-L. McMahon 2, J. Sulli-van-C. Williams 3; no time. Gavin McKay Trucks handicap: A. Bryce-W. Cameron 1, Sullivan-Williams 2, R. Tinn-ings-R. Provest 3; 85.25. Three-quarter midgets — WD-40 handicap: E. Smith 1, D. Webb 2, B. Leask 3; 43.25. WD--40 handicap: Webb 1, S. Bufton 2, C. Beach 3; 79s (record).
Pacific Motor-cycles feature: Webb 1, Smith 2, G. Stapleton 3; no time.
Midgets — Cornerways Cars handicap: S. Everett 1, D. Cawley 2, N. Chandler 3; 77.65. Levi's handicap: A. Palmer 1, Everett 2, Cawley 3 (placings awarded); no time. Countrywide feature: J 4. Williams 1, Chandler 2, Palmer 3; Ills.
Sprint cars: Levi’s Handicap: K. Burt 1, B. Salter 2, B. Todd 3; 77.45. Lucas Batteries Indian file: Salter 1, Burt 2, Todd 3; 80.45.
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