Gleeson gains national title

Press, 30 January 1984, Page 3

Gleeson gains national title

Roger Gleeson of Christchurch collected his first national title with a narrow victory over Barry Butterworth of Auckland in the final championship heat of the McPhail Motor PartsRadio Avon New Zealand Sprintcar Championships at Lucas Batteries speedway, yesterday evening. From the opening heat of the three ten-lap title race, it became clear that Gleeson and Butterworth would be locked into battle for the championship. After being involved in a tangle with Christchurch’s Bruce Hobbs and defending champion Tony Allen, from Auckland, which forced Hobbs out of the race, Gleeson passed Allen on the first bend and increased his lead as the race progressed. Butterworth having drawn a back grid quickly drove his way to the front and after placing local Kevin Burt on lap seven, settled for second place. Going into the final lap, Gleeson had a nasty moment when lapping Christchurch’s Peter Leversedge. As Gleeson tried to get by the two cars touched, Gleeson powered his way clear and just missed breaking the lap record. With the drivers starting the second heat in reversing order of finishing in the first heat Gleeson and Butterworth blasted their way through the field. After making a better start than

Butterworth, Gleeson lost a lot of ground on the Town before allowing Butterworth to get by. After Hobbs had led the race for the first two laps he retired when hitting the safety fence. As the race restarted, after Hobbs’ car was cleared from the track, Butterworth charged to the front and was never headed. With Tony Allen and Burt having a battle for second placing for several laps they went wide on the Prison Bend and Gleeson drove around the pole line to take second place. Butterworth’s winning time bettered Gleeson’s four-lap record by 1.1 seconds and the Aucklander also equalled Gleeson’s lap record. Going into the final heat, Gleeson and Butterworth were tied on 31 points. After a brief tangle on the opening lap both drivers quickly shot to the lead. Butterworth was slowed when tangling with Auckland’s Mike Allen. Gleeson later shot past Tony Allen and with Butterworth quickly gaining second place the two lead-' ing cars cleared away from the rest of the field. During the second and third heats Butterworth had altered his car’s chassis and this cost him the race as Gleeson increased his winning margin. Gleeson set a new mark for both the lap and eight laps during the race. Gleeson finished with 47 points to Butterworth’s 46, with Burt third over all with 32. Butterworth won the flying farewell race easily from Gleeson, with Butterworth lowering the lap record to 16.0 seconds. The other highlight of the meeting was the running of the Trevor Morris Memorial race, held over thirty laps. American Kevin Olsen took the lead on the first lap and was never headed