Impressive record of Roger Wright

Press, 21 August 1985, Page 46

Impressive record of Roger Wright

The city of Christchurch has long been been renowned for producing topclass speedway riders.

While names such as Ronnie Moore, Barry Briggs and Ivan Mauger spring readily to mind, the Ruapuna circuit at Templeton, like its predecessor at Aranui, has nurtured a steady string of riders who have performed with distinction in British speedway league racing, albeit without quite rising to the dizzy heights of their more illustrious compatriots. One such rider is Roger Wright, a stalwart of the Christchurch speedway scene for over twenty years. While speedway riders are well known for the longevity of their competition careers, Wright’s record of consistency over many seasons would be hard to match.

Although Wright’s interest in the sport was first sparked by visits to the old Aranui track as a young spectator in the 19505, it was not until 1963, at the age of 19, that he ventured out on to the then new Templeton circuit to embark on a speedway career in which he would compete against the best riders in Britain’s first and second divisions and represent his country at test match level. In those early years of the new speedway, several promising young riders, who, along with Wright were to become household names to New Zealand speedway enthusiasts, emerged. Riders like Alan Brown, Murray Burt and Tom Black made their first unsteady laps of the circuit that season, and in spite of the tough competition, Wright came second in the South Island second division championships in his first year of racing. Wright had always been interested in tinkering with motor cycles, and then, as now, carried out most of the preparation work on his own machinery.

In 1969, encouraged by Moore, who was then making a comeback, Wright took the plunge and made his way to Britain where he rode for the English second division side. Rayleigh. The young rider acquitted himself well in his first season on the English scene scoring seven and a half point average.

Wright returned to New Zealand after that season. He did not go back until 1972, when he rode for the Hackney first division team. Unable to buy the best equipment with which to match the top first division riders, Wright struggled to reach top form, until he switched to the second division with the Teesside club and top scored for the team.

Wright continued with Teesside until 1975, coming back to New Zealand during the British off-season. From 1975 until 1978 Wright rode for Worthington before joining Berwick, for whom he rode until his retirement from British league racing in 1982.

The Christchurch rider carved a niche for himself among the hard competitors of the British second division, where he was a wellrespected competitor for over ten years. Although the cut-throat aspect of the first division was absent, Wright found a home away from home among the tough characters who made up the second division circus. An unassuming . man, Wright does not place much importance on keeping records of his victories and ,has long since lost count of the number of South Island finals he has contested. His highest placing in the New Zealand championship was at Christchurch in 1972 when he finished second to Bruce Cribb. In 1973, Wright had his best shot at the New Zealand title at Western Springs in Auckland where he struck top form, winning

his first four heats, only to lose concentration in the last heat and be beaten into fourth place by the late Garry Petersen. Wright’s proudest moments though were his six appearances for New Zealand and three for the Australasian team, when he

rode alongside New Zealand’s finest riders. Although Wright feels that Mauger is probably the best rider he has competed against, he has the most admiration for the style of Moore, whom he describes as a rider who could win races from almost any posi-

tion on the track. A tall rider in a sport where most competitors seem to assume jockey-like proportions, Wright is easily picked out on the track even among a jostling bunch of riders. Although his days of British league racing are now behind him, Wright can

still produce a good enough turn of speed to see off most of the up and coming young riders at the Ruapuna track, in spite of being what he describes as “old enough to be their dad.” Last season, Wright added third placings in both the South Island and New Zea-

land finals and a win in the Canterbury championship to his already long list of achievements. Next season he should be out again setting the current crop of riders a standard to aim for. JOHN HAWKINS