Allan rides to his second moto-cross title

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 36

Allan rides to his second moto-cross title

The racers put caution aside in the third and final round of the New Zealand moto-cross championships, at Omihi, near Christchurch, yesterday. The double-points format at the only South Island round this year meant there was twice as much at stake at Christchurch. New Plymouth’s Shayne King (Honda) had the heat taken from his 125 c.c. assault when his nearest rival for the title, Palmerston North’s Leon Andrew (Kawasaki), suffered mechanical failure. Andrew was already 30 points behind the flying King after his machine had packed up at round one in Auckland a fortnight ago, but a second mechanical disaster put paid to Andrew’s chances of beating King. The ,18-year-old Andrew fought back to finish second in the final race and salvage fourth over all in the series. Taupo’s John Penny (Honda) surged back from a seemingly hopeless fourteenth over all after round one to snatch second over all in yesterday’s final. The double points format at least worked for Penny, who how retains the runner-up position he first earned last, season. A first and then two fourths were enough for Christchurch’s Graeme Allan (Kawasaki) to win his second national motocross title. Allan easily won the first of the day’s three 250 c.c. heats and looked set to add the 250 c.c. title to his 1986 500 c.c. crown when disaster struck. The 21-year-old Canterbury rider raced too close to the rear wheel of Australian Peter Melton’s Yamaha, and he fell, injuring his heavily strapped knee. He limped home in fourth place and then

braved the pain to again finish fourth in his final race and win the 250 c.c. title, a meagre one point ahead of his Kawasaki team-mate, an Englishman, Perry Leask. Leask turned up the speed to take two seconds and a first place and finished runner-up in the class he easily won in 1984 and 1985. An Englishman, Greg Hanson, was unbeatable throughout the threeround series in the 50(X c.c. class. However, it was the battle for second spot that caught the crowd’s attention. An angry Julian Clark, of England, discovered his Kawasaki’s tyres had mysteriously gone flat a few minutes before the final 500 c.c. face. Hurried work by his pit crew reinflated the tyres but his front tyre again went flat midway through the race, and he finished far enough back to give Wellington’s Murray Anderson (Yamaha) enough points for second over all. Anderson, five times the national moto-cross champion, was much closer to the two Englishmen than he was at either Auckland or round two in Wanganui and it paid off with the double points format at Christchurch. Final placings, in the New Zealand moto-cross championships, after the third and final round: 125 c.c. class: S. King, 222 points, 1; J. Penny, 147, 2; F. Brundage, 144, 3; L. Andrew, 142, 4; M. Axtens, 134, 5; M. Bell, 109, 6. 250 c.c. class: G. Allan, 205 points, 1; P. Leask, 204, 2; P. Melton, 188, 3;. M. Rowe, 170, 4; W. Timpson, 106, 5; R. Saunders,’ 103, 6. ’ 500 c.c. class: G. Han--son, 240 points, 1; M. Anderson, 140,'2; J. Clark, 184, 3; P. McKendry, 134, 4; W. McKinley, 133, 5; B. Emerson, 106, 6.