MAJOR MOTOR CYCLE MEETING ON FRIDAY

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 100, 30 December 1970, Page 12

MAJOR MOTOR CYCLE MEETING ON FRIDAY

Taupo, a town not generally associated with motor cycle racing, will be the venue for one of the biggest meetings of the season on New Year's Day.

The Taumarunui Motor Cycle Club, continuing an association with Taupo established four years ago, will promote its annual grass track races on Centennial Park, four miles from town along Spa Road. The club has been allocated the New Zealand Open and North Island 350cc Miniature T.T. titles by the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union.

The track will consist of the main runway of the gliding field and other side runway s and verges. The main straight will be over 500 yards long and will lead on to a sweeping corner which the best riders will take at over 80 mph. The remaining corners will be set for speeds from 50 mph down to one tight hairpin taken at about 20 mph and the length will measure 1.1 miles, making it the longest and fastest grass track used in New Zealand. Although post entries will be taken, there are already 42 finn entries, and since several riders have two machines the fields for each of the 12 races will be very large. The entry includes all the best riders in the North Island. STAR RIDER A certain star is Ohinewai rider Hugh Anderson, New Zealand's only world champion in motor cycle road racing who, since his return from Europe to become the best rider in scrambles and miniature T.T.'s, is the only rider capable of heading off Allan Collison, the country's most prolific winner of scrambles championships. With Collison also entered for the meeting, the outcome cannot be predicted. Peter Ploen, who, like Collison, races for the Mana watu Orion Motor Cycle Club is also entered and, though a young rider, has proved nearly the equal of Anderson and Collison. Ross McLaren, of Hamilton, who recently returned from two years' successful riding in British scrambles will also ride, and could well provide the upset of the day. These riders all use late model scrambles two strokes, Anderson preferring a Swedish 400cc Husqvarna to the Czechoslovakian 360cc CZ s of the others. The four stroke exponents will be led by last year s star rider, Bryan Scobie of Hamil-

ton, who will ride a 500cc Metise, powered by a 50 bhp Jawa speedway motor Scobie 's experience of the track, and the sure performance of his machine, must make him a favourite to topple Anderson. Goog Allan, also of Hamilton, will use a 500cc JAP speedway motor fitted into a specially built lightweight frame. Adlan, a former New Zealand speedway test rider has considerable experience of this type of racing on European and British tracks. CONTENDER If racing experience counts for anything, John Furze, of New Plymouth, will also be a main contender. Until the return of Anderson Furze was the country's leading miniature T.T. rider and specialises in this form of high speed grass surface racing. The North Island 350cc championship will have about 25 starters, with the majority being on 250cc scrambles two strokes. Probably the only effective opposition to these will come from Auckland rider Rex Crawley, who has considerable experience of this type of racing in Australia. Crawley has prepared a former road racing AJS of the famous 7R series. As these machines were capable of 115 mph in road races, Crawley won't lack speed. But the main contenders for the title will be Laurie Love, of Wanganui, on a 250cc scrambles Suzuki, and Reg Davey, of Taumarunui, on a 250cc Bultaco. Love has been nearly unbeatable in his class this season, and Davey has several times been the only rider capable of going with him. Davey has the ad-