Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Barry Briggs Wins British Speedway Championship By Peter WhileLONDON, ENGLAND August 5th - New Zealand ace Barry Briggs carried otf the 1969 Britisb speedway championshiP at West Ham stadium, London on Tuesday, August 5. Briggs scored an immaculate fifteen point maJCl.mum to down tlfteen other world clasS performers from England, Scotland, Austral1a and New Zealand. Meeting was the t1nal burdle for Britisb based riders in the World Championsb1p cbase. The top six point scorers quaillled for the World Final to be beld at Wembley on September 13. There they wlll be joined by tile top ten point scorers from tile European Final which is scheduled for Olcb1og, West Germany on August 24. So altholCb tile title, the tropby and the glamour centered on one man at West Ham - Briggs the magnWcent victorthere was also great interest in the rest of the scorers. The other quallfiers were Nigel B0ocock (England), Roonle Moore (New Zealand), Ken McKlnlay (Scotland), Ivan Mauger (New Zealand) and Howard Cole (England). Arnold Haley (England) survived a three man run off for the reserve berth. For Briggs, five times a world champion and second in tile great _ t last year after a beartbreaklng run ot bad luck, it was a triumphant return to the wlnner's dlas. He was in a class ot his own this nigbt. OnlY one man was fancied as a serious cballenger and that was fenow countryman Ivan Mauger. Wben they c1asbed, bowever, Briggs was clearly the master. Ma~ caused a sensation in the very first beat wilen be traDed in last. TIle current world champ missed the gate and bad to be content with eating the dust ot the other three riders for four laps, It was almost unbelievable. Ivan was very mucb a pre-race favorite and bare be was giving second best to riders a shade below bis ca.1lbre. Ivan made no mistakes in his next three outings though. With lncredible anticlpatioo be was first away trom the starting tapes and that was that. TIle others bad no cbance of catcblng blm. In bis tlfth and ftnaJ ride be met Briggs whicb cuased blm to drop another point. The third Kiwi to qua11fy was Ronnie Moore. Twice a world champion - in 1954 and 1959 - Moore was in f1De fettle and utlmately contested a run off with England captaln NlgelBoocockfor second place. TIley bad tied with 13 points apiece, Moore giving secODd best onlY to Briggs and Ma~. It was great to see Ronnie do so well. Ha retired trom Brit1sb speedway at the end cfthe li63 season following a bad leg injury. He then returned to New Zealand and re-commenced bis "Wa.llof Death" act at county fairs. For a wblle it seemed be bad lost all interest in speedway. Then, gradua.lly, be came back into the sport, riding now and again •for the fun of it' in minor meetings in the Sba.ky Isles. Came 1969 and the London club, Wimbledon, persuaded blm to have another crack at Engllsh speedway. Everyone was curious to see whether the old magic was still there. All eyes were on Moore. He bas not disappointed. The performance at West Ham amply illustrated b1s remarlcab1e "natural" ablllty and showed that be bas every chance of once again llftlng the world crown come September 13. In a field dominated by Eoglstbman, Nigel Boocock was the most outstanding. Nigel 15 now rated as England's leading rider and be confirmed this oplnlon with Siu Morely leads Paul Conserriere, Bulch Land,ren Inlo Ihe bl, bend. British Champ Barry Brllli. a sparkl1ng 13 points. In the run off for secODll place be defeated Moore narrowly. Boocock looked quite sharp, bad bags of power and tile ablllty to use. The remalnlng two places in the Final went to Scotsman Ken McKinlaY and EngUsbman Howard Cole. Both were sbock qualUlers. NeUber were really expected to get through at the eJlPense of several more fancied competitors. But speedway is an W1Pred1ctabJe sport. McJqnlay, the veteran of nearly twenty continuous years of .racing, bas bad a disastrous season to date. He bas tougbt off several worrying ligament liljuries and onlY returned to action one week prior to the Brltlsb Flnal. Mac proved be stlll bas wbat it takes and indulged in two or three exciting scraps with mucb younger and fitter riders. Showing fierce determlnation, Ken used all the skW acquired over the years to~ome trom beblnd in most ot b1s rides. McKlnlay was one of two Scotsmen in the line UP. The other, youtbful Jim McMlllan, ta1led to come to grips with the clrClJit and could manage onlY tour points. Biggest surprise, however, came with the quallfication of Cole. The bearded EngUsbman rode ~ exceedl.ngly well to notcb nine points. AltholCb stlll in his twenties, Cole bas been riding tor quite a tew years now and be bas three summer season in New Zealand under b1s belt. 'Ibis bas undoubtedly been his best year to date and it wlll be his very first world t1nal appearance. Australia was represented by Garry Middleton and CbarUe Monk. Not slnce 1963 bas there been a Kangaroo in the world t1nal and now another year wlll bave to tick by before the Land of SUDsblne can have a further crack at the "Btg One' J • Monk just wasn't in touch with the big guns wbl1e Middleton just missed out. His was the real bard luck story at the meeting. After f our rid es be bad managed elgbt points. All be needed was a tbird trom b1s next outing and be would have qualified. Instead be broke the tapes at the start of the race and was excluded trom the re-run. Middleton exploded. Angrily be protested to the referee controlllog the meeting. He wouidn't give in without a figbt. And who could blame bim. Here was his chance of a llfetime going down the drain. In the end it was to no avail. The race was started with only three riders. Then, suddenlY onto the track came Middleton. He started his bike and chased crazUy after the pack. Natura.1ly be t1n1sbed quite a distance beh1nd but at least be satlsfied b1mSelf. A reprtmand from therefereetollowed and it is llkely the matter wlll not rest there. He didn't make Wemb1ey but at least the fans were sympathetic to bis cause. Earller in the meeting Mlddleton gained a pubUc commendation tor brilllantly saving the llfe of another competitor in a crash. Ma.rtln Asbby tell directly in b1s path and the young Aussie ., dropped" his bike OIl the proverbla.1 s1.lcpence. That is to say, be de11berately tell trom b1s~ cblne and sUd along the track so as to miss Ashby. It was a great piece of riding. r-::B:::CRI;;:TISH=~Sp::E:=E:::COW:::-A:-:Y"'C=HA=M.-----' =\'\ PIONSH!P Results ( West Ham Stadtwn Loodon. Eaglantl New Zealand 15 Pta. Eniland 13 Barry Br1gp Nllel Boocock ..:.;:.re :::: ~ Ken Mo~ Howard Cole Arnold Haley Erto Boocock Garry '!1ddle"" Charlie Monk ScOlland 11 Enc- • Eacland Enc_ A..lraUa Australla a 8 8 66 Lett, John Haleley verlusSamTanner.Below, AMA National Champion Gary Nixon conll'alulalln, California Speedway Champion Sonny Nutler. Bottom: Rick Woodl seldom cruhes, but when he does••. (continued on next pa,e)

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