Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125642
" Pf/i, Of C!Jf//IIpions By Eric Ratts Curreat World's Speedway Champion Ivan Mauger and second plater Barry BrigP. both of Cbrtstcbuldl, New Zealand bave put on racing exhlbUloas at Costa Mesa, Cal. for the last two weeks that had standing room only crowds limp willi escltement. They traveled north to SaDIa Barbara and did the same. The Exciters from lIIe Shaky Isle have different repulatlons. Brigs Is known as Mr. Nice Guy wbtle Mauaer has bas been accused of being stand-olrlsh lUId cool. We talked to both of them lUId found them equally eager to- ctve their views lUId opinions of speedway racing in Europe. lIIe Down Under countries and the United States. Both ot the super-stars are famtly men. Ivan and Raye Mauger have two girls and a boy and Barry and Junle have two boys. They travel so mucb that both of them say their leisure time is spent in doing things with their famlUes. Ivan and bls wife are avid water sldJers and hope to tit a Uttle siding In their busy schedule before they go back to Ne~ Zealand November 11th. Barry says he Is mainly a sports fan. He favors football, soccer to us. and wants to send his two boys to a sports college. He explained that a sports college Is one whlcb emphasizes sports "more than just JdckIDg a ball around for an bour or so". Both men say they will support their son or sons ,If they want to race as a career but will not particularly encourage it. Briggs has a miniature race track In bls backyard and his two boys are progresslDg nicely, learning to scoot a Honda 50 around the tiny course. "They will be well versed in the fundamentals of the sport should they decide to make a go of it," said Briggs. The men say they travel from 25 to 50 thousand mUes a season. They race on different Jdnds of tracks In front ot varied audiences'. Briggs said the English are the most team conscious aDd otten travel to other cities to follow their favorites but he and Mauger both emphasized the enthusiasm ot the Poles. "It's a great place to ride, If you happen to be PoUsb." said Mauger. Tract surfaces ftr'Y widely, Maapr said the crus aDd SIIIId tracks c&D oc:cu10Daly be veryrougb. "We doII't complalD thougb. We ttcure we are gett1Dc good money to ride there aDd -bes1des, we learn from It. If you c&D go fast on a bumpy track, you'll be tbat much taster wilen you race on a smooth surface." The New Zealanders were hesitant to talk money matters but both said they could Uve comfortably on the raclDg income. Both are Involved In business but give most ot their time to raclDg. Most EngUsb tracJCS are from 400 to 440 yards In length and are of the normal speedway variety wbUe the German and Scandanavtan tracks are either grass or sa.Il!! and are slightly larger. 8l1gs Is 34 aDd stW bas coeJs to sboot for. AMA 1Jat-tracld.Dc 10 lbe U.S. is one. He's lookln& forward to rtd1Dr In the Astrodome nellt year. "Bucsy (Dick Mann), Bert Markel, aDd Skip Van Leeuwen are belplDg me an awful lot. You know, It's tunII1, here I am tryInr to win their money, so to speak, aDd they're helplDg me In every way they c&D. I'm very grateful," Brius COlleluded. The help Is belDg recIProcated. The two Kiwis are help1ntl'our Speedway riders. They were both full ot praise for the progress our men had made durlDg the pas! year. Mauger said. "Frankly your riders had pre-war styles wben we came here for the first time. They show a terrlf1c improvement though". He slDgled out what he called keeness. "The Americans are so keen. You go to tell them something new and they are so keen to learn. You know, we have scbools in England for this sort ot thing and' the attitudes are not quite the same." ""m stili gettlne I lot out of the sporl_ Racine Is my IIf. rlcht now." Delllis Gr_ photo. "Two riders c.lIn hav. the sam••bllll)' but th.olll with the rich! ettltud. will be I con· slstlllt wll1llJl'." o.nnls GrHn. photo. The 29 year old Mauger said he can't forsee retirement at the present. "I'm still getting a lot out ot the sport and If someone came to me with II business proPOsition which would make me rich, I'd tell him to forget it. Racing Is my Ute right now." Briggs emphasized attitude also. He said at least a half dozen rtders have outstand1Dg ablllties but some ot them have the extra will to win. "Two riders can have the same abllity but the one with the right attitude will be a consistent winner ." Neither wanted to be speclf1c aDd point out riders by name for fear ot lea~ someone out. Briggs said the Americans are dolDg particularly well at Costa Mesa but are falUng Into a set style because there Is only one track to run on. "That showed when they had to ride In Santa Barbara." He went on to explain: "A small track is not a bad place to learn thouch, you simply have to open up a bit to ride on a bigger track." Both men expressed the hope tbat Americans would have more places to ride next year and that speedway would become even a bluer attraction. We hope so too aDd want to thank Ivan Mauger. Barry Briggs, Jim Airey aDd Bert Harld.ns for their part In drawtnr fans to Costa Mesa and Santa Barbara. Baja Rest For Roberts At Bay Mare Story and Photos by Dave Smead BAY MARE RANCH, CAL. Nov. 2,1969 - If you like a tough motocross course and Uke to ride three times then you should come to Bay Mare. UslDg most of the course that the Team Prix riders rode. this week's race at Bay Mare, gave the riders a Uttle bit of everything. Two major sandwashes are connected with some loose corners. a fas! straight section and a cabby hlll. It gets pretty hard If It Isn't torn up by a tractor periodically but otherwise the new layout at Bay Mare is great. ' Dean York on a 125cc Sachs, like the course even If be did do an endo In the sand. He nearly lapPed the field In the flrst division of 125cc Juniors the first time out. HIs endo In the second moto put blm almost a lap down but II strong machine and a determined rider garnered second before> the race was over. With the top 12 of each division combined, York still won easily In his third try. T, MUes took a couple of seconds In the other 125cc division and also a second beblnd York In the main moto. Gene Cannady took all three 125 SenIor motos with such ease you mlgbt think be was out for a Sunday afternoon of cowtratllng. The first 250Cc Novice race was a Like spokes of • wh•• I, riders e.t th. f"' of BlY Mlr.'s n.w motocross cour... B.,ow, he,.'s I 1I111. bit of the Ponderosl tunspl.nt.d to BIY M.r•• muddY spectacle at the upb111 start. Division one took a beating when combined with Division two for the third inota. D. Stewart took bls Bultaco In for two wins plus a third win in the run-oft. Giving blm trouble constantly was J. Ferris on a Yamaha. The 250cc Seniors were dominated by Jim Dawson and D. Camp. They fInIshe