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/125808
.if CD N Q. N .... '" BARRY BRIGGS TALKS ABOUT IT ,; o Z ~ w Z w ...J U >U Gordeev hits Briggs. Persson (Sweden) makes contact with Briggs at the World Final at Wembley. Gordeev can be seen entering the picture from the right. Still at full throttle, Gordeev continues to land over the fence. Briggs has almost come to a halt. Notice his steel shoe next to him. by Barry Briggs. Photos by Wright Wood Belle Vue. I have won this title six times - in fact, until 1971 I was the only man who had ever won the BLRC crown! - and was really keen to compete again this year. I had a practice run at Wimbledon two days before but quickly realized that 1 wouldn't be able to ride. 1 ould only hang on for a couple of laps. My Swindon mate, Martin Ashby, t00k my place and rode the bike J had specially prepared for the World Final. Martin is the sort who benefits by advice and encouragement. Technically he is a very good rider and he proved it at Belle Vue by ftnishing second behind Ole Olsen. My plans for racing in 197 3 are undetermined at present. Regular racing in England means two or three meetings a week, racing against lads who are willing to stick their necks out just to beat riders Like Ivan and myself. After a mid·season crash this year I had a month out of the saddle.J?uring the two months before the World Final, I only rode in about six or seven meetings. Vet I produced my best form for the final. Consequently it may be better and smarter for me to do less racing. I want to enjoy my racing and in the future will only compete in those meetings in which 1 can do just that and/or know that I can produce my best form. Second best never has been, nor never will, be any good to me. I may well get more involved with American AMA racing. Look.ing back on the few races I have competed in, I realize I have only scratched the surface. ' Without doubt, the American racing scene is the toughest in the world. It requires a different mental approach to speedway racing in Britain. In the past I haven't had the time to gear myself up properly. Perhaps I will have that opportunity in the months ahead, giving myself a chance to prove exactly what I can do in the States. However, my fIrst excursion to America will not be for racing. 1 shall be jetting across the Atlantic before Christmas on business. No doubt I'll have a crack at Baja with Bruce Brown and his mat~ Jack. Don't let Bruce's apparent attitude fool you into thinking he's only an immature rider. He's crafty, and pulls diabolical strokes on me in this ride. Why, even Black ,Bar~ woulq n9t l>a~ <1Qne,som.e ef ~b",,;,. his h"o/'aay J } ' ; " I ( I I ( J ( J ' . , . , I am now well on the road to recovery after losing the index finger of my left hand as a result of injuries received in the 1972 World Final. [ also had a series of skin grafts on the same hand, but I hope to be riding again soon, during a short .tOUt of South Africa. I w~s very disappointed at not winning what would conceivably be my last World Final. I had trained hard for the big event, the most important day in the speedway year. Swimming. early morning runs, exercises, etc., made me Utter than I had been for a long time. . At least being so fit helped my injuries to heal more qu~ckly but I had hoped to finish my eighteenth World Final on the victors' rostrum and not on a stretcher. Having beaten Ivan Maguer in my first race, I felt really good. • Then my world came crumbling down in the fi.fth race of the evening. First Bernie Persson of Sweden crunched into me and, as I hit the track, two Russian riders following behind also managed to make contact. That was the end of my racing in the Wembley fmal. My left hand was in a tetrible mess and 1 had no chance at all of riding again. I was tak.en to a local hospital and at ftrst it was feared that I would lose two fingers. The next day, however, I was transferred to another hospital where I got the very best treatment. . They could even have sa.ved my index finger but it would never have been fully operational again. Rather than face a series of operations, I decided to have it amputated. Things could have been worse, of course. My injuries could have been more substantial; damage to the hand is better than damage to the head, so perhaps I was lucky. I was still hospitalized when Great Britain went to Germany and retained the World Team Cup against Poland, Russia and Sweden. This' was the ftrst time 1 had missed out on a World Team Cup Final but the lads did well and were convincing winners. Another bi" meetipg I missed wi' .the British Le~,¥,. Riq"f~',Cb'lrp,pi~ip. at ..','..'l',., "" '~.'~ •. ~ . .~ ' ·l",f '~lt·~r., ,'. \ ,'.', I' 0.4." ~-4' ',.# . I • • .II .. t &... • ~ "- "'- .. ...