Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

by Peter White BRIGGS QUITS Four times world' speedway-champion, Barry Briggs, has decided to quite British League racing. Briggs made this shock announcemen t on London's lTV 'World of Sport' television programme two weeks ago. The maestro, still one of the world's select speedway super-stars, said he had made the' decision some time ago but delayed making his intention public until the end of the season. Briggs suffered a severe hand injury which resulted in the loss of the index finger on his left hand at Wembley in September while making a bold bid to gain the world crown for the fifth time. This has kept him out of racing ever smce, although he did return to the track twice for practice spins just before the British League season wound up. The trials proved he had not lost any of his touch and helped him to make another important decision: That he will keep riding...but only in big 'open' meetings, on the Continent, in the United States and at home in native New Zealand. To quote the man himself: "I am confiden t that my decision to quit British League racing won't mean the end of my career in Britain. I will be available for certain open mee tings (with provisos and should the respective promoters want to book me in) and haven't given up hope of competing in the next world championship. I shall also be riding on the Continent and probably in the United States." With Briggs' virtual departure from the world scene, there remains now only two super-stars to carry on: presen t world champ, Ivan Mauger, and his deposed pupil, Ole Olsen. Will they be challenged next year? And by whom? Only time will tell ...but methinks they're set to reign supreme for some years yet. AUSTRALIAN PIONEER DIES Old-time speedway rider, Frank Arthur, passed away in Sydney, Australia recently, of a heart attack. Arthur was the present-day promoter at the Sydney Showground and Brisbane Exhibition Ground tracks under the banner of his pre-war company, Empire Speedway Pty Ltd.lt was Arthur who first contracted Chuck Jones and DeWayne Keeter to tour Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of the curren t U.S. speedway revival in 1968-69. He was the oldest and most respected man in Australian speedway and the sport is certainly much the poorer for his passing. ANOTHER OUTPOST OPENS MAJORCA Speedway, the truly international sport, has expanded it's frontiers yet again. This time in Majorca. At Palma, on the island off the coast of Spain, the first ever speedway meeting was held recently. Man behind the project is Ian Hoskins, an Australian by buth who has spent most of his life promoting speedway in England and Scotland. ..... 4 world speedway ~ o CIJ ;;: W Z W ~ U > U Before the Perth series Jim Airey. (Aust.) and Nigel Boocock (Eng) were all smiles as the~ posed with ultra·trick pit-tootsie (or dollYrbird as they call them down under). Things got a little less frtendly later...supposedly over racing, but we bet it was the girl. Formerly the force behind Glasgow and Edinburgh speedways. Over 5,000 people turned up to see the specacle. Hoskins was delighted and bubbled with enthusiasm for the future of the sport at this new speed centre. Two of Spain's leading trials and motorcross ridders wen t over to Palma from Barcelona and did extremely well. Juan Regas and Isidro Marques left for the mainland sayirlg they'd spread the speedway gosp~1 and would be returning soon for another taste of the action. S tar of the mceting was an Englishman named Marshall Pugh wh..o rode the card undefeated and clocked the track record in the sixth race. IVAN MAUGER APPROACHED FOR CAR RACING Current world speedway champion, Ivan Mauger, has received an offer to switch to car racing. One of the sport's leading manufacturers has offered 32 -ye ar-old Mauger a try-out in England. But it is unlikely the Kiwi will forsake speedway. "At the moment any switch to car racing is a vague possibility rather than anything more definite," he said. AUSTRALIAN TEST SERIES LEVEL In Australia, the speedway season is nearing its peak with intense interst now being generated in the ,solo section as the test series against Great Britam p'rogresses. The 'seven man British team began its .tour in Perth last man th and has moved through Adelaide, Warrnambool (Victoria), Canberra (the Capital of Australia) and Sydney. In Perth they had difficulty adjusti.ng to the large half-mile track and were beaten 60-48 by Australia in the first test. Australian skipper, Jim Airey, registered a full 18 point maximum. He ~ was solidly supported by South Australian star, John Boulger, who scored 14. Britain's best was Exeter rider, Bob Kilby, who scored 13. The Lions then moved on to Adelaide for the South Australian Championship and the second test. In the first meetinl( Englishman, Chris Pusey, pushed local home track hero, John Boulger, to a run-off for the South Australian Championshp but lost out to Boulgar in the final reckoning. The following week, England clicked and hit form to down Australia 58-50 in the second test. This levelled the series and th rew the whole encounter wide open. A sensation occurred in Adelaide during the second tcst when water was Speedway racers blow off a little tension by put on the race track at the interval . brl?W li p9 ~t:N.e~n r~~s, • ' I , .\ , , I • . 'Chris Pus"Y'attempted·t

• Cover