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Page 34 Sept~berI8, 1973 break through the Iron Curtain barrier and contract three Polish riders to race Down Under during the coming Australian summer speedway season. Already P91ish authorities have given the preliminary okay for Jan Mucha, Antoni Woryna and Henryk Glucklich to tour Australia and now official confirmation is awaited. The three are veteran world finalists who should prove exciting attractions on the fast Australian tracks with their wide-open throttle styles. A British Lions test team is also under contract and is likely to be composed of: Nigel Boocock, Eric Boocock (if he recoven from his broken arm in time), Chris Pusey, Jim McMillan, Peter Collins and Malcolm Simmons. • OCiR Speedway Ole Olson shows style u he goes under How8rd Cole of Englend. Scene: World Speedway Jim Ashworth (left) and Ralph Castor (foreground) treded Main __11. TUSTIN, CAL., AUG. 29 . By Peter White Four riders are expected to fight out this year's World Speedway Championship Final at Chorzow, Poland. They are defending world titleholder, Ivan Mauger (New Zealandl' 1971 Champion, Ole Olsen (Denmark, Anders Michanek (Sweden) and teenage wonder boy, Zenon Piech (Poland). Mauger, Michanek and Olsen qualified via the European Final at Abensburg, West Germany late last month. In the meeting, eight qualifiers from the British/Nordic Final clashed with eigh t Russian qualifien from the Continental Final. Four Russians progressed to the World Final proper in Poland. The European Final was won brilliantly by giant Swede, Anden Michanek. The 30-year-old Stockholm racer put together a fabulous 15 point undefeated maximum to lead home Mauger (14 points) and Russian, Vladimir Paznikov (12 points). Michanek was in flying form and served notice that he could well become Sweden's first world chlllDpion since the last of legendary Ove Fundin's five wins in 1967. Michanek, cool and calm under pressure, even had the temerity to pass reigning champ Mauger from behind in a faultless performance. The pair met in the second heat and it was Mauger who first reached the sand covered tum on the big 400 metre track. However on the third tap Mauger made a sligh t slip and Michanek squeezed through to hit the lead. After that, Michanek was rarely troubled and as a measure of his superiority he set up the fastest time of the meeting on his way to the European title which he now adds to the Swedish and British/Nordic crowns. The meeting was held under a boiling Bavarian sun which took much out of the riders. After his first race defeat to Michanek, Mauger came good and split the remainder of the field wide apart with one of his most sparkling displays of the year. He was first out of the gate in each of his remaining four rides. The other big gun, Ole Olsen, rode under trying conditions. Olsen suffered a smashed shoulder in a crash three weeks earlier while riding for his British League team, Wolverhampton, in a league match. He under went special medical treatment to allow him to race but was in considerable pain and could not carry on after he had scored sufficient points_ to qualify for the World Final. In his ("tnt race he faced thre~ Russians and rode bravely to come through for second. That was to be the pattern as he repeatedly lost ground at the starts which he then had to fight hard to make up. After four rides and four second places (eight points were enough to get him to Poland), he called it a day. John Louis Banned The meeting got off to a sensational start when top English seed, John Louis, Was controvenially banned from taking part. Fuel tests taken after the British/Nordic Final at Coventry in England reve~ed traces of the banned fuel additive nitro-methane. At first it was agreed the traces were minimal and would not have boosted the power of Louis' bike and the Con trol Board were prepared to let him start in Europe. But ~en an FlM ruling knocked it on the head and Louis was pulled out only two hours before the meeting was due to start. A disappointed Louis claimed immediately afterwards that he had ridden his "last race of the season. He was replaced in the European Final by reserve, Bernt Persson (Sweden), who finished second to Mauger at Wembley last year. Persson seized the chance with an open throttle and powered his way to ten points and a certain spot in the line-up in Poland. Vladimir Cordeev, the Russian Champion, also pulled out of the meeting before it began - because of a chest injury sustained while swimming in the River Volga! The British Commonwealth was kept in the hunt by English teenager, Peter CoUins (19), British Champion Ray Wilson and AustraJian Champion John Boulger. CoUins zoomed through with surprisingly little difficulty but Wilson had a nail-biting time waiting until heat 19 to see if he had qualified. Boulger kept the Australian flag flying admirably and qualified comfortably. The eleven qu3Jifiers for the World Final are: Anders Michanek, Ivan Mauger,' Vladimir Pazikov, Bernt Persson, Vladimir Zapleczny, Peter CoUins, Valeri Gordeev, Ole Olsen, John Boulger, Grigory Chlinovsky and Ray Wilson. Reserve is Tommy Jansson (Sweden). In Poland they will meet fIve Polish riders who have been pre-selected. The locals are pinning all their faith on their new wonder boy, 19-year-old Zenon PIech. PIech is the most talented rider ever produced by the Poles and could take a power of beating. But no rider has yet won the world crown without ("ITst spending a season in the league in England and with the Iron Curtain authorities adopting their usual attitude of keeping their riders in mothballs, this will dim Piech's chances. Another Pole who could give the placegetten a big shake is Edward Jancarz. Somewhat an outsider, Jancarz has poise and style on his side and could be more confident than PIech. However, the man they 11 all have to beat is the Kiwi super-star, Mauger. Ivan rarely falls to error on big nights like this and with Olsen injured one of his main problems seems to be diminished. Poles To Tour Australia Australian promoters are hoping to Ralph Castor rode his brand new Sonny Nutter-prepared Eso for the first time tonight and the results speak for themselves. A first in the Handicap Main and a second in the Scratch would make anyone happy. Ralph retired his trusty old J .A.P. after destroying the engine two weeks ago and with tonight's performance he probably wishes his J.A.P. would h.ave blown up a long time ago. Sharing tonight's Main event honors was Jim Ashworth who won the Scratch Main and placed second·.in the Handicap. Ashworth was red hot and nearly swept the program. He came closer than any other rider has at OCIR by winning every race he entred except the Handicap Main in which he was second. The Handicap Main stacked up to be quite a match. Northern California's Larry Martin took an early lead with Cecil Oswald and Bob Herz hot on his trail. However by the fourth lap the early leaders had fallen off the pace allowing Castor and Ashworth to get by. At one time 40 yard liner Bill Manley worked his way into second place but went wide coming out of a turn dropping two positions. A determined Ralph Castor hung on for the win with the trailing riders ("mishing in this order; Jim Ashworth, Bob lierz, Bill Manley, Cecil Oswald and Larry Martin. Ashworth was ready when the Scratch Main came around. He took the lead almost immediately and held on all the way. Castor was never far behind but he just could not catch the speeding Ashworth. Brothers Bob and Larry Martin treated OCIR fans with a visit from Northern California. The Martin boys rode wdl for their ("ITst time on the track. Larry made it all the way to the Handicap Main even t. They also pu t on quite a match race. The first attempt to start the race saw Bob loop it on the line. When Larry realized wha thad happened he returned to the line for a restart. With a little bending on Bob's bike he was ready and the race was restarted. As it turned out Bob won in a close race all the way. •