Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

'If • ~ . Scene: • t World Speedway UPLACDlEHT SEAT COVER MaN e( r. Illp pille -&a&U1* .-tIC.... &opllMr ..,. ' 1_.. *•• a u t - . . . IIUII,. QIl 1)'1.. Eul.l)' _roq --..at. . . . . . 15 .1 ..,. ulq • I t ~ eli• •lliac 1M lIM of _ I -'eb 01 Mlt.eye.I. are • • •vaU c.... Il_ to nl WICk 0-1)'. IUDNIY rd_ II,. -.ita • r_ nckUli aM UII. wUll attollll ."... fallRc. A.I . . . .laI for ....)' MOtoreyc:.U•• AvrJl· al._ of SO to 44. .... I• • .1... .. 112." . . .Updct ••••••• , . . • • • . • • • nmow"8 "FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED RESTRAINT" R~t ..". r-u·H ,_. _ _e,d., w.t.. ANCR...•......I•• , f,ni", II'......ll .,.... U"'. So.,...... '" ... Ii". ,,"C.A Sf . .........." , It, _'•• C)'cl.u ry . -"" &.c AKRA'. III•••,., . c•• h.t,~•. ",_ _ el... w,ll ..., .11•• the ., 1_.., .. la . . .1 __ .II c lti w,"'_l ,h. .....f ~"'I" Wh ,..40" ••1 .... lor III•• c_ ,h••u.p ••1....._ iii.... t" _II ,..11. ....,,'... ,It. w,""'", .", ,0.."1", .t ,.. P••l.nl.... t 'I........ ,10... 111I lie ... ch..,", ...lth ,h. ~, .. H ,h. P .. ·~ Which l~ AMCIIl""~ Ti......... Fllti . F •• _ COll""""'C•• thl~ ."c,.ft. tyIN Flni I.e'" • .e.. 11I i .1, .........11I. "'1_ ._ 1, .11 Ih"t ~ ,.l,.... II 110. ~_.Ih co.., ,'"' ~ c• •1 ,100 "'..ch.., PI .. t •• 1 1 I )' Ii 1",•• I..... 110. " litt , c eo In. ch",.", 10.., . k., en'.. "THE T1EDOWN EXPERTS" FOR THE BEST IN MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES 1201A EAST BALL ROAD ANAHEIM. CALIF 714·776-1250 SAVE at SAVE SAVE Cycle Parts For nearest Location Phone: (213) 334-5195 Cycle News is your voice - use it The Bast Bros. inspect the concrete "safety" wall at the Sydney Showgrounds shortly after their arrival Down Under. By Peter White AIRCRAFT QUAUTY _c The new interstate shield competition throughout Australia has created enonnous national interest in speedway ...but has almost been wrecked by atrocious weather conllitions. In fact, with seven out of ten meetings early in the season cancelled because of foul weather and union strikes, Sbowground promoter Owen Bateman has developed quite an ulcer! Memo Harry Oxley: you've never had it so good!!! Two interstate matcbes in Sydney were rained off, one in Melbourne and one in Adelaide. . Pity the poor Queensland team of riders. They flew to Sydney and bad the match cancelled. Thence to Adelaide whe~ it was pouring and no go. On to Perth, 3,000 miles away on the other side of the continent, and...yes, rme weather at last! But they were heavily defeated in a match they were gc;nerally expected to win. Tben back as far as Melbourne where, you guessed it, more rain! Up to Sydney on the'leg bome and, another wash-out! Still, the sbield matcbes have proven a great success wi th tbe crowds and must be firmly established as an integral part of the programming next summer. International Riders Present ea.,. O-laNlI to allow till rW. to be _rol1.U1e willie lie I, Ht-e ....port• • n.~ .1 . . . It)' "'I'", ,erfOl'atM ••11I1- 18 ..... Interstate Shield Results The Americans are here! The Bast brothers, Steve and Mike, hit the Sydney Showground for the first meeting of their 1973-74 summer season campaign on November 17, and received a rousing welcome. Although they had been in Australia for two weeks beforehand and had competed in meetings at Brisbane Exhibition Speedway and Jerliderie Park Speedway, Newcastle (NS W), this was their debut match at the spacious Sydney Showgrounds Australia's premier dirt track arena. It was Sbowground promoter Owen Bateman who contracted the high flying California brothers to race Down Under this time around and at last he was able to use their talents. The throttle-thrashers are in Australia until February and are living in Sydney, not far from the famous sun and surf of this great harbour city. No doubt young Mike will be keeping USA readers well· up to date with their off-track happenings and interstate travels via his own special Cycle News column, so perhaps I'll concen trate on their on-track activities at the Sydney Showground. Suffice to say that new American National Champion, Mike, was rigbt into the groove from the very beginning and sbook the stallium with a rip-roaring win over teenage Australian international rider, Phil Heme, and brother Steve in tbe opening race on the programme. Mike rocketed out from gate position one and led all the way. Herne was having his first meeting back home in Sydney after spending the Australian winter racing for the British League second division team, Birmingham.. Mike Bast was badly sprayed with flying dirt in bis handicap qualifying heat and had to withdraw because he had run out of goggles, but he sure made amends next time out. Competing against top Aussie riders Bill Landels, Ricky Day and former two-times Australian Champion Bob Sharp, young Mike won the charge from the gate to the first tum and just wrapped that throttle on wildly to take a grand win. Landels tried every trick in the book to pass the higb-flying Yankee charger, but to no avail. In tbat one race Mike Bast. lifted the image of American speedway a mile high in the eyes of Sydney supporters. In the scratch race final be had to contend with third place as Landels gained revenge and found drive up higb on the track near tbe safety fence to pull off a heart-stopping pass. Brother Steve fell foul of an ailing motor all night and could not manage to get amongst the prize money, bu t there'll always be nex~ week and the lads had put on a great show. Neither rider went out for the handicap consolation event because of their bike problems. Their next scheduled even t is back at Newcastle Steve Bast in practice. while rounds of the new interstate shield competition between NSW and South Australia go on at the Sydney Showground. Basts to Enter Title Event One really good piece of news concerning the Basts is that both bave been accepted into the field to contest the New South Wales State Cbampionship at the Sydney Showground on December IS. They will clash with 14 of Sydney's best available solo riders in what could be the meeting of the year in the Harbour City. Fancied locals include Jim Airey, Bob Valentine, John Langfield, Billy Sanders, Barry Van Praag and Bill Landels. The Basts are sure to make their presence felt in the title tilt. In the meantime, while interstate matches take the focus on the east coast of Australia, over in tbe west tbe accent is on international competition with the arrival of the official British Lions touring test team. Tbe annual pilgrimage of the British riders is on again and all eyes are on Perth this coming weekend when the first test between Australia and Britain will be staged at the vast Claremont speedway in Perth. Tbe British team tbis year consists of five veterans of the Australian tracks and two newcomers. The old hands are: Nigel Boocock (captain), Jim McMillan, Peter Collins, George Hunter and Eric Broadbelt. The new chums are: Reg Wilson and Doug Wyer, both from Sheffield in England. All the riders are Britisb League First Division standard. They are accompanied by non-riding team manager, Reg Fearman. Fearman is the .chairman of the British Speedway Promoters' Association. The Australian team for the first tests will be WA riders Bob O'Leary (captain), Les Leisk, Colin Thompson, Bob Humphreys and Sydney stars Billy Sanders and Bob VaI.entine. It is expected to be a close match, with little difference between the two highly skilled teams. Polish Riders Also Engaged Just a fortnight ago it was officially confirmed that Poland is releasing just one rider to appear in A ustralia this summer. He is 29-year-old Antoni Woryna from Bydgoszcz. The news comes as a welcome relief to Australian promoters who have battled long and hard with the Iron Curtain authorities to obtain the services of one of their riders. First a tour was on, tben off. And so on. N ow comes confirmation and arrangemen ts bave been made for Woryna to fly into Perth and make his debut at Sydney Showground on December 29 in what will be one of the world's classic meetings: the Wills' sponsored Royale In ternationale. This will be a five-nation clash also featuring the Bast brothers from America. Woryna is a classy rider with a quiet style quite opposed to that of other Poles such as reigning world cbampion Jerzy Sczakiel. He prefers to work moves out methodically, rather than dlarging in head-long with the throttle wide open. He is a fonner World Championship Final placegetter, having finished thir.d to Barry Briggs (NZ) and Sverre Harrfeldt (Norway) in Sweden in 1966. Mauger Scoops British League Championship Riding as brilliantly as ever, Kiwi great Ivan Mauger scooped up the British League First Division Riders' Championship at Belle Vue, Manchester, England as a fitting finale to the 1973 season. A season in which he narrowly lost his world crown bu t showed be was still the best rider on parade around the globe with countless other victories that continue to brand him 'Mr. Speedway'.

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