Feature 2 - An Article from Motorcycle News
 

Once again, courtesy of Andy Lane we can allow you a ‘Blast from the Past’ This is an article in its entirety from the ‘Motor Cycle News’ dated May 21st 1975.
Written by Frank Ward. Pictures by Mick Exton.
(PS – if you look carefully you may recognise the name of a father of a rather good youth trials rider of today!)

‘Triumph on two motors!’

Ivan Mauger. A rare combination of ability and dedicated professionalism, won South Shropshire’s international grass track Race of the Year on Sunday in front of the largest grass crowd in this country.

When his best Jawa spat a valve head through the exhaust pipe, Mauger went on and won on his continental spare. When that one lost a valve, too, he had a third engine waiting – but there were no more races to win.

As at Driffield two weeks before, Mauger rode unbeaten except when stopped by engine failures.

The event lived up to all expectations but one – it was not as fast as had been anticipated. With top speeds of around 85mph it was something over five mph down on the Auto 66 course, but flying lap winner Peter Collins averaged 74.9 mph in his lonely fight against the clock.

It was Collins who took second place to Mauger in the main event but later had the satisfaction of leading a team of grass riders to an annihilation victory over depleted world speedway stars in the Ansell’s £1000 four-lapper.

Third all the way was was hero of the meeting, Steve Hartley, riding a Weslake for the first time. In a four-valve clash, Hartley kept Australian Phil Crump’s Jawa conversion down in fourth place.

Both reigning champions were out of the meeting at this stage. Speedway title holder Anders Mitchanek retired, suffering from effects of his recent injuries, and German 1,000 metre champion Egon Muller blew one expensive Lantenhammer JAP before giving in to the pain from a compressed spine.

Meanwhile, Mauger went on to increase his lead in the MCN Grass Track Superstar championship, repeating his victory two weeks ago over Don Godden.

The race was re-run after a lap, following a crash 200 yards from the start which put Richard Moore in hospital.

Only four of the original speedway super stars team came to the line for the big £1000 clash. Barry Briggs, Michanek and Muller were non-runners, while Ray Wilson came in for John Louis.

Although the full eight grass men started, it was agreed that only their best five would count. And with £100 waiting for each winning team member, grass men were the first five out of the gate and filled those places at the finish.

Britain scored a revenge victory over Germany in the international 500cc sidecar class, Steve Smith and Roy French winning both legs on a single cylinder Weslake Wasp.

Smith looked set to take the national sidecars as well but the final was the one race he lost all afternoon.

Tromping along the straights at 80mph plus Alan Artus and Graham Higgin grabbed another of their prestige wins on the peak performance supercharged 650 Triumph Puma. They were pretty good to watch and it was good, too, to see Dennis Teasdale and Barry Wright back on top form and winding their 1000 Vincent Comet round in to second place.

Teasdale’s was quickest of the V-twins and Smith stayed ahead of reigning champions Ted Scott and John Atkinson’s Vincent Puma.

Alan Blewitt’s Vincent got fifth, ahead of Gordon Mathews’ 850 Trident and Pete Brown’s Triumph. Tig Perry had a rare old scrap with John Webb and John Williams  for the national Shropshire Spectacular title.

Mike Garrad, riding the latest Dula machine, won the 500 event from Chris Morton’s elder brother Dave, while Terry Owen took the 350 on his 250.

Provisional Results

Race of the Year: 1 I. Mauger (Jawa); 2 P. Collins (Jawa); 3 S. Hartley (Racer Weslake); 4 P. Crump (Comet Jawa); 5 C. Baybutt (Racer JAP); 6 D. Godden (Godden Weslake); 7 G. Short (Short JAP); 8 R. Moore (Maxmade Jawa) Qualifying Heats: Crump 3, Mauger 3, Collins, Godden.

Motor Cycle News Grass Track Superstar Championship (2nd round): 1 Mauger 15 points; 2 Godden 12; 3 Hartley 10; 4 C. Baybutt 8; 5 J Wigg (Jawa) 7; 6 Short 6; 7 R. Duke (Hagon JAP) 4; No other finishers.

Ansell’s clash of the superstars (World stars v Grass Track)

1 Collins; 2 Godden (Jawa); 3 C. Baybutt; 4 Hartley; 5 Short; 6 C. Morton (Hagon JAP) 7 Crump; 8 O. Olsen (Jawa); 8 D. Baybutt (Short JAP); 9 S. Autrey (Jawa); 10 R. Wilson; 11 Wigg. No other finishers.

International sidecars: Great Britain 18 points, Germany 12.

First Leg: 1 S. Smith/ R. French (Weslake Wasp); 2 W. Gerhardt/H. Bucker (500 Kawasaki); 3 G. Wheeler/S. Rattenbury (500 Honda GSR); 4 P. Pinfold/. Scott (500 Cole); 5 F. Schubert/F. Kattau (500 Jawa)

Second Leg: 1 Smith/French; 2 R. Wilker/A. Wilker (500 Jawa); 3 Gerhardt/Bucker; 4 Wheeler/Rattenbury; 5 Pinfold/Scott

Flying laps (bahnrekord): - solos 1 Collins 28.4s (74.9mph); 2 Mauger 28.7s ; 3 Crump 28.8s; 4 Moore 29s; 5 C. Baybutt 29.4s; 6 Wigg 29.8s. Sidecars – 1 Smith/French 28.6s; 2 D. Reasdale/B. Wright (1000 Vincent Comet) 28.8s; 3 A. Blewitt/J. Arkle (1000 Vincent Puma) 29s; 4 T. Scott/J. Atkinson (1000 Vincent Wasp) 29.3s

NATIONAL EVENTS

Shropshire Spectacular: 1 A. Perry (Antig JAP); 2 J. Williams (Ansel JAP); 3 J. Webb (JAP); 4 R. Beaumont (Godden); 5 D. Simpson (Hagon Jawa); 6 M. Burton (Antig JAP)     Heats: T. Owen (Hagon); Williams, Perry, D. Mereton (JAP); J. Cox (Tony’s Jawa). Semi-Finals: Perry, Simpson

500cc: 1 M. Garrad (Dula); 2 Moreton; 3 Beaumont; 4 Perry; 5 Williams; 6 R. Winwood (Walwin BSA)    Heats: Beaumont, Moreton, Perry, Garrad

Strongbow 350cc: 1 Owen (Hagon); 2 Williams (Ansel); 3 Parry (Antig); 4 Garrad  (Saunders JAP); 5 D. Eagland (Godden); 6 D. Threadingham (Ansel)      Heats:  Eagland, Garrad, Perry

Shropshire Super Sidecars: 1 A. Artus/G. Higgin (650 Triumph Puma); 2 Teasdale/Wright; 3 Smith/French (850 Weslake Wasp); 4 Scott/Atkinson; 5 Blewitt/Arkle; 6G. Matthews/A. Harley (850 Triumph Wasp)     Heats:  Blewitt 2; Matthews, Smith 4;  Artus 2; L. Allerton/A. Prescott (650 Triumph)