The BLRC 1967
By Tracy Holmes

1967 and Ove Fundin was back representing Belle Vue, helping out when Soren Sjosten had been injured.

Home fans were split on this one as Tommy Roper had not missed a match and at the end of the season had ridden in all 38 matches. And Cyril Maidment only missed one match! But Fundin was the Champion of the World and that draw card alone saw him with the home teams race jacket plus his average ofcourse, at the time, in the number of matches he rode in, just higher than the others, mmm. Fair enough. Aye maybees, maybees not though!

Belle Vue, October 21. No fog or rain this year and let's hear again from FRANK MACLEAN for Speedway Star;

"It's Barry Briggs again! Using an ultra-light ESO he scored three fast wins from the tapes and showed tremendous reserves of power in his clashes with Eric Boocock and Ray Wilson to crush England's short-lived hopes of providing a first ever winner. Ove Fundin's World Final winning machine blew in the pits just before the meeting. He used Cyril Maidment's and Paul O'Neill's machines for his 6 points. From all points of view it was a good meeting. The 12,000 programmes were a sell-out and the stadium was packed to capacity. Racing was close and exciting enough to keep interest alive and in 20 races we had only one engine failure and one non-finisher."

Who could overthrow Briggo? Anyone? NO!!!

Heat 1. E Boocock, Fundin, Nordin, McKinlay.
Heat 2. Wilson, Monk, MAUGER, Trigg.
Heat 3. B BRIGGS, N Boocock, Nygren, W BRIGGS.
Heat 4. Jansson, Harrysson, Betts. Airey ef.
Heat 5. E Boocock, Airey, W BRIGGS, Trigg.
Heat 6. N Boocock, McKinlay, Betts, Monk.
Heat 7. B RRIGGS, MAUGER, Nordin, Harrysson.
Heat 8. Wilson, Nygren, Jansson, Fundin.
Heat 9. B BRIGGS, E Boocock, Monk, Jansson.
Heat 10. Harrysson, Nygren, McKinlay, Trigg.
Heat 11. Wilson, Nordin, Betts, W BRIGGS.
Heat 12. N Boocock, MAUGER, Airey, Fundin.
Heat 13. MAUGER, E Boocock, Nygren, Betts.
Heat 14. B BRIGGS, Wilson, Airey, McKinlay.
Heat 15. N Boocock, Nordin, Jansson, Trigg.
Heat 16. Harrysson, Fundin, Monk. W BRIGGS nf.
Heat 17. N Boocock, Harrysson, Wilson, E Boocock.
Heat 18. Jansson, MAUGER, McKinlay, Brett.
Heat 19. Nygren, Monk, Airey, Nordin.
Heat 20. B BRIGGS, Fundin, Betts, Trigg.

BARRY BRIGGS Swindon 15. Nigel Boocock Coventry 14. Ray Wilson Long Eaton 12. Eric Boocock Halifax 10. Torbjorn Harrysson Newport 10. IVAN MAUGER Newcastle 10. Olle Nygren Wimbledon 9. Bengt Jansson Hackney 8. Ove Fundin Belle Vue 6. Gote Nordin Poole 6. Charlie Monk Glasgow 6. Jim Airey Wolverhampton 5. Ken McKinlay West Ham 4. Terry Betts Kings Lynn 4. Res WAYNE BRIGGS Exeter 1. Roy Trigg Oxford 0. Res Brian Brett Cradley Heath 0. Res John Hart Sheffield. dnr. Sverre Harrfeldt West Ham. qns. Bernt Persson Edinburgh qns. Reider Eide Edinburgh qns. Res Gunnar Malmqvist Exeter qns.

This article was first published on 5th July 2020