Kiwis in the Overseas Final - 1984
By Tracy Holmes

Belle Vue again and on July 15, Mitch Shirra and Larry Ross lined up for another shot to be in the top ten. No weather woes this year and the whole field had an Ace up their leathers before they even started. It was the Belle Vue Ace, Peter Collins, only there as reserve. His nightmare British Final matched only by the fact that his brother Phil and Chris Morton had been knocked out altogether!

At day's end, the two Kiwis made it safely through to the Intercontinental Final at Vojens on July 20 with little trouble. No such joy however for Bobby Schwartz. This guy was certainly the very best rider of the 80's never to reach the World Final. All eyes too on British Champion Kenny Carter, riding with a savage leg injury. He had won the British Final with this but that was nearly a month ago and the healing was not going well. But he did enough to qualify.

Heat 3. S Moran, Carter, SHIRRA, Schwartz.

r/r 4. L Collins, ROSS, Wigg. Doncaster excluded, causing crash.

5. SHIRRA, Alan Grahame, K Moran, Doncaster.

8. Sanders, ROSS, Andy Grahame, Schwartz.

9. Carter, Alan Grahame, ROSS, Jessup.

11. SHIRRA, Wigg, Andy Grahame, Yeates.

15. S Moran, K Moran, ROSS, Yeates.

16. Sanders, SHIRRA, L Collins, Jessup.

18. King, ROSS, Crump, SHIRRA.

Lance King 15. Phil Crump 12. Shawn Moran 11. Billy Sanders 10. MITCH SHIRRA 9. Alan Grahame 9. Simon Wigg 8. Kenny Carter 8. LARRY ROSS 8. K Moran 6. All qualify.

Les Collins 6. Jeremy Doncaster 5. Andy Grahame 5. Bobby Schwartz 3. Dave Jessup 3. Martin Yeates 2.

Reserves; Peter Collins, Gary Guglielmi, John Cook and Kiwi DAVID BARGH, all dnr.

1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000/01

This article was first published on 7th January 2018