Kiwis in the Overseas Final - 1987
By Tracy Holmes

With Alan Mason having been eliminated from the Commonwealth Final, two Kiwis lined up at Odsal, Bradford on July 5.

Mitch Shirra was enjoying some of the best form of his career and this continued as he ended the day with the winners cheque. And that was despite a second round engine failure. But he would be the only NZ rep at the Intercontinental Final at Vojens on July 25. The NZ Champion, David Bargh had a day to forget. A place in the top 9 was a step too far, even if he was harshly excluded after falling in round 3, with some pointing the finger at Simon Cross.

The biggest upset of the day was the elimination of British Champion, Commonwealth Final winner and World number 3, Kelvin Tatum. Tragic that a bad day at the office would rule him out of a shot at the Amsterdam, two day World Final. No Wild Cards in those days.

Heat 1. Evitts, C Morton, BARGH, Thorp.

2. SHIRRA, Regeling, Pfetzing, Cox.

7. Tatum, Doncaster, C Morton. SHIRRA ef.

8. Cox, Ermolenko, BARGH, Faria.

12. SHIRRA, Cross, Cook. BARGH f/ex

13. SHIRRA, Ermolenko, K Moran, Evitts.

16. Regeling, Tatum, BARGH, Silver.

18. SHIRRA, Faria, Silver. Thorp ret

20. BARGH, K Moran, Doncaster, Pfetzing.

MITCH SHIRRA 12. Jeremy Doncaster 11. Kelly Moran 10. Sam Ermolenko 10. Steve Regeling 9. Simon Cross 9. Neil Evitts 8. Marvyn Cox 8. John Cook 8. All qualify.

Chris Morton 7. Kelvin Tatum 7. DAVID BARGH 6. Robert Pfetzing 5. Mike Faria 5. Paul Thorp 3. Andrew Silver 2.

Reserves Simon Wigg and Rick Miller 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 28th January 2018