Ramsays ride at Worlds
Recently crowned 1NZ at the New Zealand Speedway Sidecar Championships at Oceanview Speedway at Wanganui, Derek Ramsay (rider) and son Matthew (swinger) from Eketahuna are the 2017 champions ride the Worlds in Australia.
They rode qualifying races on the Friday against 38 other bikes. After crossing the pole line in the first race they were excluded but won the next two races, then a run-off for 12th which they lost, to face the last chance with five bikes which they won.
Five races were held the next day, with four on the line each time. They won four and one second to win the New Zealand Championship by two points. Simon and Austin Windelborn were fourth and Wayne Lett was fifth with a stand-in swinger.
Other races resulted in a third place in the Burt Munroe at Invercargill, a win at the New Zealand Best Pairs with Lionell Green and Shane Green in Christchurch. In the Super Cup, the 16 fastest bikes in New Zealand were invited to race. The first round was at Moore Park where the Ramsays came second behind Andrew Buchanan and Denny Cox. They won the second at Invercargill, second overall for the series.
In the North Island the Ramsays have won the Palmerston North Sidecar Championships and the Ray Tarrant Memorial at Palmerston North and the Carl Barrett Memorial race at Wanganui.
They have been selected to ride the World Speedway Championships at Adelaide on April 7 and 8. They were sixth against 16 of the best combinations in the world last year.
The father and son combination has a brand new 1040cc motor, up from their 997cc.
“Bring it on,” says Derek. “We’ll be better prepared this time with more grunt and a thorough knowledge of the track. Having taken out 1NZ with my son, our next goal is to get on the podium at the Worlds and get a sash.
‘Our next goal is to get on the podium at the Worlds and get a sash. — DEREK RAMSAY