These two Champions were amongst the biggest fighters on Speedway tracks during the sixties. Barry Briggs, born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1934, started to race in the early fifties. He took part in a record of 17 consecutive World Finals (from 1954 to 1970) and won the World Final in 1957 and 1958, and then in 1964 and 1966. He won the British Championship five times, the New Zealand Championship tw3ice, and the British League Riders Championship for six consecutive years.
Ivan Mauger, also born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1939, started to collect a huge number of victories in Speedway: six individual World Finals in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1979; three Long Track World finals in 1971, 1972, 1976, four British Championships (1968, 1970 to n72) and 45 other Trophies, Cups and Championships. On the picture they are racing in Wembley in the 1969 World Final. Ivan Mauger would win the title, just ahead of Barry Briggs…
Text Marc Pétrier – Photo John Chaplin