SHANE HURNDELL
Don't be surprised if Hawke's Bay solo bike rider Andy Bargh collects the Ivan Mauger Speedway Award again next year.
Flaxmere's Bargh, 20, won the award at the 2006 New Zealand Motorcycle Awards in Auckland earlier this month. The trophy, named after nine-time world champion Mauger, recognises the efforts of the country's top solo bike rider and Bargh, the first Kiwi in 15 years to break into the premier league in the United Kingdom, fully deserved it.
Should the Hawke's Bay Aviation aircraft engineer continue the form he has already displayed this year the country's top award may still be in the Bay this time next year. Last weekend, with five wins from five starts in Christchurch, Bargh became the first Kiwi in four years to win the national championship.
Englishman Jason Bunyan, who had won the previous three nationals, was third behind Cantabrian Dale Finch. Last month Bargh won the New Zealand Grand Prix in Gisborne with four wins and a second placing and fellow Bay rider Craig Ramsay was second.
While Bargh would be rapt to win the Ivan Mauger Award again it's the national championships trophy he wants to win again ... for family reasons.
"My uncle David (Bargh) has his name on there four times and I want to try and beat him," Bargh told SportToday.
The experience the third-year rider will get riding for Isle of Wight in the 15-team premier league will enhance of his chances of not only collecting the Ivan Mauger Award again but also of taking out the nationals again.
A St John's College product, Bargh, raced as a guest rider for the Isle of Wight towards the end of the last English summer to secure his step up out of the Conference League. From March until October Bargh will race in 55 meetings in England. In addition he will have the world under-21 champs in May.
"They will be difficult," said Bargh who finished second in this month's national under-21 champs.
He will return to the UK with the luxury of knowing what he has achieved to date this year has been on his "third or fourth best" JAWA 500cc bike.
A son of former solo bike rider and TQ driver Laurie Bargh and brother of TQ driver Christine Bargh, Andy Bargh is thrilled to hear the new solo track at Meeanee has been well received and he's eagerly awaiting his first race on it next Saturday.
The following day he will aim to win his third consecutive North Island title in Auckland.
SPEEDWAY: Bay rider intent on keeping Mauger award
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