Heat by Heat Results - May 1967
With Jameson and Kingston both sidelined, the Dukes were dealt a further blow on the day of their visit to Cradley when Dennis Gavros pulled out with mechanical problems. The Dukes included Aussie Les Bentzen who had been riding in second halves at both Sheffield and the Shay, and promoted local junior Terry Lee into the side for a debut. But the top-heavy Dukes were still too good for the Heathens, with Younghusband leading the way with a maximum. Bentzen settled in well with a promising 4 points as the Dukes took a simple away victory.
Halifax agreed to enter a Triangular tournament, alongside Hackney and King's Lynn, and travelled to East London on a Friday night for the first of their 4 matches. Gavros returned to the side, but made little impact, and with Boothroyd also struggling, Halifax slipped to a 16 point loss, with Boocock and Younghusband carrying much of the load. Boothroyd shed a chain whilst leading heat 7, otherwise the scoreline would have been better. The Dukes managed to keep the scores reasonably close in the first half of the meeting, but the Hawks pulled away with 3 heat advantages in heats 6, 7 and 8 to ease away to the win.
After the conclusion of the 1966 season saw Coventry miss out on the title, the Bees came to the Shay with something to prove - and a feisty and turbulent encounter saw the points shared, as Halifax surrendered their 100% home record. Several times words and gestures were exchanged after races, and things boiled over in the pits on numerous occasions. Eric Boocock was down on power and borrowed machinery for his last 3 races, notably from Dave Younghusband, and was beaten by brother Nigel in the opening race. In the final race, Rick France made the start and there was nothing Boocock or Boothroyd could do other than keep Les Owen at bay to seal the draw.
A solid all-round performance, headed by a stunning 12 point maximum from Eric Boocock helped the Dukes to a pleasing 10 point away win at Newcastle. The Diamonds cause was not helped by Mauger's first race engine failure and several costly falls, as the Dukes eased into a 10 point lead they largely held throughout the meeting. New Danish sensation Olsen was subdued and could only manage 2 points as Mauger aside, the hosts offered little threat. It was pleasing to see Bentzen, Robinson and Kentwell all scoring useful points, as Halifax took the win - which would ultimately prove however to be their last on the road for the rest of the season.
The Dukes received good news during the week, as Bert Kingston was released from hospital. His injuries were such, however, that a 3 month absence was being suggested.
Spurred on by the win at Newcastle, the Dukes were in fine form as they swept aside Oxford at The Shay. Dave Younghusband was again in unbeatable form, with a 12 point maximum followed by 2 wins in the second half. But it was the back-up he received which caught the eye, with Gavros (11) and Robinson (8) posting season best scores. Oxford were effectively a one-man team, with Roy Trigg taking 3 wins, including a heat 11 victory which denied Boocock his own maximum, Boocock being down on power again. Younghusband lent Boocock his machine for the final race, resulting in another victory.
The Dukes now had a break from league racing as the home rounds of the World Championship trail began, with 6 Halifax riders hoping to progress to the later stages.
Dave Younghusband continued his fine form with a win in the Halifax leg of the World Championship qualifying rounds. All eyes beforehabd were on the showdown with team-mate Boocock in heat 10 - but Boocock uncharacteristically fell in his first outing, leaving his victory over Younghusband largely academic. It was a good day for the other Dukes, with Gavros and Boothroyd (both 10) and Kentwell (8) also in the points, as heavy rain in the second half of the meeting threatened to cause havoc. Bob Jameson had been called into the line up the previous week as a replacement for injured team mate Kingston.
The efforts of Younghusband and Boocock at The Shay and in their other 2 meetings earlier in the week were good enough to see both of them through to the British Semi Finals. But it was the end of the road for the remaining Dukes, including Eric Boothroyd, who had opted not to travel to Glasgow for his third round. Details of the Dukes' riders exploits in the World Championship rounds can be found in the archive pages for 1967.
The Dukes avenged the defeat at Hackney two weeks earlier with a big win, sufficient to give them the aggregate point over the Hawks. As usual, Younghusband and Boocock led the way, but it was points all round, with only Bentzen struggling to make an impact. Hackney were largely disappointing, with former Dukes manager Maurice Morley failing to inspire them, with a heat 9 win for Colin Pratt the only positive on a poor night for the visitors.
The Dukes saw out the month of May with a Bank Holiday evening victory over Edinburgh. With Eric Boocock riding in the Internationale at Wimbledon, Halifax used rider replacement to cover his absence, and Dave Younghusband took full advantage to score a 15 point maximum with a devastating display. But it was a hard-fought win for the Dukes, with mechanical problems for Boothroyd and the bottom end of the team struggling resulting in a fraught night. The Dukes only led by 2 points on a couple of occasions, but made it count when it mattered as Younghusband took his last two outings in the final 2 races to ensure victory.
Eric Boocock finished in an excellent joint 2nd place in the Internationale at Wimbledon on 11 points, behind the winner Gote Nordin.
Notes: Yellow box/number indicates home match/programme number. Score highlighted in Gold indicates full maximum. Score highlighted in Silver indicates a paid maximum.