Heat by Heat Results - May 1972

With Ole Olsen in unbeatable mood, the Dukes were always in for a tough night at Monmore Green, and so it proved.  Olsen was aided by unbeaten reserve Gifford, and a solid 11 points from Hunter, as Halifax slipped 12 points behind early on, with little chance of recovery.  Eric Boocock won 2 of  Halifax's 3 heat wins, but was surprisingly not given an extra outing, as his team-mates largely struggled to make an impression, providing last place in 9 of the 13 races.

The Dukes progressed to the second round of the Cup after a hard-fought win against Leicester. The Lions were missing their star-man Boulger, and their cause was not helped by the non-arrival of Ambrose.  Halifax were carried along by their top two, with Boocock unbeaten, and Younghusband claiming two important wins, as the visitors relied heavily on Ray Wilson and young Dave Jessup to keep them in the fixture.

A solid team performance saw Halifax defeat Swindon, with only Mike Hiftle failing to register at least a paid win.  Briggs and Ashby won 7 of the 13 heats for the Robins, but failed to capitalise as their team-mates let them down.  The victory would have been larger had Roper not crashed in heat 4, and if Hiftle's bike hadn't given up the ghost in the reserve race, a heat won by Titman, who produced his best performance yet.  

Despite a glorious 15 point maximum from skipper Eric Boocock, the Dukes went down by 12 points at Cowley.  Their situation was made impossible by the non-arrival of Kentwell and Titman, and forced to track Oxford second-halfer Sims, Halifax stood little chance, especially with Tommy Roper having a meeting to forget.  The recently-returned Duke complained he could not ride his machinery, and subsequently sought to purchase a new frame.  Younghusband broke the tapes in the first heat, and contributed only 5 points, with Jay and Hiftle the only other Dukes to score.

The Halifax round of the 1972 World Championship qualifiers was won with a stunning 15 point maximum by Eric Boocock, who secured the victory with a thrilling pass and re-pass of Kilby in the deciding heat 19, with the pair tied on 12 points.  Four riders tied on 11 points, including Dukes Roper and Younghusband, the former performing better on his new frame, whilst Sheffield's Reg Wilson, in as a late replacement for Colin Gooddy, was later disqualified, as he had been eliminated from an early preliminary round at Rye House.  John Titman got his first taste of World Championship action as a last-minute replacement for Ronnie Genz.

Halifax lost by six points on the road at King's Lynn, but pushed the Stars all the way, largely due to an excellent performance from Dave Younghusband, who took three wins.  It was a frustrating night for Boocock, who was excluded in heat 10, and seemed to lose heart after that.  Roper and Jay weighed in with useful points, but Greg Kentwell had a nightmare, down on power, and suffering an exclusion of his own.  Younghusband's exploits earned him a shot at the Golden Helmet, held by maximum man Betts, but the Stars favourite comfortably retained his title.

Halifax edged home in a finely-balanced match against Reading, courtesy of 11 points from Dave Younghusband, and a best-yet return from John Titman.  Tommy Roper was again struggling with machinery problems, and even Eric Boocock suffered the gremlins in heat five when well placed.  The Racers were kept in the tie by the efforts of the ever-impressive Michanek, who won three of the last four races, but support for the Swede was thin on the ground, as the Dukes moved up to 8th in the table.

Halifax entertained Cradley in a rare bank holiday Monday morning fixture, and saw off the Heathens comfortably with solid, all-round scoring, with only Titman struggling to contribute.  All the other Dukes provided a race win, as they forged 20 points clear after 10 races, to seal the win. Only Bernie Persson prevented a complete disaster for the Heathens, as he won his sides only three heat wins, and denied Boocock his maximum in the last race.