TOO DANGEROUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1930, Page 10

TOO DANGEROUS.

SPEED ATTEMPT POSTPONED.

CROWD DISAPPOINTED.

LONG WAIT NOT REWARDED. (By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.) . . AWANUI; this day. Such a fiasco was the Kaitaia- Aero Club's motor race meeting on the Ninetymile Beach yesterday that.at one stage the angry spectators threatened to do something violent, but fortunately' they could not decide what to do. The principal attraction of the day was to have been Mr. "Wizard" Smith's attack on the world's fen-mile' speed record, to see which people gathered from as far away as Dargaville and Kohukohu. They also expected; to see motor car and motor cycle races, a contest between an aeroplane: and a motor cycle and other thrilling.events. : ] The weather conditions. were unfavourable. A strong north-west. wind sent the tide high' up the beach, and though the sea., when - it 'subsided, left the beach hard packed and smooth, the gale drove dry sand i|i .thick clouds, and the sea mist made visibility bad. A, black western . sky presaged rain. Two hours after the advertised starting time a bicycle race. was,\run off, followed by a women's, car race and a* motor cycle race, • in which each:; competitor. took a different • course, making the finish a futility. . ~ ;*!' '. ; Then the stewards called' for a clear course for "Wizard" Smith. Under the guidance of . Don Harkness, mechanics had worked all night -to fit . the Anzae for the, attempt on thejrecbrd. On Tuesday's trial., it was discovered, that the clutch was slipping ythrough, sand getting in, and the car was taken ;to Thence she was ; • brought to the beacS'' by lorvy,.. which' carried -her -to the -starting place. V ' - \ ' .j--. For three quarters of. an hour the. crowd Waited for "Wizard"' Smith to (•ome dowii. the course. He came,.not in the . Anzac,. 1 but; in .a' to.uring,. car, andbyatanderß.,gathered, round vto c lwaT him

give the . officials a hearty reprimand. Those responsible for flagging the 16mile course had bungled, and while the Anzac was Waiting to start the wind backed further west, and the tide began to rise. Instead of having a following wind one way and a head wind the other, the Anzac would have the wiin, abeam, and Smith would not take the risk. The wind, he said, would send the car up amongst the crowd or else capsize it. The attempt was therefore postponed until to-day. Disappointing Anti-climax. Mr. Smith expressed great disappointment at the repeated delays, for if he cannot make tlie attempt on the record before Saturday, he will probably liavt to postpone it for a fortnight, as the tide will not be suitable. To pacify the crowd, Mr. Smith entered for the two-mile touring car race, driving his own car. In this he Was beaten by Mr. Adams.

As soon as that" race was over the crowd broke up. Most of the spectators went down on the course to dig toheroas, and further races were thereupon abandoned. Later in the day the touring car owners arranged a 15-mile race of their own, in which Mr. Smith again came second. . The only part of the programme which was carried out was the arrival of two Moth 'planes from Auckland. They landed on the beach and when they rose for the return trip a compeition in guessing their altitude was held. The results of the races follow:— Cycling, one mile, C. Hutley 1, B. Latimer 2. Women's race, one and a half miles: Miss Turner (Whippet), 1; Kenny (Essex), 2. Touring cars, two miles: Adams'- (Flying Cloud), scr, 1; Smith (Keo), scr., 2; Cooper (Essex), Bsecs, 3. Touring cars, 15 miles: Adams (Flying Cloud), scr, 1; Smith (Reo), scr, 2.