CINDER THRILLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 64, 17 March 1930, Page 13

CINDER THRILLS.

ANOTHER RECORD GOES. FEABCE IN BRILLIANT FORM. BEN BRAY'S NIGTH OUT. < Fearless, skilful, brilliant, going into the bends like a demon, Frank Pearce, the champion Australian cinder track rider, crowned his performances at Western Springs Stadium on Saturday evening by smashing his own mile record for the track by three seconds. His time was 1.22. Pearce, the 'greatest exponent of the cinder track game that Auckland has yet seen, was cheered to the echo by 8000 people when his time was announced. It was another fine night at the stadium. The standard of riding was excellent, the contests close, and the finishes thrilling. The management saw to it that there was little delay between the events, with the result that the night's sport went off without a hitch of any kind. Next in order of bbrilliance to Peace came the Whangarei rider, Ben Bray. It was Bray's night out. He won the two big events of the programme, the second round of the Pascoe Cup, and the Big Nine Handicap, Bray rode as he has never ridden before. Spurred to do better things on the cinders by his fine performances on the grass at Takapuna in the afternoon, Bray, with skill, cleverness, and daring, went into every bend with an open throttle, straightening up from' seemingly impossible angles. His riding all through the evening was outstanding. Matched against Pearce in a special handicap race, Bray thrilled with sensational broadsiding, but»the race was abandoned, because the Australian's motor failed. The closest race of the evening was the second heat of the Pascoe Cup. This provided a thrilling • contest between Mattson, the Auckland champion, and Coyle, who won the B grade match race. Mattson got off the mark well, but found that he had to ride all out to catch the field. There were plenty of thrills as the pair rounded the last bend almost together, and the crowd were on their feet as Mattson and Coyle sat on the tail of their machines for the final burst to the post. The race was a dead-heat. Syd Perkins was .unlucky. His machine failed him badly. Ntvertheless, he provided plenty of excitement in his special match race with Pearce when he rode the latter's Harley Davidson. Mattson also had an off night, falling in both the Pascoe Cup and Big Nine events. Datson started off in one of his laces with a glimpse of his old brilliant form, but fell when leading the field. Banby, the Wellington rider, gave a good exhibition on a strange track. Results were:— AUSTRALIAN MATCH RACE. Frank Pearce (Norton) 1 Syd. Perkins (Harley-Davidson) 2 Reckless, dare-devil riding thrilled the crowd in this event, when both the Aussies gave brilliant exhibitions. Perkins had the inside and when the riders got away from the rolling start, Perkins had the lead and kept it for a Jap ' Brilliantly Pearce shot to ,the inside run'riSng entering the second lap and that was the end of Perkins. He could not catch the flying figure in white, although he ro(le better than he has ever done in Auckland before. Pearce equalled his former record. Time, lm 255. SPECIAL MATCH RACE. F. Pearce (Harley-Davidson), scratch . 1 W. Allen (Norton), 100 yds 2 ..Pearce started at the-back end%f' ,tbe straight, and Allen on the other end. The champion did some buck-jumping on one of the- bends and thrilled the crowd with some terrific broadsides. When riding well Allen's motor failed,, and Pearce won by nearly a lap. Time, lm 37 2-ss. PASCOE CUP HANDICAP. First Heat.—B. Bray (Douglas), 4s, 1; J. Stewart (Norton), Bs, 2. Pearce, the champion, rode brilliantly. He may have caught the field, but Way fell in his track on the last lap and Pearce was forced to go-wide.. That, ended his chance of a place. Time, fjlm 32 2-ss. Second Heat.—B. Allen (Norton), 3*s, 1; P. Fletcher (Douglas), 7s, 2. Perkins had engine trouble and Way fell. Time, lm 43 4-ss. Third Heat.—A. Mattson (Norton), 2s, and B. Coyle (Royal Enfield), 7s, deadheat, 1; R. Ranby (8.5.A.), ss, 3. A great nice. Times: Mattson, lm 335; Coyle, lm 3Ss. Fourth Heat.—F: Day (Harley-David-fion), s£s, 1: A. Coppins (Indian), Bis, 2. Time, lm 41 3-ss. : First Semi-final.—B. Coyle (Royal Enfield), 7s. 1; B. Bray (Douglas), 4s, 2. It was a great race. On the third round, the riders were_bunelied. Stewart came off in the track of Mattson, who also fell when trying to get .out of a double broadside. Time, lm 35 3-ss. * , Second Semi-final.—B. Allen (Norton), Sis, 1; F. Day- (Harley-Davidson), s£s, 2. Time, lm 35 2-ss. -- Final. Bray 1 Allen 2 : More thrills came in this event. Before he had covered 200 yards, Coyle came off, but. remounted again. In the second lap Bray led. the field, -with Allen in second place and Day third, . Riding fearlessly and cornering cleverly, Bray increased his lead and. won feasily. " Coyle crashed again in the final round. There was a great cheer when it- was announced that it was Bray's fourth win for the day. Time, lm 345. BIG NINE HANDICAP. First Heat. : —A. Way (Velocette), 4s, 1; Frank Pearce (Harley-Davidson), 2. Time, ;lm 37 3-ss. Second Heat. —B. Bray (Douglas), 3Js, 1 : S. Casey (Harley-Davidson), ss, 2. Time, lm 39 2-ss. Third Heat. —R. Ranby (8.5.A.), 4s, 1; F. Day (Royal Enfield), ss, 2. Mattson thrilled the crowd with a double somer■ault in the third lap. Time| lm 35 l-ss. Final. Bray 1 Ranby 2 To crown his earlier performances, Bray rode a great race in this final. He lay his machine over on the bends, rode the white line and gave a great all-round performance. Gradually he caught-his field, and when Ranby, the Wellington man fell, there was no doubt about the issue. It was a popular win. Time, lm 38 4-ss. B GRADE MATCH RACE. R. Coyle (Royal Enfield) X J. Stewart (Norton) 2 Getting away well from the rolling start, the two went into the first bend cleverly. On the next round Way came down in a cloud of smoke. Coyle now had the lead and with splendid riding he won comfortably. Time, lm 395. B GRADE HANDICAP First Heat.—B. Coyle (Royal Enfield), 2s, 1; A. Coppins. (Indian), ss, 2. Won by inches. Time, lm 41 l-ss. Second Heat.—J. Stewart (Norton), 3s, 1; J. Good (Douglas), 7s, 2. The scratch man, Way, gave a fine display, but got into a broadside from which he could not recover. Time, lm 39 3-ss. Third Heat.—T. Butler (A.J.S.), 7s, 1; J. Jordon (Douglas), 2s, 2. Another great race. Time, lm 41 l-ss. . Final. Butler 1 Coyle 2 Great broadsiding was seen in this final. Coyle must have ridden his best race to date. He provided many a thrill as he went in and out of the 'corners. Coppins was unlucky to jump on to the grass from a broadside and spin and fall. He had this consolation—the crowd gasped. Time, lm 39 3-ss.