BROADSIDING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 182, 4 August 1931, Page 13

BROADSIDING.

JACK GARMSON'S DEATH. NEWS FROM ALF MATTSON. DOINCS ON ENGLISH TRACKS. The body of Auckland's dirt track rider, Jack Garmeon, who wae killed in England last week, is to be cremated and his ashes sent back to New Zealand for burial. A cable message from Alf Mattson, Auckland and New Zealand cinder track champion, states that Garmson received the injuries which caused his death in a crash on the first corner of the Nottingham track. Garmson's death has left Mattson very much alone, and in the cable to his parents, he has said that he does not feel very much like riding eince his mate was killed. "Squib" Burton, captain of the English dirt track team in New Zealand last season, is in hospital with a broken thigh, and because of the fact that it was he who persuaded Mattson to ride with him on the Leicester track, the Auckland boy can be regarded ae a stranger in a strange land. Mattson's parents have cabled suggesting that he return home. So far no answer has been received, but they hope he will accept the parental advice and come home by the next ship. Latest news from Home, contained in a recent letter from Alf Mattson to his parents, states that he was doing fairly well and comfortably paying his way. Together with "Squib Burton, Mattson was mixed up in a motor smash in England, in the lattcr's car, but neither was

hurt. The riders were having a look round London. They lost their way an.l before they had time to make up their minds which way they would go, an ambulance, travelling at a high rate ot speed, crashed into them. Nobody wa6 hurt, but it took nearly an hour for the two vehicles to be "unlocked."

Mattson mentioned that he had ridden for the Lea Bridge team in London, where they get crowds of 50,000 to watch speedway racing. 6n the occasions when he and Burton rode in London, they travelled down from Leicester in Mattson's car, a distance of 110 miles. Their best time for the journey wae 3.1 hours, travelling hard all the way, including 15 miles or London traffic with their machines in a trailer following behind. Very often they rode on London tracks in heavy rain. Full of appreciation for Burton as his mentor, Mattson said that t , - crack Englishman looks after him splendidly. Even if Burton has finished his racing for the evening several events before the Aucklander, ho waits till Mattson is ready to go homo and will not leave the track before Mattson is well away— which all sounds rather sinister, but one gathers there are some "tough" men hanging about the speedways at Home. There was also news in Mattson's letter about three of the Englishmen who toured New Zealand last season. Frank Bond is. kept off the tracks with abdominal injuries. He was racing with an open throttle when a rider ahead crashed. Bond, in attempting to avoid the fallen rider, also came down. He hoped to be back in the game before long. Greenwood and Evans, who arc engaged by Wembley Stadium, have been riding exceptionally well. "Koarin" , John Hoskins, that picturesque Australian who introduced the speedway game to England, told Alf Mattson that ho proposes to come to New Zealand for a couple of month* next season. One bit of news that will be particularly pleasing to Auckland fans is that Mattson met and beat his old rival, Wally Kilmister, in London. It wae reported to be a thrilling race.