MOTOR CYCLE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 121, 24 May 1932, Page 16

MOTOR CYCLE NOTES.

RACES AT MANGERE. COULTHARD'S BIG DAY. GRUELLING 25-MILE EVENT. Although rain had made the track too heavy for fast going, the races at Henning's Speedway, Mangere, lust Saturday, were very keenly contested. The big event on tho programme arranged by tho North Shore Motor Cyelo C'lnb was an open scratch race of 20 laps, equivalent to 25 miles, for a cup presented by Mrs. J. White. Of the eleven riders who started, only five came home, I<\ Lindesay, on a Rudge-Wliit-worth leading them in, with L. Coultliaid (Velocette) 20 yards behind him, and M. Aicken (Douglas) further back in third place. Tho first to fall out was G. Brunton, who did not last a lap. E. Bowdcn (Calthorpe) dropped out with engine trouble in tho fourth lap, when he was holding second place, ahead of Coultliaid. After six laps Vinall came in with till overheated motor, and in the next lap the exhaust pipe of Sowerby's machine got loose, forcing liim to ictiic, while Lemon was stopped half-way round .tho eighth lap by the breaking of the piston in his Sunbeam. Load in" from the start, Lindesay had set too gruelling a pace for the majority of tho machines, but still had plenty or power in reserve, as lie showed in the linal ,sta"o of the race, when, after being passed bv Coultliaid, he opened up and easilv regained first place, increasing his lead "from five yards to 20 yards in the last lap.

In addition to second place in the 25milo race, Coulthard gained first place in the 500* c.c. scratch race, and second in the open handicap, both four-lap events; and his machine also carried A. Lemon to an easy win in the 350 c.c. scratch, racc. This, for an engine of Ices than 350 c.c. capacity, should be considered a pretty good day's work. The only man who hnng close to Conlthard in the 500 c.c. scratch race was R. Vinall, on a Norton, but after the two had drawn well away from the rest of the field Vinall had to slow up with an overheated motor, leaving second and third places to M. Aickcn (Douglas) and W. Forder (Gold Special), respectively. A close contest between L. Sowerby on a Velocctte, and L. Perry on a Royal Enfield, for second place, brightened up the finish of the 350 c.c. scratch race, after A. Lemon had crossed the line an casv winner. Sowerby just had the little bit of speed he needed. Some of the most exciting racing of the day was seen in the four-lap open handicap. "When Coulthard, on sciatcli, was sent away, the limit men had covered nearly half a lap, but in the third lap he gained the lead, which it seemed impossible ho should lose. Near the finish, however, he slowed up, Sowerby passing him in the last 100 yards. In this race occurred the only spill of the day, J. Anderson developing a speed wobble which brought him down. Beyond a severe shaking, however, he was unhurt.

north shore club races,

F. LINDESAY WINS BIG EVENT. The castomary bugbear of racing motor cyclists was noticeably absent from the racing events staged by the North Shore Club on Saturday afternoon at Herining'e Speedway, Mangere, and the five races 011 the programme were closely contested under excellent conditions. L. Coulthard, with a win and two seconds was the most successful competitor. He was only 20 yards behind F. Lindeeay, who won the 25-mile open scratch race. The results were: — 500 C.C. Scratch Race, 4 Laps.—L. Coulthard (Velocette), 1; M. Aicken (Douglas), 2; W. Fordcr (Gold Special), 3. Time, 4.3 1-5. Open Scratch Race, 20 Laps.—F. Lindesay (Rudge-AVhitworth), 1; L. Coulthard (Velocette), 2; M. Aickcn (Douglas), 3. Time, 20.21 3-5. • Side Car Scratch Race, 3 Laps.—O. Brunton (31 h.p. Ariel), 1; .T. Roberts (7.9 li.p. Indian), 2. Time, 4.27 3-H. 350 C.C. Scratch liace, 4 Laps.—A. Lemon (Velocette), 1; L. Sov.'erby ("Velocette), 2; L. Perry (Uoyal Enfield), 3. Time, 4.0. Open Handicap, 4 Laps.—L. Sowerby (Velocctte), 10s, 1; L. Coulthard (Velocette) , scr, 2; M. Aicken (Douglas), Bs, 3. Time, 4.27 1-5. _j. -----