CYCLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 292, 9 December 1936, Page 21

CYCLING.

WITH THE AMATEURS

CENTRE'S SCRATCH MEETING

Tiie first serious race meeting of this season will take place next Saturday, when the Auckland Centre will conduct the first of a series of scratch race meetings. During the past two seasons these meetings have pVovided intensely keen club rivalry. Last year the Manukau members worthily upheld their club's fine reputation by gaining 100 points, while the next club, Papatoetoe, scored 78. The last scratch meeting was held in February, but on that . occasion the members scored in the 15, C and D grades for the simple reason that only Jack Clark, Allan Kobinson and Geo. Holland appeared among the aces. But next Saturday Gordon Patrick, Ron Triner, Charles and Les ihvight, Lionel Nicholson and Geo. Holland will contest the A grade events. The club has also six in the B grade and eight in the C grade. To help make the 30 laps—live mileevents fast, points will be allotted the two leading riders each half-mile; three laps. Last season a five-miler was won in 11.51 by Jack McKay, with Theo Stites second. This was the D grade race, which club members monopolised. Team work plays a most important part in scratch races, and exhibitions given by Bill Morris, Ted Mynott and Gordon Cunningham in the C section, and McKay, Stites, Calder and Johnston in the D grade, will be remembered by many who 1 witnessed the February meeting. To avoid that last-minute rush riders wishing to enter tor the Kotorua, Whatawhata and Hamilton meetings should send ' their entry forms along right away. ; Cyril Cronk, Manukau Club captain, has 1 arranged the following runs for this [ month: —December 13, to Hunua; on [ December 20, to Eastern Beach. Bill ' Morris, Bill Aldred, Lionel Nicholson and ; Bill Wnlker are leaving on Christmas Eve ; by train for Hamilton, and will coin- ; menee a thousand miles cycle tour on ' Christmas morn. They intend visiting Taupo, Napier, Wairoa, Lake Waikare- . nioana and Kotorua during their tour. . Several others with less leisure time at ! their disposal mean to tour as far north , as time and weather will permit. The three big meetings already scheduled ! for next year at the Western Springs Stadium are the Manukau Club's championships on February 15, the provincial , meeting on February 24, and the Dominion ! title meeting on March 6. On February 9 the Papatoetoe Club will hold an open meeting at the local stadium. It is hoped to announce at an early date when the Western Springs Stadium track will be open for training, for the City Council and Speedways intend to finalise dates this week. The opening of this huge oval generally sets the sport going for the city riders, but the City Council would be helping the cycle racing fraternity immensely by making tho track available ii» October, instead of leaving it idle. To encourage the sport the Wanganui Council, makes the Cook's Garden track, a banked asphalt oval, available throughout tho year at a small training fee of 1/. Riders here would appreciate similar encouragement. PAPATOETOE CLUB. / Papatoetoe cyclists were again outstanding over the week from November 28, scooping the pool at three meetings at which all clubs were eligible, and, of course, having Tuesday evening to themselves at the Papatoetoe Stadium. At the first open meeting of the Manurewa Club, on November 28, Jimmy Middleton and Des. Knight had the one and two miles events shared between them. Des. won the mile, with Jimmy second; and positions were reversed in tho two-miler. There was also a miss-and-out, which was won by the grass track flyer, "Bubs" Allan, with Middleton and Knight next. At the Northern Club's meeting on Tuesday, Colin Carter took the open race. He is showing fairly good form now, and making good use of his handicaps. ..... ~i Jimmy Ludlam and Kay Cooke, both off 210 yds, gave a fine exhibition of pacing in the A grade two-miler at Papatoetoe, holding oil the field to win by twenty yards, Jim's superior sprint getting him the verdict. Arthur McTnnavney finished third in the two-miler, and won the A grade miss-and-out .after a hard sprint with his brother Kay, who was second, and the heady, dashing Jim Archer, whose form this year is miles better than it was last. Tom Heiua starred in the B grade twomiler, when lie won from Ray Kobinson in a fast finish. Kobinson and Bill White, sta%i in many a C grade race last season, were at it again in the B grade miss-and-out, Kobinson holding otl a determined challenge to win by a length. Colin Carter has been looked on as having a bit too much experience and pace for the C grade, and it came as rather a surprise to see him having to flat out to win on Tuesday—but lie did. '1 he first challenge came from Tom Taylor, a smallish new member, who Hashed up to Co I ill's wheel ill a splendid effort ill the two mile. The second came from young Don Arvidson, who Hashed past in the miss-and-out, but lacked the final spurt, and finished second. At Otahuhu (bturges Park), on ihurs(lay, members of ' the Papatoetoe Club filled five of the six places, with Owen White, who was in brilliant form, first, and Jim Middleton third in the A grade, and Colin Carter, Kalpli Waterman, and Kon McDonald in the first three places in the B grade threc-nulcr. "Bubs Allan made another great ride, burning off I "Tippv" Tavlor, Kon Triner, George Holland and Ray Mclnnarney in the ; process of catching the bunch. ] ■U next Saturday's scratch meeting the , club.should do well, with Taylor and the ] Melnnarnev boys in the A grade. bid 1 Pinfold and "Bubs" Allan look winners . in the B grade, and Jim Archer is another who will get points wherever he is. And thev will have plenty of backing from the club's A graders. The other grade should also do well. .

lynndale club. Last night tlio Lynndale 1111111 tour cyclists hold tt three-mile open race at their track at New Lynn, 10 juniors and seniors contesting an' evenly-run race. The field was too big as it made the track dust.v. 11ns will be obviated next Tuesday night, when the club will hold a two-mile open race, when the Held will be split into beats A junior race of one mile will be held it there are-enough juniors to warrant a race. Tuesday's results ' —Hert Haldwin, 100 vds 1: George Mynott, 100 yds, 12; George Grig" 300y<ls, 3: lladdon Hawke, 2.joyds, 4; Roy Clark, 340 yds, 55. Time, 7.13. The winner rode a fine race and slioulu "ain some points for Lynndale on Saturday at the Auckland Centre's scratch meeting at I'apatoetoe. Mynott went the best of the back-markers, but failed by four lengths. Grigg rode prominently with the leading bunch, but was beaten into third place by a length, with Hawke a close-up fourth.