HILLSIDE THRILLS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 43, 14 November 1932, Page 6

HILLSIDE THRILLS

Motor-cycles Compete in Club Outing PHILLIPS WINS CLIMB A motor-cycle catapulted from a group of mechanics and sped down a sloping track. At the foot of the slope it rounded a banked bend. Dust, clods, aud stones flew as the rider urged his mount up the pathless hillside ahead. As the machine bumped and bucked over the uneven ground the rider clung to it grimly. When the sound of the engine grew laboured he twisted control levers and thrust bis body forward to aid the ascent. He steered this way and that to avoid shrubs and rocks. Now he was near the tape, where a man with a flag stood waiting. A few yards and the journey would be over. But a small hillock proved his undoing. Striking it, the front wheel of the motor-cycle lifted and the machine, with engine buzzing, shot into the air and crashed, in a cloud of dust. The rider fell backward and rolled on the slope. ] Thrilled, the crowd gasped, then applauded the dusty figure. Another motor-cycle started up the

hill. It skidded aud plunged, leaving behind it a trail of broken marking flags, but its rider drove triumphantly to the top. A third buzzed its way upward to break the tape,, but its rider did not stop soon enough. The machine struck a bank and the man was thrown high in the air. He picked himself up, grinning.So went the afternoon at the Ilion Motor-cycle Club’s hill-limb on Saturday, Twenty competitors tried their skill on the club’s new course at the head of Parkvale Road, Karpri. It was a successful; meeting, and the attendance was exceedingly encouraging, but a cold, blustering wind caused many to leave early. On future occasions the club may find It desirable to provide a means of public transport between the course and the tramway. The course itself .proved to be suitable in many ways, but too easy on a dry day. Out of 51 attempts there were only 17 failures, and of these a large proportion were the result of mechanical breakdowns.

The best ride of the day was by P] Phillips, who careered up in 9 1-5 sec-, ouds. The placed riders were:— < Experts' P, Pbllllns, 1; A. G. Rait, (11 i3-ssec.), 2; A. C. ("Tim”) lYUklawr, and G. Jepson (11 4-ssec,), 3, equal. Experts barred ; E. McEwen (10 3-sscc.), ■1; M. C. P. Jones (12 2-ssec.), 2; R. K. Jones (13 3-3 sec.), 3. ’ ’ Those who provided thrills included J. Lawton, who was tossed off after a series of skids, H. J. Arcus, whose mount broke the tape rearing like a bucking horse, and K] Darrell, whose machine leaped into the air, sending him sprawling. C. Tonks clung like a leech while his mount left the track and charged all over the hill, bouncing through a clump of bushes and scattering spectators, A. Bait's flying form was silhouetted against the sky-line when he came to grief at the top of the hill. “Tim” Wilkinson was bucked off in a smother of dust. W, Harvie’s mount had things its own way during the rider’s second journey, and rarOly moved in the same direction for more than five yards at a time. Here and there knots of onlookers were obliged to take to their' heels. r Some of the attempts were timed by an electrical apparatus, but' this broke down before the end of the programme. Among the club officials who combined to make the afternoon a success were Messrs. E. J. Harvio (secretary), ,7. K, Watt (clerk of the course), and V. W. MelAzb, I. V. Jones, and L. R. Poutawera (timekeeper#). Detailed results are as follow, the times of tlfej, ttempts in each case being given in seconds:—

JI. Anderson (3J h.p. Douglas). 14, failed, 15 2-s®ec. H. J. Arcus (3J h.p. Triumph), 12 2-5, 14, 13 1-5. D. R. Bagnall (2} h.p. A.J.S.), failed,' 16 1-5. 23 (approx.).

K. Darreß (3J h.p. U.S.A), failed, failed, failed. W. B. Harris (3J h.p. Douglas), 12 2-5, IS 3-5. G. Jepson (2} h.p. B.SA.), 11 4-5, IB 4-5. failed M. C. P. Jones (2J h.p. Harley-David-son), 12 2-5, 12 3-5. R. K. Jones (2J i.p. Harley Davidson), 13 3-5 12 3-5. J. Lawton (3J h.p. 8.5. A.), failed, 15 4-5, 13 2-5. E. McEwen (3j h.p. Douglas), 10 3-5, failed. tailed. J. McKay (Rudge), failed. L. D. McKeeman (3J h.p. Dougina), 18 8-5. P. Phillips (3$ h.p. Douglas), failed, 9 1-5. faUed. A. G. Rait (2J h.p. 8.5. A.), 12 1-5, H 3-5, 11 3-5. F. A, Sotham (3J h.p. Norton), failed. 13 4-5, 15 2-5. L. Southward (2J h.p. A.J.S.), 19 2-5, 13 1-5. 13. E. Ss Thomson (3J h.p. Douglas), failed, 14 1-5. C. Tonks (2J h.p. A.J.S.), failed. 15, 17 3-5. A. C. Watt (3J h.p. Douglas), 16 3-5, failed. 17 4-5. A. C. Wilkinson (22 h.p. Harley-David-son), 11 4-5, failed.