KILBIRNIE SPEEDWAY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 17

KILBIRNIE SPEEDWAY

Broadsiding on Saturday The opening of (he speedway season at the Kilbirnie Stadium on Saturday night is being eagerly looked forward to. A feature of the programme will be the introduction of the latest American sport, midget-car racing, which will be seen for the first time in the Dominion. The trial of a local-built car. produced tinder the capable hands of Clarrie Tonks, the Wellington speedway star, treated the spectators to spectacular broadsiding. The dimensions of the ear are 6ft. wheel base, with a 3ft. 6iu. track, and the wheels are 12in. in diameter. The car is powered by a 10-12 Hurley-Davidson racing engine and gearbox. A chain drive is employed to the front wheel, On Saturday night this car will bo seen in a record attempt and a match race with a local sports model. Prominent on the programme will be the two Australian international dirttruck riders, Lionel Vun Praag and Dick Case, who have represented their country in English-Australian test mutches for the past throe years. At the tests which were held recently iu Australia Van Praag and Case proved to be outstanding scorers, and sensational performances are expected on Saturday night, when these two champions will be matched against the New Zealand star, Alf. Matson, whose past reputation on the cinder track is well known throughout the Dominion. Local speedsters Will be seen in a big teams’ championship, the chosen combinations for the opening meeting being Newtown, captained bv the popular rider. Clarrie Tonks. and City, with Peter Phillips at their head. The midget cars will appear in a record attempt and a short limit handicap. A spectacular event will be a grand parade, headed by the Wellington Regimental Band in their scarlet full-dress uniforms. Arrangements have been made for a special train service, and there will be popular admission charges of 1/-, 1/0, and 2/-. A keen demand is already evident for reserved seats, utid intending patrons are advised to make their reservations as early as possible. Seats can be obtained at the D.1.C., or C. E. Claridge, tobacconist, bJ Manners Street. r