THRILLS AT SPEEDWAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 35, 11 February 1935, Page 14

THRILLS AT SPEEDWAY

SUCCESSFUL REVIVAL

MOTOR-CARS AND CYCLES

The sport of broadsiding on a cinder track was revived at the Kilbirnie Stadium on. Saturday night after a lapse of three years, and fully 8000 spectators had a real feast of .thrills", Amidst intense excitement, motor-cycles flashed round the track, shooting up fountains of cinders on the bends, and hotly contesting the right of way with rival machines. In addition there were speed trials by two midget cars which later participated in a race which '.was one of the most electrifying events of the night.

There was nothing either in the management or in the calibre of the contestants to suggest .that this was the first meeting after a long.break. Though no records were broken,' some fast times were established, arid many closely-con-tested races resulted. Everything went off without a hitch: The events succeeded each other in-- accordance with schedule, no difficulty was experienced in getting the riders away . together . from flying starts, and the machines behaved admirably. In this last respect the meeting compared more than favourably with those held in the past, breakdowns being limited to one or:two isolated cases: Nor were there . any accidents to mar the nightY sport; The weather left little to be desired—the air was warm and there was no wind. ■

The programme held eeveral features of special interest. ' Twelve of the local riders participated in a match, Newtown v City, and two Australian riders, "Dick Case (a newcomer to the track) and Lionel Van Praag (an.old favourite) rode m : match r.ces with- Alf. Mattson,' Wally Kilmister's Auckland rival. The, leading riders also competed in a short-limit handicap, in which the two Australians, starting from scratch, took the first two places.

Among the three leading riders the Australians divided the honours fairly evenly between them. Van Praag defeated Case in two of tho three match races, and, after both had won their heats in the handicap event, Case headed Van Praag by a narrow margin in the final. Mattson was not up to his old form and finished the night without scoring a win, though he kept well in the running. In addition to providing a novel touch the race between the two . motor-cars caused much excitement. One was: an orthodox'sports model of English make, and the other was built by a local mechanic and named the "Southward Special." In the -preliminary trial the local machine, which broadsided in fine style, showed a greater turn of speed than the other, and consequently started under a handicap of 7sec. The race was over four laps, the first three of which were used by the "Special" in overhauling the other car. Time after time the rear ear challenged the leader on the final round, only to be blocked from passing until the final run down the -straight , when' it snatched the victory by no more than the ra<lius of a wheel.

The Newtown-City match was very evenly contested. Two members from either side started in each of nine races, except; that towards the • finish ■ Clarrie Tonke, the Newtown captain, was unable to .compete. Points (3, 2, and 1) were .given for the first three places, and when tho score was added up at the finish Newtown won, 27 points to 25. THE RESULTS. The results woro:— NEWTOWN v. CITY TEAMS' KACE, oE £54. I lie teams were:— Newtown: C.Tonlts (captain), B. Apployard, h. Baylor, E; Stone, W. Moulton, and P Fitzgerald. ' . , . I City: P. Phlllipps (captain)', T. Wilkinson,! E- Young, C. Corneal, C. Tilly, and J. JtcLeod i First Race.—B. Appleyard 1, C. Corneal 2. These were the only two to finish. Appleyard' led all the way and won by 100 yards. Times, I vJ l-ssec, 92 3-ssec. • r. SSm nd, Race-~C- Tonlis 1» T- Wilkinson 2, C. Tilly 3. Tonks, who started in the outsldo position, .cut across the field on tho first turn and took the lead from Wilkinson, with Tilly and Fitzgerald following in that order Tha positions remained unchanged throughout tho race, with tho contestants well spread out. Won by 120 yards.- Times, Ssscc and 80,1-5861-. Third Race.—E. Naylor 1, C. Corneal 2. Naylor had tho. Inside position and held tho lead from tho start. Stone was ,in second Place until Corneal displaced him on the final bend after having challenged unsuccessfully twice previously. - It was ■ a good race, with Sme^isec^^ec^ 1110" * 15ydS'

Fourth Race.—P. Phllllpps 1, J. McLeod 2, C. Tonks 3. Philllpps, who had tho inside running, took the lead from the start and, though strongly challenged by Tonks, hold it till tho finish. Tonks- had engine, trouble near tho finish and had to push his machine over tho ~ yfon by nearly a lap. Time, 86sec. Fifth Race.—T. Wilkinson 1, E. Naylor •>, E. fatonc 3. Starting from tho No. 2. position, Wilkinson quickly took tho lead and, after warding off a challengo by'Naylor, remained lln front all the way.. Won by 30 yards. [Times, 88 l-ssec, Olsec:

Sixth Kace.—P. Phllllpps 1, B. Appleyard 2, [W. Moulton :3; Though he started on the outsldo, Philllpps quickly took tho lead, and held it throughout. Appleyard kept in closo attendanco over; the'first, half of the Journey, but then dropped back and was 50 yards be- | hind at the finish. Times, 85sce, SS'aec. , Seventh Race.—E. Young 1, C. Corneal 2, P. 'Fitzgerald 3.-. The first two to finish keenly .contested the race all the way. Corneal headed his rival at one stage, but then dropped back land was beaten by 20 yards. Times, 04sec, lOusec.

Eighth ..Race.—B. Appleyard .1, W. Moulton 2, C. Tilly 3. T. Wilkinson led until the end of the third lap, when . engine trouble forced him to retire. ' The others raced in tho order In which they' finished. Won by 50 yards. Times, 8T 3-sscc, 92sec.

Ninth Itace.—P. PhllUpps 1,13. Naylor 2, J. McLeod 3. The contestants rodo throughout in the order in which they finished and-, wero well spread out; Times, 85 2-ssec, 91sce. Capta|ns'. Match; first £4, second £2.—P. Philllpps (Clty),-1;B. Apployard (Newtown), 2. Appleyard took the • place of Tonics. He kept with PhiUtpps. until half-way round tho second lap, when.ho dropped back. Won by 15 yards. Times, 64 4-ssec, 05 2-ssec. INTERNATIONAL SCRATCH RACE (£1 for each point scored). Tlrst Heat—li..Van Praag (Australia), 1; A. Mattson (New Zealand), 2. Also started: It. Cnso (Australia). .Mattson started x>h tho. inside, with Van Praag next to him. Van Praaß shot out from tho middle as they approached tho flrt bend and took the lead from Case. Tho latter challenged strongly near the finish of tho socond lap, but was unable to pass tho leader and thereafter; dropped out of tho race. Won by 15 yards. Times, 50 l-ssec, filsec. Second Heat.—lt. Case; 1; L..Van Praag 2; A. Mattson, 3. This was a fine race, with Case and Van Praag contesting the lead all the way and Mattson coming up strongly at the finish. Won by 5 yards, with 20 yards between second and third. Times, 159 l-ssec, 59 3-ssec. . ■ '■'•..' Third Heat.— h. Van Praag, 1; K. Case, 2. Case" started on the inside, and ho and Van Praag had a thrilling duel over the course. The lead was won and lost by both In turn, but Van Praag \finally, opened, up a gap of ten yards and held It to the finish. Mattson was in third place all the way. Times, 58 2-5 sec, 59sec. INVITATION ; SHORT-LIMIT HANDICAP (£ 8, £4,"£2, arid £1). From a standing start. First Heat.—R. Case. Australia (scr), 1; T. Wilkinson (2sec), 2;- B.; Appleyard (3sec), 3. Wilkinson was the first to go to the. front, but Case took the lead off him during the first lap and was not headed again. Won by 50 yards, with a similar distance between second and third. Times, 86 2-ssec, 91 2-ssec. Second Heat.—L. Van Praag, Australia (scr), 1; P. Philllpps (2sec), 2;, A. Mattson (scr), 3. Mattson got away ahead of Van Praag, with Phillips leading the field. Van Praag was not long in the background and shot to the front, followed by Phlllipps. Mattson tried hard to head oft Phllllpps, but could not do so, and a thrilling race was won by 50 yards, with a length* separating second and' third. Times, 86sec, 88 4-ssec: ■. , -'.- ■ \ ■ Final.—Case, 1; Van Praag, 2; Phlllipps, 3. Phllllpps tried .gamely to maintain his Initial start, but tho Australians were too fast and over the second half of the distance they contested thojlssue. .Case won a fine race by three lengths.' Times, 84sec, 85sec. Light-car, Handicap, of £10.—C. Tonks (Southward Special), scr, 1; J. Gower (Morris), 7sec, 2. It was a great Tace. Tonks overhauled his opponent' at the end of the. third round, but. could not get past arid won by a "nose" in a thrilling finish. -Time, 109 sec.