SPEEDWAY RIDING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 91, 14 October 1935, Page 10

SPEEDWAY RIDING

SPORT;IN AMERICA

AUSTRALIAN RETURNS

■ "Dirt"; tracks may be- somewhat .different on ,the Pacific, Coast of America and the/corners sharp and rather difficult to negotiate, but Albert Spencer, an Australian rider, found that if ons can get into it the money is good. And Spencer,.who arrived by the Maunganui from .San, Francisco today, was In the .money. He said that he had.had a, very profitable visit..

j 'Together with three other Australian riders, !dem Mitchell, Ernie Evans, and Bi.ll Rodgers, Spencer, who comes from Brisbane, left .Australia in May. under contract' to several American ' speedway companies on the Pacific: Coast. They competed .at eight different tracks, namely, at Lbs Angeles, Santi^ ago, Long; Beach; Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland; Stockton, and. San Francisco, ; and all met with success, but particularly Spencer, who established several records. Rodgers was rather unlucky. He fractured a wrist and had only been ■ back on the track a week when- he had another spill and suffered concussion.l Evans, Mitcheil, and Rodgers have already returned to Australia. ■ • ■ .' Commenting on. dirt-track ridirig in the United States Spencer said that the sport; was booming, and in his opinion would continue to do so for another - twelve months at. least. The majority of the riders were of a very good standard. The tracks were very much different from what he had raced on previously; they had a clay or loam surface" instead of cinders, and some of the' corners were very sharp and very difficult to get around. i AMERICANS FOR SYDNEY. The season on the Pacific Coast, said Spencer, lasted from June to.towards the end, of this month. He stated atsci that .a team of American riders would be going to Sydney this season, and among them would be Cordy Milne, the 1934 champion, and his brother Jack Milne, who would probably be .the 1935 champion. Spencer was one-of the original Aus; tralian "dirt" track riders to go 'to England in 1928. He has been back to Englarid'.eyery year since, with the exception of this year. He said he had raced against the New Zealander; Wally Kilmister. but had not competed oh any of the New Zealand tracks, although he probably would be visiting the Dominion during the coming season. ' ' ■.■■'■' : The Australian team, added Spencer, had introduced: clutch starts on its visit-to the Pacific Coast, and had been able to give some tips whichhad been helpful in the arrangement of the programmes. - .. . The Rev. Father A. Manion and the Rev. Bro. V. Salois, American missionaries proceeding to the Roman Catholic mission station at New Guinea, arrived by the Maunganui from San Francisco today. They are from Illinois. , . ' • .