SPEEDWAY ACES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 149, 21 December 1936, Page 8

SPEEDWAY ACES

AUSTRALIANS APPEAR

CAR RECORD BROKEN

RIDERS AT KILBIRNIE

There were plenty of thrills for spectators, at the Kilbirnie Stadium on Saturday night, when leading cinder-track riders from Australia, New Zealand, and the United "States made their appearance in a number of international events.. Apart from the international matches, i"i which the local riders proved that they could hold their own against the best of two other countries, there were other exciting features. A notable performance was put up by Putt Mossman in a midget car. He succeeded in breaking the four-lap flying-start record put up by himself at the beginning of February this year. His time then was 93sec, but on Saturday night,, driving his tiny racer at an astonishing s,peed round the turns of the cinder track, Mossman was able to bring the time down to 88sec. His limes at the ends of the laps were 23sec, 4'l 3-ssec, 66 2-ssec, and 88sec. Earlier in the evening Dessie Grant also took the car over four laps from a Hying start, and recorded 94 l-ssec, only l-ssec above the previous record. '

Much interest attached to the, appearance of the two Australian riders, 5 Aussie Melhuish and Vie Duggan. These two riders' had landed from the. Makura only a few.' hours previously, and would have been pardoned had' their performances not come up to expectations, but the riding of Melhuish in particular was well up to standard. His victory in the second heat of the flying handicap from 160 yards behind was a fine piece of skill and judgment. ' - The performances of Jack Hobson, the Wellington "rider, were among the highlights of the meeting. Hobson won in the heat, the semi-final, and the final of the Flying Handicap off 165 yards behind, and.won the first, third, and sixth international championship pairs contests off the scratch mark against all-comers. In fact, Hobson won every race in which he started, surely a remarkable record. It would seem that he expected to do so, for among all-the riders taking part in the meeting, he alone wore no glasses, having no protection for his eyes against the flying ■■ cinders. The only, other solution : was to keep in "front, and this Hobson did most effectually. , A high wind made. Putt Mossman 3 trick-riding display difficult, added lo which ho was using a borrowed motorcycle The trick consisted of mounting one side of a ladder built up from a moving cycle, and climbing down the other side, while the cycle was moving at about 20 miles an hour around the course, guided only by the movements of Mossman's body. Mossman circled the track once or twice before attempting the feat, which'he accomplished successfully on one side of the course. When he repeated it on the other side the climb and descent were made successfully, but the motor-cycle left the track, running on to the grass at the side However, Mossman brought it back on to the cinders without unseating himself. In the international pairs races, m which ■ teams representing Australia, Wellington, U.S.A., and U.S.-New Zealand took cart, a tie was recorded between Wellington and" U.S.A., the local team drawing level with the overseas visitors in the last race of the series Several spills occurred during the meeting, but none of the riders was injured. Results were as' follows: — Flying Handicap.-^-First herd: Jack Hobson (165 yds behind), 1; Cur y Mossman (85yds behind), 2; Pee Wee Cullum (150 yds behind), 3. Time 89 4-o sec; second, 92 2-ssec. Second heatAussie Melhuish (160 yds behind) 1; Ray Grant' (150 yds behind), 2; -Jack Young (scr)v 3. ;;;Time,-.92sec; second 93 3-ssec. "Melhuish;gave a brihant display,' and led almost from the start. Third heat: W. Garrity (20yds on), 1; Putt .Mossman (150y.dg, bhd), 2. Time, 93 3-ssec; second 97sec. Fourth heat: Howard Tolley (130 yds bhd), 1; Ted Young (105 yds behind), 2; Vie Duggan (165 yds behind), 3. Time, 88 3-5 sec- second 94 l-ssec. First semi-final: Hobson (165 yds behind), 1; Grant (150 yds behind), 2; Melhuish (165 yds behind), 3. Time, 91sec; second 92 2-ssec. Hobson jumped into the lead at the end of the first lap, and soon built up a big lead from Grant and Melhuish, holding it to the finish. , Second semifinal: Tolley (130 yds behind), 1; Putt Mossman (150 yds behind), 2; Young (105 yds behind), 3. Time, 90sec; second 90 4-ssec. Garrity had the lead at the end of the first lap, and w.as, a wheel in front of Tolley at the end of the second. On the third lap Tolley overtook the leader, and Mossman, although he tried hard, was unable to draw level with Tolley, although he snatched second honours from Young. Final: Jack Hoßsdn (165 yds behind), 1; H. Tolley (130 yds behind), 2: Putt Mossman <150 yds behind), 3. Time, 87 3-5 sec; second 89 l-ssec. During the first lap Hobson overtook Grant, who started off the 150 yds behind mark, and gained steadily until he was riding second to Tolley. In the last lap he overtook Tolley to win by a narrow margin. Improvers' Handicap.^-Solomon (5 sec), 1; Garrity (2sec), 2; Bill Bowe (5 sec), 3. Time, 97 4-ssec; second 95 3-5 see. Bowe got away well, but Solomon challenged repeatedly, and was successful in. taking the lead during the last lap. INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION PAIRS. First Race.—Jack Hobson (Wellington), 1; Howard Tolley (N.Z.), 2; Pee Wee Cullum (U.S.A.), 3. Time, 83sec; second 84' l-ssec. Hobson, with his characteristic start, jumped into the lead immediately, followed by Tolley, Cullum, and Phillips. Although Tolley challenged strong in the last lap, the positions remained unaltered at the finish. , Second Race. — Putt Mossman (U.S.A.), I; Ray Grant (U.S.A.), 2; Vie Duggan (Australia), 3.. Time, 85sec; second 86 2-ssec. > Third Race.—Jack Hobson (Wellington), 1; Ray Grant (U.S.A.), 2; Peter Phillips (Wellington), 3. Time, 82 2-5 sec; second 87 3-ssec. This was a runaway victory by Hobson, who started brilliantly, and never looked like being challenged. He won by a large m Fog urth Race.—Pee Wee , Cullum (U.S.A.), .1; Aussie Melhuish (Australia) 2. Time, 84 3-ssec; second 87 4-d sec. Cullum took the lead, followed by Tolley of New Zealand, and Duggan, of Australia. In the final lap Tolley, lying second, was making a determined effort to overtake the leader when he crashed. Duggan retired with engine trouble. Fifth Race.—Putt Mossman (U.S.A.), 1- Ray Grant (U.S.A.), 2. Time, 85sec; second 85 2-ssec. Mossman was first away in this race, during the first lap of which Tolley again fell. Mossman was still in the lead when the line was passed for the second time, but as the riders entered, the last lap he and Grant were dead equal. Pee Wee Cullum retired through mechanical Sixth' Race.—Jack Hobson (Wellington), 1; Peter Phillips (Wellington), 2. Time, 82 2-ssec. Aussie Melhuish retired from this race, and Hobson, again riding magnificently, together with Phillips, supplied the extra points necessary to bring the local riders total up to that of the United States exponents. „ , Consolation Scratch Race.—Curly Mossman, 1; Jack Young, 2; Bill Garrity, 3. Time, 67sec. This was a great ■race, the riders changing positions all the'way along. \ Mossman secured ja sensational victory by a wheel on the tape. I Lightning Scratch Race.—First race: Ted Young, 1; McMahon, 2. Time, 48 2-ssec; second 50 l-ssec. Second race: George Corneal, 1. Time. 46 3 : ssec. In this race Jim McLeod fell, leaving Corneal to'finish the course alone. Third race: Tim Wilkinson, 1; Bill Moulton, 2. Time, 4?r<cc; second 44 3-ssec.