MOTOR SPORTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 277, 27 October 1925, Page 2

MOTOR SPORTS

SUCCESSFUL MEETING AT FOXTON, MANY FALLS ON GREASY TRACK

A wonderful degree of success attended the sports meeting held on the Foxton racecourse yesterday by th© Foxton United Sports Association, the introduction of motor cycle racing to the district being signalised by a huge attendance of the public, as was witnessed by the fact that the gat© receipts totalled over £220. The course was heavy and greasy as the result of recent rains, with the result that there was a big list of crashes in the motor cycle events, although fortunately the most serious personal injury was a broken finger sustained by F. Brandice, of Wellington, who collided with G. W. Dixon, of Palmerston North, when pulling up.

Quite a dozen competitors at different times skidded at the same tricky point after passing the last stand, and either hurtled out on to the middle of the course or shot into the left under the rails. It was miraculous that the injuries were so slight. Late in the afternoon It. Radford, of Palmerston North, when travelling at a high rate of speed just before going out of the straight, crashed heavily owing to the axle of the front wheel of his machine coming out. He escaped with a shaking, although the frame of the motor cycle was a wreck. Owing to the heavy nature of the course, times in both motor and push cycle events were slow.

MOTOR CYCLE RACES. The motor cycle events resulted as follow: Light-weight handicap, 5 miles: S. J. Grinstead (Palmerston North), 2J h.p. (2osecs), 1; G. W. Dixon (Palmerston North), 23 h.p. (ISsecs), 2; W. Viggers (Wellington), 2Jh.p. (10 secs), 3. Also started: H. Donovan, J. A. Bamberv, A. Harker, C. E. Lowe, C. E. Pearson and Hume. Donovan hit the fence going out of the straight in the second lap, and the limit men pulled out owing to engine trouble, leaving Grinstead, with a sweetly running machine, with nothing to beat. He won with consummate ease by half the distance of the course. Donovan got going after his spill and finished fourth. Time, 5.49} Open handicap, 8 miles: Grinstead (70secs), 1; P. H. Donovan (Mastorton), 23 h.p. (60secs), 2; P. Coleman (Palmerston North), 7-9 h.p. (scr), 3. Also started: L. Managh, O’Brien, L. Coleman, B. Dewe, Viggers, Dixon, Bambery, Grinstead, R. J. Jones and Clouston. Grinstead led all the way and was never seriously challenged, although there was a string of machines only a few seconds behind him at the start. It was a remarkable race —probably unique in the Dominion —for every machine had one or more stops owing to water on the plugs from the wet grass—the effect of a light shower. At times there were only three or four machines under way, but Grinstead had least, delay. There were a few spills. The race was won easily—by nearly two laps, in fact —while the best part of a lap separated second and third. Time, 10.10.

Middleweight handicap, G miles. — Grinstead (20secs.) 1; R. Radford (Palmerston North) 3} h.p. (lOsecs.) 2; It. J. Jones (Wellington) 2£- h.p. (ISsecs.) 3. Also started : E. Harford, Penniall, R. H. Harford, Viggers, Donovan, Arnott, Dixon, Bambery, Brandice, Harker, _Lowo, Pearson and Clouston. Grinstead quickly assumed the lead and was never headed, securing another easy will. This was the race in which Brandice broko a finger as described. Time, 7.4. Open handicap, 12 miles. —Clouston, 2} h.p. (85sees.) 1; Grinstead (85secs.) 2; It. Radford (70secs.) 3. Also started: P. Coleman, Gulbranson, E. E. Harford, R. Jones, L. Coleman, Dewe, Dixon, Viggers, Donovan, Arnott, Harker and Pearson. E. E. Harford led into the eighth lap and looked a certain winner when he crashed at tho slippery bend out of the straight. Donovan then assumed the lead but lost it by a fall. P. Coleman, Gulbranson, and E. E. Harford also fell at the turn at differtnt .times. Coleman, got going again and mado a game attempt to catch up but he had lost far too much distance and the nature of the course militated against his best manipulation of a racing machine. Clouston just won from tho persistent Grinstead. Pearson was fourth and P. Coleman next. Time, 15.14.

Class handicap, 8 miles. —L. Coleman (Feilding) 3} h.p. (40sees.) 1; P. Coleman (scr.) 2; P. H. Donovan (Masterton) 2J h.p. (40sees.) 3. Also started : R. Radford, Viggers, Dixon, Arnott, Lowe and Hume. L. Coleman, who had ridden well in the earlier races, soon wont ahead of the rest of the field, for with tho exception of P. Coleman the rest wore all on 40 seconds. The Feilding man won fairly comfortably. P. Coleman made a great burst of speed to just beat Donovan for second place. Time, 8.33. Open handicap, 10 miles.—C. E. Lowe (Hastings) 2J h.p, (SOsecs.) I; P. Coleman (scr.) 2; C. E. Pearson (Palmerston North) 22 h.p. (lOOsecs.) 3. Also started: L. Coleman, Viggors and Donovan. Lowe easily passed tho limit ,man, Pearson, and won easily by a third of a lap. P. Coleman again provided a good exhibition of negotiating a greasy course at high speed, but could not get nearer than second place. BICYCLE RACES. The bicycle races resulted as follow: Half mile.—E. W. Pinfold (Palmerston North) 60yds, 1; H. E. Powell (Palmerston North) 40yds, 2: P. J. Casey (Palmerston North) 2,syds, 3. No timo was announced. One-and-a-quarter miles.—Pinfold (143yds), 1; E. Burrell (Palmerston North) 35yds, 2; C. Brill (145yds), 3. Time, 3.45. ■ Three-quarter mile. —Pinfold (90yds) 1; Brill (90yds), 2; Casey (40yds), 3. Time, 2.21. One mile.—Pinfold (80yds), 1; It. J. Taro (Palmerston North), 50yds, 2; P. J. Casey (50yds), 3. Time, 3.8.