WESTERN SPRINGS STADIUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20426, 30 November 1929, Page 14

WESTERN SPRINGS STADIUM

OPENING THIS EVENING.

CINDER TRACK MOTOR-CYCLING

The Western Springs Stadium will be officially opened by tiro Mayor of Auck-

land, J Jr. G. Baildon,. at 8 o'clock this evening, when . Auckland Speedways will conduct, the first cinder track motorcycle sports to be witnessed in Auckland. A grand parade of all competitors will be held at 7.45 p.m., and immediately after the Mayor has performed tlio official ceremony the first of a series of 18 events will be started.

The track is in excellent order, and again last evening hundreds of residents witnessed the final testing of machines. The lights have been arranged so that the riders on the black cinders are in the full glare and are outlined against the white safety fence, the inside of the racing circuit and the terraces being in total darkness. The local men have improved wonderfully and have been challenged by the Wellington Stadium to a special team race. The challenge has been accepted by Auckland, and tho four best lo6al performers during the evening will meet the Southern team. Wellington is sending some of its best exponents. McKcnzie, Harvie, Naylor and McGhec will arrive this morning. Another special feature will be a match raco between the two Australian experts', Mann and Perkins. Some indication of the capabilities of the Western Springs Stadium can be gained from the fact that yesterday W. Herbert, a local man, lapped the circuit in 21' seconds, which for a mile is six' seconds better than the existing New Zealand cinder track record.

Handicaps, replacements and changes in the printed programmes will be announced by a battery of loud speakers which can bo heard from any point in the ground The car parking enclosure is not quite consolidated, and therefore the bulk of the public will be admitted from the gate on the Zoo tramline. As an attendance of about 15,000 is. anticipated, tire gates will bo opened very, early in the evening. Mr. A. W !i y> secretary of tlio New Zealand Auto Cycle Union, will represent tho union officially at the races. .

It is probable that the Auckland representative tenrg will be selected from the following riders:—-W. Herbert, C. Goodwin, W. Allen, W. Mattson, A. Lemon, C. Goldberg, L. Coulthard and T. Bell.