SPEEDWAY ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20793, 9 February 1931, Page 17

SPEEDWAY ACCIDENTS.

TWO MOTOR-CARS CRASH.

ONE DRIVER'S ARM BROKEN

ABANDONMENT OF MEETING. Two spectacular crashes occurred at the motor-car racn mooting organised by the Auckland Automobile, Racing Club, Limited, at Ilenning's Speedway, Mangero, on Saturday afternoon. After the second tho meeting was abandoned. One of tho drivers involved, Mr. A. R. E. Messenger, of St. Heliers Bay, was taken to tho Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulanco suffering from a fracture of tho left arm. Tho other driver, Mr. A. J. Roy croft, had a romarkablo cscapo from injury. Tho second crash, which was the moro serious, occurred in tho second heat of tho Mangero Handicap. Mr. Messenger, an experienced driver, was driving his Messenger Special and overtook tho Brooklands Riley driven by Mr. G. Smith. Finding himself a littlo closo to tho other car ho swerved to tho right. Apparently Mr. Messenger could not straighten up in time, and his car struck tho bank at a speed of about 70 miles an hour, and was hurled high in tho air. The, offsido rear wheel was torn from tho hub, and the car crashed back on to tho track with tho axles bent and the steeringrod snapped off short. 'J lie other cars woro flagged off the course, and Mr. Messenger was removed in the ambulance. Ho was not thrown from Iho car -when (lie accident occurred, and tlie fact that, ho was still sitting behind tho wheel led tho other competitors to beliovo at first that ho was not hurt.

Tho crash in which Mr. Roycroft was concerned had occurred two races previously. Driving his fast littlo Brescia Bugatti, ho accoleratcd as ho canio out of a corner, but tho car struck a wet patch where water had been thrown in an attempt to lay tho dust, and skidded wildly. Mr. Roycroft put tho wheel hard over to correct tho skid, hut before ho could straighten out, tho Bugatti hit ono of the empty oil drums used to mark the course, and left tho t rack. With tho heavy drum firmly fixed between tho dumb-irons, the littlo car was impossible to hold, and suddenly capsized, throwing the driver a considerable distance.

' Tho car rolled over and over, finally coming to rest alongside Mr. Roycroft without striking him.

Tho driver had extricated himself from tho swamp into which ho had been thrown, and was busy trying to remove his car, which was lying in tho deep slime with its wheels in tho air, when help arrived.

Tho soft mud into which ho had fallen broke Mr. Roycroft's fall, and lie escaped with a shaking. The car was righted and dragged back on to the track, where it was found to bo practically undamaged, having one axle slightly bent and the steeringwheel twisted. "It was the first time I have crashed in more than ten years' racing, and I think Mr. Messenger has never been injured previously," Mr. Roycroft said.