MOTOR-CYCLING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21578, 24 August 1933, Page 14

MOTOR-CYCLING

PASCOE CUP TRIAL IMPORTANT EVENT DECIDED Good performances wore given by a number of prominent riders in the annual Pascoo Cup trial, one of the most important events of tho year, which was held under tho auspices of the Auckland Motor-Cyclo Club last weekend. Tho winner was D. M. Robinson, who lost 11 points, while P. Fletcher was,second, losing 12 points, and A. R Myers and A. 1 Lees, each of whom lost 13 points, tied for third.

Of tho 21 starters, only 13 returned to Auckland within the time allowed, the others being delayed for a variety of reasons. The following riders started: —M. Haughie (Sun), H. Willis (Raleigh), M. Robinson (Royal Enfield and sidecar), P. Fletcffßr (8.5.A.), D. McLaren (A.J.S.), A. Perry (Velocetto), M. Morgan (Velocetto), J. Haughie (J.A.P. and sidecar), P. Batty (Douglas), G. Sutherland (Indian and sidecar), A. Sutherland (B.S.A.)> B. McCarty (James), F. Zambucca (Indian), J. Dunlop (Velocetto), A. Myers (Royal Enfield), W. Cronk (Velocetto), A. Burgess (Norton), G. Howlett (Velocetto), A. Lees (Ariel), K. Matthews (Royal Enfield), D. Caldwell (Grindley Peerless).

Competitors were required to average speeds ranging from 20 to 27 miles an hour on different sections of the route, and covered a total distance of 234 miles, tho riding-time allowed being 9h 43m. Checks had been arranged at different stages, and riders were penalised for failing to maintain their correct averages. Conditions were easier than had been expected on tho old clay road to Mercer, but a mud section caused difficulty to all but P. Fletcher and B. McCarty, who did not lose points. On the return trip a number of riders came to grief in tho watersplash at Takanini. An entry that earned for its rider first ridicule and later amazement was an ancient Douglas ridden by P. Batty. Although ho lost a considerable number of points, and finished well outside tho scheduled time, Batty succeeded in covering a difficult course in competition with machines designed nearly 20 years later than his veteran mount. Competitors in the I'ascoe Cup trial were met at Runciman by members of the Waitemata Club, who took part in a social run on Sunday. From Newmarket they travelled through Howick to Maraetai for lunch, and then continued round tho coast to Clevedon, joining the Great South Road at Papakura. The party led the Pascoo Cup riders back as far as Takanini, where they watched them through tho watersplash, one of the hazards of the trial. IXION CLUB'S ACTIVITIES Officials of the Ixion Motor-Cycle Club made an inspection last week-end of Rosebank Park, Avondale, which tho club has secured permission to use as a sports ground. The opinion was expressed that a track suitable for a miniature Tourist Trophy race could easily bo formed, and it was agreed to proceed with tho work immediately, in an endeavour to havo tho track ready for the Ixion Grand Prix in November. Club officers also completed arrangements in connection with the running of the Crawford Cup contest next Sunday. BRITISH RACING SUCCESSES British motor-cycles, particularly Nortons and Iludges, have again met with outstanding success in high-speed events on the Continent this season. Nortons, ridden by S. AVoods and P. Hunt, respectively, took the first two places in the 500 c.c. class of tho Swiss Grand Prix, while Hunt and Woods, on smaller machines of the same make, were first and second in the 350 class. In the French Grand Prix, Hunt and Woods were placed first and second in the largest class, while J. H. Simpson and .T. Guthrie, also on Nortons,' finished first and second in the 350 c.c. division, C. H. Manders winning tho 250 c.c. class with a Rudge. In the Dutch Tourist Trophy races, Stanley Woods rode his 500 c.c. Notion to victory, while he also won the 350 c.c. class, with Hunt close behind on a similar mount. Rudgcs and Excelsiors were also prominent in the majority of these events, making a formidable ar(-ay of British successes against keen foreign competition. NOTES There are now 2,130,043 motor vehicles licensed and in use on the roads in Great Britain. A small polico car stolen in England on Octobor 19 last year was fished out of Southampton Dock recently, sadly damaged owing to several liners having rested on it. A team of racing cars entered for a race at Brooklnnds recently was equipped with wireless receivers with which to keep in touch with tho pits, where a transmitter was installed. " In addition to tho driver," said tho coroner for mid-Warwickshire, " the pedestrians must bo taught to cooperate with all other users of the road to epsure safety, Traffic signals are designed to control all traffic, whether vehicular or pedestrian." One hundred years ago, Joseph Aloysius Hansom invented bis patent safety cab, possibly the most popular means of locomotion ever offered to tho public. To-day some of the latest London taxis havo tho ontrv and exit arranged on much the same lines as Hansom employed. A motorist driving on a busy road in England last month in an open touring car had tho disconcerting experience, of suddenly finding a length of rope entangled in his steering wheel. He lost control of tho car, which knocked over a bicycle and then ran into n telegraph post. Tho ropo had been blown from the top of a near by telegraph pole, whero a man was working.