MOTOR CYCLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27059, 19 April 1949, Page 7

MOTOR CYCLING

GRAND PRIX MEETING SOUTHERN COMPETITORS’ SUCCESS CROWD OF OVER 20,000 PA CHRISTCHURCH, Apl. 18. The New Zealand Grand Prix meeting for motor cyclists, held at Cust, North Canterbury, to-day, attracted a crowd estimated at more than 20,000. The spectators thronged to every vantage point around the sixmile course, thousands watched from the hillside overlooking the main straight, and there were hundreds of cars in the parking paddocks. There was a light rain during the first races but the afternoon was sunny. The races were all i run over a square course of six miles and a-tenth. The start and finish were in the middle of a two-mile front straight. Turning left, .the riders wound uphill on a fairly sharp S-bend and over undulating country, with two humpbacked bridge*; to the back straight, with its sunreen bridge. The other side straight was downhill, with little impediment in speed, and riders were timed at up to 100 miles an hour on this section. The turn into the front straight sloped outward and down, giving the machines little asistance in fast cornering. More than 1000 gallons of spent engine oil were sprayed on to bind the surface and lay the dust. The Senior Grand Prix. of 97.6 miles (16 laps) resulted:— J. Swarbrick (Christchurch), 500 c.c. Norton 1 G. Haggitt (Dunedin), 500 c.c. Triumph 2 J. Hinchman (Feilding), 500 c.c. Triumph 3 W. Fabin (Christchurch), 350 c.c. A.J.S 4 M. Holland (Christchurch), 500 c.c. Excelsior 5 Time, lhr 22min 14 l-ssec. With 38 starters, it was a tussle from start to finish between Swarbrick and Haggitt. Swarbrick led over the first lap from M. King (Wellington), Holland and L. Roberts (Oamaru). Two laps from the finish Haggitt had opened a gap of 50 yards from Swarbrick and Hinchman was more than half a mile behind, with Fabian another 400 yards back. Then came a radio report that Haggitt had overshot a corner on the back straight, and when the leaders came round he was 500 yards behind Swarbrick, but gaining again. Swarbrick got an advantage on the S-bend and was timed on the downhill side-sti'aight at about 100 miles an hour and finished 800 yards ahead of Haggitt, with about the same distances between the next two to finish. The Junior Grand Prix, of 10 laps, resulted:— R. Lumsdcn (Invercargill), 350 c.c. Velocette 1 W. Taylor (Palmerston North), 350 p p Vplnppffp 2 W. Fabian (Christchurch) 350 c.c. A.J.S 3 Times: 55min 54sec, 58min 9sec, 56min 26sec. This event, with 18 starters, produced change after change in the order of the leaders. T. B. Baumfield (Nelson) got off first, but was headed by J. Dale (Auckland). By the end of the first lap Lumsden held second place, closely followed by Baumfield. These two had switched places again by the third lap. On the next round Dale broke a magneto point and withdrew, leaving Lumsden to take the lead for the remainder of the race. The light-weight event, of six laps, and the Junior Grand Prix were run concurrently, so it was difficult to check the lap leaders. E. Entwhistle (Christchurch) took the early lead in the light-weight and was not threatened at any time. T. L. Robinson (Christchurch) was his keenest opponent in second place throughout. G. Harding (Christchurch) was third until near the finish, when he was displaced by K. Smith (Christchurch). The result was:— R. Entwhistle (Christchurch), 250 c.c. Velocette 1 T. L. Robinson (Christchurch), 249 c.c. Triumph ... 2 K. Smith (Christchurch), 249 c.c. Triumph 3 Times: 39min 38 3-ssec, 40min 27sec, 43min. The Clubmen’s Handicap was an innovation this year to cater for less experienced riders on standard motor cycles. The entry of 17 was not as large as expected, but competition was keen. The official result, with handicaps, was:— R. M. Gibbs (Dunedin), 2min 15sec, 350 c.c. Velocette 1 A. Lavers (Waimate), 2min 42sec, 350 c.c. Ariel 2 S. E. Burt (Leeston), 2min 15sec, 350 c.c. BSA 3 J. Stirling (Timaru), scr, 500 c.c. Matchless .. 4