BROADSIDING

Otago Witness, Issue 4057, 15 December 1931, Page 49

BROADSIDING

OPENING OF SEASON GOOD RACING AT SPEEDWAY. Although the opening of the 1931-32 broadsiding season, which was held at the Speedway Royle on Saturday evening, was favoured with fine weather, the general climatic conditions left something to be desired, as the keen south-easterly breeze which persisted during the evening must have deterred large numbers of enthusiastic followers of the sport from attending the first meeting of the season This was unfortunate, as the racing throughout the evening was of the highest standard, a fact which the crowd of 5000 spectators enthusiastically testified during the progress of the fixture. There were thrills, aplenty, and with the exception of a severe fall suffered by T. Tompkins, the brilliant Brisbane rider, who was unfor tun ate enough to crash so heavily in the third heat of the Australian Match Race that he was unable to rid again during the meeting, the evening’s racing was pleasantly free from any regrettable mishap. On the whole, the racing was of a very high standard, the local riders acquitting themselves with considerable distinction in the events which they contested. The arrangements for the meeting were excellent, theie being a. pleasing absence of delays in the running of the various events. The results were as follows: — PACIFIC HANDICAP. First heat: Lionel Homer (6sec) 1. Laurie Packer (Adelaide, 2sec) 2. Also started: Jack Young (3sec). B. Henning (lOsee). Won by 80 yards. Henning fell halfway round the course. Time, Second heat: S. Bysouth (Melbourne, scr) 1, J. Nesbit (3sec) 2. Won by 10 yards, 40 yards between second and third. Time, 93 4-ssec. Third heat: P. Lyders (6sec) 1, 1' Tompkins (Brisbane, scr) 2, S. Ravenswood (9sec) 3. Also started: H. Williams (Bsec). Won by 50 yards. Time, 95see. Final. Homer 1 Bysouth \ • . • 2 Nesbit 3 Won by 50 yards; a close fight for second place. Bysouth beating Nesbit by a bare length. Lyders fell in the first round. Time, 93sec. ROYLE HANDICAP. (Local Riders.) First heat: L. Homer (3sec) 1. J. Nesbit (scr) 2. Also started: P. Lyders (4sec) and B. Henning (9see). Won by 100 yards: two lengths between second and third. Henning went away to bad start and fell in the first lap. Time. 94 l-ssec. Second heat: S. Ravenswood (Bsec) 1, H. Williams (“see) 2. J. Young (scr) 3. A slow race. Won by two lengths, 20 yards separating second and third. Time, 105 2-ssec. Third heat: A. D. Inglis (Bsec) 1. A. Creighton (9sec) 2, A. Bain (3sec) 3. Inglis went to the front in the second round and won by yards. Time, 100 l-ssec. Final. Nesbit 1 Homer 2

Also started: luglis and Ravenswood. Inglis fell halfway round the first lap, aud Ravenswood retired at the end of the same lap with engine trouble. Nesbit won easily, Homer falling three times in the last two laps, but persevering and riding home to secure second money. Time, 97 2-ssee. AUSTRALIAN MATCH RACE.

First heat: L. Packer 1, T. Tompkins 2, C. Bysouth 3. Also started: F. Elms. After two false starts the riders went away with inches separating them. In the first round Elms came off. Packer rode a great race, stalling off a strong challenge from Tompkins to win by 10 yards. Bysouth being 150 yards further back iu third place. Time, 86sec.

Second heat: T. Tompkins 1, F. Elms 2, L. Packer 3. Won by 100 yards, a lap separating second and third. C. Bysouth fell in the second round. Time, Sascc.

Third heat: L. Packer L.F. Elms 2. Two attempts to conclude this heat were made. The first produced the only serious fall of the meeting. In the second round Tompkins fell and was pinned under his machine, both Packer and Elms purposely throwing their machines into a blind skid to prevent a collision with the fallen rider. In the second attempt Packer went away to a good start and held the lead for over a lap. but his engine commenced to give trouble, and Elms went to the front, only to fall on the last bend, enabling Packer to win easily. Elms succeeded in completing the course. Time, 97sec.

Packer won the contest with 11 points, Tompkins being second with 8, and Elms third with 6. COLOSSAL PARK HANDICAP. First heat: F. Elms (scr) 1. Also started: L. Packer (scr), P. L.vders (6sec) and A. D. Inglis (9sec). Packer’s machine would not start, Inglis fell in the second lap, and Lyders struck the fence in the last lap. Time, 98sec. Second heat: J. Young (3see) 1, H. Williams (Bsec) 2, S Ravenswood (9sec) 3. Y’oung had an easy win, both of his opponents experiencing engine trouble. Time, 118 sec. Third heat: J. Nesbit (3sec) 1, B. Henning (lOsee) 2. Also started: L. Homer (scr). Homer fell in the second lap. i Won by half a lap. Time, 96 4-ssec. Final. Elms 1 Young 2 Nesbit 3 Elms, from the scratch mark, was the only finalist who succeeded in going round the entire course without striking trouble. Nesbit fell in the first round, but managed to continue. Young came off in the second round, but remounted, and Henning. who was on the lOsec mark, led by about 100 yards up to the last bend, where he fell. Elms won by a lap and a-half. Time, 96 3-ssec. ONE MILE CYCLE HANDICAP. T. Brosnan (65yds) I G. Johnstone (160yds) .... 2 W. Wilson (150yds) 3 A very close finish, Brosnan winning by half a wheel, and Wilson being half a length further back in third place. Time, 2min 38 4-ssee. WESTERN SPRINGS SPEEDWAY AUCKLAND, December 13. Persistent machine trouble marred the performances of the visiting riders at the Western Springs Speedway last evening. Although the local men were in good form, both J. Jackson and N. Key, of England, won several places, but were handicapped by T their motors being unreliable, while E. Whittle, of Australia, also had difficulty with his cycle. There were very few falls, and although the state of the track made the speeds slower than on the opening night, the racing was good. Results:— International Matches.—First race: N. Key (J.A.P.) 1. J. Jackson (Rudge) 2. Time. Imin 22 3-ssec. Second race: J. Jackson 1. C. Goldberg (J.A.P.) 2. Time, Imin 21 2-ssee.

Visitors’ Handicap.—B. Smith (Norton, 3Jsec) 1, F. Day (Norton, 3sec) 2. Time, Imin 27 l-ssee.

Special Eight Handicap.—A. Mattson (Rudge, scr) 1, R. Cairns (Rudge, Isec) 2. Time, Imin 26 2-ssec. Big Six (Local Riders). —First race: F, Day 1, H. Tetley (Rndge) 2. Time, Imin 25see. Second race: S. Sheppard (Rudge) 1, D. Mattson (Norton) 2. Time. Imin 24 sec. B Grade Handicap.—C. Morgan (Norton, Isec) 1. J. MTlonald (Douglas, 4see) 2. Time, Imin 42 2-ssec. KILBIRNIE STADIUM ’ WELLINGTON, December 13. The chief events contested at the Kilbirnie Stadium on Saturday resulted as follows: — Big Nine Invitation Scratch Race.—W. Kilmister 1, R. Frogley 2. Time, 83 2-ssee. Speedway Grand" Handicap.—P. Phillips 1, H. Mangham 2. Time. 86 l-ssec. Douglas Scratch Race. —E. Naylor 1, H. Anderson 2. Time, 93see. FATALITY AT KILBIRNIE IMPORTANCE OF CRASH HELMETS. WELLINGTON, December 12. Returning a finding of accidental death in the case of A. V. Radcliffe, who died in the Wellington Hospital on December 7 as the result of injuries received when he crashed at the Kilbirnie Stadium on November 28, Mr T. B. M'Neil, the coroner, stressed the importance of wearing crash helmets as a safeguard against injury. The medical evidence showed that Radcliffe died as the result of contusion and laceration of the brain. Mr M’Neil said he wished to draw the attention of the officials of the club to the great necessity for having a steward to see that in every race competitors should have helmets securely fastened. That had apparently been the practice in the past and had been insisted on by the club offiIt was stated in evidence that the deceased was wearing a helmet when he crashed. It either came off or was removed afterwards.