GREAT RELAY RACE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 136, 1 August 1911, Page 8

GREAT RELAY RACE.

CYCLISTS VERSUS MOTOR CYCLg ISTS. The Dunlop Rubber Co. have decided to organise a pelay sporting contest next Easter (ijrpril, 1912), in the shape of a relay despatch race from Adelaide fo Sydney. Th'o event will be run in,, two divisions—a relay of cyclists to bo pitted against a relay of jnotor cyclists, the, ride to be carried on day and, night until a despatch from Adelaide is carried over 11-19 miles of country and delivered to the military authorities in Sydney. The. motor cycle section will probably be handicapped to concede at least 21 hours’ start to the cyclists, which means that the first despatch should bo up near Coleraine (Victoria) — some 368 miles away—before the first motor cyclist leaves Adelaide. The cycle division will be divided into 61 relays, ranging in length from 10 up to 38 miles, two riders being appointed to each section, so that, all told, 128 cyclists will bo required for this part of the undertaking. The motor cycle relays will probably range from 50 to 100 miles in length, depending on the nature of the country to be negotiated, and here again the dcspatach-bearcrs will ride in pairs to preclude any possibility of a breakdown in the lino of communication. It is estimated that there will be about 20 motor cycle relays, and the best 40 motor cyclists in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales will he selected for the task—and they will want-to-bo good to overhaul the big start that will be conceded to the cycle brigade. To overtake the cycle despatch before it reaches Sydney, it is anticipated that the motor cyclists will have to maintain an average speed of 25 miles, for the cyclists will probably be scheduled to average for the whole journey 16,V miles per hour, the speed maintained in the big cycle relay ride organised over the same course by the Dunlop Rubber Co. in April, 1909. when* the 1149 miles' were negotiated in 69 hours 35 minutes. In that event 375 miles were covered in the first 24 hours and 455 in the second, so that it will be soon that the motor cyclists will have no easy task set them. As a sporting event, the relay match should provide one of the most interesting and instructive contests yet held in Australia. Gold medallions will be presented by the promoters of the race to all riders taking part in the contest. The route from Adelaide will lie via the “Cqorong” desert to Kingston, thence through Mount Gambler, Casterton, Ballarat, Melbourne, Albury, Gundagai, Goulburii, and Pictou to Sydney. The Commonwealth military authorities, who took such' a keen interest in the 1909 relay ride, are to he applied to for their support and patronage.

Particulars to hand from London show that tlio “Standard Chassis Car Race” recently held on Brooklands track was a distinct success. The event resulted in a win for an amateur driver, Mr C. Cathie, who drove a 12 h.p. !-cylindor “Star” (here 80, stroke 120 millimetres), and covered the 277 miles in I hours 55 minutets !) 1-5 seconds. A “Singer” driven hy (J. Tyso.o finished second in 1 hours 57 minutes 25 seconds, • with another “Btar” driven, hy R. Leslie close up third. Twontv-four cars started, 11

of which negotiated the 277 miles under six hours The event under notice was the first long‘distance track race restricted to standard types of moderate powered cars hold in England, and the fact that so many cars maintained an average speed oi over 50 miles an hour speaks well for the efficiency of the present day moderate powered car. The winner’s speed averaged 56.1 miles an hour. Mr Cathie covered 57 miles in the first hour, 100 miles in 1 hour 45 minutes 42 2-5 seconds, 113 miles 653 yards in 2 hours, 107 miles 1613 yards in 3 hours, and 221 miles Cl 7 yards in 4 hours. The speeds achieved by the leading cars were far in excess of what most of the competitors anticipated.

An incandescent system of car'lighting is being marketed in England, petrol vapour mixed with.oxygen being used with splendid results. The gas is mixed in a small carburetter, the oxygen gas being supplied from a stool cylinder and projected through a special burner on to an incandescent disc. This now light is known as flic oxy-pctrol, aiiJ it is said to ho more reliable, more brilliant, and cleaner than the aceyleno gas which is now generally used by motorists. English .motorists last year paid £500,000 in motor taxes, in addition to £150,000 for petrol dues. This sum has been placed to the credit • ! the Road Board, and is to he expended on road improvements.

The Champs Elyseos, the great Parisian thoroughfare, affords useful data as regards street wear. It is divided into throe distinct roads—the central for motor cars, and the side one for other vehicles. It has been found that the wood pavement stands the motor cars admirably, but the surface of the side roads wears rapidly under horse traffic. Also the portion used by the motorist exclusively needs practically no cleaning, while the oil and grease drippings protect the surface from wet. According to a contemporary, for every two square yards of repairs on the motor track, there are eight square yards on the horse, section. It attributes the destruction by horse traffic to the pickings of the horses’ hoofs. It is estimated that 50,000 vehicles pass down the Champs Elysees daily, 30,000 of which are motor cars.

R. Burtnan, the crack American speed motorist yho holds the world’s flying mile car record of 25.4 seconds, has lost the honour of having travelled faster than any other man in the world. The record has been won by Vedrinos, a well-known European aviator, who recently flew .from Dijon to St. Lawrent-les-Lacon, 72 miles, in a little less than- 30 minutes, he travelling at the speed of 150 miles an hour. Vedrines had a gale of wind behind him, but his flight was of such a hair-raising character that he docs not intend repeating it. The reliability of the present day motor cycle was well demonstrated in a recent 21. hours’ motor cycle run hold by the English Motor Cycle Club from London to Edinburgh—a distance of about 400 miles. Out of 96 motor cyclists who started only eight failed to complete the journey, and several of those were put out of the run through accidents. From an efficiency standpoint the run was easily the most successful yet held in England. Ever since Jake de Rosier, the American motor cycle champion, signified that he was willing to meet C. R. Collier, the fastest English rider, in a scries of races at Brooklands, the motor cycling world, says “Motor Cycling” (England), has been hotly discussing the possibilities of the greatest contest, and anxiously awaiting some definite statement as to when the race would take place. The performances of both riders in the past make it evident that, if only they can be brought together, there will follow the most tremendous duel that has ever been fought out on the great cement cipcle at Brooklands. There, it is true, Collier is in his very element, knowing as lie docs every inch of the track, while his rival on the other hand is more accustomed to small wooden tracks banked to an extremely acute angle and constructed in a perfect circle. Each rider has a long roll of successes to his name, and each is accustomed to speeds of anything between 80 and 90 miles an hour. Those who favour the English rider must remember that, although de Rosier has only been in England a few days, ho has already tuned up one of his racing machines to cover a lap at Brooklands at 84 miles an hour! And although this is still somewhat below the speed he is credited with in America, it H a wonderful performance considering how different are the conditions of the two countries. There now only remains the difficulty of bringing the two men together, but wo understand that the British Motor Cycle Racing Club have a plan under consideration to match the champions in a series of races at the next meeting, on 23th July. If only the necessary financial support bo forthcoming tiic most thrilling racing over seen at Brooklands will be witnessed on that day.-