MOTOR-CYCLING

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 369, 10 March 1932, Page 8

MOTOR-CYCLING

BY

FIXTURES. March 12—Track meeting, Pioneer Club. April 2—Hill-climb, Pioneer Club. April 9-10—Two-day trial, Pioneer Club. GRASS TRACK NOTEF Championship Prospects. The blue riband event of grass track racing will be decided at New Brighten racecourse on Saturday afternoon. One of the largest fields Christchurch has ever seen will line up for the New Zealand open championship. Every event at the meeting has attracted good fields and riders will arrive from Nelson, Timaru and the North Island. Never have prospects been more bright, and the Pioneer Club is assured of a successful meeting. Percy Coleman’s chances are not fancied for the championship. He will be riding a Royal Enfield, and the opposition is so strong and so many fast machines have been entered that it is generally thought that the title will pass on to other hands. The favourite is Harry Maugham, who will be riding Coleman’s late mount, the eight-valve Harley-Davidson. Jlangham's abiity as a rider cannot be doubted, and he is already holder of the middle-weight title. Other North Islanders who must be seriously considered are Alby Lemon (3J h.p. A.J.S.), W. Viggers (who will be riding the O.K. Supreme with which Ron Carpenter was placed second at the beach recently), and Ron Oliver (3£ h.p. H.D.). Viggers and Lemon are the most impressive. « Ranby’s success at the last meeting at New Brighton places him as a poss-

"MAGNETO"

ible champion, and he should be the most serious opponent of Mangham. He will be riding a Douglas. Of the local brigade, Tom M’Cleary (3J h.p. Ariel), Ron Carpenter (3i h.p. 0.E.C.-J.A.P.) and Wally Thomas (3} h.p. H.D.) are the best known, and of these Carpenter seems to appeal most. Jack Hobson will be riding the Matchless, which had a very fast reputation when ridden by Carpenter, but his knowledge of grass racing is so limited that it would be unfair to expect too much. Charlie Blacklock was unable to get the machine he entered ready for the practice last night, and ran a few practice laps on the machine to be ridden by Wally Thomas. Blacklock was faster than Thomas on it by one or two seconds. Tom M’Cleary was steady at practice, but did not do any phenomenal times. Just how fast he can go is hard to estimate. Popular choice has it that he is the'fastest of the local brigade, and is the selected Canterbury rider to have the best chance in the championship. Vic Brown was fairly slow, but showed good form at riding the track. On a suitable handicap he will be a good performer on Saturday. Wally Thomas was one of the best at the practice, although he was not driving as hard as he can. He is popularly fancied in some quarters, and can be depended upon to give a good showing. Thomas’s chances in the championship appear slim, however. Ron Carpenter, like M’Cleary, was steady, but did not register fast times.

Pie has proved a consistent performer, and it is fairly safe to say that he will figure in the money on Saturday. The track is in fairly good order, so far as bumps are concerned, although the grass is a trifle green and slippery. A continued dry spell might improve this, however. Jack Hobson was unable to secure tlic Matchless in time for practice, and covered a few laps on a touring A.J.S. He laid the model over just a trifle too far, and capsized. Hobson shapes well, and with the properly equipped racing machine should do all right. Personally, “ Magneto ” fancies his chance of sucCINDER SIFTINGS. Items From the Speedway. Broadsiding will be held at Monica Park again on Saturday night, and Wally Kilmisber will be riding. Cyril Anderson should have his machine back in good order again, and, should he attempt it, may break the record. Jack Hobson will meet Blacklock in the challenge race for tlje Chevrolet Gold Helnvet. Wally Kilmister revealed himself as a very different rider from the young broadsider who rode here the first season broadsiding started at Monica Park. Even then he was hailed as the best rider in New Zealand, and he till holds that proud title. He is the equal of any rider who has appeared here. Ivilmister rides with the true English style which is so effective in match racing. His engine was not performing as well as could have been desired, and as the veiling progressed it began to get worse. What a surprise Anderson sprung when he all but smashed the great Burton’s record! Only those behind the scenes know the work that he put into his machine. Almost every day he was at work polishing and cleaning, getting everything ready for his attempt. His reputation as a mechanic lias not been overrated by his fellow Australians. Anderson is the type of rider that every promoter seeks but seldom finds. He is ever ready to give of his best, never growls, and always has his machines in great order. He is keen on the game as a sport, and has a real interest in it apart from financial considerations. Anderson desires to go to English this season. He will do well, for only those who are prepared to give of th'eir best can do well nowadays. Many watching Anderson make his attempt on the record on Saturday night condemned him for not hugging the grass line. Where ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to be wise. Anderson was avoiding slamming liis machine on the insid-e for a very real reason. If one dare criticise the great Case, the reason why he did not break the record was because he all but stalled liis engine every time lie drove into the cornier. To keep the inside running at a speed necessary to break a record it is fatal to drive a machine into too heavy «■ slide on a heavily cindered track such as the Monica Park one. The overslidte Is like a powerful brake, and everyone knows that it is easy to -ose revs but difficult to pick them up again once the slide has begun. So Anderson, acting unconsciously upon the information Frank Pearce supplied the writer when lie was in this country, abstained from over-sliding his model, kept liis revs up, and all but broke the record. A flat, tyre was the cause of the disaster. Pearce was the most prolific breader of records this country has yet seen, and that was because he rode every track on its merits. He worked out the problem of riding in his mind and rode accordingly. Anderson was similarly calculating when lie rode on Saturday night. He wondered why great riders such as Case and Jackson had not broken the record, ind came to the conclusion that something was wrong with the way they were riding. Tt seems as if he discovered just why those riders failed.

The most outstanding rider that broadsiding has produced this season is Jack Hobson. He is young, keen and enthusiastic, and as his track sense improves should make a rider as good as any Canterbury has produced. The cinder track has taught Hobson practically all he knows of motor-cycling, and lie has this advantage over most of the others, that he has had nothing to forget in the art of road riding. George Farmer, although onlv recent. be to ,ea?n^ r ;fd.?n V, s£S- ZS season if he decides to stay in the game. Farmer shows an excellent knowledge of how to handle a machine, and lias more than the average ability to seize track The captain of the Ashburton Club (Mr T. W. Round) recently tendeied IPs resignation, which was accepted with regret. The deputy-captain, Mr T. H. Farley, was appointed captain, and Mr R. I’. Chibnall, deputy-captain. Messrs C. Pickford and W. Preddy were elected members to fill vacancies on the committee. At the committee meeting of the Ashburton Club this month, the president (Mr Cl. T. Clarke) presented Mr T. W. Round with a cheque from the members of the club, as a token of thteir goodwill, and extended good wishes the him un the occasion of his marriage. Mr Round suitably replied.