CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIX, Issue 1073, 29 September 1910, Page 11

CYCLING AND MOTOR NOTES.

The great cycling road race, Warrnambool to Melbourne (165 miles), will be decided on Saturday.

New figures have been established for the world’s 100 miles unpaced record recently set up by Leon Meredith, and New Zealand or Australian riders who henceforth attempt to secure the Dunlop Rubber Company’s prize for beating the record will have something harder to accomplish, provided, of course, the company decides that the prize is for the 100 miles record and not for Meredith’s individual figures. In the Bath Road 100, held last month, F. H. Grubb from scratch did the distance in the fine time of 4hr. 50min. 49 3-ssec., as against Meredith’s time of 4hr. 52min ; 4-ssec. Grubb used an 88in gear and had to dismount twice to avoid cattle on the road- Of course Grubb’s time was accomplished in actual competition, while Meredith journeyed alone, but he was unpaced, and apart from the fact that Grubb was competing in a race, the conditions were the same.

The West Australian test race from Beverley to Perth, to select the W.A. representative for the “ Warrnambool,” was held under most unfavourable weather conditions, heavy rain making the course—‘at the best a very severe one —a heart-breaking one. Forty-six riders braved the elements and the heavy track, the ultimate winner being C. J. Senior, off the 30 minutes’ mark. J. McSweeney (24min.). after catching Senior, had the misfortune to puncture, and finished second. C. Howard ran third. The winner covered the 116 miles’ course in 7hr10min., which was the fastest established, Senior thereby winning fastest time prize and the right of officially representing W.A. in the forthcoming “ Warrnambool.” All the prize-win-ners rode “ Dunlops.” The heavy na-

ture of the course may be gauged from the fact that last year A. Pianata covered the 116 miles in 6hr- 30secSenior, J. Webb and J. McSweeney will compete in the big Victorian event on Saturday.

According to a cablegram from New York last week, Barney Oldfield, one of America’s leading racing motorista s drove his 200 h.p. Benz a mile on a local track in 49 4-ssec., the performance being claimed as a record. It may be a record for the track upon which the ride was established but it is far from being the world’s best, for Oldfield’s drive is a long way behind Hemery’s flying mile at Brooklands (England) in 31.055ec., recorded on November 5,1909. Even if it be from a standing start, Oldfield’s time does not approach Hemery’s 41 l-ssec. standing start record, established on the Brooklands track last November.