MOTOR CARNIVAL

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16145, 25 February 1918, Page 5

MOTOR CARNIVAL

VERY SUCCESSFUL

GATHERING

LARGE CROWDS AND EXCITING

RACING

I Ofacials—President: Mr A. S. Clark-ion. Judge: Mr F. W. Johnston. Starter: I Mr W. G. Tonks. Chairman of Management Committee: Mr P. R. Climie. Treasurer : Mr Arnaud McKellar. Secretary: Mr H. J. Knight. The postponing of tho eagerly awaited Red Cross Motor Carnival from , the 16th inst. until last Saturday must have been lucky rather than unlucky for probably even the promoters <of the gathering did not expect such a huge attendance of the public as wis at Canterbury Park. A keen follower of the sport of trotting who is well acquainted with the ground, stated that the record crowd so far numbered 12,000 and, he added, "there are two or three thousand more here to-day than then." As £700 odd was taken at the gates the estimate was close to the mark. Altogether the total takings should not be far short of £900, and there was about £200 devoted to the prize fund. The weather was perfect for such an event, and the Management Committee—including the Ladies' Committee, who did wonders in looking after the catering arrangements, which were excellent^—is to be very heartily congratulated on the smooth manner in which everything, in a fairly complicated programme,, went. This is the third motor carnival in aid of the Red Cross funds which has been held at Canterbury Park, and it is very easy to predict a great future for motor-cycle racing. At the first meeting the attendance was five or six thousand; at th» second it had risen to over seven, and on Saturday it must have been nearly 100 per cent, better. Tho public evidently liked its former tastes of one of the most exciting of sports, and, like Oliver Twist s ' 'aske'd for ipore'' with no uncertain voice. The racing itself on Saturday was first-rate. Possibly there were not quite so many good races as in 1917, but there were one or two cfing-dong "goes, 1 ' particularly in the South Island Middle-weight Championship, and the Open Handicap, which alone were worth the money. The programme was marred by one accident, in which S. Whitehead, of Palmerston North, had his leg broken above the_ ankle. This painful incident occurred in the second race, the Heavy-weight Handicap. Whitehead was just starting on his second lap, when he got into the rough going, wide on the west corner. He fell, but was up again almost at once, and was attended to by an ambulance nurse and a friend. E. F. C. Hinds,' coming round tho same corner fast, apparently saw +he danger flag to show that a competitor had fallen, and also went wide. He could not wrench his machine round again on to the course, running into Whitehead and his attendants, with tie result that the visitor received a broken leg, and Hinds was heavily thrown and put out- of action for the afternoon un_+il the consolation race at the end of the day. During the afternoon Mr C. M. Hill, of the Canterhnry Aviation School, Accompanied by Mr G. McKay, gave a splendid exhibition of "aerobatics" in the 100 h.p. two-seater. He dived and cartwheeled and volplaned to the huge delight of the thousands of spectators, whom he scared , by two tremendous dives with the wind, close on their heads. The 'plane was travelling at well over 100 miles an hour when this "stunt" was done, and it was immensely effective.. The Woolston Band, wlio generously gave their services, played a programme of mußic daring _ the afternoon which added to the enjoyment of all. Taking it all through, the carnival must be voted a pronounced success, and there is no doubt that the next one, in 1919, will he eagerly looked forward to. THE RESULTS. LIGHT-WEIGHT HANDICAP, 8 for machines up to 600 c.c. Prizee, £10, £3, £•2. A. "Woodman (Chris ichurch), 4} 8.5.A., scr .. .. .. .. 1 J. A. Karton (Timaru), 41 If.S.A., oaec.. 2 R. J. Jones (Palmerston North), 3i Indian, losec .. - .. .. .. 3 J. Dawber, 3$ Indian, 12sec; A. Boag, 3J Korton, Msec; G. J. J. Moffatt, 8.5.A., 336c0 ; F. Ha worth, 2J machine, lOOsec; P. A. Foden, 22 Douglas, llOseo; J. Sweeney, 3$ Humber, r2osec; and L. Bird, 2i Indian, 21osec also started. After tho preliminary sorting out the race reeolved itself into a race between Woodman and ' Karton, the former winning comfortably. Time, Tin in 57 3-5 th eec. HEAVY-WEIGHT HANDICAP. 10 miles; for machines oTer GOOc.c. Prizee, £15, £3, and £2. H. B. Crawley (Carterton), 7 h.p. HarleyDavidson, 2Qsec .. .. i L. Mangham (Shannon), 7 h.p. HarleyDnridson, 20sec .. j P. Coleman, 7 h.p. Indian, «cr; E. F C Hinds, 7 h.p. Indian, 12sec; and S. Whitel head 7 h.p. Harley-Davidson, 20b€c, also e tar ted. Coleman had hard luck, his starter getting hia coat caught in the chain, which bioko and spoilt 'chaocee head andl Hinda. both felTaa recortk above, leaving Crawky and Maugham to make a race of it. Time, 3min 17;4-sth sec. SOT p T r^f^ D 0 CHAMPIONSHU\ 8 milee; machines iH, SoOc.c. Pnres, £12 £1, and~£° F Haworth (Christchurch), 2J machine 1 p <Pah?«rston North). 2 L' Dou glas .. 3 24 Indian ' a!eo Dawber got away well but 011 a ma chinfi of hia otm aasemblx..

caught him in the second lap, and these two kept together, gradually leaving Foden and Bird, who wero lapped in the Bth and 6th laps respectively. Haworth won from Dawber by about 150 yds. Time, 9niin 48 2-oth sec. SOUTH ISLAND MIDDLE-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP, 10 railca; for machine.* over 350 c.c. and up to 600 c.c. Prizes, £20, £7, and JS.i. A. Woodman (Christchurch). 41 B.S.A. J J. A. Karton (Tim-aru), 4i B.S.A. .. 2 R. J. Jones (Palmorston Norfh/, bi Matchless .. .. .. .. 3 A. Boag, 3i Norton, Rnd J. Dawbcr, 3J Indian, aiso started. This was the bsei race of the day, and caused great excitement. Woodman, Itartou (who rodo a fnio race), Dawber, and Jone3 fought hard for three laps, when Jones began to fall behind, and tho battle lay with the two South 1sLnders and Da.vber. Dawber led tho fifth lap and sixth, but in tho seventh Woodman forged ahead with Karton on hi 3 wheel. In the ninth lap all three had lapped Jonee, but in the last Dawber also fell behind, Woodman and Karton making a great finish of it. Jones and Dawber both had to push their machines in, and Jones was awarded I third place, though it seemed that tiii3 I should have gono to Dawber, who was ap--1 parently a lap ahead of him. Time, lOnnu 6 3-sth sec. AUSTRALASIAN HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP, 15 miles; for machines over 600 c.c. Prizes, £35, £10, Jt's. P. Coleman (Palmerston North), 7 h.p. Indian .. .. .. ..1 H R. Crawley (Carterton), 7 h.p. HarleyDavidson .. .. .. .. 2 L. Maugham (Shannon), 7 h.p. HarleyDavidson .. .. .. .. 3 The only starters. This was another good race, and was the first time that Coleman had really got going thoroughly well beioro a Christchurch audience. Mangham was in the .lead for the first lap, but who 'then caught and passed by Crawley and Coleman. The second lap 6aw Coleman in tbo lead, and both men gradually drew away from Mangham, lapping him in the sixth miles, in the tenth, and again in the last lap. Coleman and Crawley hung together fairly well, but Coleman won comfortably. Time, i3ra:n SOsec (an Australasian record. Coleman's i fastest lap wae done in 53 2-sth sec, and he did several in about 55soc and under). NORTH, v. SOUTH RELAY RACE, Vo miles. South Island—Haworth (2 J machine). Woodman (3J 8.5.A.), R. Crawley (7 Harley-Davidson) .. .. .. 1 North Island —Sweeney (2J Dawber (3J Indian), Coleman (7 h.p. Indian) .. .. .. .. 2 South Island could not produce a heavyweight xidor, so Crawley substituted and rode well. Haworth and Woodman gained a fine lead for him from Sweeney and Dawber. Coleman, had rather a hopeless task, though he might have given Crawley a bad time had not his engine kept miesing, being starved through an obstruction in the fuel feed. As it was Crawley came homo with .a. little leas than half a mile to the good. Time, 15min 15 l-sth sec. ACCELERATION RACE. Prizes, £2 2s and £1 Is. The Acceleration Race, for cars, brought out a good field, several heats having to be run. After a series of good contests. P. R. Climie (6-cylindeT Buic.k) scored a good win, with W. Harrington, of the Rink Taxis '.6cylinder Hudson) second. OPEN HANDICAP. 8 miles. Prizes, £18, £5, and £2. C. Bonnington (Christchurch), 4i B.SiA., 90 see • • • • • • .. 1 A. Woodman (Christchurch), 4fc 8.5.A., 30sec •• •• •• 2 H. R. Crawley (Carterton), 7 HarleyDavidson, 15sec .. •. .. 3 Coleman, Karton, J. Dawber, P. A. Foden, R. J\ Jones, and L. Mangham also started. Foden and Bonnington secured a good lead, Bonnington not taking long to get ahead, and going well. Coleman's machine would not start. Woodman, Karton. and Dawber had a great race to themselves in trying to overhaul the limit men, and towards thj end Crawley caught up. and" displaced- Karton and Dawber. Woodman made a gTeat effort to catch Bonnington, but failed to do so by 50yds or so. Time. Bmin 55 2-sth sec. CONSOLATION HANDICAP, 3 miles. Prizes, £5, £3, and £1. G. Moffatt (Christchurch), 4J 8.5.A., lOsec 1 J. Sweeney (Palmerston North), 2!J Douglas. SOsec .. •• " R. Jonee (Palmerston North), 4J 8.5.A., ssec •• •• •• •• 3 Hinds and Mangham also started.