BROADSIDING.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20175, 2 March 1931, Page 4

BROADSIDING.

VISITORS PERFORM WELL. GOOD TIMES RECORDED. • Though no records were broken at the Monica Park Speedway on Saturday evening, the times in the scratch races and in the first division handicap were remarkably good, and it was quite a common event for the four laps to be done in 84 or 86 seconds. Two visiting riders from Australia, C. Anderson and H. Stevens, thrilled the crowd with their magnificent riding, and the local men were also up to form. Anderson won the first division handicap, N. Stow the second division, while E. Pye qualified to challenge for the Gold Helmet next Saturday. Owing to an accident the final of the Woolston scratch race had to be abandoned. A novice handicap was won by _C. W. Hampton in the remarkable time of 2min 3sec. However, the race was slow enough to be amusing. A champions' match race was won by H. Stevens. Some of the riders from Australia and England who visit the Monica Park track do not show up well against the local men, but Anderson and Stevens had a good innings on Saturday. They did not seem to be much faster, than some of the Christchurch cracks, but their tactics, probably owing to' longer experience of dirt tracks, were superior. Both had the trick of diving into the lead at the first corner. Anderson had hard luck in not winning the champions' match race. -He was in the lead up to the beginning of the last lap. When about to enter the last straight but one he got into a terrific and apparently uncontrolled slide, which lost him a lot of ground. When he was trying to regain the lead his machine went slow. As C. Blacklock did not enter for the Gold Helmet Match Bfaoe, ft series of elimination races was held to decide which rider should have the right to challenge the holder. Ihis was won by E. Pve, after three interesting races, which tested the skill of local men who are not quite topnotchers. Pye and N. Gray were both verv steady in these' races. D. Shaw had a remarkable crash in the firet event of the evening. He finished it up on the grass, well out of the way of the other ridera. ' In the final of the Woolston Handicap, Stevens fell just after the Btnrt, and P. Lunn could not ovoid the fallen machine. He crashed also, and hi# own mount somersaulted, ana appeared to Innd on top of hnn. Both were hadlv shaken, but neither was seriously hurt*

The Results. The results were ns follows: — FIRST DIVISION HANDICAP. „ (Four laps, one mile.) First Heat—E. Pye (2sec) 1, N. Gray (4seo) 3. Time, lmin aeseo. Py a Mid Gray were close lor most of the r&oe, but on entering tha last straight Pye shot inside Gray to win by half * machine's length. D. Shaw fell while in the Heat—C. Anderson (aor) 1, J. Oaklav (SaeoV 2. Time, lota 27aeo. some clever and spectacular tiding at the end of the third Up, Anderson took the lead and won by about ten yards. Jj Gutter's'machine- was not running well, ana f. Hon retired. _ Third Heat-N. Neill (7eec> 1, H. Stevena <B &ir e 'advßntage go of /hisi Wg rode steadily, andwSs an n« first. Sterol* patsadf E. inFjust 111 matched second place ixym W. Thomas. Final. Anderton <•? f* J ■ Stevens •» *• „ Neill •» . 8 Time, lmin M 2-6aeo. , Neill had a long start Md rode, very et«adily, but Anderson passed him in tha last lap. He and Stevens both rode fart and sle&dy races. Just at the end of the last lap," Stevens, seeing' an toemng inside Neill, shot through it and got second plaos by inohes only.

SECOND DIVISION HANDICAP. ! (Four laps, ona mil*.) | First Heat—B. Lovegrove (ecr) I, Or. Far* I mer (lsec) 2. Ailne, lmin 36 liovsgtovs shot np to second place during the first lap, and took *hs Jsad Jnring i So second. After that he slowed a little bat | ill won easily. All the riders were eomeW fiteco^ a Heat--N. Stow (sseo) l, W. Weaklsy (Ssec) «. Time, lmin 89 MS»o, i Stow was the limit man and led all the way, though Weakley was twice in a position to pass. Tha . event was remarkable | lor its slowness. Third Heat—G. Wicks (lseo) 1, R. Bus-, sell (4seo) 3. Time, lmin BSsm , ] Wicks took the lead from Kussell in,the last lap after they had been duelling for | nearly two lans. , The other two riders who finished were 'surprisingly slow, and another rt-tired* ■ . Semi-final— Weakley 1, Time, lmin 86seo. Farmer and Russell both orashed, so Weakley only hsd to stay on to win. f Final. I < Stow , •• 1 Weakley 8 Wi«&S - » Time, lmin 86 2-ssec. ' ' Wicks was riding really > well, and was in a position 'to pass but could qot get an opening. He.made a great'effort in the last lap and orashed jnst over the line. Stow and Weakley, showed surprising form, but it was hard ln6k on Wicks, lyixig third, 1 that they should have stuck ao olosely to* gather. N \ v e ' ' GOLD HELMET CHALLENGE >.:■/ .BAC23* • . i Viral Heat-N. Gray 1, E, Marsh % Vims, lmin SSseo. t Marsh took the lehd, and the inside at the start. During tha second la& be went i iut wide, and Gray, seeing his chance, djew | level on the inside. (The two were, neck I and neck for nearly a lap, and Gray eventu- 1 ally won by a few feet. / ffooond Heat—-E, Pye 1, OaWay 2. I ®me, lmin SGsed. ' %£ye shot into the lead but lost a lot of\ground - through a bad wobble at the sec£d bend. He; then set out .to ohass Oskley, but the latter rode splendidly until the end of the last lap when he snot out wide and Pye dived through the gap to win by inches. I Final.

Pye, .. ... ..1 Gray -- .. S Time, lmin' 24 l-ssec. " > Pye led all tha way and was! never challenged. The .time was good, though both wore so steady that the xaoe was not exciting* NOVICES' HANPIOAP.,; (Four laps, one 'mile.) ' C. W. Hampton (Jsec) .. .. l h. W. Hobby (scr) .. a O. Crutchley (Bsec) 8 Time; 2min Bset>. Hampton rode steadilv, but extraordinarily slowly, and won by half a lap. CHAMPIONS' MATCH HAOE. H. Stevens .. .. .. 1 . P. Luna .. ..2 C. Anderson .. .. ~8 ' Time, lmin 20 2-Ssec, ' Anderson shot iuto the lead, with Stevens almost level and Lunn 'a length- behind. Tha event was then really exciting, with al) three men riding furiously but mote or leas steadily. At the, beginning of the lest lap, Anderson slid out top far and Stevens shot through on the inside.. Anderson tried to caioh him again but his jnachine • failed at the crucial moment and Lunn shot into Second place. WOOLSTON. SCRATCH RACE. (Four laps, rolling start.) First Heat—H. Stevens 1, J. Oakley 2. Time, lmin 2tacc. ■ ■I Stevens took the lead/ and- easily out-rode the two N)>w Zealandera,. winning.by nearly half a lap. 7. Hore did not appear up to form and was a long way behind Oakley.' Second Heat—P. Lunn\VE. Pye 2.,- Time, lmin 25sec. < , Lunn and Gray both, crashed - just after the start, so the race /was stopped. They both borrowed machines,«ind' Lnnn seemed to like bis, for ha, had, a runaway win, with Pye and Gray following in a procession. third Heat—C/ Anderson 1, E. E. Marsh 2. kTimS, lmin 25sec. ' " , • Though Ma?sh and Thomas rode well, they i ware .»d match' for Anderson, ytho won easily. Thomas did well is sticking ly closely to Minl>