MOTOR-CYCLING

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1930, Page 3

MOTOR-CYCLING

TOURIST TROPHY RACES

x'. COLEMAN RETURNS

AUCKLAND, August 25

Percy Coleman, who represented New xjyaland onicially at the Tourisi iiupiiy motor-cycle race in the Isle ~i .(mu m June last, returned to .uictvmnd by tlie Aorangi from Sydney. Loieman is the holder of tlie world’s lieavy-weiglit championship on the grass, but although he has not done a great amount of racing on the open road, lie has ebme back full of ’.lUiinratioii for. the skill of the rideis tie met abroad. lhe luck was not altogether with the New Zealand rider. lie was untoitunate in the races. A crash on ' ,i treacherous bend put him out of tin •junior race, and in the «enior event his machine failed. So many factors entered into the competition that at ixpuie it was cUnsidered a good performance' if a competitor was successlui in ins third year in the race. A newcomer has never yet, passed tiie post first. 'Hie course, was so tor tuous and tricky that it required a trciiieiuious amount of practice Li. obtain even a general knowledge ol it; dmiculties anil the speeds at which they could be successfully surmounted, much more time than Coleman had bfetore tlie races on account of .Uk short notice which New Zealand received of tlie opportunity to send a representative. ’There was a difficulty, in securing suitable machines. One supplied to Coleman for the junior race was an ordinary standard model, and nothing great was expected of it. Manufacturers who competed seriously in races spent thousands of pounds, . i. developing machines for the purpose. The test was as severe on the machine as it was op,the rider, and in England it was held to be an excellent performance if the 264 miles’ course was completed regardless of whether tlie coveted prize was won or not. “Unfortunately in the. junior race I crashed on Mount Snaefell at the 33 miles’ post during the first lap through trying to take a corner too fast,” Coleman said. It was an innocent Rolling bend, but of late years it had brought more riders to grief than any other corner on the 38 miles’ circuit. For that reason the mile post there was painted red. The bend looked easy, but he suddenly realised that he was off tlie road and over the side of the mountain. He received a slight sprain and cut on his right hand and would have continued, but his machine was a hopeless wreck. The senior race took place four days later, and Coleman rode another machine which was specially built for him. It was not up to the standard of the special machines which the company had entered for its trade riders. Coleman said he did his best to get one of,,the specials, but the company would not supply it. In fact the conditions under which lie ..obtained the machine he rode, provided that it had to be purchased, and he was grateful to the New Zealand company who bought it.