Muriwai Motor Races Abandoned

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 441, 24 August 1928, Page 7

Muriwai Motor Races Abandoned

A.A.A. STEPS OUT SPEEDWAY AT MANGERE The Auckland Automobile Association dropped something of a bomb- shell yesterday when it decided to abandon Muriwai motor races, which have been the feature of the motoring season for some years. Motor-racing will not become past history in Auckland, however, as the A.A.A. proposes to turn its attention to racing at the Mangere speedway, and there is already a proposal to form another organisation to run races at Muriwai. The proposal to run races at Mangere on the property owned by Mr. G. Henning has been in the air for a considerable time. Mr. Henning has held the property specially for the purpose. It is a natural basin, surrounded by a natural gallery capable of holding all the people in Auckland. Originally the idea was to build a concrete track round the edge of the basin, using the natural contour the country, but this kind of racing has lost favour in other countries where dirt tracks have come into operation. The speeds are not so great, but the racing is quite as good. Mr. Henning told the sports committee of the A.A.A. yesterday that he could have a track on which there could be a speed of 70 miles an hour ready in February. ATTRACTION GONE The chairman, Mr. F. G. Farrell, said that Muriwai seemed to have lost its attraction. The long road trip, and difficulty about- placing exciting races on the programme, were against it. He thought dirt track rasing at Mangere would catch the public fancy. Mr. Henning said he had a grader and six men working on the Mangere basin, but he would appreciate the cooperation of the association. The secretary, Mr. G. JTutchison, suggested that a company be formed to run motor racing, but the chairman considered the association should continue its connection with it. Mr. G. W. Spragg moved that there be no races at Muriwai next summer, and that the committee go into the question of putting on a meeting at Mangere, and consider the financial aspect of preparing for it. REARRANGEMENT WOULD DO To this Mr. George Campbell moved an amendment, that the Muriwai meeting be held if Mangere could not be prepared in time. He pointed out that the roads were now good, and considered that an entire rearrangement of the programme and course would attract the crowd. He pointed out that though the Muriwai meeting showed a loss of £75 last year, the Muriwai fund still had a credit of nearly £ 400 made out of previous meetings. He suggested that the association was losing sight of the sporting side of the business. The amendment did not find a seconder, and the motion was carried. ANOTHER ORGANISATION? MURIWAI MAY SURVIVE According to the results of inquiries made by The Sun to-day, it is possible that a more or less private company, such as runs motor-cycle sports in Auckland, may be organised to run races at Muriwai. The attitude taken up is that Muriwai has been so well placed on the man that it should not flicker out. In this age of motor camping Muriwai of course presents an ideal spot with its bush, sand and magnificent beach. Those who are interesting themselves in the proposal believe that if heed were paid to the criticism in The Sun following the last Muriwai races and the laps were cut down the public taste could be catered for. The tentative proposal is that the laps should be from the rocks at the entrance to the beach, to the creek, and the starting and finishing post halfway between. The lap would be between four and five miles, and the racing cars would' be in view all the way. More will probably be heard about the proposal in the next month or two.