MOTORDOM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 818, 12 November 1929, Page 8

MOTORDOM

By

HEADLIGHI

(AUCKLAN U a UTOMOBILB ASSOCIATION). Dangerous Corner, St. Heliers Bay A dangerous corner at the corner of Vale and Harbour View Ftoads at St. Heliers Bay was recently investigated by the Automobile Association. It was found that an obstruction to vision was the cause of the trouble and on the association making representation to the City Council, the council immediately gave instructions for an improvement to be carried out. Routes to the Far North The roads in the Far North beyond Maungaturoto and Waipu are on the whole in excellent order and will provide comfortable travelling for the coming touring season. Many hundreds of inquiries are being received by the Automobile Association for itineraries covering North Auckland. The touring manager of the A.A.A., who recently inspected this difetrict is very much concerned with the posi-

tion between Helensville and Maungaturoto. The main No. 1 highway is under construction and naturally in wet. weather is impassable, and even if fine weather prevails will not permit of easy travelling because of the vast amount of work which is being undertaken. The alternate routes with the recent wet w r eather have proved very troublesome and the majority of motorists are railing their cars between Helensville and Maungaturoto. It is necessary at the present time to travel over a detour route between the East and West Coasts from Wellsford, and this section is causing road users a great deal of anxiety. The touring manager of the association has conferred with the Public Works engineer in the district and an endeavour is being made, providing the weather improves and remains reasonable, to provide a reasonable surface pending the. completion of the main highway. The Automobile Association strongly advises motorists to obtain a definite report immediately before starting on a journey in this section of the country. It is particularly difficult with squally weather to predict just exactly how the road will be, for this area is peculiar for its localised showers, which will thoroughly wet an odd mile of the road, leaving the next mile dry and dusty. Signposting The signposting patrol of the A.A.A. returned this week after erecting signs in the Morrinsville, Matamata and Kaimai districts. Next week he will signpost the route between Cambridge and Morrinsville, via Bruntwood, and later will continue to the National Park, Chateau Tongariro and Taumarunui. The following week work is to be carried out on the Coromandel Peninsula, and later in the Far North.

When Stadium Opens CINDER TRACK RACING AT WESTERN SPRINGS WILL BE POPULAR I ‘ SPEEDSTERS FROM ABROAD All cinder track speedsters in Audi- i land who intend racing at the Western Springs stadium this season are urged by the company to register as soon as possible with the secretary of j Auckland Speedways Ltd. There are only a limited number of places I available among ihe two classes in! which riders may race, but the fast i man will have no difficulty at any j time in securing a place among the j starters. The track at Western Springs is expected to be the fastest and safest South of the Line owing to the construction of its foundation. Under the supervision of Mr. J. Tyler, assist-ant-city engineer, work is being pushed ahead rapidly in preparation for the opening late this month. The] track has been laid out and relief workers are putting down five inches of scoria, rolled well in. as the track I

j foundation. This is to be followed by three inches of metal chips, blinded with metal waste, forming a smooth surface over which will be laid six inches of cinders. Work is now proceeding on the erection of a safety fence, three feet high, outside the j track to secure the spectators from | injury in case of an accident, j The track is a quarter of a mile I long, with a width of 32ft Sin on the j straights and 40ft at the bends. It is thus wider than the average track, I and, having a better foundation, | should be capable of holding faster j speeds than many tracks overseas. ! The stadium will seat 15,0Q0 speetaj tors, and there will be standing room i lor GO,OOO more people. All will be able to see every stage of the race j quite plainly owing to the type of I lighting which will be adopted. CONTROL OF THE SPORT An association has been formed ; by the dirt-traqk clubs in the main centres and is affiliated with the" Auto-Cycle Union of New Zealand, i This body, which will control all the | Dominion’s tracks, will not permit any ! rider registered with the A.C-.U. to race on a cinder circuit of less than 140yds, which is recognised as the safe limit. Through the union, riders will be represented on the control committees at all meetings, and will be protected in many ways. For instance, starters will receive a standard scale of prize-money whatever the gate takings, and a comprehensive benevolent fund will be formed to take care of any competitor injured. Through affiliation with Australian and English Unions, the exchange of riders will be made possible. A team from Australia will appear at Western Springs and another at Wellington. Cinder tracks in England hive .iusl closed for the winter, and several of the best riders hope it) visit New Zea land and Australia, and already two | women speed champions, Miss Fay ! Taylor and Miss Asquith, have decided to race in the Dominion this summer.

Proposals are afoot for the exchange of teams within the country, and three of Auckland’s fastest riders, Messrs. W. Allen (Norton), A. Mattson < Norton), and J. Garmson (Rex Acme) went South to the opening of the Monica Park track at Christchurch on Saturday last. HIGH SPEEDS ASSURED Good sport is assured in Auckland this season with these and other riders competing at high speeds. The track record at. Davies Park, the Brisbane speedway, is IS 4-ssee for a quartermile lap, an average speed approaching 50 m.p.h., which should easily be attainable on the Auckland track. More than 20 special racing machines are on order by riders here, and a big shipment is expected to arrive about November 20. Training operation. which will begin at flic stadium on Saturday. will allow plenty of opportunity for training before the actual opening.

MOTOR-CYCLING FIXTURES Xu comber lf>.—Grass track meeting at Wiiangarei. postponed from Labour Day: training begins at Western Springs. X'ovember 17.—Sports Club races at Muriwai. November 24.—Pillion run by Sports and North Shore Clubs. X'ovember 29. —Entries close for Mangere meeting at 4 p.m. November 30. —Probable opening of Western Springs stadium. December I.—North Shore Club’s beach races at Orewa; run by Sports Club to Orewa. December 4. —Opening of Blandford Park stadium. December 7. —Combined car and motorcycle meeting at Mangere. December 9.—Monthly general meeting of North Shore Club. January 25.—Ca*r and cycle races at Muriwai. March —North Shore Club’s championship meeting at Orewa. March—Grass track races at Takapuna.

CLUB NOTES MURIWAI RACES NEXT The Sports Motor-Cycle, Club’s first beach meeting of the season is to be held on Sunday next. The first race will begin at noon. All entries will close at 11 a.m. at McLaren’s motor truck, which will be used as the club's office on the beach. The committee urges competitors to be on the mark promptly, as there are eight races to get in between tides. The big event of the day will he for the McLaren Cup, a 20-mile event for 050 c.c. machines, limited to ownerriders only. Many riders are expected to travel out to the camping ground on the Saturday night, the remainder following early on Sunday morning. The ■ Auckland Automobile Association rej ports that the best route is via Lin- | coin Road and through Waimauku. Should the weather prove fine this [ week the clay route may be dry, but I will provide rough travelling. ■ The events will be run in the following order: — Women Riders' Handicap. 20-mile Handicap, 350 c.c., for ownerriders only. Side-car Handicap. 250 c.c. Handicap, for two-stroke and four-stroke models. 350 c.c. Handicap, open. Up to 500 c.c., side-valve machines, handicap. 500 c.c. Handicap, open. Consolation Race. OREWA BEACH MEETING At a general meeting of the North Shore Sports and Motor-Cycle Club last evening it was decided to run the 250 c.c. handicap, formerly fixed as a two-stroke and side-valve race, as an open event for stock machines. The distance will be four miles in half-mile 'straights, with seven turns. Entrance fees for all events will be TRIAL POSTPONED < The Hoclwen Cup reliability trial,

organised by the Waikato Motor-Cycle Club over a difficult course of six road surfaces around Hamilton, which was to have been decided on Sunday afternoon, was ponstponed indefinitely. A team of three representing Royal Enfields was to have gone South to compete. Entries from the Waikato Club riders were few. CHARTS FOR TRIALS It. was decided at a meeting of the Sports Motor-Cycle Club on Tuesday evening that in future charts showing the number of points lost and the causes of their loss should bo made out at the conclusion of every reliability run. This will enable protests to be lodged where deemed advisable. During the club’s receDt 457-mile test only one rider was on \ time at the Mercer secret check. The others were early without exception, one competitor losing 33 marks for being 11 minutes ahead of time. The majority of the riders lost no marks at the open cheeks.

AIR COOLED FRANKLIN IN DEMAND The Franklin, the only car manufactured in the United States which uses an air-cooled engine, is attracting wider interest. The Franklin Company first developed air-cooling and i this system has been used ever since i the company started to manufacture cars in 1901. The suitability of air-cooling for airplane engines has served to show its ; advantages *for cooling of motor-car ' engines. 11l August the Franklin Company’s i export division announced that it had i exceeded by 59 per cent, the total ' shipping record for the year of 1925. Franchises have been awarded to distributors in 10 new export countries, and the business of prior existing distributors has. in many instances, surpassed during the first seven months of 1929 the total business in these countries for the year 1925. England has taken 93 per cent, more Franklin cars than it took during 1925. An indication of the reliability of superchargers is furnished by the fact that in the Irish T.T. race IS out of the 22 to finish were thus equipped. Increasing attention is being directed to the economical advantages of reconditioning old engine oil for reuse, and many different tj'pes of recovery plant are now available. One of the latest to appear on the British market depends entirely on the circulation of hot water for cleansing the oil.