Thrills of the Motor Speedway

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 839, 6 December 1929, Page 7

Thrills of the Motor Speedway

THE most fascinating feature of present-day motor-racing is the estab- "*■ lishment of straight-away speed records. The past three years has witnessed an amazing increase in speed. In three years, the land speed record has been raised by 80 miles an hour—from 153 m.p.h. to Segrave’s 231 m.p.h., at Daytona Beach last March. The following table shows the records made and broken:

Date ! Place | Speed j Driver ] ! m.p.h. I i I I 1907 Ormond Beach, | 127 I “Stanley” Steam car driven by Florida Marriott. 1926 Pennine Sands, | 153 Parry Thomas England J f--1927 ” I 174.2 Malcolm Campell 1927 | ” ! (?) Parry Thomas, killed. Mch ’27 Daytona | 203.9 H. O. D. Segrave. Feb *2B ” l 206.95 Malcolm Campbell Mch ’2B " 207.58 | Ray Keech Apl ’2B j ” 220 (?) j Lockart, killed Mch ’29 ” 231.36 j Segrave, Golden Arrow. ” I ” j 200 (?) j Lee Bible, killed. Apl ’29! Verneuk Pan, ! 212 Malcolm Campbell; also established I South Africa ' new five-mile record.

THE fascination of speed has captured the world. Everywhere today motor-car racing and motor-cycle racing attract their thousands and scores of thousands of followers, while the amazing speed records put up in international contests have captured the imagination of the world. And now New Zealand has been seized with the thrills of the motor speedway. Nearly 15,000 saw the broadsiding at Western Springs Stadium last Saturday evening, and as big a crowd is expected there tomorrow. Crowds of 10,000 and 12,000 turn out every Saturday evening to the Kilburnie Stadium in Wellington.

Tomorrow will be Auckland’s first big motor racing day, with a big opening meeting at the improved Mangere Speedway in the afternoon, and some fine contests at the Western Springs Stadium in the evening. More than 25,000 people should “get a kick” out of motor racing tomorrow.

Mangere Speedway is probably the finest natural speedway site in the world and should develop into one of the foremost tracks in existence. , .. Mr. George Henning, known as the “father” of motoring in Auckland, saw the possibilities of the site some five years ago, and purchased a 200-acre property, which includes the natural basin. The tidal inlet was dammed,

the swamp drained, and a rough one and a-quarter-mile circular track formed by clearing the mangroves. Since the two race meetings there last season Mr. Henning has had a gang of men working on the property. The track is now about 60ft wide and slightly banked at both ends, and for weeks at a time a heavy steam-roller from Otaliuhu has been rolling and consolidating the surface of the track. The motor races there last year proved the soundness of the scheme, and thousands are expected to witness the big races there tomorrow. In many ways Mangere Speedway races are Auckland’s premier sporting attraction.

That the Mangere Speedway has the makings of a world-beater is proved when one reviews the great racing tracks overseas. The great Brooklands track, the Montlherry track in France and the big tracks\ in America are all artificially created arenas, and furthermore are miles from any city.

As against these, our own Mangere has enormous natural grandstands, is handy to the city over good roads, and is such a convenient size that one can watch the whole race in progress.

This year there are numerous improvements to the Mangere speedway, which will be shared alike by both the drivers and the crowd. The thick dust of last season shall not be so pre-

valent, and heavy cars will thus be able to hold the track better and obtain a higher speed. It can well be expected that the maximum speed for this season will be somewhere about 75 miles an hour. Then, at least 10 of the cars which will be seen racing this season are capable of exceeding that speed if the track permits, and so the racing should be, in most cases, a sheer test between drivers. A specially-constructed lap scoring board, which will show the relative places of the different cars at any stage of the race, will be in use for the first time tomorrow. A record of this nature adds immeasurably to the interest in the race, and was sadly lacking last year. The parking of motor-cars and cycles, which was one of the biggest problems with which the organisers were faced last year, has been given attention, and it is confidently expected that the,re will be no traffic congestion at the several gates on Saturday. Adequate police supervision has also been arranged for the gates and other parts of the grounds. Then to complete the day there will be the second evening of the thrilling sport of “broadsiding” at the Western Springs Stadium. Some exceptionally keen contests should be seen, as Percy Coleman, New Zeala.nd’s champion of champions, will

appear, and. will race against the two Australian cracks. Drivers and owners are busy preparing tlieir cars for the coming season which, they all hold, has much in store for them, as there will be a meeting every month. There are rumours afloat that powerful cars, capable of a sort of super speed, which will literally “clean-up” everything, will take the track, particularly a special dirt-track Essex, on order from America by Mr. Bert Shorter.

Perhaps the fastest car to be seen racing this season will be one owned and driven by Mr. Norman (Wizard) Smith, who established an AucklandWellington record of 13 hours 10 minutes in 1924. The machine is a special type throughout with a 12cylinder engine, and capable of travelling at a speed ranging from 140 to 150 miles an hour. The car is at present in Australia, but Mr. Smith has sent advice to the effect that he intends landing the car in Auckland in January. It is the intention to race this car on the Ninety Mile Beach about January 11, and there is a possibility of it also appearing on the Mangere Speedway at some of the later meetings.

It is also understood that “Wizard” Smith intends to attack the world's 10-mile record with this car on the Ninety Mile Beach, so it must be “some goer.”