Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 845, 13 December 1929, Page 12

Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Controls Motor Races at Western Springs

Auckland’s representative on the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union, Mr. J. C. Kay, has been actively associated with the motor-cycle racing sport in the Dominion for the past 20 years, and as track manager at the Western Springs Stadium is one of the big guns behind Auckland Speedways, Limited, which has re-introduced cinder track racing in the city. Mr. Kay was born at Timaru, and in his early days was an active road racer on a push cycle. Later, however, he took up motor-cycle racing, and since the foundation of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union at Palmerston North in 1911, has seen most of the big meetings conducted in the Dominion. He remembers when Percy Coleman, seven times New Zealand heavy-weight grass track champion, and world’s record holder, began his career at Palmerston North in 1912-13 on a 2| h.p. Hum- . ber. He recalls also, that Percy’s mother, who was an enthusiastic follower of the sport, was always the least excited of all the spectators when Coleman was flashing round the bends. The sport developed gradually at Dannevirke, Napier and Palmerston North (the original clubs), and then spread to Gisborne, where Mr. A. E. Davy, now president of the Dominion Executive of the United New Zealand Political Part'* was club president. Mr. Kay gravitated to Auckland in 1918, arid on looking round for a club to join found that there was none in existence. Accordingly, associated with Messrs. R. E. Champtaloup and C. L. Mclntosh, he founded the Auckland Motor Racing Club in 1922. The

club was later formed into a limited liability company, and year after year conducts an annual grass track meeting at TaKupuna. In 1925 Mr. Kay became actively associated with the Auto Cycle Union as a member of the executive committee, and in 1926 he was elected vice-presi-dent. He still represents -Auckland on the executive. To Mr. Kay motor-cycle racing is the King of Sports, but he also confesses a liking for Rugby football and a good trotting race. In his younger days lie-played Rugby for Tumaka (near Timaru), and at the same time Mr. T. W. Maben, now secretary of the Auckland Rugby Football Union, was playing for Timaru. Last year Mr. Kay, accoinDimied by Mr. A. J. Roycroft, went to Australia with the object of going thoroughly into the possibilities of cinder track racing, and as a result Auckland Speedways, Limited, was formed, and the meetings at the Western Springs Stadium inaugurated. When in Australia, Mr. Kay visited the Speedway Royal and Wentworth Oval (Sydney), the Bathurst Tracks (Newcastle), an-d the ’Drome and Exhibition Grounds (Melbourne), where he saw most of the Commonwealth’s best riders in action. Mr. Kay informed the writer that Tommy Benstead, Australian grass-track champion, and one of the Commonwealth’s best riders on the cinders, had expressed a wish to come to New Zealand, and as a result he may be seen in action in Auckland early in the New Year. Speedway’s grass-track' manager pays a tribute to Mr. A. Spragg, president of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union, for his efforts which culminated in the establishment of a benevolent fund for riders.