Speedway Season Opens

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 847, 16 December 1929, Page 14

Speedway Season Opens

SUTHERLAND WINS BIG RACE

Coleman Breaks Track Record

AUCKLANDERS have been lured by the fascination of speedway racing, for more than 5,000 of the new sport's rapidly growing band of enthusiasts viewed the opening meeting of the Auckland Automobile Racing Club s season, held at the Mangere Speedway on Saturday afternoon. Favoured with ideal weather conditions and large entries, the meeting was an outstanding success.

The Manger© Handicap, the big race of the day, was won by the Suth€*rland Special powered with a Hall-Scott aero engine and piloted by D. C. Sutherland, while another feature of the .afternoon was the fine performance of Percy Coleman, who won three out of the four motor-cycle events. He displayed great daring and succeeded in lapping in 53 seconds, which is travelling at a rate of 85 miles an hour, and is a record for the track. From shortly after midday a multitude of wheels turned toward the spedway at Mangere. The speedway became a throbbing mass of motorcars and buses. Last season the parking formed a problem, but on Saturday, with the several wide entrance gates and adequate traffic and police supervision, the vast volume of traffic filed its way to the parking places with little delay. The speedway was once a wet and useless swamp. On Saturday it presented a scene of animation and excitement. Speedsters roared round the track through choking dust clouds. The corners had been considerably widened since last season, making it possible for much higher speeds and reducing the danger element to a minimum. In parts the thick dust was still prevalent and the events were indeed tests between drivers as well as between cars. Mangere may be claimed to be the most natural speedway site in the world. The gradual green slopes make an ideal grandstand, and every spectator, without straining his neck, could obtain a clear and uninterrupted view of the contests. A specially-constructed lap-scoring board situated on the inside of the track and facing the main slope, thickly dotted with people, showed the relative places of the different contestants. Then there was the birdcage. Faces of many prominent men in the Auckland motor world were seen there, some in mufti, others garbed in helmet and overalls. R. M. Grierson, who has taken over Bob Wilson’s Stutz, G. Paul there from Wanganui to drive his Thomas Special, a car built by the world-famous motorist, the late Parry Thomas, George Campbell busy tuning his Mercer, Tim Bell with Wraight’s Chrysler, and many other faces well known in both beach and track racing. Among the motor-cycle riders were three noted personalities, Percy Coleman, who has won the heavy-weight championship of the Dominion for the seventh year in succession, R. Ranby, 3J h.p. record-holder, and C. Walker, who held the figures last year for the world’s best with a 25 h.p. machine on grass. Following are the results:— ALISON HANDICAP Motor-cycle; 5 laps. First prize £lO, second £5, third £2. P. Coleman (Harley Davidson), scr 1 R. •J. Keeling (A.J.S.), 40s 2 A. W. Coyle (Royal Enfield), 40s .. 3 Scr.: B. Bray (Douglas), R. Ranby (Indian), B. Bray (A.J.S.), C. D. Walker (Douglas), L. Coulthard (Velocette), C. Goldberg (Royal Enfield), H. G. Stephenson (Indian), K. Yeats (Rex Acme), J. A. Elvey (Rex W. B. Harris (8.5. A.), F. Butcher (Rex Acme). Time, 5.21 1-5. LIGHT CAR HANDICAP 5 laps. First prize £lO, second £5, third £2. G. Paul's Thomas Special (Andrews), scr 1 Seabrook, Fowld’s, Ltd., Austin (R. M. Grierson), 60s 2 W. A. McGuire’s Morris Minor, 55s 3 Scr.: Seabrook, Fowlds, Ltd.’s Austin, A. J. Roycroft’s Bugatti. Time, 6.45 2-5. TAKAPUNA HANDICAP Motor-cycles; 5 laps. First prize £ls second £6, third £3. P. Coleman (Harley Davidson), scr * j

C. D. Walker (Douglas). 20s .. • S. T. Casey (Douglas), 25s • Scr.: R. Ranby (Indian), A L*oi o « (Rex Acme), H. G. Stephenson (Indian. C. Goldberg (Royal Enfield). J. A. (Rex Acme), A. Coppins (Indian) R / Keeling (A.J.S.). Time, 5.9. TOURING CAR HANDICAP Cars over 9 h.p.; 4 laps. First prize fi» second £5, third £2. G. Campbell’s Essex. 50s j B. Shorter’s Essex, 15s *’ j S. F. Avery's Oakland, 30s .. .. ** j Scr.: E. Garrett’s Chrysler, N. Allright* Bugatti, G. Howard’s Bentley. Mrs. n n Harding’s Rugby. Time, 5.54 4-5. mcintosh handicap Motor-cycles; 5 laps. First prize £i« second £5, third £2. P. Coleman (Harley Davidson), scr l R. J. Keeling (A.J.S.), 40sec 2 W. A. Thompson (Norton), 40sc .. | Scratched: B. Herbert (Indian), R. Ranby (Indian), B. Bray (Rex Acme) C. D. Walker (Douglas), O. Shakespear (Lagit), H. G. Stephenson (Indian), J. A. Elvey (Rex Acme), H. I.a vler (Velocette), S. T. Casey (Rex Acme), C. Gordon (Ariel), W. B. Harris (8.5. A.). Time. 4.41 2-5. MANGERE HANDICAP Open. 5 laps. First prize £2O, second £lO. third £5. First Heat Paine Bros.* Chevrolet, 40s .. .. l G. Smith’s Smith Special, 25s .... | A. P. Donald’s Hudson, 35s .. | Scr.: N. Allright’s Bugatti. A. J. Rot. croft’s Bugatti, S. Hattaway’s Buick. Time, 6.4 2-5. Second Heat D. C. Sutherland’s Sutherland Special, 25s j B. Shorter’s Essex. 40s ’ \\ ♦ R. D. Wraight’s Chrysler, scr. .. 5 Scr.: Seabrook, Fowld’s Austin; H. C. Fletcher s Ford. Time, 6.11 2-5. Final D. C. Sutherland's Sutherland Special \ Paine Bros.’ Chevrolet (C. J. Paine) j G. Smith’s Smith Special 2 Time, 6.1 3-5. GRAYSON HANDICAP Motor-cycle; 5 laps. First prize £ls, second prize £6, third prize £3. L. Coulthard’s New Hudson, 25s 1 S. T. Casey's Rex Acme, 25s .... J C. D. Walker’s Douglas, 20s .... 3 Scr.: R. J. Keeling’s A.J.S., 25?; A. Cophin’s Indian, 255; W. G. Allen’s Rex Acme, 255; A. Lemon’s Rex Acme, 158. Time, 5.28 1-5. SPEEDWAY HANDICAP 8 laps. First, prize £25, second prize £ls, third prize £lO. A. P. Donald’s Hudson, 45s .. .. 1 G. Smith’s Smith Special, 35s .. 2 G. Campbell’s Mercer, 35s 3 Scr.: R. M. Grierson’s Stutz. Time. 6.50. ONE-LAP HANDICAP Open. 1 lap. First prize £5, second prize £3, third prize £1 10s. First Heat G. Campbell’s Mercer, 8s 1 S. A. Andrew’s Ford, 10s 2 A. Bell’s Chrysler, scr 3 Time, 1.39. Second Heat G. Smith’s Smith Special, 6s .. .. 1 V. Crocombe’s Whippet, 6s 2 R. M. Grierson’s Stutz, scr 2 Time, 1.24. Final G. Smith’s Smith Special, 6s ..1 R. M. Grierson’s Stutz, scr 2 V. S. Crocombe’s Whippet, 6s .. 5 Time, 1.25 4-5. CONSOLATION HANDICAP 3 laps. First prize £5. second prize Hi third prize £1 10s. A. R. Messenger’s Messenger Special 1 A. Bell’s Chrysler * S. A. Andrew’s Ford * Time, 4.7.