RECORDS NOW OFFICIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 887, 3 February 1930, Page 11

RECORDS NOW OFFICIAL

TIMES BY PEARCE AT WESTERN SPRINGS MACHINE WINS £6,000 Tlio fast times put up by Frank Pearce, a world champion, on the quarter-mile cinder track, at the Western Springs Stadium on Saturday evening, were declared official records by members of the New Zealand AutoCycle Union this morning after an examination had been made at a city garage and the engine found to come within the limits imposed on cindertrack racers. Pearce has won £6,000 in prize-money with this machine. On Saturday night „Pearce made record time for both one mile and a quarter-mile at the stadium. He cov-

ered the mile in lmin 25see, an average speed of 48 miles an hour, although at times his speed rose much higher. Regulations regarding racing on the cinders allow only engines up to 500 c.c. capacity, the popular 3£ h.p. size. Pearce had recently fitted a new cylinder barrel to his engine, and it was necessary for the Auto-Cycle Union, which controls the sport, to certify that the machine came within the limits. Measurements taken before representatives of the motor-cycle agents, Mr. J. Kay of the A.C.U.. and Mr. W. Waddham, official machine examiner, proved that the machine was of only 490.6 c.c. capacity. Frank Pearce made a mile world record on the Davies Park Speedway, Brisbane, in 1926. He is still riding the same machine, a specially-built cinder-track racing frame powered with, a standard Norton engine. Negotiations are now under way to enable Pearce to remain in Auckland for another week to compete again at Western Springs on Saturday night.