HIGH SPEEDS ON THE SANDS

HIGH SPEEDS ON THE SANDS. SOUTHPORT CLUB’S LAST MEETING.

TN spite of the rather wet surface of the sand and the showery weather, the championship meeting held at Southport on the 4th of last month was one of high speeds, and altogether provided a very successful day’s sport.

J. Field’s Talbot, which has already distinguished itself this season in numerous events, was again in very good form and on more than one occasion during the meeting exceeded a speed of 100 m.p.h. For the 20miles race there were twelve entrants. At first, A. W. Spottiswoode led the field on his 2-litre Bugatti, but it was not long before he gave place to T. V. G. Selby on a similar car. The race was not without incident, for Spottiswoode in trying to regain his position indulged in some very lurid corner work, with the result that he shed a tyre, while W. H. Hurst (Bentley) collided with Daybell’s Vauxhall, fortunately, without sustaining very much damage.

One of the features of the meeting was the championship event between the two fastest cars and the two fastest motorcycles ; this was run over a mile from a standing start, the result being a run away win for the two-wheelers with speeds of 108.5 and 106.5 m.p.h.

Both machines were Brough-Superiors, the faster being ridden by J. H. Carr and the second by J. 0. Cuncliffe. In the motorcycle classes there were flying kilometre races for 350, 500, and 1,000 solos and 500, 750 and 1,000 sidecars. There were also the usual straight mile, twenty-five and fifty mile contests. In the latter race the first position fell to Charlie Dodson on his Sunbeam-the fourth occasion on which this popular rider has won this event.

There was also a veteran’s race which provided much amusement. Competitors were R. G. Davies on a 1902 De Dion Bouton, G. A. Mangoletsi on a De Dion tricycle and J. A. Rogers on a Riley of about 1905 vintage. The exceptionally high speeds of the winners in all classes was, no doubt, due to an appreciable extent to the following wind which prevailed during the meeting.