Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-08-25
Australian Says Champions
Lead Was Due to His
Riding Misfortune.

Now that Jackie Clarke is within
haiiing distance of the 1911 champion
ship the little Australian is as clipper
as a lark and again feels that the world
holds something for him. After the
two-mile championship at the Velo-
drome Wednesday night, In which
Champion Kramer ~punctured n
Clarke won, the latter remarked that
inasmuch as he was the only one who
had had any misfortune in the cham
pionship races this season it was
bloody we'll encouraging to see m
one else get the same dose, and par
ticularly Kramer, who was the one
who had profited through my mlsfor-
tunes
The championship again assume a
very Interesting aspect and it Is still
a problem as to who will eventually
win the premier cycling honors.
Kramer is now sever points ahead of
Clarke, and with a rival of Clarke's
calibre 1t is q very uncertain margin,
and one that can be overcome in the
next two races. Kramer cannot afford
to have any more punctures, as riding
light tires may eventually cost him the
championship. IF Kramer a not
p%unctured In the two-mile champion
ship he would nave put up a great
race, for at the time he was compelled
to quit he was perfectly fresh, while
such men as John Bedell and Menus
Bedeli were shaken from the bunch aS
a result of the terrific pace that was
set. This was the first time in his
career as a professional that old John
Bedell was ever shaken. Clarke rode
a magnificent race and was easily the
best of the riders who finished. Even
Alfred Goullet, who is, like Clarke,
very good in a hard race, was baked,
and was Just able to hang on for the
finish. Kramer's plan of battle was to
go to the front before the last lap and
get the lead and then fight Clarke off.
IL the champion had such a plan in
mind during The running Of the race
he was pretty fresh and would have
given Clarke a great fight and might
have won, for when a rider is tired ne
will never try to ride from the front,
the tendency is to sleigh ride" and
come out just before the homestretch
Is reached. At any rate Kramer would
have finished one, two, three, and
would have gotten some points in the
race which would have kept Clarke at
a safer distance in the title race,
AS 1t is there is a 1ve-mile cham
pionship on the card at the Velodrome
Sunday and. like the two-mile, there
will be increased prizes for the laps,
which is going to make the race Just
the kind of a rae that Clarke is best
in. If Clarke wins this championship
Sunday and Kramer runs second the
Australian will be within one race of
the lead in the title battle. Another
misfortune TO Kramer will be disastrous
to the ten-times champion. There are
not man, more championship races to
be run and every one Of them will
count big from now on to the close of
the season.
In addition to the ive-mile cham
pionship race Kramer and Clarke are
going to ride a match race that Is to be
paced by tandems. There is to be only
one heat TO this race, and the distance
is to be one mile. This should be a
great race and a very fast one. too.
Like the five-mile championship the
match race is also to Clarke's liking
and the little Australian expects to
clean up the card Sunday.
There are six other races on the card
for Sunday besides the match race and
the championship. The other events
are a half-mile handicap and two-mile
invitation for the professionals, FIVE
mile motor ace, one-third mile handi-
cap and three-mile open. for the anna
tours, and a two-mile novice race. The
motor race will be a three-cornered
affair, in which the crack pacemakers,
Charley Turville, Carl Ridden and
Daredevil" Jimmy Hunter. will ride.
A disturbing element from the West
will arrive here tomorrow and compete
in the races Sunday, and there will be
plenty of work for Referee Bardgett
If they try to ride in the same way
they rode at Salt Lake and Ogden this
season. 1t is a 'big train called the
Salt Lake special" and they will
probably try to get away with the
rough stuff" they were pulling off In
the west. However, the faithful officer
on the YeIodrome beat. Walter Bard
gett. has his trusty club ready and is
prepared to lambast the FIRST offender.