TORRENTIAL RAIN for more than two hours did not dampen riders^’ enthusiasm at Rushden and District Query Motor Club's first scramble of the year at the Nook Field, Wymington, on Sunday. They carried on under the most hazardous conditions possible. The course soon churned into a morass and spills were plentiful. Only one mishap was serious, however, and G. Walker, of Peterborough, broke a collar bone.

Spectators also braved the elements and at the start there was the biggest crowd ever at a Wymington meeting. All sorts of ingenious methods were used in sheltering from the rain and St. John ambulance men crept under the awning made by leaning their stretchers against cars.

Brian Stonebridge was again the outstanding rider and was first in the 350 and 500cc events and second in the handicap. Local favourites Bert Sharpe and H. J. ‘Monty’ Banks, also did well. Riders came from Northampton, Ely, Peterborough, Wycombe, Kenton and Kingsbury, Luton Cambridge, Bedford, Bishops Stortford and Tottenham.

Opposed by Church: Scramble a Record

LAST-MINUTE admonishment from local clergy had little effect on the Rushden Query Motor Club's first scramble of the season, a record crowd of 5000 attending the Nook Field, Wymington, on Sunday.

A second record was pro­vided by the number of competitors, 52 taking part. Monty Banks, of Grasshop­per Club, was the outstanding rider. He won three events—­the 250, 350 and 500 c.c. classes—and displayed some first-class riding in the handicap, in which he was back marker.

Generally speaking, it was not a good day for two-strokes, which seemed to be out in even larger numbers than usual.

Unidentiified newsclip, May 1953 meeting:

BUSIEST MEN at Rushden and District Query Club's scramble at the Nook Field, Wymington, on Sunday, were those of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. They dealt with three fractures and the ambulance went twice to Northampton General Hospital and once to Bedford.

The casualties were F. Straughan, of Matchless M.C.C., who fractured a collar bone in a heat of the 500 c.c. event, and went to Bedford. D. J. Darbey (Northampton) fractured his pelvis while practising during the morning and G. Jackson (Matchless M.C.C.) fractured his scapula.

Two of the accidents occurred at the same spot and many other riders who came to grief at this point received treatment for minor injuries.

The meeting attracted the biggest entry ever and in some heats there were 12 competitors.

Crowd Gasped at his escape

HAROLD HILL, of Birmingham, and his sidecar passenger, 19-year-old Barry Cox, provided nearly five thousand motor cycle racing fans with the greatest thrill of the afternoon at Overstone Park yesterday. But the pair went home disappointed.

A run of bad luck for Harold began at Northampton while on his way to the first grass track meeting organised by Rushden and District Query Motor Club since before the war. His car became punctured. The track was reached, however, by "pumping up" along the way.

Racing through to qualify for the final of the 500 c.c. side-car event, the dare-devil pair were all set for a winning afternoon, but Lady Luck had different ideas.

Came the final lap, Harold and Barry were lying third and challenging strongly. And then it happened.

A rider in front braked. Harold’s machine contacted with it, completely overturned and pinned him to the ground. Barry was thrown clear. The crowd gasped, but the couple were unhurt.

Harold, out of the afternoon’s racing, said in the pits as he repaired a puncture; “What bad luck. It is the first time in two years that I have never won anything.”

DID he fall or was he pushed? Neither. This side­car passenger at the Rushden and District Query Motor Club's grass track meeting at Overstone Park yesterday is merely playing an important part in negotiating a corner at speed.